case studies life science tum

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• Department of Mathematics
• TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology
• Technical University of Munich

Your study program is subdivided into modules, each of which consists of one or more lectures or seminars that are coordinated in terms of content and timetables. This is the preliminary overview of classes offered in the summer semester 2024:

Lectures for the summer semester 2024

Undergraduate studies: compulsory courses, undergraduate studies: advanced courses, vertiefung mathematik bachelor, master mathematik, grundlegend, master mathematik, spezialvorlesungen, lehramt gymnasium.

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• Department of Science, Technology and Society
• TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology
• Technische Universität München

The RESET master’s program combines rigorous training in Science and Technology Studies with a special focus on issues of responsibility and hands-on immersive learning based on case studies and projects. Here are some examples of RESET projects.

Immersion Project Examples (M.A. RESET, 1st Semester)

Responsible innovation and global governance in neuroscience (winter semester 17/18).

This immersion project explored responsible innovation in brain science and technology. Using a comparative perspective, students looked at “brain projects” across the globe (such as the Human Brain Project or the BRAIN Initiative) and studied different sets of recommendations and reports to identify similarities and differences for dealing responsibly with neuroscience and neurotechnology across countries and regions (e.g. Europe, the US, China, and Latin America).

Manufacturing Responsibility? Case Studies of an Industrial Trade Show (winter semester 17/18)

This immersion project focused on Responsible Research and Innovation at Euromold, one of the leading trade fairs for machine tools, product development and additive manufacturing (3D printing). Students explored how the idea of Responsible Innovation is translated from policy papers to corporate action and how it impacts product design.

Gene Editing – Knowledge Production and Responsibility (winter semester 18/19)

Recent techniques of gene editing such as CRISPR/Cas9 appear to be more precise than prior gene modifying tools, and are seen as a promising way to cure various heritable diseases or to improve agricultural yields. In Europe, there are many legal, political and ethical uncertainties regarding CRISPR/Cas9, despite broad public discussion. The aim of this immersion project was to outline the different and ambiguous implications and ramifications of gene editing in order to address questions of the social, ethical and environmental impacts resulting from novel gene editing approaches. The students were invited to TUM’s School of Life Sciences to discuss this topic with experts, and to gain insights into the researchers’ working environment, research goals and principles.

Brave New World of Work (winter semester 18/19)

In this project, students explored new ways of working and the socio-material configurations of new working spaces by empirically investigating the design and use of new office concepts, planning processes and working situations. The project included a field trip to the Microsoft headquarters in Munich, Germany. On a tour of the premises, they learned how the organization envisions current and future forms of work. With examples like Microsoft’s workspaces, the project group analyzed and discussed its findings through the lens of Science and Technology Studies as it addressed fundamental questions such as “What are the conditions and effects of certain developments?” and “How do they alter the distribution of responsibilities?”.

E-Mobility: The Future of Transportation in the City? (winter semester 19/20)

Electric vehicles have been touted by various parties as a crucial solution to a wide range of urban transportation problems: electric cars can make a major contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and other forms of pollution while e-scooters and e-bikes offer alternative means to dealing with congestion, health risks, and mobility limitations. In this immersion project, students explored the role these emerging technologies play in competing visions of future urban transportation systems and discussed related responsibility questions. One of the highlights of the project was an e-scooter tour of Munich.

Free Speech and the Internet (winter semester 19/20)

Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of liberal democracy and widely considered a basic human right. But what does this liberty mean in the Age of the Internet, and what are the conditions for and limits of free speech on the World Wide Web and social media? This project examined issues of responsibility related to the regulation and implementation of information technologies from an ethical perspective. Students developed an independent ethical assessment of a concrete current or recent case, and actively utilized a broad range of empirical findings and methods from fields such as media studies, history of technology, gender studies, digital anthropology, and political data science.

Examples of Projects Conducted within the Skills Course “Meaningful Project Management” (M.A. RESET, 2nd Semester)

Gallery of diversity.

This project intended to shed light on different aspects of diversity through a photo gallery at TUM’s main campus. The group wanted to empower individuals from TUM’s community to express and materialize their understanding of diversity by photographs representing a wide range of different interpretations of diversity (as defined by the individual contributors).

CLOTHstainable – Sustainable Clothing

The overall objective of CLOTHstainable was to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by inducing a shift from the detrimental fast fashion to sustainable clothing production and consumption. The approach was to bring together students and sustainable clothing experts during a field trip to several sustainable clothing businesses in Munich. Based on the insights of this field trip, and in order to reach more students, the group created a leaflet about sustainable clothing.

Technology Matters

This project aimed at raising awareness for the fact that values are embedded in certain technologies and that technologies are therefore deeply political. The group’s approach was to write a blog (www.technologymatters.de), in which they portrayed three cases to illustrate how values are embedded in technologies. They increased the traffic on their blog through social media campaigns and by distributing posters and stickers at TUM and the STS.

Extracurricular Student Projects M.A. Reset and M.A. STS

In addition to working on curricular projects, students are also very engaged in extracurricular student projects including:

STS Student Voices

Students have created a web portal on the STS website, which enables them to publicize their research within the STS’ master’s programs, i.e. the essays they write and the podcasts and videos they produce. A key ambition of this project is to make scientific knowledge in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) available to a broader public in an accessible manner and showcase student activities at the STS.

This student project is concerned with how STS-relevant knowledge can be incorporated in the process of creating physical and virtual artifacts. By doing so, the students want to explore how stories and narratives of science and technology can be told but also informed by the interaction with their recipients.

Master´s Theses

Sophia knopf: safeguarding neurotechnology for and against society ethical and social responsibility and the governance of emerging technologies in the private sector.

“In my master thesis, I explored the question how actors in the consumer neurotechnology industry understand, frame, practice and enact ethical and social responsibility. With a background in communication science and psychology, the ethical, legal and social challenges of neurotechnology have always been a fascinating topic for me, which I was now able to deepen from a governance perspective in the final thesis.”

Tracy Phillips née Schmorleitz: An Analysis of American Zero Waste Blogs: Exploring Responsibility through Grounded Theory

“My thesis examined the way American zero waste blog authors present the zero waste lifestyle to their audience as a responsible practice. The term “zero waste” connotates normatively “good” practices of reducing the amount of waste one generates in an effort to reduce one’s environmental impact and, ultimately, protect the health of the earth for future generations. In many cases, topics of plastic waste take center stage, as single-use plastic items are often considered normatively “easy” to phase out of your life and replace with natural alternatives. In the end, I present a theory suggesting that the zero waste lifestyle was conceptualized by blog authors as a responsible practice based on how achievable it is. I chose this topic for two reasons: First, because it “fit” the research scope of the STS and my other master’s program (MSLEP, now discontinued); second, out of personal interest stemming from the impact the movement has had on minorities and underrepresented groups. COVID-19 has opened up a lot of new possibilities for research in this space as disposable masks, gloves, and other PPE become necessary to public health. Good follow-up research could ask: What are the societal and environmental impacts of COVID-19 waste?”

Julia Renninger: Making Futures Plausible: How Living Labs (De-)Stabilize Smart Energy Pioneers in Germany and the EU

“In my thesis, I took a closer look at innovation processes in the name of “Energiewende” and studied niche actors that communicate their vision of the future energy system via living labs. A Living lab in this context would be a district of village that experiments with new forms of energy production and distribution on a small scale. I accompanied two cases, one in Hamburg and one at Lake Constance, conducted several interviews and dove into the complex world of building a new energy system that caters to locally specific, social, regulatory and economic needs. My thesis is embedded into the EU-funded research project SCALINGS, that compares collaborative innovation processes across 10 European countries and several technological domains.”

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• TUM School of Life Sciences
• Technical University of Munich

Frequently asked questions about studying (FAQs)

Before you start studying, during your studies, and even after you have submitted your thesis, questions may arise. Before you contact the Student Advisory Service with your question, please first check whether you can find the right information in the FAQ. Many questions can already be answered here. At the very beginning of your studies, the glossary will help you to understand the most important terms related to your studies. We also recommend that you take a look at the legal basics of studying at TUM at the beginning of your studies. Have fun clicking through!

• Legal basis

Application and Admission

• Application,admission, enrollment
• Aptitude assessment procedure
• Aptitude assessement
• Curricular analysis
• Health insurance
• International applicants
• Language certificates
• Numerus clausus (NC)
• Part-time degree programs
• Study orientation procedure
• Visa, entry requirements
• Waiver of a study place, withdrawal from enrollment

Student advisory services

• General advising, subject-specific advising, problems, crisis
• Learning skills development, self-competence
• Pregnancy, maternity protection, parental leave
• Scholarships
• Study financing, BAföG

Organizational

• E-mail address
• Emergency, accident, accident report
• Leave of absence
• Laboratory insurance
• Lost and found
• Registration at the place of residence
• Stay abroad
• Semester dates, lectures period, deadlines
• Social security certification
• Accommodating disabilities during examinations
• Additional courses
• Board of Examination
• Deadline suspension, deadline extension
• Examinations
• Examination report, grade report, Transcript of Records (ToR)
• Examination withdrawal
• Final failure of a degree program (EN)
• Fundamentals and Orientation Examination (GOP)
• General education subject
• Graduation, graduation documents, certificate of graduation
• Illness during studies
• Practical semester
• Recognition of academic achievements
• Study progress control
• Thesis (bachelor’s thesis, master’s thesis, diploma thesis)
• Timetable, lecture schedule
• Withdrawal from university

Student Life

• Accomodation
• Health, TUM4Health
• Jobs, vacancies
• Semester fee, tuition fee, continued enrollment
• Semester ticket
• Student Union
• Tuition fees for students from non-EU countries
• University sports

Coronavirus: FAQs on Studies, Teaching and Exams

Here you can find current information about the effects of the current restrictions in university operations due to the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on studies and teaching at TUM.

What do I use the glossary for?

At university, there is a whole new vocabulary and many abbreviations that you should familiarize yourself with. You will find the most important terms for the start of your studies explained in this glossary . 

Which legal principles have to be observed?

