Studies - Important Contacts

• Important Contact Points
• Student “communities”on the web
• Admission to German Universities
• Scholarship-awarding Organisations
• Other foundations at a glance

Important Contact Points

DAAD: Study and Research in Germany
www.daad.de
www.daad.de/deutschland
Provider: The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutsche Akademischer Austauschdienst e.V. - DAAD) is an association of higher education institutions and student bodies in Germany. The DAAD promotes international academic exchange and acts as an intermediary organisation in the field of foreign cultural, science and education policy and in the field of education cooperation with the countries of the Third World. The DAAD is also the "national agency” for the EU ERASMUS programme  and an information centre for ERASMUS Mundus, Europass, TEMPUS and the Bologna process.
Description: The DAAD homepage provides information on the German higher education system and on studying in Germany, on German research, and on the funding opportunities offered by the DAAD and other organisations (search engine), on learning German, on summer schools and courses, on language tests, and, of course, on living in Germany, in general. In the "Service” section, you’ll not only find application forms for downloading in PDF format, plus the "Application Form for Admission to Studies”, but this section also contains a list of recommended reading, further links, answers to FAQs and much more. The "DAAD worldwide” service provides the addresses, websites and the opening hours of all DAAD offices, at home and abroad.
Languages: German, English and Spanish

DAAD: International Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Programmes in Germany
www.daad.de/international-programmes
Description: "International Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Programmes" are of particular interest to international students, graduates and young researchers. These programmes lead to internationally recognised degrees and have generally been accredited. In most cases, the language of instruction is largely or exclusively English. The curriculum for these programmes includes international aspects, stays abroad and/or courses taught by international visiting lecturers and professors. Foreign students are supported by special guidance and advice services. The information provided on each programme includes details on its academic structure, academic goal, support and advice services, possible sources of funding, plus the address and a link for the respective higher education institution.
Language: English

HRK - Higher Education Compass
www.hochschulkompass.de
Provider: The German Rectors’ Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz – HRK) is a voluntary association of state and state-recognised universities and higher education institutions in Germany. The HRK currently has 258 member institutions and addresses questions relating to the responsibilities of higher education institutions: research, teaching and studies, academic (postgraduate and postdoc) continuing education and training, knowledge and technology transfer, international cooperation plus university self-government.
Description: The Higher Education Compass (Hochschulkompass) provides information on and links to all state and state-recognised higher education institutions in Germany, information on the first and (post)graduate studies they offer, on doctoral study opportunities and on the international cooperation agreements maintained by Germany’s higher education institutions.
Languages: German and English

Study and Career Choice
www.studienwahl.de
Provider: The German Federal States (Länder) and the Federal Employment Agency  – see also the chapter on "Entry, Employment, Insurance”
Description: This website allows users to view the profiles of all degree course subjects offered in Germany along with a list of which higher education institutions offer these programmes including details on university towns where students may study. The site also provides a whole range of information and advice on studying, such as the job market situation, the various kinds of higher education institutions, on how to finance studies, on insurance matters and much more (especially for German students, but with some information specifically for foreigners).
Languages: German, English, French and Spanish

German Accreditation Council
www.akkreditierungsrat.de
Provider: The German Accreditation Council (Akkreditierungsrat) has set itself the goal of assessing the quality of degree programmes.
Description: Its database of "Accredited Degree Programmes” (already listing 2,418 programmes in April 2009) presents accredited Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes with a Profile of the programme and an Assessment Summary. In addition, the website provides information on how the German Accreditation Council works and on the participating accreditation agencies.
Languages: German, English (database only in German)

INOBIS - Orientation and Application
www.inobis.de
Provider: Application Services for International Students (Arbeits- und Servicestelle für internationale Studienbewerbungen uni-assist e.V.) is an association founded by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and 41 German universities to simplify the application process and to relieve the universities of the workload involved in assessing applications from foreign potential students.
Description: On the one hand, the website offers orientation aids to help prospective students choose which subject to study (e.g. self-tests and information on how German degree programmes are organised and on the degrees they award). On the other hand, a database contains application checklists that are fine-tuned to take account of the target degree, the chosen university and the country of origin. The portal additionally includes practical tips on all kinds of topics related to living and studying in Germany.
Language: German and English

National Association of Student Services Organisations
www.student-affairs.de
Provider: The National Association of Student Services Organisations (Deutsches Studentenwerk – DSW) is the umbrella organisation of student services organisations (Studentenwerke) in Germany. These organisations are responsible for meeting public responsibilities relating to promoting the financial, social, health and cultural life of students enrolled at German universities.
Description: This website explains the work of the DSW itself. Links take users to the homepages of all the student services organisations that have a website. Users can also find the addresses of the student services organisations, information on publications that can be ordered or downloaded, information on questions of scholarships and grants, for example, or BAföG training assistance, psychological and social counselling, and legal advice, or on studying with a disability / special needs, on cultural aspects, on accommodation and meals. The "International” section of the website provides information on the Service Set available specifically for foreign students.
Language: German

National Association of Student Services Organisations: Information for foreign students
www.internationale-studierende.de
Description: 

This website offers practical tips and information for foreign students on topics like how to enter Germany, on accommodation, health insurance, tuition fees, matriculation and registration, or residence permits. The page additionally has a quiz on studying in Germany plus information on key terms, like German language skills, assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung), or preparatory courses (Studienkollegs).
Language: German and English

