Bachelor Project - General

Math, mechanics, design, materials science... A mechanical engineering degree usually starts out very theoretical, takes place in large lectures with frontal teaching and frustrates many beginners, who often ask themselves the question at the end of the first semester: What does all this have to do with mechanical engineering, and what does mechanical engineering have to do with me at all?

Problem solving skills for first year students!

In the 2017/18 winter semester, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Leibniz Universität Hannover changed its curriculum and introduced a mandatory practical project in the very first semester with one goal: to teach students right from the start what engineers will do later - namely, solve technical problems in a structured way as part of a team. The idea from the dean's office to start a practical project for first-year students took shape at the Institute of Assembly Technology (match) at the Hannover Center for Production Technology. This is also where the coordination of this "bachelor project" lies, for which 13 mechanical engineering institutes ultimately each offered a project that is not about technical skills but about problem-solving skills.

Since summer 2021, the bachelor project is offered every semester, but with a reduced number of projects.

This page provides general information about the bachelor project at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Information about the project "Autonomous LEGO Robot" can be found here.

The bachelor project arose from the wish of students to have more practical experience at the beginning of their studies. Accordingly, the project consists of tutorials with a high practical component, in which important competencies and soft skills are taught in addition to technical content, such as problem-solving skills, independent research of content, teamwork and presentation techniques.

The bachelor project is carried out decentrally at different institutes. The engineering focus varies from project to project; as a rule, the discipline of the institute is also the focus of the project organized and carried out there. Information about the projects can be found in Stud.IP, partly also on the websites of the institutes. This explicitly also applies to the venue and time of the event. In addition, there is a general information event in which the contents of all projects are briefly presented and the registration procedure is explained. The individual projects are organizationally independent.

Each project has a responsible contact person who can be reached via Stud.IP. In individual cases, inquiries should be directed to these contact persons. The same applies to cancellations for a deadline, e.g. due to illness.

Registration
The registration for the project/subproject is takes place via Stud.IP. There, several wishes can be specified and prioritized. After the projects were assigned, there is still the possibility to register or to switch to a different  project, if spots are available. In case the distribution of praticipants is very uneven, some participants might be reassigned to a different project.

Change of project
A change of project is only possible within the registration period. It is no longer possible to switch between projects after the registration period has expired.

Compulsory attendance
Attendance is compulsory for all projects, unless otherwise announced in the course. In case of illness, a medical certificate must be obtained and submitted to the supervisor of the project. Planned absences for good cause, such as marriage or death, must be communicated to the supervisor in advance. On a case-by-case basis, supervisors will make every effort to find an accommodating solution if the concern is presented in a credible manner. There is no entitlement to "permitted absences".

Examination performance
The Bachelor project is an ungraded course work. Of course, there will still be a performance review in each project. This usually consists of at least one written performance (e.g. interim or final report) and one oral performance, such as a presentation and/or an examining discussion on the topic of the sub-project.

Bachelor project in the Studium Generale
The Bachelor project cannot be chosen in the "Studium Generale" (PO 2017). This results from the fact that an examination achievement may only appear once in the transcript. This is already the case if the bachelor project was automatically recognized during the PO compulsory change (see above). If you have objected to this, it must be completed as a compulsory examination and cannot then be credited in the Studium Generale either.

Examination of Electrical Engineering (M. Sc.)
If you have been assigned Electrical Engineering I or II as a conditional examination as a Master's student, you do not have to complete the Bachelor's project. Even if this is part of the same module as Electrical Engineering, they are different examinations.