There are clear rules for studying at TUM. We highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with these legal principles at the beginning of your studies. Please see here for explanations of the most important legal framework . The Academic and Examination Regulations (in German: Fachprüfungs- und Studienordnung, abbreviated FPSO) for your degree program can be found on the website of your degree program in the section “Examination Matters”. The Academic and Examination Regulations of all degree programs are based on the General Academic and Examination Regulations of the TUM (in German: Allgemeine Prüfungs- und Studienordnung, APSO; most recent and legally binding version in German .The statutes on enrollment, re-enrollment, leave of absence and withdrawal .govern large parts of your student life that are not directly related to your degree program. In addition, there are further statutes and general legal information about studying that you should have read.

Application & Admission

What is meant by application, admission and enrollment.

If you are still looking for the right degree program for you at the TUM School of Life Sciences, find out more here:

• Studies at the TUM School of Life Sciences  
• Info on all degree programs

There are degree programs at the TUM School of Life Sciences with different types of admission:

• Without admission restriction ("admission-free"); admission is granted if all required documents have been submitted on time and are in order. Admission-free degree programs are usually associated with a Fundamentals and Orientation Examination (in German: Grundlagen- und Orientierungsprüfung, GOP).
• Aptitude assessment procedure (in German: Eignungsfeststellungsverfahren, EfV, in Bachelor's degree programs) or aptitude assessment (in German: Eignungsverfahren, EV, in Master's degree programs).

See here an overview which admission type applies to the individual degree programs at the TUM School of Life Sciences.  Application and application deadlines Here, you can find general information about the application and application deadlines . Here, the most frequently asked questions about applying to and studying at TUM are answered. Important terms briefly explained: Application: For each degree program, an application must be submitted via the TUMonline applicant portal. Details on the required documents and the application procedure can be found on the respective program website under "How to apply for a study place". Admission: Once you have been admitted to a study place, you must accept the admission offer in your TUMonline account. Only then can the enrollment take place. Enrollment: After you have been admitted to the university and you have accepted the admission, the next step is enrollment. For this, you must submit documents in a certain form, for example as a certified copy, by post or in person. In addition, you must transfer the semester fee on time. You will see in your TUMonline account which documents we need as soon as you have been admitted and have accepted your admission. Here, you find further information on enrollment . You can only register for courses, access online teaching materials and take examinations once you are enrolled. Other student services such as the library, semester ticket, cafeteria, etc. can only be used after enrollment. After successful enrollment, you can apply for the Student Card in the "my TUM-Card" application in TUMonline. If you have general questions about applying to TUM or about the application documents to be submitted, you can contact the service desk of the Central Student Advisory Service via studium(at)tum.de .

What is a “Curricular Analysis” and when do I need it?

For the application of some of our Master's programs with an aptitude test, you need a program-specific curricular analysis. You can find out whether a curricular analysis is required for the degree program you are aiming for in the subject examination and study regulations (FPSO) of the degree program. The curricular analysis is a questionnaire derived from the transcript of records and is a review of the achievements and skills that you have acquired in your previous studies. On the basis of this curricular analysis, the committee assesses your suitability for the Master's program. The evaluation is based on the core competencies of the corresponding bachelor program of the TUM School of Life Sciences.

Before you can start the curricular analysis, you have to apply online in TUMonline, because you need an application number. You will receive the link to the curricular analysis in your application portal. After registering for the program-specific curricular analysis, you will automatically receive an e-mail with a code that you can use to start the curricular analysis.

Where can I find information on the aptitude assessment procedure?

Please see here for information on the aptitude assessment procedure (EfV) for Bachelor's degree programs.

Where can I find information on the aptitude assessment?

Here, you find information on the aptitude assessment (EV) for Master's programs.

Do I need health insurance for my studies?

All students are required to have health insurance in Germany. You cannot be enrolled without proof of a recognized health insurance. Here, you can find all information about compulsory health insurance .

What do I have to consider as an international applicant?

Find out here, what international applicants need to be aware of. If you are applying for a Bachelor's degree program and have a foreign university entrance qualification (General Higher Education Entrance Qualification) or if you are applying for a Master's degree program and you have not acquired your Master's entrance qualification (e.g. Bachelor's degree) in a country of the EU/EEC or Switzerland, you must have your application documents pre-checked in advance by the University Application Service for International Students (uni-assist e.V.). You will then receive a so-called pre-check documentation (in German: Vorprüfungsdokumentation, VPD) from uni-assist, which is a mandatory part of your application documents. Here, you can look up details on how to apply for pre-check documentation and on the work of uni-assist. You do not need a pre-check documentation (VPD) if you are applying to a double degree program.

Do I have to pay tuition fees?

From the winter semester 2024/25, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) will charge fees for international students from third countries who are newly enrolled on a degree program. On this website you can find out to whom these fees apply and how much they will be charged.

Does a numerus clausus apply to my degree program?

Degree programs with a numerus clausus (NC) have a fixed number of study places, which are mainly awarded on the basis of the Abitur / General Higher Education Entrance Qualification grade and waiting time. Currently, there are no degree programs with NC at the TUM School of Life Sciences.

Do I need a language certificate for my degree program?

Depending on the degree program, you may be required to provide proof of English or German language proficiency when applying. Only certain language certificates are accepted at TUM. In some degree programs, the respective Academic and Examination Regulations regulate alternative proof of English language skills, e.g. the training language in the Bachelor's program or proof of a certain number of credits in English-language modules. Please check what applies to your degree program.

• Information on language certificates
• Language Skill Navigator

Where can I find information on the study orientation procedure?

On this website, you find information on the Study Orientation Procedure (SOV) for Bachelor's degree programs.

Can i study part-time

Some master's programs offer the possibility to study part-time. Here, you can find out for which degree programs studying part time is possible. You can find information about the respective effects of part-time study on study duration, study progress control and other deadlines in the respective Academic and Examination Regulations on the degree program website under the item "Examination Matters".

What do I have to do if I don't want to start my studies at TUM after all?

You have been offered a place at TUM, but now you don't want to take it up? Here, you can find out what you need to know: Reserving your spot Withdrawing from studies Here, you can find information in which cases the reimbursement of the semester fee is possible. 

What are the visa and entry requirements for international students?

For international students, there are a few things to consider before entering Germany. Please check the website of the German Foreign Office to find out whether you are subject to a visa requirement. If this is the case, please contact the German Embassy or the Consulate General in your country . A ToDo list for the preparation of your stay in Germany will help you to clarify what you should take care of immediately after your admission.

Student Advisory Service

Where can i find counselling for problems in my studies or personal crises.

Our student advisors are happy to support prospective and current students with any questions they may have before and during their studies. They will help you with information on the range of courses on offer, on transfer from other programs and will provide support in clarifying study-related questions and problems. When contacting your student advisor via email, please always include your full name and ideally also your matriculation number. Please use a meaningful subject and send the e-mail from your tum.de e-mail address . Other counseling services at TUM: The General Student Advisory Service at TUM can also help you in many cases, especially when it comes to administrative questions about re-registration or semester fees. In addition, there is an extensive range of contact and advice services at TUM on topics relevant to studying:

• General information
• Study orientation
• Support during your studies
• Offers for psychological counseling
• Equal opportunity and diversity
• Barrier-free education
• Accommodation, work and finances
• Student Advising: Studying with Special Needs

External offers: The Munich Student Union (in German: Studierendenwerk) offers with its advisory network a contact point to many areas such as general and social counseling, student coaching, psychotherapeutic and psychosocial counseling, scholarship counseling, student loan counseling, general BAfög counseling, counseling for students with disabilities and/or chronic diseases, counseling for pregnant women and students with children, counseling center for sexual harassment, discrimination and violence, and legal counseling. The Crisis Intervention Team (KIT) Munich provides care, counseling, and accompaniment after severe emotional stress or acute psychological shock, triggered by unforeseen events.

Where can I find advice if I have problems with learning?

Studying places high demands on your learning skills. If you want to improve your self-motivation, your self- and time management or your scientific work, then use the offers of TUM ProLehre or our coaching offers.

• Enhance your study skills and study successfully
• Academic coaching  
• Academic writing

How can I reconcile pregnancy, family and studies?

Combining studies and family responsibilities is a special challenge. TUM would like to support its students in successfully completing their studies and at the same time being able to be there for their family. Here, you can find contact persons and important information:

• Contact for pregnant students at the TUM School of Life Sciences
• TUM Family Service at the TUM School of Life Sciences in Weihenstephan
• Important legal regulations concerning maternity protection and parental leave  

Where can I find information on scholarships?

If you are looking for the scholarship that is right for you, find out more about TUM scholarships and other scholarship programs , awards and competitions.

Where can I find information on student financing and BAföG?

Studying costs money. If you can't pay for rent, food and semester fees on your own or with the support of your parents, you have various options for financing your studies - from BAföG and taking out a student loan to a part-time job or a scholarship. BAföG refers to the law regulating financial support for students at secondary schools or universities. We have summarized all the information and contact points on the topic of student financing for you.

• Fees and financial aid
• Student loans and BAföG
• Foundations

Where can I find information on the subject “final thesis”?

Topics for theses can usually be found on the websites of the chairs or you can ask your lecturers directly which topics for theses they are currently offering. Here, you can find all important information about deadlines, template for the title page, registration and submission of your thesis . The registration and submission of your thesis is done via the thesis portal of the TUM School of Life Sciences. Do you need individual advice on writing English or German texts? Then you can find help here: Successful theses For the preparation of your thesis you should follow the rules of Good Scientific Practice . 

Which courses can I take for a “general education subject”?

If a "general education subject" or "interdisciplinary competencies" are included in your study plan, you can usually take courses from the TUM Language Center , the Carl von Linde-Academy or UnternehmerTUM . Many courses are already listed in the curriculum of your degree program. If you are in doubt as to whether a particular course that is not listed in your curriculum can be accepted as a "general education subject", contact your student advisor . You can of course also take further courses as additional subjects .

How can examinations and study achievements be recognized?

The Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program regulate which achievements can be included in this degree program in a way that is relevant to your transcript of records. In certain cases, you can also apply for additional subjects, usually as electives. Here, you find the regulations of the TUM School of Life Sciences for the recognition of credits/achievements that you have completed before or during your current studies and that you want to bring into your current degree program.  Please also note the following information on credit recognition .

What does “Final Failure (EN)” mean?

