Study and research in Germany

FAQs Planning your studies

• Where can I find information about studying and about the range of programmes offered in Germany?
• What academic degrees do German universities offer?
• What admissions requirements do I need to meet if I want to study in Germany?
• When should I think about attending a preparatory course (Studienkolleg)?
• Are my school-leaving certificate and my academic achievements recognised?
• What languages do I need to speak if I want to study in Germany?
• Where do I send my application for admissions to studies in Germany to?
• Where can I get help if I have difficulties coping with life in Germany or have problems with my studies?
• What documents do I need for entry and residence in Germany and where do I get them from?
• Can I stay in Germany after graduating with my degree?
• What does it cost to study in Germany?

Where can I find information about studying and about the range of programmes offered in Germany?

The DAAD offers a comprehensive range of information all about studying on its web-based service pages under the headings " Course Search " and " Planning Your Studies ".
Course Search, in particular, enables you to find out which German university offers which particular first-degree studies, graduate studies, and doctoral studies. You will also be able to access the latest list of Summer Schools  run by Germany's universities.
The International Programmes may be of particular interest to you. These have been especially designed to meet the needs of international students. Courses are partly taught in English. German language courses accompany students through their studies. Please check our homepage at: Course Search >> International Programmes  for further information and details.
If you would like to know what requirements you have to meet to be able to study in Germany or how studies are organised or how academic internships and examinations are handled, you will be able to find the appropriate answers on our web-based service page Planning Your Studies .
You will also find that the following websites offer a lot of useful information:

http://www.studienwahl.de/

http://www.wege-ins-studium.de/

http://www.hochschulkompass.de/

http://www.internationale-studierende.de/

What academic degrees do German universities offer?

You can gain the following academic degrees at most of Germany's universities: Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom, Staatsexamen, Magister or a doctorate.
This may be a particularly attractive option for you: All German universities meanwhile offer the regular international degrees: Bachelor's and Master's. Meanwhile these new ones have mostly replaced the traditional German degrees "Diplom" and "Magister". Nevertheless it is still possible to gain a "Diplom" at some universities  . Please contact the International Office or Student Advice Office at your university direct to find out which degrees the university currently offers.
For further information, simply use the DAAD's web-based service pages Course Search  and Planning Your Studies >> Academic Degrees. For example, you will be able to find a table that provides an overview of the key features of the various degrees at: (www.daad.de/deutschland/wege-durchs-studium/abschluesse/06107.en.html).

What admissions requirements do I need to meet if I want to study in Germany?

What you essentially need to know is that each and every student applicant from abroad must apply for admission to studies. This goes for first-year students and undergraduates as much as it does for graduate students or even doctoral students. You cannot study in Germany without a letter of admission. The admissions process checks whether you meet the necessary requirements for your desired degree programme. This includes, for example, proof that you are adequately proficient in the German language, your school-leaving certificate (especially important for beginner students) or any academic achievements already gained in the home country (applies above all to graduates and doctoral students). These must be recognised as equivalent to the respective German qualifications. However, it is also possible – depending on the university and degree programme – that you may be required to meet further admissions conditions. Please contact your chosen university as early as possible (we would advise at least one year before the studies are scheduled to begin) to find out what requirements you have to meet and what documents you have to present. Contact the staff of the International Offices or Student Advice Offices for information and advice.
We offer you further information on the topic of Admission – including a checklist Application for Admission to Studies – on our homepage at: Planning Your Studies >> Admission .

When should I think about attending a preparatory course (Studienkolleg)?

If your school-leaving certificate does not in itself qualify you admission to a course of studies in Germany, you will need to sit an Assessment Test (Feststellungsprüfung). You can attend a Studienkolleg  to prepare for the Feststellungsprüfung and can sit the examination there.
Please note: As a rule, you will apply via the university at which you later want to study. You will also need to submit your written Application for Admission to the Studienkolleg to the university. Please do not send it direct to the Studienkolleg. The university will enrol you at the Studienkolleg.
You can find further information about this on our homepage at: Planning Your Studies >> Admission >> Preparatory Course and Assessment Test .

Are my school-leaving certificate and my academic achievements recognised?

That depends on a whole range of factors. During the admissions process, the universities always check this very carefully on a case-by-case basis. The question of where you gained your school-leaving certificate and academic achievements plays an important role in the recognition decision.
The Admissions Database created by the DAAD and uni-assist provides an initial overview of which foreign educational certificates qualify holders for what kind of access to higher education in Germany. You can find the database on our homepage at: Planning Your Studies >> Admission >> Admissions Database .
Please note: This service only provides some initial orientation. It is always the universities themselves that make the final decision on admission to studies. Please make sure that you contact the staff of the International Offices in the run-up to your application if you have any questions. 
And one more tip: Often, recognition will be refused simply because the submitted papers and documents have formal faults or are incomplete. Certificates must always be translated and authenticated. Some universities require a "public" others an "official" authentication (for more information also go to: www.daad.de/deutschland/wege-durchs-studium/zulassung/06164.en.html). Find out at your earliest convenience which papers your chosen university requires and in what form.

What languages do I need to speak if I want to study in Germany?

