The research module is a required elective module that can be completed in one or more semesters. It comprises courses carrying 15 credits and one project paper (5 credits), which is completed at the end under the supervision of an instructor who is authorized to give exams.

The 15 credits for courses can be earned either by successfully completing two special lectures with exercises and one seminar (Research Module A) or one special lecture with exercises and two seminars (Research Module B). Practical modules (see study regulations, Sec. 4 (3)) cannot be integrated into the research module. Regular attendance at seminars and exercise sessions is required. The forms of active participation (e.g. completing exercises, seminar presentations) are determined by the course instructor. There is no module exam.

Alongside courses from the study program in bioinformatics, students can also attend lectures with exercises or seminars from related study programs (such as mathematics, computer science, biology, etc.) and earn credit for these as part of the research module. The consent of the examining board is required for this. To obtain consent, students should submit a request form to the examining board before attending the course.

The project paper (5 credits, 150 hours) concludes the research module. Each student should choose a topic for his/her project paper that is related in some way to the courses attended as part of the research module and should establish a connection between them where possible. The project paper must be registered with the examinations office  (registration form) and supervised by an instructor within the master’s degree program who is authorized to give exams. Normally, this is an instructor from one of the courses attended as part of the research module. The formal requirements of the project paper are alligned with the specifications that apply to the structure of a term paper at Charité. The project paper is not graded, but it is evaluated by the supervisor in terms of both form and content. The supervisor may use the forms for formal evaluation and evaluation of content for this. After successful completion, the supervisor will issue a certificate on behalf of the examinations office.

Please note: The project paper is not reflected in the campus management system. Nevertheless, it is an compulsory part of the module, which is administrated by the examination office.