If you see a red "EN" in your study account in TUMonline, then it is strongly recommended to contact your student advisor. Final failure (in German: endgültiges Nichtbestehen, EN) means that an examination required according to the Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program has finally not been passed (see also Fundamentals and Orientation Examination / GOP). It is also possible that you have not completed the number of credits required by the study progress control by the end of a particular semester. If the "EN" lights up red, it is no longer possible for you to register for examinations in your degree program. You will receive a notice of final failure and you will be disenrolled from the university at the end of the semester in which the final failure is determined. You will lose your right to take examinations and will not be able to complete your studies. Final failure implies that at TUM and other German universities you are generally no longer allowed to take up a degree program that is related to the degree program you have not successfully completed. You can find information on this in the Academic and Examination Regulations of a degree program. Withdrawal due to final failure can have far-reaching consequences , e.g. for health insurance or BAföG.  

What is meant by withdrawal?

Withdrawal means the termination of your status as a student when you leave the university. Withdrawal from the university occurs automatically at the end of the semester, in which the final graduation documents are issued if you are still enrolled at the time the documents are issued. Withdrawal occurs by virtue of law; an application for withdrawal is not necessary in this case. Alternatively, you can also apply for withdrawal. You can find the corresponding application in your TUMonline account under the menu item "Printouts for students". The withdrawal upon application will generally take place at the end of the semester in which you submit the application. However, you can also apply for withdrawal with immediate effect (day of application) or on a date determined by you (not retroactively). This may be necessary, for example, when you start your first job. However, withdrawal can also be forced due to final failure or due to lack of timely re-registration for further studies. As a general rule, you must be enrolled in order to complete an examination or course work. This applies in particular to the final thesis, for which you must be enrolled in the corresponding degree program during the entire handling time until the day of submission. This also applies if the handling time has been extended for reasons for which you are not responsible. The only exception of the above general rule: Examinations up to and including the first week of the lecture period count towards the examination period of the previous semester. For examinations in this period, there is no obligation to re-register if you were enrolled in the previous semester. This also applies to an obligatory colloquium or presentation as part of the final thesis.

Can I take other courses/modules in addition to my degree?

Modules that are not part of your curriculum can be taken as additional courses. Additional courses that are not relevant to your curriculum are listed on a separate sheet of your transcript of records . They are not included in the calculation of your final grade. Completed achievements cannot be deleted from the transcript of records, even if they are an additional subject.

In which case can I apply for an extension or suspension of the deadline?

If you have missed important deadlines for valid reasons or are unable to pass the study progress control due to a case of hardship, you can submit a written request for a deadline suspension or deadline extension to the Board of Examination . According to the legal requirements, a request for hardship can only be granted if the delay in your studies is caused by reasons for which you are not responsible and which could not have been foreseen. These are usually serious, prolonged illness, accidents, taking care of unexpectedly ill close relatives or other serious unexpected strokes of fate in your family. Such a hardship application can only be submitted to the examination board if you have a problem with your study progress. The application must be accompanied by appropriate evidence, such as medical certificates. However, you can also send the relevant documents to your examination board as a precautionary measure when the valid reasons arise, with the request to take note of them so that they are already available, and you can refer to them in case of a problem. The decision about your request lies with the Board of Examination. We strongly recommend to talk to your student advisor before submitting this request. In the case of a semester-related deadline suspension, the study progress control is suspended once, but the semester counting according to examination regulations continues. In the following semester, you are in the next subject-related semester and must therefore achieve the regular number of credits specified in §10 APSO and §38 FPSO. In the case of a study-related deadline extension, the progress check is suspended once, but there is a permanent deferral of the student by one semester under examination law in terms of the study progress control and the standard period of study. On this website, you can find the form for requesting a deadline suspension or extension .  (Attention: This form cannot be displayed/edited in the browser. The form must first be saved locally or opened in an external program such as AdobeReader. See upper right: "View with other program or save document").

What are “Fundamentals and Orientation Examinations (GOP)”?

The Fundamentals and Orientation Examination (in German: Grundlagen- und Orientierungsprüfung, abbreviated “GOP”), if they are provided for in the Academic and Examination Regulations (FPSO) of your degree program, determine whether you have the basic knowledge for the subject and are suitable for the degree program. There are special rules for the GOP, e.g. you are automatically registered for the examinations on a compulsory basis. You only have a limited number of examination attempts - usually only two attempts. In your FPSO it is regulated which module examinations or how many credits have to be taken in your degree program within the GOP until the end of which semester. See also APSO §2(1), §10(2), §14(2), §15(2), §24(6).

What do I have to consider if I am ill during my studies?

Illness during the examination period If you are unable to take part in one or more examinations due to illness, it is advisable to submit an application for withdrawal from the examination to the Board of Examination. You must attach a medical certificate to the application form for withdrawal from the examination and submit it to the Campus Office immediately after the occurrence of the illness. A certificate of incapacity for work is not sufficient. Be aware, that the medical certificate must meet minimum requirements.   If the Board of Examination has received a request for withdrawal from the examination, it can take this into account when checking the student's progress ( study progress control ) and, if necessary, grant a student's request for a suspension of the deadline . Illness for a longer period of time If you can foresee that the illness or the treatment will last so long that the greater part of the lecture time of a semester will be taken up, it is advisable to apply for a leave of absence for reasons of illness. Also in this case you have to prove the illness and/or treatment by a medical certificate , which gives information about the expected duration of the prescribed treatment. If necessary, the Board of Examination may require that you submit a certificate from a TUM medical officer .

Illness during lecture period Attendance is compulsory in very few courses. So if you miss a lecture due to illness, it is up to you to work through the missed content yourself. Your fellow students will be happy to help you. For exercises or practical courses, the module description may stipulate that these are not passed if a certain number of days or hours have been missed. In this case, you may have to repeat the entire course at a later date. Therefore, it is best to find out from the respective module coordinator or lecturer when the exercise or practical course will be offered for the next time. If the exercise or practical course is conducted in groups, fairness dictates that you inform your group members, and preferably the course leader, of your absence due to illness.

Do I have to register for courses?

In order to participate in courses, you must register for the courses via TUMonline. Only if you are registered, the lecturers can contact you and send you current information about the course. In addition, you will only have access to the online course materials once you have registered for the course. The course dates are published in TUMonline. Please note that modules often consist of several courses and you may have to register for each course individually. For some courses, the number of participants is limited or you have to fulfill certain requirements that are checked during the registration process. Therefore, register for the courses in good time and observe the registration periods and deadlines. Some modules appear in different places in your Curriculum Support (study tree). For example, the same module can be either an elective module or a compulsory elective module in your degree program or belong to different specializations. Register for the courses and later for the examinations at the right place in the Curriculum Support. In the video channel of the TUM IT Service Center you will find instructions on how to register for courses.

What is an examination record / transcript of records and where can I find it?

If you would like to have an overview of your achievements so far, then click on the item "Transcripts" in your TUMonline account. There you can download and print out an examination report or a grade report for all the work you have done so far. Please note that your examination report lists all examinations you have registered for, including those you have not passed. Your grade report/transcript of records, on the other hand, lists only the examinations you have passed. The final grade report is called transcript of records (ToR). In the video channel of the TUM IT Service Center you can find a tutorial for printing the examination or grade report.  Tip : If you have achievements, which you can see in your grade report, but not in your Curriculum Support in TUMonline, click on “Show inact. nodes” in the menu in the upper right corner of the Curriculum Support. What is always decisive is what is written in the grade report.

When and how can I apply for a compensation of disadvantages?

In examinations at TUM, consideration is given to the type and severity of a possible illness, impairment or disability. You can apply for compensation for disadvantages at the Board of Examination of your degree program. You should apply for compensation for disadvantages as early as possible: Right at the beginning of your studies, if the impairment is already present or as soon as an impairment arises during your studies. See here for information on compensation for disadvantages and the application form for compensation for disadvantages in examinations.

Where can I find information about the internship?

In some degree programs, the completion of an (external) internship before or during the degree program is mandatory. Detailed requirements for the mandatory internships can be found in the Academic and Examination Regulations (FPSO) and the module handbook of your degree program. Depending on the degree program, the Internship Office and/or the respective Board of Examination will decide whether internships completed earlier can be recognized. In some degree programs, voluntary internships can be included as an elective module, for example. Please consult the Academic and Examination Regulations or your student advisor if you have questions about this.

Can I take a leave of absence for an internship semester?

If you would like to complete a longer internship during the lecture period, please inform yourself about the regulations regarding leave of absence .

What do I need to know about examinations?

As a rule, each module has a module examination. The examination dates are published in TUMonline . A module examination can be a single examination in which the course contents of all courses belonging to the module are examined. A module examination can also consist of partial examinations, the results of which are combined to form the overall module grade. You will only receive credits for a module if all examinations of that module have been passed. As a rule, failed examinations can be repeated several times, as long as you meet the requirements of the study progress control (link to keyword). Exceptions to this rule are regulated by the respective Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program, e.g. for the Fundamentals and Orientation Examination (GOP). Passed examinations cannot be repeated in order to improve the grade. If you influence the result of an examination by cheating or using unauthorized aids, the examination in question will be graded "unsatisfactory" and may only be repeated once (see APSO §22 and §24(6)). Plagiarism is also considered as attempted cheating. In serious cases or in the case of repeated cheating, the Board of Examination may exclude you from taking further examinations in this degree program, so that you have definitively failed the degree program in question. You can find your examination results in your TUMonline account under "My achievements". Registration for examinations: We recommend that you register for examinations via the study plan in Curriculum Support in your TUMonline account. This ensures that the examination belongs to your degree program and that the examination is assigned to the correct subject group.    In the video channel of the TUM IT Service Center you can find a tutorial on how to register for examinations. Please note that there are binding registration and deregistration deadlines that you must adhere to. You can find these deadlines in the information about the respective examination in TUMonline. Please also consider the information about registering and cancelling examinations . Notification of Examination Results: After each semester, you will receive an official Notification of Examination Results from the Graduation Office and Academic Records (GO). You will be informed by e-mail that your Notification of Examination Results is available for download in TUMonline. This notification lists the results of all examinations you have taken up to the time the notification was issued and informs you about your rights and obligations. Please read your Notification of Examination Results immediately and carefully. This way you can check whether your examination and study achievements have been correctly recorded in TUMonline. If this is not the case, please contact your student advisor . Please see here for more information about publication of grades and Notification of Examination Results .

