Curriculum
The "Bachelor of Science ETH in Mechanical Engineering" degree provides a basic education in engineering and allows you to continue your studies at ETH Zurich or another university in Switzerland or abroad at the Master’s level.
If you started your studies before the Fall Semester 2022, you can find your curriculum at Curriculum until Fall Semester 2021
Basic subjects
After each semester, the subjects are assessed in examination blocks. Each examination block is evaluated with an average grade, which must be at least 4.0 for the block to be considered passed. Passing the examination blocks A and B from the first and second semester is a prerequisite to start the third semester. All blocks can be repeated once.
The examination blocks are composed as follows*:
*subject to change
Additional basic subjects in the first year
Engineering Design and Material Selection
This basic subject is studied in the 1st semester and examined separately.
Physics Lab
This is a practical introduction to the basics of experimentation. Various experiments from the fields of mechanics, optics, and thermodynamics will be performed. In total, 3 physics experiments will be completed. Enrollment only available at www.mavt.ethz.ch/praktika. It is not necessary to enrol via myStudies.
More Information can be found here (German only): https://ap.phys.ethz.ch/MAVT.htm
Projects
The innovation project takes place in the 3rd semester. The goal of the innovation project is to independently apply the theoretical and methodological fundamentals from the individual Bachelor subjects (such as machine elements, mechanics, computer science, control systems, CAD) in a team-based project in order to gain practical development experience.
In the 5th and 6th semesters you can choose electives. They serve to expand the theoretical and methodological basic knowledge. Elective subjects with a total of 24 credit points must be attended and passed.
The electives of the current semester are published in the course catalogue.
In the Science in Perspective courses, students learn to understand and critically question the correlations between scientific knowledge, technological innovations, cultural contexts, individuals and society. The student must acquire 6 credit points. The SiP courses can be found in the course catalogue.
Information video external page Science in Perspective and FAQs.
The focus, together with the fundamentals of mechanical engineering, is the focal point of the Bachelor's program. The focus extends over two semesters and is completed in the 3rd year of study.
The Bachelor’s thesis concludes the Bachelor’s program and promotes the ability to work independently, in a structured and scientific manner. It is written in the 6th semester under the supervision of a D-MAVT professor.
The prerequisites for starting the Bachelor’s thesis are:
- Passing the examination blocks A and B and other subjects from the first year of study
- Passing examination blocks 1 and 2
- It is strongly recommended to start the Bachelor’s thesis only after achieving at least 150 credit points.
The thesis must be registered in myStudies no later than one month after the start date. The submission deadline must also be defined during registration. These details are binding.
Students choose between
- a focus specialization with Bachelor’s thesis of 16 credit points (KP)
or - a focus project with Bachelor’s thesis of 8 credit points (KP)
Focus Specialization with Bachelor’s Thesis at 16 credit points
The focus specialization is topic-oriented and based on lectures with a total of 20 credit points. One professor is responsible for each focus specialization and develops the range of subjects. There are different topics to choose from, which may change from year to year. The bachelor thesis comprises 16 KP. This corresponds to 480 hours of work (12 weeks full-time) and can be completed in part-time or full-time.
The content and structure of the specialization and the subjects available for selection are listed in the course catalogue under the category "Focus Specialization".
Focus Project with Bachelor’s Thesis at 8 credit points
The goal of a Focus Project is to develop and realize a product during two semesters. A Focus team consists of five to ten students. Starting from a market-oriented problem, all processes of product development are worked through in a realistic scenario: market analysis, finance, conception, design, engineering, simulation, draft and production.
The structure of the Focus Project and the Bachelor’s thesis is based on:
- Project (20 credit points) offered by a professor (10 weeks full-time during an academic year).
- Bachelor's level lectures (8 credit points) with graded performance review, determined by the supervising professor for the particular student based on the challenges of the project.
- Students who complete a focus project have the option to undertake a reduced Bachelor’s thesis. The reduced Bachelor’s thesis is worth 8 ECTS and corresponds to 240 hours of work (6 weeks full-time). The reduced thesis must be thematically based on the focus project but can be conducted under a different D-MAVT professor than the one responsible for the focus project, provided the topic is appropriate. If a thesis on a different topic is desired, a regular Bachelor’s thesis must be completed.
The proposal for the potential projects starting in the fall semester must be submitted by a MAVT professor by the end of March. The accepted focus projects are presented to the students during an information event in May.”
The topics for the bachelor theses are published by the professors or can be determined in discussion. The supervisor determines the conditions for the thesis. D-MAVT Professors and affiliated Professors are available as supervisors of the Bachelor’s thesis.
Extension of a Bachelor’s Thesis
In the case of valid reasons, an extension of the Bachelor’s thesis can be requested. To do so, the following form must be completed and submitted to the D-MAVT study administration by email: Download Request for Extension of the Bachelor’s Thesis (PDF, 662 KB) (PDF, 662 KB)
The supervisor (professor) must agree to the requested extension beforehand. The request must be submitted at least 4 weeks before the submission deadline.