HANDBOOK of the MASTER of SCIENCE in

CEREBROVASCULAR MEDICINE

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Information for students and other interested parties

of the Master of Science in Cerebrovascular Medicine

Imprint:

© 2015

Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin

Berlin, 2015

Despite careful proofreading, this handbook may still contain errors.

Reprint only with the approval of the publisher(s) or author(s). All information contained within the handbook comes without a guarantee and the author(s) assumes no liability.

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Foreword from the Dean’s Office of Student Affairs

(Teaching and Learning)

Dear current and future students,

We thank you for your interest in the Master do Science in Cerebrovascular Medicine and offer our congratulations to those of you who have already gained a place in this highly sought-after degree.

The medical faculty at Charité is rich in tradition and this, coupled with the multitude of degree programs on offer and the numerous opportunities for participation by all within the faculty, attracts students from around the world and from all branches of medicine and health sciences. Today, there are more than 7000 students enrolled in the undergraduate and graduate programs and graduate colleges at Charité, characterizing the image of our faculties.

Study demands engagement, motivation and initiative from students. Those who study at Charité benefit from a learning environment with close proximity to cutting edge research.

We look upon the 300 year existence of Charité with pride. Numerous Nobel Prize-winners have taught and conducted research within the faculty and are still pioneering new ground in

the area of medicine and health sciences today.

Charité is not only one of the largest medical faculties in Europe, but also one of the strongest research faculties.

With this master program we offer you an innovative and future-oriented study program to help prepare you for a successful career.

One of our most important tasks is the continual improvement of teaching quality and the persistent promotion of scientific talent. We place particular value on promoting the academic talent and careers of women.

The area of teaching and learning plays an important role in our faculty. This handbook is designed to help you gain an overview of the Cerebrovascular Medicine master’s program.

Further important information on the future path of your studies can be found on our homepage:

We wish you every success in your studies!

Prof. Dr. Adelheid Kuhlmey Dean of Student Affairs (Teaching and Learning)

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Contents

Abbreviations 4

1. Application and Finances 4

2. The Program – An Overview 6

3. Learning Environment 13

4. Mobility and International Exchange 15

5. Student Services and Support 16

6. Quality Assurance 17

7. Course Management 18

8. Student Participation 19

9. Resources 20

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Abbreviations

CVM Cerebrovascular Medicine

CSB Center for Stroke Research Berlin

1. Application and Finances

1.1 Requirements, Deadlines, Contacts

Students must fulfill the following formal admissions requirements:

- Bachelor’s degree or similar higher education degree of min. 4 years or 240 ECTS credit points

- Proof of English at competence level C1: Language school certificate, or scientific publication in English, or test scores such as TOEFL (paper min. 580, computer min. 237, internet min. 92), IELTS (min. Band 6.5), or CAE (min. Grade C)

In order to apply, please send the following documents by email to master-stroke@charite.de:

- Application form (download on our website)

- CV

- Letter of intent

- Letter of recommendation by a current superior or previous academic

supervisor

- Copy of your university diploma(s)

- Proof of proficiency in English

Application deadline is 15 July of each year.

Program Manager: Lutz Steiner – master-stroke@charite.de

1.2 Admissions and Matriculation

The program office checks all applications for completeness and assesses the equivalence of international degrees. The program’s commission reviews all complete applications and decides on admission. This decision is based on academic qualification, scientific achievement and professional expertise.

Admitted students need to matriculate when coming to Berlin for the first time. Students need to bring originals of their academic qualifications (degree

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certificate(s) and transcript(s)) at that time. For the first semester, the program office assists students in the preparation of their matriculation. The registrar’s office (Referat für Studienangelegenheiten) is in charge of and responsible for matriculation. Students must maintain their matriculation for the following 3 semesters by transferring their semester fees by the given deadline.

1.3 Recognition of Academic Qualifications

The program office evaluates the equivalence of all international academic qualification using the database anabin provided by the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB) of the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK). The program’s commission considers these results when making decisions on admission. The program commission also decides upon the recognition of equivalence of specific course achievements or modules of other/previous degree programs for the purpose of transferring credits. The same holds for the recognition of professional experience.

1.4 Fees and Financing

- Fees

The tuition fees for this program as published in the Gebührenordnung (AMB 054, p. 320) amount to 225€ per 1 ECTS credit point. The entire program awards 60 ECTS credits points amounting to 13,500€. A single module – except the thesis – awards 5 ECTS credit points and thus amounts to 1,125€. This fee includes access to all teaching material (print and online), classes, lunch and coffee breaks, thesis supervision and career coaching. Expenses for travel to and from as well as staying in Berlin are not included.

