Study program structure and content
The first semesters
The foundational phase of the program (1st to 4th semester) offers a solid, fundamentals-focused education:
- At the University of Stuttgart, you learn the technical fundamentals, such as mathematics, design, electrical engineering, biomechanics, optics, and control engineering.
- At the University of Tübingen, you take fundamental natural science courses – similar to pre-clinical medical students – such as experimental physics, chemistry, and biochemistry. Throughout the foundational phase, students in Tübingen are supported by the program-specific medical lecture “Human Biology”, which covers anatomy, physiology, and pathology.
Your studies
From the 5th semester onwards (specialized studies), students choose two areas of specialization from 16 technical and biomedical fields. You have the opportunity to specifically choose between "Medical Engineering" (University of Stuttgart) or "Biomedical Technology" (University of Tübingen) - the "Y-model".
- Program structure [de]
For more information on the study program structure please consult our German website - Curriculum and module handbook of the University of Stuttgart [de]
In the C@MPUS portal, you can view the structure of the study program. Clicking the book icon opens the module handbook with detailed information on course content. - Curriculum and module handbook of the University of Tübingen [de]
Link to the University of Tübingen website - Information on the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science
Click here to learn more about the Bachelor's degree in Germany
Studying abroad
Intercultural exchange, enhanced language skills, fresh perspectives on your field of study, exciting adventures, lifelong global friendships, personal growth, and a valuable boost to your CV — all this and more awaits you during a stay abroad! Are you interested in studying abroad for one or two semesters, or doing a language course or an internship, or would you like to take part in a summer school? The International Office will help you to make your stay a reality.
- Find out more about your options!
Everything you need to know about studying abroad: group advice, partner universities, language requirements, application deadlines, funding.
Images from the study program
Get a glimpse of how the study program works.
Practical laboratory sessions are thoroughly prepared in advance using lab manuals and textbooks. In these sessions, you have the opportunity to conduct experiments and development projects. After each experiment, a report must be written documenting the procedures and observations.
In most courses, there are homework assignments that must be submitted by the next session. Most students meet to work on the assignments together and support each other. The Medical Engineering student council has set up a learning hub at the University of Tübingen for this purpose.
Image: (c) IFS MedTech
Core subjects are taught in large lecture settings. Here, it might be the case that you attend lectures together with several hundred fellow students in a lecture hall. Lectures usually conclude with an exam at the end of the semester.
Special sessions with practice exercises enable students to review the material, highlight its relevance to laboratory experiments and to prepare experiments. These sessions typically take place in small groups of about 15 students.
Beyond the curriculum, the Medical Engineering Student Council (Fachschaft Medizintechnik e.V.) offers a wide range of activities organized by students for students. The student council promotes networking among medical engineering students across all semesters, organizes the sharing of information and experiences, and offers events beyond the regular academic program. In addition, it also serves as a point of contact for concerns and problems.
Image: (c) IFS MedTech
Studying at two universities: Stuttgart and Tübingen
Yes, the unique aspect of this program is that students are officially enrolled at both the University of Tübingen and the University of Stuttgart. You have two student IDs and therefore double the options at all university facilities, whether it's dormitory places, sports and language courses, or opportunities for studying abroad. But you only pay the semester fees once.
In the Bachelor's program in Medical Engineering, the courses usually take place on individual days, either in Stuttgart or in Tübingen. Occasionally, it also happens that you have courses at both universities on the same day. In such cases, care is taken to ensure that you have enough time to commute between the two universities. It takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes by bus and train to travel between the two universities. Since you are enrolled at both universities, you can also purchase both semester tickets (VVS and naldo). You can get a first impression of your daily study routine by looking at current timetables [de].
As a student of both universities, you have the opportunity to apply for a dormitory room at both student services organizations. This gives you the choice of whether to move to a student-oriented small town like Tübingen or to the state capital, Stuttgart – or even to a place halfway in between, such as Herrenberg. Most students initially move to Stuttgart at the start of their studies, since the majority of lectures in the first year take place there. Some students move to Tübingen for the second or third year of study.
As a regular student at both the University of Stuttgart and the University of Tübingen, you have access to all libraries, dining halls, and cafeterias, as well as all student study spaces, workrooms, and PCs. This is particularly convenient, for example, if you live in Tübingen and want to work on your math homework between two lectures on a day when you are at the University of Stuttgart. At the University of Tübingen, there are even dedicated study spaces [de] that are accessible only to students of Medical Engineering and Molecular Medicine.
Some of the assignments in your studies are done on a computer. Both universities have PCs that you are free to use. The study program’s study spaces [de] in Tübingen also have several computer workstations. So you don’t necessarily have to buy your own high-performance computer.
If you want to buy a new PC or laptop for your studies, it’s best to keep in mind from the start that the software used during the program is mostly available only for Windows operating systems. While the software can be used on computers with other operating systems, doing so requires extra effort to install it.