Partnering with Us: Information for Companies

We welcome collaborations with industry partners who would like to engage TUM students on applied projects. Depending on the student profile and project scope, we offer two formats: Project Studies and Interdisciplinary Projects (IDP).

What Type of Project Can You Propose?

Project topics can be technical, management-related, or a hybrid of both. You are welcome to submit a topic, which we will then publish on our Chair’s homepage for students to apply to. A good project proposal should include:

• A concise description of the problem or challenge the student(s) will work on
• The expected outputs or deliverables (e.g. a prototype, analysis, concept, or software)
• The technical or domain skills that would be beneficial
• A named contact person on the company side who will reviewing the student’s application.

Project Studies vs. IDP: Which Format Fits Better?

Project Studies are aimed at Bachelor or Master students from the TUM School of Management. They are completed by a team of 2–5 students, either full-time over 3 months or part-time over up to 6 months. For longer projects, we typically include a mid-term presentation to track progress.

Interdisciplinary Projects (IDP) are for students in the TUM Faculty of Informatics and are usually completed by a single student (though small teams are possible). They run over approximately one semester (~6 months). The project topic is typically programming-related.

What Supervision is Expected from Your Side?

The company will be responsible for reviewing and accepting student applications prior to the start of the project. Moreover, the content-related supervision is also the responsibility of the host company. This includes guiding the student through the technical and practical aspects of the project, providing access to necessary resources and data, and giving feedback throughout the project period.

From the Chair, we handle the academic framing, formal registration, and final grading. There will be a kick-off meeting at the start of the project to align on expectations and establish a smooth working relationship. Toward the end of the project, we will ask you to share a brief overall impression of the student’s performance, which will be used to determine the final grade (see below).

How are Students Assessed?

For Project Studies, the final grade is composed of roughly equal parts: 33% the final report (approx. 10/15 pages per team member), 33% a final presentation (20 minutes plus 10 minutes Q&A), and 33% your impression of the student’s practical contribution.

For IDPs, the weighting is: 70% practical activity (informed by your feedback), 20% final report (approx. 15 pages), and 10% final presentation (20 minutes plus 10 minutes Q&A).

Your input on the student’s practical work is, therefore, a meaningful part of the final grade, and we will reach out to you at the appropriate time to gather this.

How do we get started?

If you have a project idea you’d like to propose, or if you’d like to discuss whether a collaboration makes sense, please contact Nicole Wenger-Wong directly. We will review your proposal and publish it on our website if suitable.