Many degree programmes require proof of adequate German language skills as a requirement for admission to studies in Germany. This applies above all for the first-degree courses (Diplom, Bachelor's, Magister and Staatsexamen). In some degree programmes (largely in humanities and medical subjects) you will also have to prove that you are proficient in Latin.
Increasingly, German universities are offering International Degree Programmes especially for foreign applicants. These programmes are mostly taught in English. Applicants take study-integrated German language courses (including German exams).
For more information on what is offered, please check out our homepage at: Course Search >> International Degree Programmes .
You can find out what other opportunities exist for gaining the German language skills required for admission to studies by going to our web-based service pages at: Learn German .

Where do I send my application for admissions to studies in Germany to?

Your first point of contact should be the International Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt – AAA) at your chosen university. The staff there will tell you everything you need to know about procedures, dates and deadlines, requirements and which papers and documents you need to submit.
You can find a list of all German International Offices on the DAAD homepage at: Planning Your Studies >> Facilities >> International Office .

Where can I get help if I have difficulties coping with life in Germany or have problems with my studies?

You will not be left alone with your questions and problems. No matter whether you need help finding a place to live or a job, whether you have questions about organising your studies or your internship, whether you are afraid of the examinations, of whether you have problems writing: Germany's universities and their facilities offer a very broad range of free-of-charge advisory services and assistance for you to make use of. Don't hesitate, make the most of them as early as possible.
Above all at the beginning of your study stay in Germany, the staff of the International Office  and of the Student Services  (Studentenwerk) at your chosen university will be your most important contact partners. They will be able to tell you what you can do if any problems arise  and who can offer you any further assistance. In addition, many Student Services and International Offices offer special services for newly-arriving international students. The Newcomer-Service  offered by Student Services provides you with a tutor, for example, and supports you with any bureaucratic formalities and when dealing with the authorities.
We offer you an initial overview of the comprehensive range of assistance and advice offered by Germany's universities on our homepage at: Planning Your Studies >> Services . But you can also ask directly at your German university how you will be supported if any problems arise.

What documents do I need for entry and residence in Germany and where do I get them from?

Most international students need a visa for entry to Germany, a residence permit for educational purposes for their stay in Germany, and a work permit for taking up employment (officially called "economic activity).
However, whether you do actually need a visa, residence permit or work permit depends on your nationality and the purpose of your stay. For example, nationals of EU countries or EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) are completely exempted from these requirements. Special regulations apply to the citizens of a number of other countries (such as Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Honduras). We offer you an initial overview of the respective regulations on our homepage at: Germany >> Living in Germany >> Entry and Residence .
However, please make sure that you also inform yourself at the German mission abroad that is responsible for you (you can find the addresses of the embassies and consulates at: http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/ ). The staff there will be able to tell you whether and what visa obligations apply to you and what papers are required for a visa application and, possibly, for a residence permit.
Please note: It can often take several months before a visa is issued. This means that you should apply for the visa as early as possible. Because if you arrive in Germany late, you may possibly miss your matriculation (registration). And without this registration, you will not be able to obtain a "Residence Permit for Educational Purposes". Furthermore, when applying for the visa you must make sure that you apply for the right kind of visa. A "Tourist Visa" or a "Language Course Visa" cannot later be converted into a "Student Visa". If you hold the wrong kind of visa, you will unfortunately have to leave the country again.
If you require a Residence Permit for Educational Purposes, you must first report to the registration authority and then immediately apply to the foreigners authority in your university town for this permit. And it is important that you do not fail to have your temporary residence permit regularly extended by the foreigners authority. Because, if you fail to do so, you can be expelled from Germany. This is also the case, if you do not have a valid passport.

Can I stay in Germany after graduating with my degree?

The new Immigration Act has been in force in Germany since 1 January 2005. It aims to enable highly-qualified people from abroad to enter the German employment market more easily and to offer them longer-term prospects. For international students who have completed their studies in Germany, i.e. graduated, the act states: After ending your studies, you can extend your stay and spend up to one year looking for a job in Germany that is appropriate to your qualifications. Highly-qualified foreigners who have a job offer in Germany, can receive a (permanent) Settlement Permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) without the need for any labour market checks or the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).

What does it cost to study in Germany?

You still don't need to pay tuition fees at many German universities. While some meanwhile charge around 500 euros per semester. Whether you have to pay fees or not depends entirely on which federal state and at which university you are studying. Contact your chosen university directly to find out whether they charge tuition fees.
Costs that you will certainly have to pay each semester are the semester contribution and the health insurance premiums (around 360 euros). The semester contributions are due when you register (matriculate) at the university and then each semester when your re-register at the Student Office. Depending on university and federal state, these can amount to between 50 and 250 euros. At some universities, this sum includes a Semesterticket. This allows you to use local public transport in and around your university town without any extra costs.
You can find a detailed overview of the costs that you must reckon within during your studies on our homepage at: Planning Your Studies >> Costs .
Besides these study-related costs, you also have to reckon with monthly living expenses of 630 euros on average. One third of this is generally spent on rent. How much money you actually need also depends strongly on where you live.
We offer you more information on this on our web-based service pages at:  Germany >> Living in Germany .

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