Additionally, students need to pay minor registration and matriculation fees per semester.

- Working in Berlin/Germany

The program is designed for professionals. Participants stay in their current positions and study long distance. Only for the teaching week is a visit to Berlin necessary. There is no option to work in Berlin/Germany as part of the program.

International students who complete the program, however, can stay in Germany and search for employment for up to one year after graduation. The program office, the career coaching and the alumni network are all resources for those who would like to pursue this option.

- Federal Student Loans (Bafög)

Since this is an adult education program, students are not eligible to apply for German federal student loans known as Bafög.

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- Scholarships

Thanks to generous support from industry, applicants can apply for stipends through the program. For details, see our website.

- Income Tax Deduction

Students who pay income tax in Germany can claim up to 4,000€ per annum in education expenses on their income tax declaration. Check with your tax accountant for details.

- Bildungsurlaub

Students who work in Germany can check with their employer/personnel department to see if the attendance of teaching weeks in the program counts as Bildungsurlaub.

2. The Program – An Overview

The 2-year master’s program offers comprehensive training in all stroke related aspects of cerebrovascular research. It addresses young scientists, medical doctors, healthcare professionals and clinical and non-clinical medical lecturers. Students complete this master’s program in addition to their professional obligations, aiming to boost their career in stroke research.

2.1. Basic Idea and Set Up

The program was founded in 2008 at the Center for Stroke Research (CSB) of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité). Its purpose is to train junior members of the center in all aspects of stroke research: basic, lab based research, clinical studies and epidemiology, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of stroke. The goal is to further stimulate crosstalk between basic and clinical researchers in order to bridge the translational gap. But why restrict this promising concept to internal staff only? The scientists in charge want to share their expertise and spread their mission beyond the CSB; training budding stroke experts to overcome the shortcomings of translational research and to design and implement clinical studies of impact.

In accordance with the Bologna Process, the program is divided into modules. It includes theoretical and practical training and allows for student-driven, independent learning. The program is an adult learning or continued education master’s program. Students are professionals who seek to combine work and study. The program runs for 2 years (4 semesters), part-time and awards 60 ECTS credit points. The master’s degree includes a master’s thesis. It is possible to complete selected modules only. In that case, students receive a certificate.

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Figure 1: Modules of the Program

- Qualifications and Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the program will be able to work as independent researchers in the area of stroke medicine. They will know the basic approaches to laboratory research in stroke. They will be aware of the shortcomings as well as of the potential of and the need for translational research. They will know the essentials of good scientific practice, proper statistics and ethics in clinical trials. They will be able to design and implement clinical studies, and will be able to critically appraise the work of others. They will be familiar with the anatomical structures of the brain and know the strengths and limitations of up to date imaging techniques in stroke. They will know state of the art prevention, treatment and rehabilitation techniques in stroke according to evidence based medicine. They will be able to read and write papers, manage projects and network for career advancement.

- Modules

The entire master’s program runs for 2 years or 4 semesters, divided into the 9 modules represented in Figure 1.

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Modules are specific study units based on specific content and schedule. Each module of the program awards 5 ECTS credit points, corresponding to 150 hours of student invested time. Of these 150 hours, the teaching week counts for 40 hours and the remaining 110 hours include private study of the provided teaching material, preparation for the online exam and the student presentation, as well as completion of the take home exam.

Figure 2: Typical Structure of a Module

Exceptions are the modules Practical Training and Thesis. Neither one includes a teaching week. The practical training requires two one-week internships and two subsequent reports. The Thesis project runs for the last 8 months of the program and finishes with the submission of a master’s thesis.

All seven modules taught include a teaching week. It is here that students meet face to face with the scientists of the CSB and some external experts. They discuss the content of the provided teaching material in depth, draw on examples of current research, question existing hypotheses and develop fresh ideas for research to come. Each teaching week also includes training in selected complementary skills such as giving presentations, statistical analysis, writing abstracts, reviewing papers, project management, and leadership skills.

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Figure 3: Typical Structure of a Teaching Week

In the end, students are well qualified:

to introduce translational research questions into the clinics or departments they work in

to critically assess the scientific work in the field to conduct their own independent patient-oriented studies and to lead their own research group

Since the program focuses on career advancement for professionals, mentoring, career counseling, coaching,

and networking are important aspects of the program. Each student is matched with an experienced scientist of the CSB as a mentor. This relationship grows over time and includes advice and support in professional and academic development. A career counseling session with the managing director of the CSB and the program manager analyzes students’ status quo and identifies areas for development. Finally, a professional coach will work with each student on a particular career or personal development question.

