At the end of each of these semesters there is a compulsory 10 day attendance block in Aachen, Germany. Each attendance block incorporates two weekends and the working week and provides practical and clinical skill training under expert supervision, group discussions, case studies and excursions to leading laboratory animal science facilities. The elective course Applied Anesthesia and Microsurgery requires an additional two days of attendance which are usually scheduled in conjunction with one of the semester attendance blocks in order to minimize travel.

Progress is monitored throughout the course. Grades from examinations, homework, presentations and talks, as well as the master thesis, all contribute to the overall course score. Various examination formats are used throughout the course, e.g. multiple-choice or full written form, and may be held online or during the presence modules. Students will be given ample notice of impending tests. Formal details are available in the course examination rules.

The fourth semester is dedicated to the completion of a science based Master Thesis (30 ECTS). The thesis can be literature based or based upon experimental data generated. Each student has access to an academic supervisor for the completion of the thesis and the suitability of the chosen topic should be addressed with the supervisor prior to commencement.