When do I contact the Board of Examination?

At TUM, there is a Board of Examination for each degree program, a committee made up of university professors and lecturers of the degree program. The Board of Examination is responsible for hardship and special case applications in connection with examinations and study progress control as well as for the recognition of examination and study achievements. You can find the name of the chairperson of the Board of Examination on the website of your degree program in the section "Examination Matters". If you want to submit an application to the Board of Examination, it is usually helpful to talk to your student advisor beforehand. Applications to the Board of Examination are accepted by the secretary and submitted to the Board of Examination for decision. You can contact the secretary via the e-mail address [email protected] . Your e-mail should contain your full name, your student number, your degree program and a clear description of your request. Depending on the concern, certificates or further supporting documents should be attached. Please inform yourself about further topics concerning examination law here in the FAQ, e.g. under the headings Examination Withdrawal , Illness in Studies , Deadline Suspension or Deadline Extension , Final Failure .

How can I withdraw from an examination?

As a rule, you can deregister from an examination yourself in TUMonline up to a certain deadline. However, this does not apply to Fundamentals and Orientation Examination (GOP). If you are unable to take an examination for reasons beyond your control (e.g. illness), you must immediately submit a written request for withdrawal from the examination to the Campus Office. Here, you can find the withdrawal form and further information.

How do I get my graduation documents?

As a rule, the thesis (or the associated final presentation) is the last examination in your degree program. Provided that you have also completed all other examinations and coursework, you can initiate the preparation of your graduation documents (transcript of records, certificate, diploma supplement). You find details on the graduation process in our student wiki (login with TUM ID required).

What does “study progress control” mean?

At TUM there is a study progress control. With this, TUM checks whether you have completed a defined number of achievements (credits) in your degree program by the specified deadlines. The deadlines and the scope are regulated in §10 of the General Examination and Study Regulations ( APSO ) and in §38 of the respective Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program (FPSO). If you do not comply with the requirements of the study progress control of your degree program, the achievements not yet completed will be considered as finally failed , which will lead to your withdrawal . If you are afraid of having problems with the study progress control, please contact your student advisor in time (!). Your student advisor can discuss with you whether and if so, which options you have to avert a possible withdrawal .

Where can I find my timetable?

You can find the timetable for most of the courses in your degree program in our wiki (login with TUM ID required). Please note, however, that not all elective modules of your degree program are listed in the timetable. You can use TUMonline to create a semester-by-semester schedule according to your FPSO. You can find instructions on how to create your personal timetable or semester plan in our wiki (login with TUM ID required) or in the video channel of the TUM IT Service Center :

What does workload mean in a degree program?

The student workload in time hours forms the basis for the allocation of credits to modules. The following applies: 1 credit corresponds to 30 hours of student workload. The student workload is made up of attendance at courses (attendance times) and self-study times. This includes preparation and follow-up time, examination preparation as well as the preparation of presentations, homework and project work and e-learning units. Stating the student workload in credits is intended to make the student workload transparent for all involved and to ensure that the program can be studied within the specified number of semesters. Thus, the target number of 30 credits per semester corresponds to a total workload of 900 hours per semester. Assuming 46 weeks of study, with 6 weeks of vacation per year, this means an average weekly work time of approximately 39 hours.  

How do I plan a stay abroad?

If you are planning a semester abroad or an internship abroad, then inform yourself here about the various offers and the general framework:

• "Incoming" or "outgoing" - everything about international exchange
• TUM exchange programs

Can I take a leave of absence from my studies?

If you want to take a break from your studies for important reasons, this is called a leave of absence. There are many aspects of a leave of absence , which you should take into account: possible reasons for a leave of absence, examination/legal aspects, when a leave of absence is not recommended, the application for a leave of absence, application deadlines and all other information about a leave of absence. If you would like to take a leave of absence to complete a voluntary internship, you will need a statement from your student advisor . Therefore, please contact your student advisor in time.

How can I set up my TUM e-mail address?

All communication from TUM will be sent exclusively to your TUM e-mail address. Please set up your personal TUM e-mail address right at the beginning of your studies (usual pattern: [email protected]) and use this e-mail address within TUM. In this way, you can be sure that you will receive e-mails from the lecturers, the Student Advisory Services, the Campus Office, the Central Examination Office etc. Avoid using a private e-mail address. On the following websites, you find instructions on how to set up the email address in your TUMonline account: wiki.tum.de/pages/viewpage.action You can also have a look at a tutorial on the video channel of the TUM IT Service Center .

How do I act in an emergency?

Important emergency numbers:    

Fire brigade and rescue services: 112 Poisoning emergency number: 089-19240 Police: 110 You witness an accident or get into an emergency situation yourself? In Germany, it is not only a moral but also a legal duty to help people in distress. In such situations, the most important thing is to stay calm - and provide help if necessary or, if in doubt, call for help via the emergency number 112. General information about first aid and what to do at the scene of an accident can be found, for example, at the German Red Cross . If it has been a while since your last first aid course, you can refresh your knowledge at any time - for example, in one of the first aid courses of the German Red Cross , Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund , Malteser or Johanniter .

Do I need laboratory insurance?

For many laboratory internships, project work, Bachelor's or Master's theses, laboratory insurance must be taken out.

Do I have to register at my new residence?

You are required to register at your new place of residence (city, municipality) within 14 days.

• Freising (in German)
• Munich (in German)

You can easily find the relevant registration office (in German: Bürgerbüro) for your city or municipality via an internet search engine using the search terms "Bürgerbüro <name of your city/municipality>".

How do I get a certificate for the pension insurance?

At the end of your studies, you should print out a social security certificate for the pension insurance. You may need it later. Here is explained where to find the social security certificate .

Where can I find important dates and deadlines for my studies?

Here you can access the most important dates and deadlines about the division of the semester, the lecture period, the semester breaks, holidays, deadlines for applications , leave of absence , enrollment , re-enrollment and payment of semester fees (link to keyword) as well as dates for the Student Representative Assembly (FVV) and Student General Assembly (SVV).

How do I use the campus management system TUMonline?

TUMonline is the campus management system of TUM and will accompany you throughout your studies. Please familiarize yourself with its functions at the beginning of your studies. In the video channel of the TUM IT Service Center you will find a series of tutorials explaining various important functions in TUMonline. Please find here more instructions about TUMonline .

Which sports courses are offered by the University Sports Center?

TUM offers you a wide range of university sports. You can find all the information on the website of the University Sports Center Munich .

Where can I search for jobs and vacancies?

In the job board of the TUM School of Life Sciences you can find internships, job offers from companies, working student jobs, jobs for scientific/student assistants (in German often called “HiWi”) and much more. If you don't find what you are looking for there, then search the other TUM job boards:

• Jobs (MyTUM)
• Jobportal (Alumni & Career)

Many chairs offer HiWi jobs. You can find them either online on the websites of the chairs, on the bulletin boards of the respective chairs or in the cafeteria.

When and how do I have to pay the semester fee?

If you want to start or continue your studies at TUM, you must have paid the semester fee in full by the respective deadline . The semester fee consists of the basic fee for the Munich Student Union and the solidarity fee for the basic semester ticket . If you do not re-enrol for your studies on time, you will be disenrolled from the university at the end of the semester, according to the provisions of §10 of the Statutes on Matriculation, Continued Enrollment, Leave of Absence and Withdrawal (ImmatS). Only when the semester fee has been received on the TUM account will you be re-enrolled for the following semester and can then print out your study papers (proof of enrollment, study progress certificate) for the coming semester and register for courses or examinations. See here for information about tuition fees and payment deadlines View the current status of your payments in TUMonline Reimbursement of the semester fee can only be made under certain conditions.

What does the semester ticket include?

There is a basic semester ticket for students of the TUM and other Munich universities. The costs are already included in your semester fee . The ticket is valid for the subway, the S-Bahn, as well as all streetcars, buses and some regional trains in the entire network of the Munich Transport Association (MVV). You get a time-limited basic ticket. In addition, you can buy the “IsarCard Semester”, which allows you to travel around the clock.

What does the Munich Student Union offer for me?

The Munich Student Union (in German: Studierendenwerk München) takes care of the economic, social, health and cultural support of students. Important services offered by the Student Union are:

• University catering (Mensa, StuCafé)
• Student housing, residence halls
• Student financing (e.g. student loans, BAföG)
• Advisory network (e.g. scholarship counseling, psychotherapeutic and psychosocial counseling centers, legal counseling, counseling for pregnant women and students with children, counseling for students with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses)

Where can I get advice on the topic of " physical and mental health "?

Studying brings many challenges with it. At TUM you will find support and many offers if you want to do something for your physical and mental health.

• All about wellbeing
• Student health management (TUM4Health)

How do I find accommodation for my studies?

Finding accommodation in the greater Munich area is not easy. In Munich and Freising, the Munich Student Union offers affordable rooms and apartments for students. On the following pages you will find information about the dormitories in Freising, information for international exchange students and housing portals popular among students:

• Living in Freising and surroundings
• Living in Munich and the surrounding area  
• Student accommodation, dormitories

Where is the lost and found office located?

If you have lost or found something in the TUM buildings or on the Weihenstephan campus grounds, please first contact the TUM lost and found office in the post office on Weihenstephaner Berg (Alte Akademie 1, first floor, room 028). Further contact points for lost property on the Weihenstephan campus can be found under this link .

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• TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology
• Technical University of Munich

Case Studies Discrete/Nonlinear Optimization

Studies, Master | 08.02.2024

Case Studies Summer Semester 2024

In the summer semester 2024, Prof. Andreas Wiese and Dr. Florian Lindemann expect to offer 3 projects each in discrete and nonlinear optimization, which will be carried out in cooperation with various industry partners or other research institutions.

Participants work in small groups of typically four people. The project work includes describing the problem mathematically, modeling it, and analyzing its essential properties. Based on this, you will then develop possible algorithmic solutions, which you will then implement and test on real data. You will present your results to both an internal and an external audience. Students receive intensive supervision and individual support.

