Individual Learning Unit

As of fall semester 2019 the regulations below apply to all individual learning units in the area of Business and Economics. For individual learning units in the area of Informatics the regulations of the Department of Informatics apply.

An individual learning unit allows students to work independently on a topic, familiarizing them with working on their own and according to scientific principles. An individual learning unit can take the form of literature study, small-scale research projects, software development or the development and completion of an experiment.

Students work independently on the material of an individually defined area and undergo an assessment, which will be graded. For completing an individual learning unit, students need approval from a professor of the Faculty to act as their supervisor. 

Before an individual learning unit can be started, Bachelor's students must have completed the assessment level and Master's students any additional requirements or conditions, if applicable.

Individual learning units amount to either 3 or 6 ECTS credits. The following guidelines apply:

• A maximum of 6 ECTS credits from individual learning units can be credited toward the degree.
• A maximum of two individual learning units can be completed per degree program.
• An explicit assessment must be undergone (e.g., oral or written examination, presentation, written paper).

The duration of the individual learning unit is determined by the supervising professor. 

The assessment must be undergone no later than 6 months counting from the beginning of the unit, otherwise the module will be considered failed.

The topic, format and type of assessment of the individual learning unit are agreed upon with the supervising professor. For this purpose, a proposal (at least two to five pages) will have to be drawn up, containing the following information:

• Description of the topic and objective of the individual learning unit
• Milestones with corresponding time estimate and schedule
• Detailed definition of the assessment including binding submission or examination date

Failure to pass the individual learning unit is a failed attempt. Completing another individual learning unit is possible, but it must differ sufficiently in content. Individual learning units canceled with approval (e.g., due to inability to work) are considered not to have been started.

Interested students can approach the respective professor. The following documents must be completed and submitted to the Dean's Office by e-mail:

• Registration form
• Proposal

The student must submit the completed registration form – signed by both parties – and the proposal to the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics by e-mail within five working days.

The Dean's Office reserves the right to reject the registration if the information provided is incomplete.

The ECTS credits are recorded by the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics. The module will be listed on the student's next transcript of records.

Individual learning units can be credited toward the free elective area, OEC elective area, INF elective area or a core elective area defined by the study program director upon recommendation of the supervising professor.