2.2 Teaching Formats

The master’s is a blended learning program. Students study print material, online material and meet with experts face to face. Therefore we use the following teaching formats:

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- Private Study

For each taught module students receive printed material that introduces the basic concepts, content and literature of the module’s topic. This material takes the form of either a textbook specifically written by our scientists or relevant books selected by the head of module. Working through this material during private study constitutes the basis for discussion during the teaching weeks. To make sure students have an equal level of knowledge and are ready to engage actively with the faculty, this material is subject to examination at the beginning of each teaching week.

In addition, online material such as further readings, podcasts, online videos, relevant web links, glossaries, wikis and the like are available through the e-learning platform Blackboard. Here, students can deepen their understanding of the subject matter and expand their knowledge based on individual interest and expertise.

- Seminar / Teaching Weeks

During the teaching weeks students follow a series of related seminars. Our experts provide insight into up to date research on selected topics relevant to the module’s topic. Lively discussions, hands on exercises and demonstrations contribute to the interactive character of the seminars. In these seminars, students reflect on their individual level of knowledge. They demonstrate their understanding of specific sub-topics and sharpen their scientific presentation skills by giving a graded presentation as part of the seminars.

2.3. Examinations

In accordance with the rules of modularization, each module includes an examination, resulting in a module grade. We carefully selected a variety of formats testing not only for knowledge, but also training the specific skills required of today’s scientists. Thus, the grade of each module taught is based on 3 types of examination: an online test, a presentation and a take home assignment.

- Online Test

The goal of the online test is to make sure students have worked through the self-study material and are able to follow/contribute to in-depth discussion during the teaching week. That is why this exam stands at the beginning of each teaching week. It counts for 50% of the module grade.

- Oral Presentation

The purpose of the oral student presentation during the teaching week is twofold. Firstly, students study a topic of their choice to a more comprehensive extent, gaining in-depth knowledge. Students sign up online for possible topics. Secondly, they practice one of the core skills of successful scientists: communicating research

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results. That is why the presentation is graded on both content (introduction, hypothesis, take home message, discussion) as well as structure and formal aspects (quality of slides, time management, speech and body language). The presentation counts for 25% of the module grade.

- Take Home Assignment

Finally, students review what they have learned, expand on selected aspects, and practice their writing skills through the take home assignment. This assignment can be a written summary of their presentation, a paper review, a glossary of relevant terms, a wiki contribution or reviews of online educational videos. The variation in tasks introduces students to various forms of virtual collaboration, a skill that is becoming increasingly important also in science. The take home assignment counts for 25% of the module grade.

- Report on Practical Trainings

For the module Practical Training, students document each of the two weeks of internship in a short written report. The goal is to reflect on their experience and to train concise writing. Each report is graded and counts for 50% of the module grade.

- Master’s Thesis

The Master’s thesis is central part of the program counting for 20 out of 60 ECTS credit points or 1/3 of the overall program grade. 20% of the thesis grade is based on an oral defense, 80% on the written work. Each part is examined by 2 reviewers according to standardized grading criteria, taking into consideration both content and form.

Students are free to choose their topic, methodology and supervisor. They can take on a project provided by a principle investigator or they can devise their own project. They can work with experienced scientists at Charité/CSB, with experts at their home institutions or with experts anywhere else in the world as they see fit. Ideally, the thesis work results in a publication (accepted for publication).

The thesis topic and supervisor must find approval by the Head of Module. For that purpose, students give a short presentation in November of their 3rd semester in the program. Subsequently they register their topic and supervisor by 31 January. The deadline for submission of the thesis is 30 September.

- Organization of Examinations

An explicit registration for examination is only necessary for the practical training reports and the master’s thesis. The participation in all other examinations is automatically part of each module taught. See above.