Admission to German Universities

Preparatory courses ("Studienkollegs")
www.studienkollegs.de
Provider: Preparatory courses prepare foreign students for the "Feststellungsprüfung”, a test to assess their suitability for university study (see below).
Description: The DAAD website also contains information on whether or not your higher education entrance qualification, i.e. schoolleaving certificate, qualifies you for direct admission to full academic studies or whether you first have to take the above-mentioned assessment test known as the Feststellungsprüfung, before you can enrol for studies in your chosen discipline. Besides a list of all Studienkollegs and a description of the various course types on offer (which differ, depending on what you intend to study), the Studienkolleg websites also offer a short German language test for foreign study applicants.
Language: German

Application Services for International Students (uni-assist) e.V.
www.uni-assist.de
Provider: Application Services for International Students (Arbeits- und Servicestelle für internationale Studienbewerbungen uni-assist e.V.) is an association founded by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and 41 German universities to simplify the application process and to relieve the universities of the workload involved in assessing applications from foreign potential students.
Description: uni-assist currently processes an application for admission to a German higher education institution for a fee of 30.- to 55.- euros (and then 15.- euros for each additional higher education institution), as long as the higher education institution in question is a uni-assist cooperation partner. More than 90 universities in Germany currently have this status with uni-assist. The advantages for foreign applicants lie in reduced application costs and quicker processing. The website provides a list of all the uniassist member universities plus a detailed description of the application process. You can also apply online.
Languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, with basic information given in Farsi, Polish and Turkish

Central University Admissions Service (ZVS)
www.zvs.de
Provider: Central University Admissions Service (Zentralstelle für die Vergabe von Studienplätzen – ZVS)
Description: If you'd like to study an admissions-restricted subject (numerous clausus) and are either a national of an EU/EEA country or are a "Bildungsinländer" (i.e. you gained your higher education entrance qualification at a school in Germany or at a recognised German school abroad), you have to apply to the ZVS for your study place. The ZVS website provides detailed information on the applicable conditions and deadlines and on the subjects for which admissions restrictions are currently in force.
Language: German

EU: Information on the European Credit Transfer System – ECTS
europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/socrates/ects/index_en.html
Provider: The European Commission launched the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) to facilitate uncomplicated academic mobility.
Description: ECTS was introduced under the SOCRATES/ERASMUS programme to encourage the recognition of academic achievements between European universities and to raise the transparency of study programmes. The above site explains exactly how ECTS works for students.
Languages: German, English plus some 14 other languages

Test for Academic Studies
www.testas.de
Provider: ITB Consulting, Bonn, TestDaF Institut, Hagen
ITB Consulting GmbH products include selection tests for individual fields of study as well as tests that provide prospective students with an assessment of their skills and abilities.
The TestDaF Institute at the University in Hagen and the Ruhr University Bochum jointly produce and organise the German as a foreign language test called: "Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache" (TestDaF).
Description: TestAS is a central, standardised Academic Aptitude Test for foreign students. The TestAS result provides international students with information on how they are performing in comparison with other applicants. Applicants from abroad can improve their chances of getting a study place in Germany by achieving good results in the Test for Academic Studies. The website offers information on when and where the test will be held and includes tips on the registration process. It also offers sample questions. The test is currently held twice a year and can be taken at one of the 100 and more test centres located around the world.
Language: German and English

Scholarship-awarding Organisations

DAAD: Scholarships and Funding
www.funding-guide.de
Description:In addition to providing information on DAAD programmes, the scholarship database also lists funding opportunities for international students, graduates and postdocs offered by other selected organisations. The DAAD has taken the enormous and diverse range of scholarship programmes for foreigners and has carefully selected a total of about 100 funding opportunities offered by more than 60 organisations. Consequently, the DAAD-Scholarship Database also contains the programmes for foreigners offered by all the major organisations that fund young gifted and talented students, for example, those maintained by the political parties and the churches in Germany. When users enter their country of origin, subject area and academic status, the system displays those programmes which perfectly match the user’s personal profile.
Languages: German and English

German Research Foundation (DFG)
www.dfg.de
Provider: The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG) is the central public funding organisation for academic research (universities and publicly-funded research institutes) in Germany.
Description: The DFG also funds foreign academics and researchers in Germany if they aim to work in Germany in research or academia at a later stage. For example, the DFG awards research grants or material / equipment / consumables grants for fixed topic or limited term research projects. The DFG website offers extensive information on all programmes and has all information leaflets, guidelines and forms available for downloading (PDF- and RTF-Formats).
Languages: German and English

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung)
www.avh.de
Provider: The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung – AvH) enables highly-qualified foreign postdocs (academics and researchers) to come to Germany to complete a long-term research project.
Description: The AvH website describes all the programmes offered by the AvH in detail and allows users to download the application forms in three different formats. The latest news on the work of the AvH can be found in the new online magazine "Humboldt Kosmos”. The "Practical hints for your stay in Germany” for visiting researchers and scholars offer plenty of detailed tips, for example, on finding a place to live, buying a car and other everyday problems. The Guide can be found in the "Fellowships and Awards” section under the heading of "Initial Sponsorship”. The services of the AvH are complemented by a list of Humboldt Clubs, which also serve as contact points for advising new research fellows before they leave to complete their stay in Germany.
Languages: German and English

Capacity Building International, Germany (InWEnt)
www.inwent.org
Provider: InWEnt – Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gGmbH (Capacity Building International, Germany) is synonymous with human resources and organisational development in international cooperation. With its education, exchange and dialogue programmes attended by some 55,000 people per year, InWEnt is the major joint initiative run by federal government, the federal states and industry. The organisation’s courses are intended for professionals, executives and decisionmakers in industry, politics, administration and civil society.
Description: The website has a search engine with which users can access all the programmes offered by InWEnt. These are presented in detail, including information on the application process. A follow-up contact forum additionally allows former programme participants to exchange their respective experience. The website also presents the topic fields in which InWEnt works.
Languages: German and English

 

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