During this period, the students gain experience in finding approaches to engineering projects which often become the subject of their theses. The Department of Industrial Engineering together with the Department of Business Administration operates an extensive EDP laboratory and a modern programming language laboratory equipped with PCs. In the department-owned laboratory for design, relevant issues can be tackled with the help of CAD and Finite Element programs. In order to enable the Polytechnic University graduates to meet the ecological challenges in their professional sphere, two semesters of Environmental Studies are offered to all students, complementing and broadening the scope of the other courses of study. Setting the reference point on a CNC lathe in the CIN laboratory of HIW Furthermore, this course is designed to provide advanced training in environmental protection to people not enrolled in HTW, but who have an adequate education in natural sciences.
Great emphasis is attached to the ' reciprocity between politics, industry and technology.
After successfull completion of this course of study, a certificate is issued qualifying the holder for assuming responsibilities in industrial environmental protection. In addition, architects and mechanical engineers, in particular, are given the opportunity to acquire further education in the field of environment-oriented civil engineering within the framework of this course of study. The Franco-German studies are offered in the subjects Civil Engineering, Business Administration, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering. Good knowledge of French is a requirement. In addition, language courses and lectures in French culture and civilization are also offered, which are required for the intermediate degree.