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Table 1: Important Deadlines

Module What When

Practical Training Registration of 2 internships 1 May

Submission of 2 reports 31 July

Master’s Thesis Registration of thesis topic and supervisor

31 January

Submission of thesis 30 September

Oral defense Mid November

Table 2: Examinations and Grades

Module CP Type of Exam & Weight

Basics of Cerebrovascular Medicine

5 Online exam 50%

Presentation 25%

Take home assignment 25%

Basics in Biostatistics and Clinical Trial Methodology

5 Online exam 50%

Presentation 25%

Take home assignment 25%

Neuroanatomy, Cognition and Plasticity

5 Online exam 50%

Presentation 25%

Take home assignment 25%

Clinical Epidemiology

5 Online exam 50%

Presentation 25%

Take home assignment 25%

Practical Training

5 Report 1 50%

Report 2 50%

Imaging, Diagnostics and Rare Diseases

5 Online exam 50%

OSCE 25%

Take home assignment 25%

Project Management

5 Online exam 50%

Take home assignment 50%

Prevention and Treatment

5 Online exam 50%

Presentation 25%

Take home assignment 25%

Thesis

20 Written thesis 80%

Oral defense 20%

Total 60

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Table 3: Grading Scheme (§48 RASP – AMB 125, 23 April 2014)

Number Word Description Percentage of max. points

1 – 1.5 very good Excellent results >87.5%

1.51 – 2.5 good Above average results 75% to 87.49%

2.51 – 3.5 satisfactory Average results 62.5% to 74.99%

3.51 – 4.0 sufficient Below average results 50% to 62.49%

5 fail Poor results <50%

- Failure and Repeat Examination

In the case of failing a single examination, students may repeat it. The Head of Module and the student will individually agree on a format and schedule a date and time for the repeat examination. In the case of failing a module altogether, the module can be repeated the following year(s). Failing to turn in assignments or not showing up for an examination results in a grade of 5 (fail) unless a doctor’s note attests to illness.

2.4. Practical Training

The purpose of the module Practical Training is to give students firsthand experience and insight into a complementary area of stroke research. For example, students who primarily work in clinical research should spend a week in experimental research and vice versa. Students who work in academia are encouraged to have a look behind the scenes of pharmaceutical research either in big pharma or in small biotech companies, and vice versa.

3. Learning Environment

Students and teachers at Charité have access to an extensive range of accompanying methods and services that allow teaching of the highest quality. Among these are the Learning Centre, the eLearning platforms, the library and an electronic information system.

3.1 Learning Center

The Learning Center has small group rooms and seminar rooms available for students’ use as well as a computer pool (CIPom – page in German only) with ample opening hours. The computer pool is equipped with PCs, scanners and printers. Each small group room in the Learning Center is equipped with a PC and WiFi is available in the seminar rooms. The Learning Center also provides traditional

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laboratory, microscope and preparation rooms as well as around 1000 anatomical models and dummies.

All students can reserve and use the rooms, models, microscopes, training materials and other learning media for private study free of charge.

The Learning Center also offers student tutorials (page in German only) on different practical topics. The tutorials are planned and conducted by student staff at Charité and are free of charge for all students of Charité.

3.2 Library

The central Medical Library (page in German only) at Charité is located on the Virchow Klinikum campus (CVK). Branches of the library are also located on the Mitte campus as well as in the Center for Dentistry in Aßmannshauser Straße.

Users of the library have access to e-Journals, print journals, e-Books and printed volumes in the textbook collection as well as in the non-textbook catalog. All computers in the Charité network are able to access the library’s electronic journals, books and databases. The majority of journals subscribed to by the Medical Library are available online within the Charité IP network. A password is only necessary in some cases. Staff and students at Charité can also apply for VPN access (page in German only) to access the electronic resources at the Medical Library off-site. Printed journals are located in the open-access shelves of the central library at CVK or at the Dentistry branch library. They can be browsed on-site at these locations. It is also possible to order copies of journal articles located in the external stack on the Benjamin Franklin campus. How to access full-text journal articles is detailed in the MedBibInfo 3 (German only).

The online catalog (German only) contains the contents of the central library as well as of the branch libraries. All students and staff with the ability to borrow from the library can view their borrowing history and any applicable fees with their user account. With this account, users may also extend due dates, reserve materials and change their password. An explanation of the use of the online catalog can be found in MedBibInfo 2 (German only).

Alongside the individual work spaces at the CVK library, group work spaces are also available. A selection of these may be reserved at the loans counter. Tips for use of the library PCs can be found in MedBibInfo 5 (German only).

The information retrieval service at the library provides advice to students and staff on conducting their own literature searches. It also offers regular introductions (page in German only) to the use of Medline and other databases and can compile literature searches on any topic in medicine and related areas on request (page in German only). Staff and students at Charité can request literature searches free of charge.

