Study in Germany

Universities

The more choices you have, the harder it is to choose. This especially applies to your situation, as there are so many opportunities to study in Germany.
There are 409 officially recognised institutions of higher education in 165 towns and cities throughout Germany. In total, German universities and colleges offer more than 13,500 degree programmes. And from all of these, you will have to choose one. In the following, we’ve put together some information to help ease the agony of making such a difficult decision.

What kinds of colleges and universities are there?

Deciding on a college or university is somewhat easier as there are only three types to choose from in Germany:

Universities

• Universities of applied sciences
• Colleges of art, film and music

Studying at a university is a good idea if you are interested in a scientifically-oriented education. Universities offer a broad range of courses and subjects. Some schools specialise in certain disciplines, such as advanced technology, medicine and education. If you would like to enter a doctoral programme in Germany, then a university is the perfect place for you.

Universities of applied sciences are ideal if you are looking for a more praxis-oriented education. These institutions provide students with a scientifically based education, tailored to the demands of professional life. The degree programmes generally include internships and a practical module. This enables students to apply their knowledge on the job at companies and businesses.

If you wish to study an artistic or design-oriented subject, you may be the perfect candidate for a college of art, film or music. At such colleges you will find courses in the Fine Arts, Industrial and Fashion Design, Graphic Arts, Instrumental Music, Voice, etc. Colleges of modern media train students to become directors, camera operators, screenwriters, technicians and producers for film and television. To be eligible for such a programme, candidates must possess a high degree of artistic talent which they are asked to demonstrate in an aptitude test.Therefore, you can expect special admission requirements if you wish to apply to a college of art, film or music.

Study statistics

A total of 2,12 million students were enrolled at 409 officially recognised universities and colleges in the winter semester 2009/2010.

• 1,392,556 students at 104 universities
• 644,778 students at 203 universities of applied sciences
• 32,237 students at 51 colleges of art, film and music

Source: Federal Statistical Office, winter semester 2009/2010.

What is the difference between public and private universities?

Most universities and colleges in Germany are public, i.e. they receive funding from the federal government. Some are also financed by the Protestant or Catholic Church. In addition to these subsidised institutions, there are now more than 100 private universities and colleges which confer officially recognised degrees. A majority of these are universities of applied sciences.

Most students in Germany are enrolled at public universities. Only three percent of all students attend a private institution, perhaps due to the fact that private colleges and universities tend to charge high tuition fees. The quality of instruction at both types of universities, however, is comparably high.

Did you know that university education in Germany is not centrally coordinated? Each of the 16 states* has its own higher education laws and guidelines. German universities are largely self-regulatory, which means that not all rules apply to every university. Therefore, always enquire about the particular regulations at the university of your choice.

Degree Programmes for Undergraduates and Graduates

Perfect start to an international career

Bologna Process: "At first, the name is a bit confusing. But "Bologna Process" is not some special recipe for spaghetti with meat sauce. Rather, it stands for the fascinating plan to create a single European Higher Education Area by 2010" – our scout Tomás found all this out while searching for a study place. Just like Tomás, thousands of other students from throughout Europe are already profiting from the Bologna Declaration of 1999. At the conference, the representatives of 29 European  countries decided to make academic degrees more comparable and transparent Europe-wide, to create common quality standards, and to promote student and staff mobility.

Full speed ahead for international degrees: Bachelor's and Master's: Thanks to the Bologna Process, the Czech student Tomás can study an international Bachelor's programme  at a German university. After gaining his first academic degree with professional qualification (six to eight semesters of study), Tomás can continue his studies in a Master's programme  (between two and four semesters). This is possible because Germany has introduced two-cycle, internationally-recognised academic degrees (Bachelor's in the first cycle and Master's in the second). These meanwhile have replaced the traditional German academic degrees of Diplom and Magister mostly.
However, discussions are currently being held on how to govern the Staatsexamen degree. The Staatsexamen is awarded in disciplines that are subject to state supervision (for example, law, teaching and medicine). Some German universities already only allow student applicants to enrol for the two-cycle programmes (Bachelor's/Master's). In the 2010/2011 winter semester about 6,050 Bachelor's programmes and 5,500 Master's programmes were offered by German universities – with an upward trend.

Taking small steps to the great goal: When Tomás was looking for the right degree programme in Germany, he had several options to choose from: Diplom course, Bachelor's programme or consecutive Bachelor's/Master's programme. "Making the right decision was not easy. A plus for the Diplom course was that a Germanuniversity Diplom enjoys a high reputation in the Czech Republic. The Bachelor's was interesting, because it only lasted three years and was instructed in English," reports Tomás. In the end, he opted for the consecutive programme (= Bachelor's plus Master's), This means that the four-semester Master of International Business Administration builds directly on the six-semester Bachelor of International Business Administration programme. This format is good because Tomás will certainly gain his first academic degree with professional qualification after three years of university studies. So he could then start looking for work. Or, he could – as long as he holds a good Bachelor's degree – continue his studies in a Master's programme. This continuing qualification will open up interesting management positions in international companies and organisations for Tomás later in life. While, another option would see Tomás take up a doctoral programme.

International Degree Programmes specially for foreign students: Besides the many academic and career prospects that Tomás's choice of study programme offered, there was another reason for his decision. His degree programme is taught partly in English and partly in German. "That gives me the opportunity to perfect my English for a career in international business and to bring my German language skills up to speed for my work," explains Tomás. Germany's universities offer International Degree Programmes  particularly for student applicants from abroad. English is the language of instruction in most of these programmes (and sometimes French). Parallel German-language courses enable participants to acquire and extend their German language skills, just like our scout Mai
English is a part of everyday uni lifedid. For admission to the International Master's and PhD Programme in Chemistry, Mai had to prove that she had graduated from her chemistry programme with a grade of "good" (ECTS: C). She also had to prove that her English language skills were good enough by passing the TOEFL-Test with 550 points or more, since the first two semesters are held in English only. As from the second academic year, some courses are also taught in German.

Doctoral programmes for holders of especially good qualifications: Mai's international degree programme has a special feature: she can gain a Master of Science (MSc) degree after four semesters of study or can move over to the doctoral programme after the third semester. Another four semesters of study there and she can gain a PhD degree. "I had to work really hard in the first year to make sure I qualified for admission to the programme," reports Mai. But the effort was really worth it. Doctoral programmes at Germany's universities offer excellent support, guidance and supervision. Those who gain their doctorate in such a programme can look forward to excellent career prospects in international research