Study and research in Germany

Bachelor's and Master's programmes at a glance

Some of you already know about Bachelor's and Master's degrees from your home country and what their two cycles of study mean. Others have never heard of Bachelor's and Master's degrees before. To put you in the picture about what these degrees are all about, we'll explain some of most important facts and terms:

• All about academic degrees
• All about the wide range of opportunities offered
• By the way: Typical titles for the new international degree programmes

All about academic degrees

What is a Bachelor's programme?

Bachelor's programmes enable you to gain a first academic degree after a relatively short period of studies (three to four years). This degree also gives you the option of continuing your studies in a Master's programme to gain further academic qualifications. You can do this immediately after completing the Bachelor's or after having spent a period of time working. Admission to a Master's programme is generally subject to conditions, however – which depend on the university in question and on the degree programme. Besides a good Bachelor's degree, you may also be required to prove that have specialist knowledge and qualifications. Please check the homepage of your chosen institution to find out exactly what conditions you have to meet.
A Bachelor's programme teaches you the fundamental and methodological skills and competencies in the chosen subject area. You also acquire cross-disciplinary qualifications (for example, languages and communication techniques, for example on how to give presentations) as well as practical professional knowledge and skills.

What is a Master's programme?

A Master's programme leads you to a second academic degree. You can gain such a degree if you already hold a first academic degree (for example, a Bachelor's degree). Holders of a Master's degree are qualified for positions involving management and staff responsibility. In addition, the Master's degree opens up the opportunity to gain a doctorate. However, admission depends on the respective doctoral studies regulations. Please ask at your chosen university (International Office, or the relevant faculty).

What are consecutive degree programmes?

Consecutive ( = following in series) Bachelor's and Master's programmes build on each other in terms of content. After completing the Bachelor's programme with its subject-specific fundamental and methodological knowledge, the Master's programme allows you to extend and specialise. As a rule, the two qualification phases last a maximum of five years. Consecutive programmes can be studied at different kinds of higher education institutions and can be taken after completing a period of employment between the first and second degree.

What are non-consecutive degree programmes?

A non-consecutive Master's programme is stand-alone programme (single cycle) and gives you the option of taking a new subject area for your second academic degree (for example, civil engineers and geographical information systems specialists may gain a Master of Engineering – Media Management). Such additional or combined qualifications are often sought after by employers.

All about the wide range of opportunities offered

The new Bachelor's and Master's programmes offer you prospects like these:

• after graduating with a Bachelor's degree you can immediately enter a profession (worldwide),
  
• after spending a period of time working, you can return to academia to gain a Master's degree (at universities all around the world),
  
• after gaining your Bachelor's degree, you can choose whether you want to take a Master's programme that builds on the content of the Bachelor's (consecutive programme)
  
• or alternatively whether you want to take a Master's in another non-related subject (non-consecutive) which then leads to a cross-disciplinary profile (for example, scientists and engineers may take a Master of Environmental Technology and Management; social scientists and scholars from the arts and humanities may opt for Business Administration degree; while doctors and pharmacists go for a degree in Computer Science), or 
  
• after graduating with a Master's, you can take on a management or executive position in a company or organisation – worldwide or 
  
• then do your doctorate.

By the way: Typical titles for the new international degree programmes

Je The titles of the new academic degrees are set in accordance with the choice of subject and the core programme content. Here a short overview (also refer to our pages Study Pathways and Academic Degrees).

From my personal experience

Pelin, from Turkey, studying for a Bachelor of International Tourism Management degree, in her 3rd semester

"International Flair"
"Our degree programme really is very international. My fellow students come from Spain, Russia, France, Vietnam, and, of course, from Germany. I'm the only Turk on the programme. Since there are only 20 of us, we all know each other really well. We learn as a group and do a lot of things together in our spare time. I really like that, because it means I learn a lot of new things about other countries and cultures. Since I later want to work in the tourism industry, that's a very interesting experience. The study programme itself is also very international. 70% of the teaching is delivered in English, with the remainder taught in German. In addition, we need to acquire a basic knowledge on another language. I opted for Spanish. That's also why I'm doing an internship in a hotel chain on the Costa de la Luz in Andalusia."

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• Africa Sub-Sahara
• Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania
• Central and Eastern Europe
• Latin America
• North America
• Northern Africa and the Middle East
• Western Europe