Credit Points

During their studies, students must accrue a total of 30 credit points (CPs), with one CP being equivalent to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credit point. One ECTS corresponds to approximately 30 working hours including preparation. CPs are earned for each of the three mandatory Thesis Advisory Committee meetings. Further, a combination of required and optional courses allows students to assemble a curriculum according to their needs and Thesis Advisory Committee’s recommendations.

Students will be informed about the course’s requirements and assignments, whether they will be required to take an exam (and if so, written or oral), present a seminar or submit a final paper. The program’s spokesperson and coordinator decide on the number of CPs awarded for each course. Each year, the spokesperson and coordinator may revise this, however once a student has received a grade in a course, the number of CPs can not change.

More details on types of courses, verification and awarded ECTS points can be found in pages 13 and 14 of the IMPRS-TP student guide.

CPs from partnering Institutions

ECTS credits obtained from courses at the Ludwig-Maximilans-University, Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences or IMPRS for Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences and others are transferable into IMPRS‑TP CPs at the discretion of the IMPRS-TP spokesperson and coordinator.

CPs for courses and workshops

The IMPRS‑TP encourages students to participate in international courses and workshops. Students should apply in advance to the program coordinator for CP assessment of external courses. The application should include all relevant information, such as the institution and lecturer, the number of hours, the course syllabus, and the mode of grading. Approval and the number of CPs awarded are at the discretion of the IMPRS‑TP spokesperson and coordinator.

CPs for additional extracurricular activities

The credit-based system also encourages student contribution. CPs can be awarded for teaching (e.g. organizing a method workshop), project management (e.g. organizing a symposium like the Munich <interact>) or leadership activities (e.g. serving as student representative). Finally, CPs will be awarded for additional curricular activities, such as the participation in transferable skill courses, advanced method training or active participation at scientific conferences.