Attention: Application Deadline is Sunday, 10 March!

As part of the case studies, we offer introductions to soft skills such as presentation techniques, project planning, and team organization. Special emphasis is placed on linking mathematics with a concrete application. You will also train to discuss your progress and results in your project with people from other disciplines and with different educational backgrounds.

This course is geared towards master students in mathematics, in particular students of the study programs "Mathematics in Operations Research", "Mathematics" with the study focus "Optimization", and "Mathematics in Science and Engineering".

Information about the application process and the projects of the case studies can be found at

https://collab.dvb.bayern/display/TUMcasestudies/

(TUM login needed).

Hacking the Case Interview

If you’re interviewing for a life sciences consulting firm, expect to be given several case interviews, or case study interviews, during your interview process.

A case interview is a special type of interview that nearly every single consulting firm uses, including life sciences consulting firms. Firms that use case interviews include: Clearview Healthcare Partners , Putnam Associates , IQVIA , ZS , Simon-Kucher , Health Advances , and Huron Consulting .

Case interviews simulate the consulting job by placing you in a hypothetical business situation in which you are asked to solve a challenging problem. These interviews typically last between 30 to 45 minutes and you’ll be working closely with your interviewer towards developing a recommendation or answer to the business problem.

Case study interviews are so widely used by life sciences consulting firms because they assess many of the qualities needed to become successful consultants. With just a 30- to 45-minute exercise, an interviewer can gauge your analytical capabilities, business acumen, communication skills, and cultural fit with the firm.

If you have an upcoming case interview at a life sciences consulting firm, we have you covered. In this article, we’ll cover in detail:  

• Essential life sciences industry knowledge you should know
• The 6 steps to solve any life sciences case interview
• Life sciences consulting case interview examples
• Life sciences consulting case interview tips
• Recommended life sciences case interview resources

If you’re looking for a step-by-step shortcut to learn case interviews quickly, enroll in our case interview course . These insider strategies from a former Bain interviewer helped 30,000+ land consulting offers while saving hundreds of hours of prep time.

Essential Life Sciences Industry Knowledge You Should Know

The life sciences industry covers all of the businesses, organizations, and research institutions that are dedicated to protecting and improving human and animal life. There are various types of companies included in life sciences:

• Pharmaceuticals : Roche, Pfizer, Merck, Novartis, Eli Lily
• Biotechnology : Novo Nordisk, Regeneron, Alexion, United Therapeutics
• Medical equipment : Stryker, Medtronic, Thermo Fisher, Siemens
• Cosmeceuticals : Johnson & Johnson, Proctor and Gamble, Unilever
• Healthcare facilities : Lab Corp, HCA Healthcare
• Managed healthcare : UnitedHealth, Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, Humana

The life sciences industry is exciting in that it constantly sees significant changes and technological advancements every few years. Below are a few trends that you should be familiar with:

Artificial intelligence in biopharma : AI-driven tools is now leveraged at all phases of drug research and development. AI-driven software can assist in planning possible synthesis pathways in chemicals to obtain compounds of interest. AI is also leveraged in research areas such as phenotypic drug discovery programs to analyze data through advanced screening approaches.

Revolutionizing supply chains : There has been extensive remodeling of supply chains for strategic products, such as drug, medical equipment, diagnostics, food, and chemicals led by the national regulatory activities in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Automation and modernization : The majority of big pharma companies have been established through different mergers and acquisitions and have adopted portfolios of IT applications in different phases of modernization. Top companies are standardizing business processes, measuring manufacturing, focusing on visibility, and leveraging the right software. They are using industrial automation to overlook processes and drive business value.

Big data : Digitalization in the life sciences industry has resulted in the generation of huge volumes of data, which have to be stored and analyzed accurately to realize their full potential. Many big data techniques can transform unused data into valuable insights.

Blockchain and wearables : Wearable technology is altering the world and has paved the way for many people to monitor health, including sleeping patterns and overall fitness. Blockchain has helped wearable devices and mobile applications connect to a patient hub with all health records, allowing doctors to access a new level of visibility in real-time.

Outsourcing : Pharmaceutical companies are starting to outsource research programs to academic and private contract research organizations (CROs) to stay ahead of the competition in the world of rapidly growing knowledge and advanced technologies. Companies are choosing to outsource certain research and development activities such as clinical trials, efficacy tests in animal models, and assay development.

Telemedicine : Progress in telemedicine is one of the biggest sources of substantial change in the healthcare ecosystem. It is improving the quality of diagnosis and treatment by allowing patients to get proper access to healthcare professionals.

The 6 Steps to Solve Any Life Sciences Case Interview

There are typically six steps to solving life sciences consulting case interviews.

1. Understand the case

Your life sciences case interview will begin with the interviewer giving you the case background information. While the interviewer is speaking, make sure that you are taking meticulous notes on the most important pieces of information. Focus on understanding the context of the situation and the objective of the case.

Don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions if you do not understand something. You may want to summarize the case background information back to the interviewer to confirm your understanding of the case.

The most important part of this step is to verify the objective of the case. Not answering the right business question is the quickest way to fail a case interview.

2. Structure the problem

The next step is to develop a framework to help you solve the case. A framework is a tool that helps you structure and break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable components. Another way to think about frameworks is brainstorming different ideas and organizing them into different categories.

Before you start developing your framework, it is completely acceptable to ask the interviewer for a few minutes so that you can collect your thoughts and think about the problem.

Once you have identified the major issues or areas that you need to explore, walk the interviewer through your framework. They may ask a few questions or provide some feedback.

3. Kick off the case

Once you have finished presenting your framework, you’ll start diving into different areas of your framework to begin solving the case. How this process will start depends on whether the case interview is candidate-led or interviewer-led.

If the case interview is a candidate-led case, you’ll be expected to propose what area of your framework to start investigating. So, propose an area and provide a reason for why you want to start with that area. There is generally no right or wrong area of your framework to pick first.

If the case interview is interviewer-led, the interviewer will tell you what area of the framework to start in or directly give you a question to answer.

4. Solve quantitative problems

Life sciences case interviews may have some quantitative aspect to them. For example, you may be asked to calculate a certain profitability or financial metric. You could also be asked to estimate the size of a particular market or to estimate a particular figure.

The key to solving quantitative problems is to lay out a structure or approach upfront with the interviewer before doing any math calculations. If you lay out and present your structure to solve the quantitative problem and the interviewer approves of it, the rest of the problem is just simple execution of math.

5. Answer qualitative questions

Life sciences case interviews may also have qualitative aspects to them. You may be asked to brainstorm a list of potential ideas. You could also be asked to provide your opinion on a business issue or situation.

The key to answering qualitative questions is to structure your answer. When brainstorming a list of ideas, develop a structure to help you neatly categorize all of your ideas. When giving your opinion on a business issue or situation, provide a summary of your stance or position and then enumerate the reasons that support it.

6. Deliver a recommendation

In the last step of a life sciences case interview, you’ll present your recommendation and provide the major reasons that support it. You do not need to recap everything that you have done in the case, so focus on only summarizing the facts that are most important.

It is also good practice to include potential next steps that you would take if you had more time or data. These can be areas of your framework that you did not have time to explore or lingering questions that you do not have great answers for.

Life Sciences Consulting Case Interview Examples

Below are eight life sciences consulting case studies that you can use to practice your case interview skills. We highly recommend working through at least a few of these before your actual interviews.

• McKinsey pharmaceutical case : This is an acquisition case focused on whether a large pharmaceutical company should acquire a smaller startup
• BCG drug pricing case  (see video below): This is a pricing case focused on helping a pharmaceutical company determine the optimal price for a new drug
• Clearview pharmaceutical case : This is a market sizing case focused on helping a pharmaceutical company determine whether it can achieve its revenue target for an inhaled insulin product for the diabetes market
• Clearview biotechnology case : This is a quantitative case focused on helping a biotechnology firm assess its novel therapies for acute myeloid leukemia
• LEK medical consumables case : This is a market sizing case that estimates the market size for medical consumables by general practitioners in the United Kingdom
• Health Advances biotechnology case : This is a market entry case focused on helping a biotechnology company understand the market opportunity for developing a novel drug that prevents ear infections

Below, we have step-by-step videos showcasing how we would solve the McKinsey pharmaceutical case and the BCG drug pricing case listed above. The McKinsey case is an interviewer-led case while the BCG case is a candidate-led case. Together, these videos will give you an idea of what to expect in both styles of case interview formats.

We strongly recommend watching these two videos.

Life Sciences Consulting Case Interview Tips

Tip #1: Start preparing early

Mastering case interviews takes time. Many of the skills and techniques needed to solve case interviews can’t be learned in just a day or in a week. Ideally, start preparing for your case interviews at least a month or two in advance to give yourself enough time to learn and practice.

Tip #2: Practice with a case partner

Practicing case interviews with a partner is the best way to simulate a real case interview. There are many aspects of case interviews that you won’t be able to work on if you are doing mock cases by yourself. Casing with a partner lets you practice your communication, presentation, and collaboration skills.

Tip #3: Keep a list of feedback from each case

You should keep a journal or log of all of the different pieces of feedback you get from your case interview partner during practice. This way, you’ll be able to identify trends and prioritize what improvement areas to focus on. For example, if you consistently receive feedback in each practice case that you need to structure your answers, that should be your top area to focus on.

Tip #4: Focus on improving one thing at a time

After doing some practice case interviews, you’ll likely have a long list of feedback and improvement areas. Try to focus on improving one thing at a time. Before each practice case, decide on the one thing that you really want to focus on and nail. This will be much more effective than trying to improve everything at once.

Tip #5: Use a hypothesis-driven approach

During the case interview, you should have a hypothesis of what the answer to the case is. A hypothesis is simply an educated guess based on the knowledge that you have. As you analyze data and gather more information, make sure to be constantly changing and refining your hypothesis.

There are two benefits to using a hypothesis to drive the direction of the case. One, it ensures that you are focusing on relevant areas that will help you solve or answer the case. Two, by the time the interviewer asks you for a recommendation, you will already have a refined hypothesis on what the answer or solution to the case should be.

Tip #6: Be 80/20

You have limited time during a case interview to solve the case. Therefore, you won’t be able to cover all of the different areas in your framework and get answers to every single question that you have. Therefore, focus on the most important issues and use the 80/20 principle.

