Study and research in Germany
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Step by step to your goal
Modules? Credit Points? Practical Semesters?: When scout Tomás first read the Study Regulations for his Bachelor of International Business Management programme he had plenty of questions. The programme structure was completely different to that at his home university in Prague. Tomás had already spent two semesters studying business administration there. Some of the credits he had gained were even recognised for his studies in Germany. The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) made this possible. Tomás then learnt what a module actually is in the Introductory Course to his degree programme. He now knows that each module in made up of several courses, which may be seminars, written exams or internships.
Compulsory and Elective Courses: Some of the courses are compulsory, which means that Tomás must attend them. These include, for example, the Internship Abroad that Tomás is required to complete in the fifth semester. Other compulsory courses are lectures on the fundamentals of business administration. These are generally held in the Central Lecture Hall (Audimax), because its large enough for some 100 first-year students in the economics subjects.
Besides these, Tomás can also choose from some optional or elective courses. In the first semester, for example, he could choose between a computer science course and a seminar on presentation techniques. Tomás went for the presentation techniques, since skills in these are in great demand in the working world.
Schedule
Summer and Winter Semesters
The academic year is divided into two semesters (= two six month periods) at German universities. Programmes can begin in the winter and summer semester, respectively. Dates may vary slightly from one university to the next. Please contact the Registrar's Office at your university of choice for the exact dates.
For Universities of Applies Sciences (Fachhochschulen)
Summer semester: March to August (lectures begin: 15 March)
Winter semester: September to February (lectures begin: 15 September)
For Universities (Universit ä ten)
Summer semester: April to September (lectures begin: 15 April)
Winter semester: October to March (lectures begin: 15 October)
Semester vacation/recess (non-lecture period):
Summer: end of July to September
Winter: end of February to mid-April
Module Exams: Tomás earns Credit Points for attending various courses and for the work he produces there (written assignments, presentations, written exams). In the course of his studies, Tomás has to collect a certain number of credit points in order to gain his Bachelor's degree. But there's still plenty of time to go before that happens. He's only just completed one of a total of six semesters. "I would never have thought that we would have to earn so many credits and take so many exams in the first semester," reports Tomás.
Yet that is quite normal in modularised degree programmes , such as Bachelor's and Master's programmes. Each module is examined in a continually assessed format (and not only at the end of the programme).
Our scouts Mai and Nina are having much the same experience as Tomás in their international Master of Chemistry programme. They have to complete the modules specified in the Examination Regulations and have to sit various written exams and present various papers. Mai thinks it all very positive: "That makes the programme much clearer for me. I can plan exactly by when I have to have sat the written exams in which courses or have to have submitted an assignment. Mai has already got her sights set firmly on her next goal: at the end of the second semester she has to sit a German language exam. She has to pass it in order to be able to move into the doctoral programme. Her fellow student and friend Nina is helping her to prepare for the exam.
All about programme structure
The following explains some of the important terms on how degree programmes work.
Modularisation: Many of the programmes offered by Germany's universities today are modularised – above all the newly-introduced Bachelor's and Master's programmes. This means that a programme consists of various modules of defined content and number. Each module is then made up of various elements, such as written exams, seminars or internships. Modules are continuously assessed. Students receive credit points and grades for their work. The credits you earn in the course of modularised programmes count towards your final degree. Your advantage is that the examination material is clearer and more straightforward since it is examined in shorter sections. That helps reduce examination fears. In addition, you can plan your studies more specifically and proceed step by step. The modules you have to complete and by when are specifically-defined in the Study and Examination Regulations for the individual subjects.
A tip to help you choose your programme: Get the module descriptions for the degree programmes of your choice. They tell you exactly what requirements the modules expect you to meet and what qualifications they give you. This enables you to check in advance whether the programme really suits you.
Credit Points: Credit points are awarded for the successful completion of a module. These are based on the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) . This system facilitates the Europe-wide recognition of academic achievements. Credit points describe the student workload. They are awarded for completed modules, for example, on the basis of seminar papers, written exams or oral exams. They do not replace the grade, but they are important for your successful progress along the study pathway. For example, students must prove that they have collected a prescribed number of credit points before they can be admitted to intermediate and final exams. One credit point is roughly equal to between 25 and 30 hours of study. This equates to a workload of 60 credit points per academic year (two semesters).