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3.3 eLearning

eLearning (page in German only) provides students and teachers with virtual classrooms. The learning platform Blackboard (page in German only) is available to all students and teachers at Charité regardless of time of day or whether they are on- or off-site. Teaching staff can use the platform to provide content to complement face-to-face teaching as well as extra information, references, interactive learning opportunities, videos, podcasts or other communication tools such as chats or forums. The aim of the online learning strategy is to show consideration for the differing needs of students by allowing them maximum flexibility in learning. Blackboard also offers the opportunity for networking and the exchange of materials. Basic and additional training courses on the use of these learning platforms are offered to both students and teachers.

Students can find Wikis on the management of their own studies on the WikiBlog where learning materials and experiences with other enrolled students can also be shared. Documents can also be collaboratively developed via the WikiBlog.

3.4 Intranet

The intranet (page in German only) provides a central system which assembles information on the organizational structure of Charité and corresponding documents as well as a staff directory. It also provides access to the journals, textbooks and dictionaries stored in the library. With VPN access, this material can also be accessed externally.

4. Mobility and International Exchange

Charité International Cooperation (ChiC) co-ordinates and organizes the international activities of the faculty as well as student exchange programs. Charité has one of the largest European exchange networks (page in German only) for medical students in the ERASMUS program. International partner universities also offer many other opportunities for students such as the possibility of completing sections of their degrees abroad (e.g. in the USA, Canada, China, Japan or Australia). Study abroad broadens perspectives with respect to the employment market as well as providing additional qualifications, for example through research visits to the USA. Additional advantages of studying abroad are seen in the broadening of personal horizons and in the improvement of employment opportunities through the command of an additional foreign language. Maintaining networks and promoting study abroad have therefore for some time been an intensive focus at Charité.

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Depending on what stage of their studies a student has reached and what personal preferences they have, there are various opportunities for integrating study abroad into a degree. Speak to the team at ChIC about your options.

The majority of students in the master’s program already lives and work outside Germany. To them, coming to Berlin is the international experience they have been looking for. Nevertheless, students interested in further expanding their horizons can use the modules Practical Training and Master’s Thesis to complete projects abroad. Both practical training placements and the thesis research project can be arranged at institutions outside Germany. As with the national or local projects, they have to be registered and approved before getting started. This will assure quality and recognition of credit towards completion of the program.

Finally, a number of international (guest) faculties bring their perspectives on stroke research to the program.

5. Student Services and Support

A range of student services at Charité offer support on the issues and challenges that students face at various stages of their studies:

- Administrative issues surrounding matriculation are the responsibility of the Student Affairs Office (page in German only).

- Support for students with children in terms of planning their studies can be found at the Family Office (page in German only) as well as via a student advisor (page in German only).

- Students with chronic illness and/or disability can find support via the Disability Liaison Officer (page in German only).

- For information and advice on the content and structure of the Master’s program, students can contact the Dean and the program manager.

- Once admitted, students of the program receive active support for visa and immigration, matriculation and course management through the program office.

- Female students in need of support with respect to planning their studies or other problems can seek advice through the Womens’ and Equal Opportunity Liaison Officer (page in German only).

- The goal of counseling by MediCoach (page in German) is to support students in the structuring and successful meeting of their study requirements by preventing or minimizing both psychological distress and psychosomatic conditions. Study-related stress, life satisfaction, subjective health and satisfaction with studies can be significantly improved through counseling.

- Students beginning or continuing their studies at Charité via an international exchange program as well as students seeking to study abroad are supported by

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the Charité International Cooperation (ChIC). ChIC can provide advice for these students on questions surrounding study planning.

To improve success and satisfaction in their studies, students should make use of the available support services for any questions or problems they may have. The services listed here are examples only. A full list of available services can be found on the Student Services and Support website.

6. Quality Assurance

The following instruments are thoroughly and logically intertwined with one another, and are indispensable for the all-encompassing quality assurance and further development of degree programs at Charité:

6.1 Evaluation

Systematic evaluation of all teaching contributions and modules as a whole is an essential part of the program’s quality assurance strategy. The Evaluationsrichtlinie details the process and format of all evaluations. Using paper-based evaluation, online surveys and personal feedback sessions with the heads of modules we analyze the following aspects of the program: - quality of teaching, teaching material and teachers - relevance and adequacy of scientific content - compliance with defined learning outcomes - feasibility of teaching load and adequate student invested time - classroom set up and infrastructure

