Why study in Germany?
- First class service for international students
- Wide choice of degree programs
- Excellence in research and training
- Close links between theory and practice
- Strong international focus
- State funded education hence subsidized fees
- Germany has always had a very strong industry-academia linkage. A lot of scientific research
is funded by the industry as well. During your studies you can get the opportunity to do
internships with German companies, which can open new vistas for your professional career.
- 1 year stay back option so student can gather valuable work experience
Admission procedure in Germany?
There are mainly two types of institutions of higher education in Germany:
Universities (including Universities of Technology, abbr. TU) are research-oriented and offer a
wide variety of subjects. These can award doctorate degrees.
Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen, abbr. FH), on the other hand, are
practice-oriented and offer courses mainly in engineering, business administration, social
sciences and design. These have strong links to the industry and offer possibilities like joint
supervision of the professor and a company for a master thesis, but do not award doctorate
degrees. As a master degree holder from a Fachhochschule, one is in principle eligible to apply
for a doctoral position at a University.
In principle you are eligible to apply for a bachelor programme if you fulfill one of the following criteria:
I. Successfully completing the first year of a bachelor programme from a recognized university
in India in the relevant subject field.
II. Successfully clearing the IIT Joint Entrance Examination for admission to courses in
technology and natural sciences.
III. Passing the qualification assessment examination in Germany, called Feststellungspruefung .
The Feststellungspruefung is an examination conducted by universities that assesses your
proficiency in subjects that are crucial to your chosen degree programme and also in German
language. A foundation course (Studienkolleg) in Germany can help you prepare for this
examination. This is a full-time course with about 32 hours of instruction per week and usually
takes upto two semesters to complete. The two components of the course are German
language and subjects relevant to the study programme you want to register for later.
The minimum eligibility criteria for enrolment in a Studienkolleg are a :
- valid school leaving certificate (12th) with relevant subject combination and
- proficiency in German language (approx. B1 level based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
Your subject knowledge and if applicable German language proficiency will be tested in an
entrance exam (Aufnahmepruefung) by the course coordinators before you enroll yourself in
foundation course.
Am I eligible to apply for a masters degree course?
- As a bachelor degree holder from India, your degree is treated at par with a German bachelor degree and most universities will consider you eligible for masters provided you fulfill other criteria.
- If you have a three years bachelor degree you might have to first contact the course coordinator to get your degree evaluated as some universities require one year additional masters as well
- Some universities may ask for your TOEFL/IELTS/GRE/GMAT scores, depending upon the
subject you choose to study. For example, GMAT may be asked for if you want to study
economics or law.
Am I eligible to apply for a PhD?
- a Master degree holder from India, your degree is treated at par with a German Master or Magister degree and most universities will consider you eligible for their doctoral programmes provided you fulfill other criteria. In some cases, a further examination to assess the eligibility will be required.
- Some universities may ask for the proof of your English language proficiency in form of TOEFL or IELTS scores
Student visa for Germany
Apply for a student visa as soon as you have the admission letter, as the
procedure can take around two months.
The German Embassy and the Consulates require proof of funding for the first year of studies (approx. INR 4-5 lakh) in the form of a blocked account with a German Bank or show proof of scholarship or proof of sponsorship if any.
Further second year funding needs to be shown through financial statements and other instruments which are available.
Apply for a place in a hostel. In some cases the International Office
(Akademisches Auslandsamt) of the university will help you.
Cost of study in Germany
In Germany, education is subsidized by the state and therefore most of the institutions of higher
education charge no or very little tuition fee – to the tune of 500 Euro per semester. Thus, in
Germany virtually every student gets a scholarship! However, you will need to pay semester
contribution ranging from Euro 50 to 250, depending upon the university and the services or
benefits included.
For certain special courses you may need to pay higher tuition fees.
Apart from the tuition / semester fees you will require about Euro 740 (approx. INR 45,000) per
month for subsistence i.e. housing, food, clothing, study material and other expenses such as
health insurance and leisure activities. This amount can vary from city to city, and of course from
lifestyle to lifestyle!
Scholarships in Germany
Funding in Germany is available in principle for research and in some cases at the master level.
To get a comprehensive overview of various funding possibilities, please visit www.funding-guide.de