Germany – Universities

Studies

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Due to changes under the Bologna process, an initiative to increase mobility and standardise degree structures in over 40 European countries, the content of courses and degrees has changed dramatically at some German Universitäten. After a few initially turbulent years, most changes have been implemented successfully and the old German degree titles ‘Diplom’, ‘Staatsexamen’ or ‘Magister Artium’ are now obsolete. Undergraduate courses are now, like in the rest of Europe, called B.A. courses, postgraduates work towards M.A. titles. German universities have moved to a three-tier system (UG/ PGT/ PGR) set out by the Bologna Process. Some fields such as law and medicine have a combined UG + Masters’ programme.

Undergraduate

The official time for completion (Regelstudienzeit) of a Bachelor’s degree is three years. However, in contrast to the UK system, this depends highly on the student. It is the student’s responsibility to design his or her own timetable, attend lectures and seminars regularly, and fulfil all requirements to pass a module at the end of the semester. It is still common for lecturers to expect their students to know and tell them what exams they need to take (e.g. Hausarbeit (paper) or a written/oral exam). It is therefore important to plan and manage your timetable right from the start, make sure you take enough modules to gain the right number of credit points each semester, and familiarise yourself with your ‘Studienordnung’ (a document that lays out for you which exams need to be taken when, how many modules to complete per semester, etc.). Of course, there are people who help (secretaries, administrative staff), especially when you are new. Do not be shy to approach people, and ask questions until you have fully understood what is expected of you. This applies to undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.

If you decide to go abroad for a semester or two, or take some time out (e.g. an ‘Urlaubssemester’), you end up studying for longer than three years to obtain a first degree. This is very common. The advantages of this are that the students are independent and flexible, and many students make sure they gain work experience in form of internships in either the summer break (‘vorlesungsfreie Zeit’) or an ‘Urlaubssemester’, as well as that they go abroad for either work experience or to experience a different university culture and improve a language they are speaking.

As an incoming student from the UK, you might be surprised to find many of your course mates are older than you. This is for the above reasons, as well as the fact that a lot of students might have taken a gap year after finishing school at the age of 18 or 19, so many of them are at least 20 when they start their first year. A second major difference from the UK is that many students in Germany, upon finishing their B.A., embark on studying for a Master’s degree. This is because the ‘old’ German degrees are usually seen to be equivalent to an M.A., not a B.A. Yet perceptions of this are slowly changing, and the B.A. is more and more seen as a degree in its own right.

Semester times, e.g. at the University of Mannheim, are roughly from mid-February to the end of May, and from the beginning of September to mid-December. Note that these vary from one university to the next. At most universities you will find that the so called ‘Wintersemester’ lasts about four months, the ‘Sommersemester’ last around three months. During the ‘vorlesungsfreie Zeit’ in between (literally: the lecture-free time), a student might go on holiday, but must also expect to still have papers to write or prepare for the coming semester or an exam (which can be scheduled to take place in that time).

Marks at German universities range from 1,0 (the best-possible mark, i.e. 100 %) to 6,0 – yet anything below 4,0 is a fail and means you have to either re-sit the exam or take the whole module/lecture/seminar again the year after.

Postgraduate

Master’s degree programmes can take one or two years to complete – again, this depends on the plans of the student. There are consecutive and non-consecutive Master’s; as an example, MBAs typically are non-consecutive, which means anyone, no matter what he or she has studied before, can enrol for the course. When you find a consecutive Master’s degree programme that interests you, check that you are coming from the right academic background; to give an example, if you would like to become an English teacher in Germany, you will be expected to have a first degree in English philology before then moving on to the M.A. which will in turn lead you to being able to apply for teacher training afterwards. If your aim is to study toward a PhD in Germany, a Master’s degree is obligatory. When studying towards your M.A., you are expected to be able to work independently, be organised and manage your time well, even more so than during your B.A.

In Germany, some 25,000 graduates successfully complete the doctoral process every year – far more than in any other European country. There are different ways of doing a PhD: either as an individual doctorate or within a structured PhD programme.

Read about the experiences by other international students who ventured to Germany for a PhD on the academics.com website.

Access

To study at a German university, you need a so-called ‘Hochschulzugangsberechtigung’ (HZB), which is a higher education entrance qualification. This is a secondary school-leaving certificate that corresponds to the German ‘Abitur’ (A-levels) and entitles you to study. For more information consult the DAAD website where you will find an admissions database that helps you understand which documents are required when applying to a university depending on your country of origin.

Depending on which city or university and which specific degree course you are applying for, it can be very easy or very difficult to get in. Popular cities will attract more students, and the number of students accepted every year is capped (this is done by setting a ‘Numerus Clausus’ for most subjects, an average mark which can vary slightly every year). If it comes to a selection process (i.e. when more prospective students apply than a department can cater for), those with the best average mark in their Abitur or from their first degree get in first. There are waiting lists, and the admission offices will tell you what your chances are to get a place. Increasingly, subject-specific aptitude tests are introduced and you may be asked to both sit such a test and show proof of your marks at school or during your first degree (if you already have one). You will also have to submit a CV, and possibly proof of sufficient financial resources to pay for your living expenses. Expect application deadlines to end a few months before the start of the semester.

For the application process, do not worry if your marks are from abroad – they can be converted into ‘German’ marks for this. It is advisable to contact the International Office (akademisches Auslandsamt) at your chosen university. There you can find out about any admission requirements and selection procedures specific to the individual university. You can generally expect that university staff speak English competently, particularly when they work in the Auslandsamt.