The 80/20 principle states that 80% of the outcome comes from 20% of your effort. During a case interview, focus on the most important questions or areas that will have the biggest impact or effect on developing your answer or recommendation.

Recommended Life Sciences Case Interview Resources

Here are the resources we recommend to learn the most robust, effective case interview strategies in the least time-consuming way:

• Comprehensive Case Interview Course (our #1 recommendation): The only resource you need. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, this step-by-step course will transform you into a top 1% caser that lands multiple consulting offers.
• Hacking the Case Interview Book   (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for intermediates struggling with frameworks, case math, or generating business insights. No need to find a case partner – these drills, practice problems, and full-length cases can all be done by yourself.
• Case Interview Coaching : Personalized, one-on-one coaching with former consulting interviewers
• Behavioral & Fit Interview Course : Be prepared for 98% of behavioral and fit questions in just a few hours. We'll teach you exactly how to draft answers that will impress your interviewer
• Resume Review & Editing : Transform your resume into one that will get you multiple interviews

Land Multiple Consulting Offers

Complete, step-by-step case interview course. 30,000+ happy customers.

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Biotech & Pharmaceutical Consulting Case Studies

• Life Science Consulting Case Studies

Over the past decade, Alacrita Life Science Consulting , has provided expert guidance and hands-on support to life science companies, investors and academic research centers . What makes us unique is the first-hand experience of our subject-matter expert consultants, who have spent their careers discovering, developing, manufacturing and/or commercializing drug products. Lead by our core team, our Expert Network contains over 500 such specialists, allowing us to offer precisely relevant support on a range of R&D and business issues. The below case studies can help illustrate the extensive capabilities of Alacrita's life science consultants. 

Life Science Consulting Case Study, Supply Chain : Commercial supply chain consulting for US launch of a blood cancer drug

Challenge: Our client was a publicly-traded clinical-stage life science company using an epigenetic approach modulate gene expression in tumor and immune cells to treat cancer. Their lead program was a small molecule inhibitor in late-stage clinical development for a hematological malignancy. In preparation for regulatory approval and launch in US, Alacrita was asked for support to help design and create a roadmap for setting up a commercial supply chain for the drug. The company had an upstream supply chain in place (API, DS, and DP manufacture), but no downstream elements yet in place.

Solution: Alacrita’s supply chain consultants worked closely with functional representatives of the client through a work plan involving a situational analysis, definition of the supply chain requirements, a gap analysis, and mapping required activities and dependencies to a launch timeline .

The roadmap took into account the following items:

• Financial and tax set up for finished goods, intermediates, and raw materials
• The company legal structure as it relates to manufacturing and distribution of product
• Product safety considerations and their impact on storage and distribution
• Product serialization
• Volume forecasting
• Inventory strategy, likely stock holding points and finish-to-order concepts
• Packaging design and configurations
• Customer service requirements
• Early access programs
• Service level agreements and impact on margin
• Supply chain vendor recommendations

Life Science Consulting Case Study, Due Diligence : Due Diligence of Late Stage Gene Therapy Asset

Challenge: Our client, a global specialty life science company, was facing a short deadline to making an offer for a late stage gene therapy asset and was under considerable competitive deal pressure. This would be the client's first gene therapy asset and as such, the company did not have internally the specialized personnel required to conduct an expert due diligence of the opportunity. Alacrita was asked to conduct within a two week period, a deep dive due diligence focusing on clinical, CMC, regulatory and related issues.

Solution: Alacrita assembled an expert team of life science due diligence consultants comprised of a highly experienced medic, an ex-FDA gene therapy regulatory specialist, a gene therapy CMC specialist and a quality specialist. Over a very limited timeframe, the team assessed the target's dataroom and identified a number of critical issues including some where the target had yet to disclose the relevant documentation. This complemented the work that our client's internal, although not gene therapy-experienced, team had done, and the combined team reached the appropriate conclusion that informed the client's deal team over how to proceed.

Life Science Consulting Case Study, Market Landscape : LNP technology and competitive landscape

Challenge: A privately held life science company using AI/machine learning/Big Data to develop novel LNPs and LNP formulations for particular payloads instead of using a traditional “trial and error” approach. The client’s core expertise was in informatics, and it was also building a team of chemists to synthesize and bioengineers/robots to screen formulations in a wet lab.

The company engaged Alacrita to analyze which applications/RNA payloads to focus its efforts on. This encompassed existing products or projects where a superior LNP may result in significant enhancements as well as opportunities to rescue failed/failing projects.

They asked Alacrita to:

• Identify potential LNP players that might benefit from a partnership on AI-improvements to their existing LNP technology
• Gain a better understanding of what other LNP companies are currently focused on
• Define payloads for the client to prioritize and companies to partner with.

Solution: Using publicly available information, proprietary databases and our internal knowledge of the RNA therapeutics arena, we assembled a market landscape of RNA therapeutics projects, especially the subset using LNPs for delivery, aiming to be as comprehensive as possible for commercial projects and selective for academic projects, where information availability is more sparse.

We prepared a database specifying:

• Company or academic institution name
• Country of company or academic headquarters
• Clinical indication(s)
• Stage of development
• LNP technology used (as far as is available in the public domain)

Our deliverable included recommendations and rationales for priority payloads and companies to approach for potential partnering.

Life Science Consulting Case Study: Pre-IND meeting support for repurposed drug for stroke

Challenge: Our client, a privately-held life science company, was working with a family office which had invested in a novel IV formulation of a repurposed asset for the treatment of ischemic stroke. With a promising completed phase II clinical trial and an ongoing phase III in Europe, our client was seeking to understand how the FDA would view this data, and whether any separate US trials or integration of US sites into the ongoing trials would be required to support the asset's approval in the US. They also wanted to understand whether they could obtain orphan drug designation (ODD) or any other approval that would allow for a faster approval in the US. Our client reached out for support in managing a pre-IND meeting with the FDA to discuss these matters.

Solution: We brought in our expert regulatory consultants to lead interactions with the FDA in securing a pre-IND meeting acceptance and scheduling the meeting. Firstly, we gathered any relevant information from our client which would be useful in building the Meeting Request Letter. We also enlisted clinical specialists from our network to advise and assist in building the documentation. We provided support in preparing a briefing package. We participated in the meeting and helped support FDA interactions both during and after it, and helped prepare responses to the FDA.

Life Science Consulting Case Study, Valuation : Valuation of viral vector manufacturing spinout

Challenge: A listed life science company had developed a significant capability in viral vector manufacturing and was considering spinning it out into a joint venture with a major CDMO. The client had already generated a profitable business serving third parties using its platform and asked Alacrita to conduct a  valuation  exercise to determine the value of its potential contribution to the joint venture.

Solution: Alacrita developed a   risk-adjusted valuation model   for the client’s bioprocessing business including the following items:

• Contract development and manufacturing revenues;
• Risk-adjusted royalty tail revenue from third party contracts;
• Fixed and variable operating costs.

Building on the detailed inputs from the client's financial model, we modeled contract development and manufacturing revenues and the associated operating cost structure at high level and agreed appropriate ranges for those inputs with significant associated uncertainties.

For the prospective royalty income streams we developed projections for the associated product revenues in the US and EU5. The remainder of the available opportunity was be estimated as a multiple of the major market opportunity. We reviewed the client's projections as inputs (where available) but used our experience and judgement to develop assumptions for key inputs (e.g. clinical development timelines, adoption curves etc) into the valuation model where more specific data from the client was absent.

We used Monte Carlo simulations to develop a range and probability distribution for   rNPV   and also used comparables analysis to cross-validate our findings.

Life Science Consulting Case Study, Oncology : Providing expertise through an oncology scientific advisory board

Challenge: An emerging drug discovery life science company, with a core expertise in molecular modeling, had developed a small molecule inhibitor for a novel cancer metabolism target. The company was looking to nominate a development lead and sought advice about the additional experiments that would be required and the clinical strategies that should be considered.

Solution: Our expert oncology consultants participated in, and chaired, a scientific advisory board meeting with the company. We reviewed the data generated by the company to date, along with that from a close competitor, and suggested several additional preclinical strategies that would be important to differentiate our client’s molecule from the competition. We also provided feedback on the client’s clinical strategy, confirming that a niche, targeted development strategy in a specific tumor type with significant unmet need would befit the capabilities of our client, while at the same time, if successful, generate substantial value. As the preclinical program progressed, we continued to review data, provided feedback and suggested the next steps for our client.

Life Science Consulting Case Study, New Product Planning : Researching payers and pricing for a novel anemia therapy

Challenge: Our client needed an assessment of the market opportunity and value proposition for a novel anemia therapy in order to facilitate discussions with potential partners.

Solution: We conducted the assessment in two stages.

Stage 1: Targeted secondary research

We profiled the market to inform primary research, which included reviewing:

• Clinical guidelines in the US and EU5
• Trends in actual clinical practice, especially where differing from guidelines
• Pricing of comparator products across US and EU5
• Health Technology Assessment evaluations by bodies including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK, the Transparency Commission (TC) in France and the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG) in Germany, to provide an understanding of how our client’s future dataset might be evaluated

Stage 2: Primary research with European and US payers

Using physician feedback, we conducted primary research with relevant payers to explore:

• To what extent anemia was an issue of concern for payers
• What the budget impact of the novel product would be
• Perceived differentiation for the client’s asset - open and closed pricing analysis
• Likely market access hurdles and formulary restrictions at different price points

Life Science Consulting Case Study, Due Diligence : Due diligence on a novel T cell therapy and discovery platform

Challenge: A VC life science investor wished to make an investment in a California-based preclinical biotechnology company with a discovery platform and novel T cell therapies for cancer and other diseases. Alacrita was commissioned to use its experience in cell therapeutics to perform a technical due diligence  on the company to highlight any key risks and to propose mitigation strategies.

Solution: Alacrita reviewed information provided by the client and compiled a report, analyzing the following key areas in the technology platform and therapeutic programs:

• Therapeutic focus
• Molecular targets
• Scientific rationale
• Pre-clinical data
• Regulatory status/correspondence
• Clinical development plans
• Competitive landscape
• Market opportunity
• Company infrastructure.

