Irregular Study Paths and Deviations from the Curriculum
In general, stick to the curriculum
Unlike in the school system, there are no grades in a university degree program into which you advance. At TUM you continue to accumulate credits until you have passed all of the exams and coursework required in the bachelor's degree program and are thus awarded the degree.
The order in which the modules are scheduled in the curriculum is usually based on content, so you should always prioritize resitting failed modules from previous semesters over taking modules for the first time. So, if you are in the fifth semester, but you are still missing a module from the third semester, this resit examination from the third semester has higher priority - you attend the related courses and prepare for this examination; for this purpose, you postpone modules that are scheduled in the fifth semester of the regular curriculum to later semesters.
Modules often only offered once per academic year
For most modules, courses and exams are offered only in the winter semester or only in the summer semester, depending on the semester in which the module is scheduled in the curriculum.
Therefore, you can usually resit a missed module only after one year. In the immediately following semester, you will therefore sometimes take modules that are scheduled after the missed module in the curriculum.
Mind the academic progress check
Without justification, the academic progress check allows you to fall behind the regular curriculum by up to 60 CP (i.e. two semesters).
If you are concerned about failing the academic progress check, contact the study counseling as early as possible to review the problem and discuss possible solutions or whether the academic progress check can be postponed.
Due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic progress check is postponed by one semester for all students who were enrolled in SS 2020 (and not on leave). The same applies to WS 2020/1, SS 2021, and WS 2021/2.
Therefore, without (additional) justification, students can effectively fall behind the regular curriculum by up to 90 CP if they were enrolled but not on leave in either SS 2020 or WS 2020/1 and by up to 120 CP if they were enrolled but not on leave in both SS 2020 and WS 2020/1, and so on.
Top priority: modules of the degree program aptitude test (Grundlagen- und Orientierungsprüfung, GOP)
If a module exam of the degree program aptitude test (Grundlagen- und Orientierungsprüfung, GOP) is offered in the current semester, taking this exam is the top priority, because students are automatically enrolled for this kind of exams.
During winter semesters prioritize the exams of PH0001 Experimentalphysik 1, MA9201 Mathematik für Physiker 1 (Lineare Algebra) and MA9202 Mathematik für Physiker 2 (Analysis 1). In case you miss one or more of these exams, prioritize coursework for this missing module resp. these missing modules and prepare for the module exam(s).
During summer semesters prioritize the exams of PH0002 Experimentalphysik 2, PH0005 Theoretische Physik 1 (Mechanik) and MA9203 Mathematik für Physiker 3 (Analysis 2). In case you miss one or more of these exams, prioritize coursework for this missing module resp. these missing modules and prepare for the module exam(s).
Take modules that are scheduled for semesters after the GOP in the curriculum only if your workload allows you to successfully complete the GOP-relevant modules nevertheless (e.g., if you are missing less than three GOP-modules).
Flexibilities in the curriculum
Supplemental modules grant more flexibility in the curriculum. These modules help to get back to the regular course of studies, if you had to postpone some modules or to resit module exams. Please contact study counseling, in case you have questions on the selection of modules for your individualized course of studies.
The introduction to advanced modules of experimental physics PH0016 Einführung in die Kern-, Teilchen- und Astrophysik and PH0019 Einführung in die Physik der kondensierten Materie, which are scheduled for the fifth semester of the standard-curriculum are offered in the summer term as PH8016 Introduction to Nuclear, Particle, and Astrophysics and PH8019 Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics in English language.
The oral exam to PH0008 Theoretische Physik 4A (Statistische Mechanik und Thermodynamik), which is scheduled for the fifth semester of the standard-curriculum is offered at the end of every semester. To prepare for this exam during a summer semester, you can also follow PH0012 Theoretische Physik 4B (Thermodynamik und Elemente der statistischen Mechanik).
The bachelor thesis can be started at any time. In particular, it is possible to carry it out during the winter semester in agreement with the thesis supervisor.