Table of Content

  1. Class Schedule
  2. Teaching Background
  3. Thesis Topics, Workplaces, and Supervision
  4. The Importance of Practical Exercises
  5. Model Railroad

Class Schedule

For the current class schedule, please take a look at the Schedule Page. This page directs you to all class web pages, which contain the various information on the content, schedule, exercises, literature, etc.


Teaching Background

My teaching style is sometimes considered a little unusal. So, in order to make it easier for you to follow and enjoy my classes, I have summarized my ideas in Ralf’s Teaching Rules. Every student is strongly advised to read and follow them ;-)

In these days, political correctness is a big issue. This leads, for example, to a shift in the word usage. So, the German word ’Studenten’, for example, has been subsituted by the word ’Studierende’. Some comments on the sense of this trend can be found on Ralf’s Remarks on Political Correctness, an article by Martin Ebel.


Thesis Topics, Workplaces, and Supervision

List of Open Thesis Topics

Some of the currently open topics can be found on the Topics Page; for a complete list, please refer to the Institute’s Open-Topics Page.

Content and Fields of Studies

Since we are in the Faculty of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, most of the theses are for students who are in the fields of electrical engineering, computer science, and ITTI. Therefore, most of the theses are concerned with one or more of the following topics: programming (mostly in C), hardware design, simulation, graphical user interfaces, field-programmable gate arrays, artificial intelligence, evolutionary optimization, and embedded systems. But nevertheless, some of the topics might also be of interest for students of other fields. Students from the faculty of educational science, for example, might take a look at the Model Railroad Project.

Proposing Topics

It might be that you like one or more of the topics, but that you would like to see some slight changes. Well, some of the topics are as is, others might be changed. In such cases, your best bet is to get in touch with me and/or the referenced supervisor.

Supervision

Supervision is very important for us! It is supposed to help you successfully complete your thesis. So, if you are in trouble, don’t waste your time sitting at home. Come and talk to your supervisor. These words not only apply to the practical work but also the writing up of your theses.

Work Places

So far, we were able to provide a small workplace to all students who wanted to have one. It usually consists of a desk, a PC, and all the other required equipment. But you don’t have to work there, it’s just an offer or option. Please keep in mind that some like to work at home, others at the university. It’s your choice!

International Students

Even though almost all the topics are described in German, they can also be taken by non-native German speakers. If that applies to you, please get in touch with me via email to .

Some Finished Theses

This section provides some selected examples of typical theses (for a complete list of the open theses, please consult the Institute’s Completed-Theses Page). The intent of this list is to provide you with some ideas of what type of topics we offer.


The Importance of Practical Exercises

It is often discussed very controversially to what extent practical work and exercises are required and appropriate for teaching on the university level. My own, very personal opinion is that exercises and practical work are all very important for the understanding of the presented class content. I have thus organized my teaching accordingly as might become clear from my Teaching Background.

Similar opinions have recently been expressed by some public organizations, n-tv and the Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag. If you are interested, take a look at the two articles practice@n-tv and practice@DIHK.


Model Railroad

A Railroad Snapshot

In addition to our regular research and teaching activities, we are also working on a Model Railroad Project. By providing a different context, the railroad model sheds new light on many aspects of electrical engineering, computer science, and engineering in general. It’s really fun, so check it out!

In case you are interested, you can also do some thesis work. Just take a look at the Topics Page. Previous theses include switch controllers based on FPGAs and Olimex boards, distributed TCP/IP-based train control, design and implementation of a USB controller, and an automatic controller for a railroad station.

Also, anyone is welcome to work on this project on a voluntarily basis. Sometimes, we even offer Student Jobs Page.