Upon further discussion with the target life science company on issues raised during the initial review and analysis, we finalized our report to the investor summarizing the above points and outlining the key risks in the programs. The company agreed that the identified risks were indeed material, and one of the predicted issues occurred shortly after our report was finalized.

Life Science Consulting Case Study, Product Development : Development & Refinement of a Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Strategy

Solution: Alacrita was approached by a life science company developing an enzyme approved by the FDA for the treatment of toxic plasma chemotherapy concentrations in patients with delayed clearance due to impaired renal function. The company was planning to investigate repeated administration of the drug as an adjunct to high dose chemotherapy for patients with central nervous system (CNS) cancers. The patient’s subjective experience of the condition and its treatment is a key element of the information stakeholders require to inform decision making. This perspective is particularly important in conditions such as cancer that are associated with significant morbidity and treatment-related toxicity. Alacrita’s consultants led the development and refinement of a patient-reported outcome (PRO) strategy to demonstrate the benefit of routine administration of the drug in cancer patients also receiving high dose chemotherapy therapy.

Solution: Alacrita’s life science consultants reviewed the current FDA-approved product label for the drug, Biologics License Application (BLA) documents, internal client documents and investigator-led study protocols. A targeted literature review was undertaken to identify patient relevant endpoints in which treatment with the drug alongside high-dose chemotherapy have demonstrated treatment benefit, which identified potential benefit in terms of cognitive function, physical function and HRQL. The PRO strategy was refined through discussions between Alacrita consultants and KOLs. The PRO strategy was further refined through regular interactions with the client’s team during weekly team meetings, alongside preparation of an FDA briefing document for a type C meeting. A report was generated providing recommendations for the PRO strategy for measuring patient-relevant outcomes for treatment with the drug alongside high dose chemotherapy in patients with CNS cancer. The recommendations were in line with the Center for Medical Technology Policy (CMTP) recommendations for the incorporation of PROs into clinical comparative effectiveness research in adult oncology in order to capture the patients’ subjective experience and provide complete information for decision making. The recommended PRO strategy represented a robust and comprehensive approach for capturing the patient voice, in order to demonstrate the benefit of repeated administration of the drug as an adjunct to high dose chemotherapy for patients with CNS cancers. The proposed approach was designed to generate data suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals and address the requirements of multiple stakeholders. The recommendations set out in the report were incorporated in the Phase 2 study protocol synopsis for further refinement and discussions with KOLs, patient interviews and discussions with the FDA.

Life Science Consulting Case Study, Launch Planning : Commercial infrastructure & launch plan for orphan disease drug in EU & US

Challenge: Alacrita was engaged by a life science company developing a therapeutic for a severe orphan disorder. With Breakthrough status designation from the FDA and a Prime designation from the EMA, the company was preparing for commercialization in both the US and Europe. A few offices had already been set up, and some work had been done to map specialist centers in the US and EU that would be targeted. A program was underway to complete the steps required to gain market access, however, a fully integrated plan taking into account tax, regulatory, legal and supply chain needs was not yet in place. With this requirement now fairly urgent, Alacrita was asked to develop a high-level infrastructural plan integrating all of these elements. Based on this, and further validation of the market access plans, the life science company also wanted a clear go-to-launch plan to realize the best possible launch for its product. In order to align the launch on a global basis and ensure successful launches in both the US and Europe, the company also wanted the supply chain outlined in the context of their planned US organizational structure.

Solution: Alacrita's life science consultants delivered blueprints for a US and an EU organization to define and integrate the commercial, operational and supply chain structure with considerations for tax optimization, regulatory compliance, quality systems and SOPs and HR/legal considerations. In addition, a top-level go-to-launch, cross-functional process map was sketched out to plan the key activities and foresee any potential bottlenecks and manage activities on the critical path. The exercise in the EU focused on the top 5 markets – Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK. For the US, an analogous commercial organizational structure and map of the optimal supply chain was provided. Each of the areas below constituted a component of the project and were evaluated as follows:

Regulatory:   Review of the regulatory environment on a country by country basis, to verify personnel required, licenses required and systems mandated on a country level. This was done through local regulatory consultants within Alacrita’s network.

Quality Systems:   A top-line definition of the SOPs and quality agreements needed were evaluated and outlined on both an EMA level and FDA level.

Tax Review:   We conducted an analysis of the current tax laws governing distribution of EU goods through a Swiss HQ, with support from independent advisors, and any operational requirements – including minimum size of the headquarters in Switzerland. An analogous was also developed for the US.

HR/Labor law:   An overview of HR/hiring considerations was included in the analysis based on current country-specific labor laws for both the EU and US. Recommendations included optimization of current office locations, trade-off of higher salaries in some territories versus stricter labour laws in other countries etc.

Supply Chain:   Using the input from regulatory, tax, quality and license modules of the project, we outlined a supply chain to ensure 24-hour delivery to all centers and to optimize product and financial flow for the biopharma company. An evaluation of the USA supply chain needs was conducted through analysis of the centers to be reached, the manufacturing and secondary packaging site locations and the required product and financial flows.

Commercial Operations:   The optimal country/regional organizational structure and number of FTEs was proposed by evaluating the coverage needed for the specialist centers already mapped, out as well as considering the tax and HR situation.

Market Access:   Alacrita also worked with the life science company to define the market access strategy and pricing considerations in EU. These plans – including the timelines – were integrated into the go-to-launch project plan, the organizational structure and hiring plan.

Our Life Science Consulting Services:

• Product Development : Our  expert consultants  are ready to support you through every step of the pharmaceutical product development process, leveraging our scientific, clinical and commercial expertise to help you maximize value at each stage. Learn more.
• Strategy & Commercialization : Our team of expert pharmaceutical business consultants provides deep knowledge in critical areas such as company and portfolio strategies, fundraising pitch materials, platform or program opportunity-feasibility assessments, new product planning, value-based pricing and market access, and product launch preparations. Learn more.
• Business Development : We dovetail with our clients’ teams to augment their existing capabilities. We have deep experience on both the buy and sell side. Learn more.  

If we can assist you with a biotech consulting project, please contact us.

Case study index.

• Business Development
• Product Development
• Strategy & Commercialization
• Asset Scouting
• Business Strategy
• Expert Witness
• Partnering and deal-making
• Pharma Licensing
• Preclinical Development
• Research and IP evaluation
• Cancer Vaccines
• Cell Therapy
• Discovery Platforms
• Gene Therapy
• Immunotherapy

Additional Life Science Consulting Case Studies

Primary market research and patient segmentation mapping in myelofibrosis, anti-metastasis mab assessment, regulatory support to understand likelihood of approval of an ophthalmology asset, validating the opportunity for a novel anticoagulant with kol research, evaluating the attractiveness & potential positioning of a new kinase inhibitor, gene therapy technology opportunity assessment, need biotech consulting support we can help..

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• Chair of Scientific Computing
• TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology
• Technical University of Munich

Welcome to Informatics Chair 5 - Scientific Computing

Welcome to the Chair of Scientific Computing (SCCS) of TUM’s Computer Science department in the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology. Whether you step by to check a web page of our teaching program, whether you are interested in one of our various research activities, or whether you just want to visit the home of  Quartl and  Müller-Lüdenscheid Publishers  – we hope that you quickly find what you are looking for. If not, please do not hesitate to contact any member of the SCCS team. See you again soon!

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Study Suggests Genetics as a Cause, Not Just a Risk, for Some Alzheimer’s

People with two copies of the gene variant APOE4 are almost certain to get Alzheimer’s, say researchers, who proposed a framework under which such patients could be diagnosed years before symptoms.

By Pam Belluck

Scientists are proposing a new way of understanding the genetics of Alzheimer’s that would mean that up to a fifth of patients would be considered to have a genetically caused form of the disease.

Currently, the vast majority of Alzheimer’s cases do not have a clearly identified cause. The new designation, proposed in a study published Monday, could broaden the scope of efforts to develop treatments, including gene therapy, and affect the design of clinical trials.

It could also mean that hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone could, if they chose, receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s before developing any symptoms of cognitive decline, although there currently are no treatments for people at that stage.

The new classification would make this type of Alzheimer’s one of the most common genetic disorders in the world, medical experts said.

“This reconceptualization that we’re proposing affects not a small minority of people,” said Dr. Juan Fortea, an author of the study and the director of the Sant Pau Memory Unit in Barcelona, Spain. “Sometimes we say that we don’t know the cause of Alzheimer’s disease,” but, he said, this would mean that about 15 to 20 percent of cases “can be tracked back to a cause, and the cause is in the genes.”

The idea involves a gene variant called APOE4. Scientists have long known that inheriting one copy of the variant increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, and that people with two copies, inherited from each parent, have vastly increased risk.

The new study , published in the journal Nature Medicine, analyzed data from over 500 people with two copies of APOE4, a significantly larger pool than in previous studies. The researchers found that almost all of those patients developed the biological pathology of Alzheimer’s, and the authors say that two copies of APOE4 should now be considered a cause of Alzheimer’s — not simply a risk factor.

The patients also developed Alzheimer’s pathology relatively young, the study found. By age 55, over 95 percent had biological markers associated with the disease. By 65, almost all had abnormal levels of a protein called amyloid that forms plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. And many started developing symptoms of cognitive decline at age 65, younger than most people without the APOE4 variant.

“The critical thing is that these individuals are often symptomatic 10 years earlier than other forms of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Reisa Sperling, a neurologist at Mass General Brigham in Boston and an author of the study.

She added, “By the time they are picked up and clinically diagnosed, because they’re often younger, they have more pathology.”

People with two copies, known as APOE4 homozygotes, make up 2 to 3 percent of the general population, but are an estimated 15 to 20 percent of people with Alzheimer’s dementia, experts said. People with one copy make up about 15 to 25 percent of the general population, and about 50 percent of Alzheimer’s dementia patients.

The most common variant is called APOE3, which seems to have a neutral effect on Alzheimer’s risk. About 75 percent of the general population has one copy of APOE3, and more than half of the general population has two copies.

Alzheimer’s experts not involved in the study said classifying the two-copy condition as genetically determined Alzheimer’s could have significant implications, including encouraging drug development beyond the field’s recent major focus on treatments that target and reduce amyloid.