6.2 Incident Management

The Teaching Incident Reporting System (TIRS) is an instrument for the timely identification of incidents. It provides the opportunity to take a preventative approach to potential incidents as well as to define goal-oriented and constructive measures for dealing with incidents. All students and teachers are able to anonymously report incidents via an online form. Incoming reports are dealt with in a timely and structured manner by TIRS officers who also provide solutions and anonymously publish the reports (German only). The evaluated TIRS reports flow back into the further development of the relevant Charité degree program. For issues that are not suitable for TIRS due to its requirement of anonymity, other means of incident reporting are available to students and teaching staff. Contact persons in these cases include the Dean’s Office, the head of the teaching division as well as the heads of the various degree programs and their coordinators. The contact persons forward complaints to the responsible areas and ensure their timely

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resolution. All complaints are treated confidentially and the complainant is informed of the solution to their issue and/or of any measures that are introduced as a result.

6.3 Accreditation

Auditing of the effectiveness of quality assurance measures and methods within each degree program is achieved through the conduct of accreditation (German only) by external reviewers. Reviewers assess not only the financial aspects, physical facilities and staffing within each degree program, but also the overall concept of each program, its decision-making process, examination system, feasibility of study, international character and the quality of student supervision and support.

7. Course Management

There are a number of central committees at Charité as well as departments within the Dean's Office that are responsible for the area of teaching and learning. More information on these is available in the Teaching Handbook.

7.1. The Dean

The Dean chairs the program commission (see below) and represents the program both internally and externally. He discusses program details with the heads of modules and watches over its content and structure. A scientific program coordinator assists the Dean with all all content related issues.

7.2. Program Commission

The program commission is responsible for the overall scientific make up and quality of the program. The members of the commission are appointed by the Council of the Faculty (Fakultätsrat) and elect a chairperson from amongst its members, the Dean. In particular, the program commission handles:

- Selection and admission of students - Recognition of transfer credit - Responsibility for the curriculum and examinations - Appointment of teaching staff and examiners - Award of stipends and other financial aid

7.3 Heads of Module

For each module, the program commission appoints a Head of Module. It is their responsibility to:

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- Implement the content and learning outcomes of their module as set forth in the program regulations (Studienordnung/Modulbeschreibung - AMB 054, p. 311).

- Select and coordinate qualified teaching staff - Coordinate the various contributions/content of the module - Ensure an interactive learning environment through adequate teaching

methods - Decide on the topics, content and authors of the teaching material - Deliver adequate content for e-learning - Develop appropriate exam questions, presentation topics and take home

assignments - Grade the examinations - Introduce the module to the students at the beginning and to lead the wrap up

discussion

7.4 Program Management

The program office handles all administrative aspects of the program. It is headed by the program manager who represents the program vis-à-vis all other administrative units of Charité and beyond. The program manager and the scientific coordinator cooperate closely. In particular, the program office is responsible for:

- Marketing and recruitment - Applications and admissions’ process - Interface with registrar’s office and the departments for IT, e-learning, QA,

ACO, evaluation etc. - Curriculum organization and event management - Evaluation, dissemination of results and implementation of changes if

applicable - Production and dissemination of teaching material (print and online) - Management of examinations and dissemination of results - Issuing degree or module certificates and transcripts of record

8. Student Participation

The master’s program highly values student participation in its development. Students use systematic evaluation to communicate suggestions to program management (see 6. Quality Assurance). Furthermore, the small class size permits short and direct communication channels. Thus, students can voice concerns and wishes at any time and receive immediate feedback. During the off-site periods, this is achieved by discussion boards or email. During the on-site periods, this involves personal communication.

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9. Resources

9.1 Personnel

The scientists at the Center for Stroke Research at Charité make up the main academic staff of the program. In addition, highly qualified international guest faculties and representatives of non-academic institutions and industry teach in the program. The student to faculty ratio is 1:5.

The program office employs a program manager, a program assistant and two student assistants.

9.2 Infrastructure

Teaching takes place in the classrooms of Humboldt-University, adjacent to the Charité Mitte campus in Luisenstr. 56, 10117 Berlin. The program office is located in the same building and includes two rooms with five workstations. A cafeteria for breaks is located here as well. Audio-visual equipment is available throughout the office. All students receive an iPad in order to connect to the Wi-Fi network and access all online training materials and examinations.

9.3 Finances

Two main sources fund the program: a federal grant establishing the CSB and tuition fees. In addition, donations from industry provide scholarships for exceptional and/or needy students.