Laboratory Courses, Projects, Seminars
The category of "Laboratory Courses, Projects, Seminars" includes courses and laboratories in various formats designed to impart practical knowledge and skills. Moreover, these classes encourage independent experimentation and design, allow for explorative learning and teach the methodology of project work.
Students must obtain at least 15 credits in this area by freely combining courses from the various sub-categories. However, we recommend acquiring app. 6 credits from this category in the second year of study.
For detailed provisions, see the DownloadGuidelines for "Elective courses" and "Laboratory Courses, Projects, Seminars" category of the Bachelor's Degree Programme (PDF, 152 KB).
Please note that, just as for any other course, registration (myStudies) is required in this category.
"Laboratory Courses, Projects, Seminars" includes the following categories in particular:
The individual experiments conducted in the general laboratory usually take one afternoon. Most of the laboratories at D-ITET offer such experiments. Some of these experiments may already be carried out in the second year of study.
One such afternoon usually corresponds to a quarter of a credit point. Registration is only possible for larger units, namely "General Laboratory I" worth 2 credits (i.e. 8 afternoons) and "General Laboratory II" worth 4 credits (i.e. 16 afternoons), see the course catalogue. Thus, the maximum number of credits in this category is limited to 6.
To access the offer and to enroll for experiments: Please login with your n.ethz account.
An overview of feedbacks on the laboratory courses can be found on the protected pageIntranet.
Courses in the area of P&S usually take several afternoons or run for an entire semester. A number of these courses can (and should) be taken as early as the second year of study.
To access the offer and to enroll for courses log in (with your n.ethz account).
After final assignment of the course units in the P&S tool, please register for the corresponding course via mystudies.
Please note that the page is only accessible two weeks before the start of the semester and will be switched off again during the semester.
A group project will normally yield 6 credits (a minimum of 150 hours of work per participant) and will be carried out in groups of at least two students. Due to the workload associated with a group project, they are carried out in the third year.
Any such project must be documented in the form of a written report and concluded with a presentation of the results.
Traditionally, group projects are offered in the area of "Man, Technology, Environment (MTE)" - see course catalogue - in the following subjects:
- Work Psychology/Ergonomics
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Technology, Energy, and Environment
- Corporate Governance
- Law
- History of Technology
In order to get your project started, please contact the relevant lecturers and/or consult the websites of the institutes. D-ITET now also offers the opportunity to carry out group projects with more technical content at the laboratories and institutes of the department itself.
Students are encouraged to submit their own ideas to potential supervisors at the various institutes of the department and beyond.
The objectives of such projects are:
- understanding and practicing the methodology of project work and presentation;
- acquiring practical knowledge and skills;
- enabling and encouraging independent experimentation and design;
- enabling explorative learning.
In contrast to projects and theses during the Master's programme, group projects at Bachelor's level must not necessarily achieve or exceed the state of the art in the respective research field.
As per the Teaching Commission's decision of 17 October 2014, it is possible to credit the D-MAVT Focus Projects (14cp) towards the category "Laboratory Courses, Projects, Seminars".
More information on Focus Projects can be found in the course catalogue under Programme "Mechanical Engineering Bachelor" > Section "5. (or 6.) Semester" > Subsection "Focus".
The D-ITET Center for Project-Based Learning (PBL) primarily focuses on creating, promoting and providing education and courses with projects and hands-on practice for Bachelor's students, but also for Master's students.