Dr. Samuel Gandy, an Alzheimer’s researcher at Mount Sinai in New York, who was not involved in the study, said that patients with two copies of APOE4 faced much higher safety risks from anti-amyloid drugs.

When the Food and Drug Administration approved the anti-amyloid drug Leqembi last year, it required a black-box warning on the label saying that the medication can cause “serious and life-threatening events” such as swelling and bleeding in the brain, especially for people with two copies of APOE4. Some treatment centers decided not to offer Leqembi, an intravenous infusion, to such patients.

Dr. Gandy and other experts said that classifying these patients as having a distinct genetic form of Alzheimer’s would galvanize interest in developing drugs that are safe and effective for them and add urgency to current efforts to prevent cognitive decline in people who do not yet have symptoms.

“Rather than say we have nothing for you, let’s look for a trial,” Dr. Gandy said, adding that such patients should be included in trials at younger ages, given how early their pathology starts.

Besides trying to develop drugs, some researchers are exploring gene editing to transform APOE4 into a variant called APOE2, which appears to protect against Alzheimer’s. Another gene-therapy approach being studied involves injecting APOE2 into patients’ brains.

The new study had some limitations, including a lack of diversity that might make the findings less generalizable. Most patients in the study had European ancestry. While two copies of APOE4 also greatly increase Alzheimer’s risk in other ethnicities, the risk levels differ, said Dr. Michael Greicius, a neurologist at Stanford University School of Medicine who was not involved in the research.

“One important argument against their interpretation is that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in APOE4 homozygotes varies substantially across different genetic ancestries,” said Dr. Greicius, who cowrote a study that found that white people with two copies of APOE4 had 13 times the risk of white people with two copies of APOE3, while Black people with two copies of APOE4 had 6.5 times the risk of Black people with two copies of APOE3.

“This has critical implications when counseling patients about their ancestry-informed genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” he said, “and it also speaks to some yet-to-be-discovered genetics and biology that presumably drive this massive difference in risk.”

Under the current genetic understanding of Alzheimer’s, less than 2 percent of cases are considered genetically caused. Some of those patients inherited a mutation in one of three genes and can develop symptoms as early as their 30s or 40s. Others are people with Down syndrome, who have three copies of a chromosome containing a protein that often leads to what is called Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer’s disease .

Dr. Sperling said the genetic alterations in those cases are believed to fuel buildup of amyloid, while APOE4 is believed to interfere with clearing amyloid buildup.

Under the researchers’ proposal, having one copy of APOE4 would continue to be considered a risk factor, not enough to cause Alzheimer’s, Dr. Fortea said. It is unusual for diseases to follow that genetic pattern, called “semidominance,” with two copies of a variant causing the disease, but one copy only increasing risk, experts said.

The new recommendation will prompt questions about whether people should get tested to determine if they have the APOE4 variant.

Dr. Greicius said that until there were treatments for people with two copies of APOE4 or trials of therapies to prevent them from developing dementia, “My recommendation is if you don’t have symptoms, you should definitely not figure out your APOE status.”

He added, “It will only cause grief at this point.”

Finding ways to help these patients cannot come soon enough, Dr. Sperling said, adding, “These individuals are desperate, they’ve seen it in both of their parents often and really need therapies.”

Pam Belluck is a health and science reporter, covering a range of subjects, including reproductive health, long Covid, brain science, neurological disorders, mental health and genetics. More about Pam Belluck

The Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, but much remains unknown about this daunting disease..

How is Alzheimer’s diagnosed? What causes Alzheimer’s? We answered some common questions .

A study suggests that genetics can be a cause of Alzheimer’s , not just a risk, raising the prospect of diagnosis years before symptoms appear.

Determining whether someone has Alzheimer’s usually requires an extended diagnostic process . But new criteria could lead to a diagnosis on the basis of a simple blood test .

The F.D.A. has given full approval to the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi. Here is what to know about i t.

Alzheimer’s can make communicating difficult. We asked experts for tips on how to talk to someone with the disease .

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Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)

Life Sciences Nutrition

The bachelor's program in Nutritional Science deals with how biomedicine, food science, and public health interface with the influence of nutritional substances on the human metabolism.

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• 6 Semesters (Full Time)
• Weihenstephan (Freising)

Winter semester: 15.05. – 15.07.

• Aptitude Assessment for Bachelor
• Winter Semester (October)
• Student Fees: 85.00 €
• Tuition fees for international students

Information on Degree Program

Program profile.

The bachelor's program in Nutritional Science deals with how biomedicine, food science, and public health interface with the influence of nutritional substances on the human metabolism. The central focus is inter alia on researching diseases such as diabetes or cancer.

To this end, the program provides students with interdisciplinary knowledge of nutritional research, human medicine, food science, bioscience, and public health. The combination of disciplines, and of theory and practice, is unique in Germany. As a result, the program is able to give due consideration to the scientific and health policy challenges of our time.

• Degree program documentation for the bachelor's program in Life Sciences Nutrition (PDF, German)

As a graduate, you possess interdisciplinary competencies in nutritional science, human medicine, food sciences, the biosciences, and health care. This is based on sound foundational knowledge of the natural sciences. You are able to apply methods from various disciplines in a solution-oriented manner and will have been able to accrue your first laboratory experience. Furthermore, you can independently take into account complex sets of circumstances, work towards a given goal, and compellingly present your results.

Should you decide to embark upon a professional occupation after successfully completing your degree, opportunities arise in research, nutritional medicine, and industrial production. Further possible fields of employment relate to product development, public health information, and food security, as well as consultancy work public and private health care providers.  

Program structure

• The first two semesters cover basic knowledge of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. This is complemented by discipline-specific modules in the area of human nutrition.
• From the third semester onwards, core content concerns the biosciences, medicine, food science, and public health and nutrition. This is complemented by elective modules.
• The degree concludes with the bachelor’s thesis
• Overview degree program structure
• Module catalog: Description of course content

Language of instruction

Required language skills for admission:

You need sufficient German language skills if you wish to apply for this program. Evidence of your language proficiency has to be submitted before the end of the application deadline. Learn more about recognized certificates and other ways to prove your German language skills .

This evidence of your language proficiency confirms that you comply with the minimum language requirements for admission to the program. Depending on the program and your individual background, it may be necessary for you to keep working on your language skills during your studies. Be sure to take a look at the services of our Language Center.    

Language of instruction:

The language of instruction for this program is German.

Information on study organization

• Information on exams
• Information on studying abroad
• Information on internships

Fees for the program

The tuition fees for international students from third countries for this degree program are 2,000 euros per semester .

Many international students can have their fees waived or receive scholarships to finance them. You can find all information on waivers and scholarships here.

Please note: The semester fee as a contribution to the student union must be paid additionally. It varies depending on where you are studying. You can find all information on the semester fee here.

Academic Regulations: Application, Studying and Exams

• General Academic and Examination Regulations (PDF 209 KB)
• Academic and Examination Regulations (PDF 339 KB)
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Application and Admission

Application process.

Admission requirements and the application procedure vary depending on the type of higher education entrance qualification you hold.

During the  application  period, you must apply through the  TUMonline application portal  and upload your application documents.

If you receive an offer of admission, you will additionally have to submit individual documents as  notarized  hardcopies by post to be  enrolled.

Generally, applicants with an  international higher education entrance qualification  must have their documents reviewed in advance through  uni-assist.

• What are the steps of the application process?
• What admissions requirements do I need to fulfill?
• Important information about your application from the TUM school or department

Documents required for the online application

• Higher Education Entrance Qualification
• Proof of German Language Proficiency
• Complete and Current Résumé
• Preliminary Documentation (VPD) by uni-assist - for international applicants only

We may require additional documents depending on your educational background and your country of origin . Complete the online application to receive a comprehensive list of the required documents. 

Documents required for enrollment

• Application for Enrollment (signed)
• Higher Education Entrance Qualification (certified copy)
• Most Current Photo (as for ID)
• Digital notification of your health insurance status from a German public health insurance provider (requested by applicant)

We may require additional documents depending on the type of educational background you earned and your country of origin . After accepting an offer of admission in TUMonline, you will receive a list of documents you must submit to TUM in hardcopy for enrollment.

Application deadlines

Application period for the winter semester: 15.05. – 15.07.

For information on applying for a  higher semester , please contact the Departmental Student Advising.

During the application period, you must apply through the  TUMonline application portal  and upload your application documents. Please be aware that we can only process your application if you upload all required documents  within the application period.

We will review your application as soon as it is complete. Please check your  TUMonline account  regularly, to see if we have any queries to your documents or if you have to amend one or more documents.

After receiving admission, you will see in  TUMonline  which documents you have to submit for  enrollment , and in which form. Please note that you always have to send the signed application  for enrollment  and all  notarized hardcopies by post.

We recommend that you submit the documents for enrollment as soon as possible after receiving admission. If individual documents are not available by then, you can submit them up to 5 weeks after the start of the lecture period. You will, however, only be enrolled once we have received  all documents .

You can check the status of your application at any time in your  TUMonline account.

Admission process

Selection takes place through an aptitude assessment procedure. Aptitude assessment is a two-part procedure evaluating your ability to successfully manage the particular qualitative requirements of the bachelor’s program.

In the first stage, your overall secondary school grades, your grades in subject-specific courses, and any relevant practical experience or additional qualifications will be evaluated using a point system. Depending on the  amount of points accumulated , applicants are either  immediately admitted ,  rejected  or invited to take an online test .

• Aptitude Assessment (German) (PDF 160 KB)

TUM School of Life Sciences

Information.

Questions about application and admission

Mail : studium spam prevention @tum.de Phone : +49 89 289 22245 In Person : Arcisstr. 21, Room 0144

Contact Hours

Central Student Advising

Arcisstr. 21,  Room 0144 80333 Munich

Mail: studium spam prevention @tum.de

Appointments must be arranged by phone in advance.

Departmental Student Advising

Dr. Sabine Köhler Campus Office, EG, Room 06 Weihenstephaner Steig 22 85350 Freising Tel. +49 8161 71.3336 bsc-nutrition.co[at]ls.tum.de Consultation hours: Mon-Fri from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. - by arrangement

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