Basic and Main Study Stages: All first degree or undergraduate programmes (grundständige Studiengänge) at German universities are divided into a basic study stage (Grundstudium) and a main study stage (Hauptstudium). The basic study stage teaches the academic tools of the trade, including the methodology of research work and the fundamentals of relevant subjects. The basic study stage normally ends with an intermediate exam (Zwischenprüfung) in programmes leading to a Magister degree or Staatsexamen) or (Vordiplom) in programmes teaching natural sciences, engineering or social sciences subjects. Those who pass the relevant exam can advance to the main study stage. This is where students extend and deepen their knowledge and specialise in specific subject areas. This specialisation often forms the foundation for a future career. At the end of the main study stage, students take their final exam and graduate.
First Degree or Undergraduate Programmes: These programmes deliver basic and specialist knowledge in one (or several) subjects. So these programmes have titles such as Bachelor of Chemistry, Magister (in History), or Diplom Ingenieur (in Engineering), for example. At the end of their programme, students gain a degree that is not only an academic qualification but also a professional one. These graduates are qualified to start work directly in their chosen profession. Or they can choose to continue their studies in a graduate or postgraduate programme (for example, a Master's programme). Another option is to enter a doctoral programme, although this is only possible at a research university (Universität).
Consecutive Programmes (Two-Cycle Programmes): Consecutive or two-cycle programmes involve two levels of training that relate to each other. For example, the content of a Master's programme builds on the knowledge previously acquired in the Bachelor's programme. The two cycles together form a single unit. The Master's programme that follows on to the Bachelor's enables students to specialise in a specific subject area. Non-consecutive (single cycle) Master's programmes are quite different, since they are stand-alone programmes. They teach participants knowledge from outside fields, such as business management for engineers or computer science for physicians (medical doctors).
The information we provide is merely meant as a rough guide. Depending on the university in question, the structure of the degree programmes may differ (for example, in terms of length or how internships are integrated into the curriculum). Please ask at the university of your choice (Registrar's Office, International Office) for the specific details of the degree programmes you selected.
Bachelor's programmes , for example
Standard time to degree: Six up to a maximum of eight semesters, including time spent producing a Bachelor's thesis and taking all the exams.
Basic study stage: Two-semester orientation and aptitude phase, generally completed with an intermediate exam.
Main study stage: Four semesters – if prescribed by the relevant Study Regulations – students in the main study stage complete compulsory stays abroad and internships. To graduate, students have to produce a Bachelor's thesis and in most cases take an oral exam.
Structure: Programmes have a modular structure throughout. One module is made up of several courses with a coordinated thematic and chronological structure. The basic study stage teaches base (foundation) modules. The main study stage is largely made up of specialisation modules.
Master's programmes , for example
Standard time to degree: Depending on the programme in question, two or four semesters (including the time required to produce the Master's thesis and to take the Master's exams).
Procedure: The programme extends over two or four semesters. Students complete the Master's thesis in the second or fourth semester. They also sit a final oral exam that lasts around 60 minutes.
Diplom course in engineering , for example
Standard time to degree: Eight semesters at universities (but experience has shown that most students need at least ten semesters).
Before studies begin: A six-week pre-study internship.
Basic study stage: 1st to 3rd semesters (theory), 4th semester in-company internship (work placement/industrial internship); students end this stage by passing an intermediate exam: "Vordiplom".
Main study stage: 5th and 6th semesters (theory), 7th semester internship abroad, 8th semester (theory) including production of a Diplom thesis and the final oral exam.
All about programme pathways
This section provides a first insight into the structure of the degree programmes commonly offered in Germany.
© 2012 Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst e.V. (DAAD), Kennedyallee 50, D-53175 Bonn
Source: http://www.daad.de/deutschland/wege-durchs-studium/studienverlauf/06101.en.html
Date: 2012-02-11