Higher education in Germany

Germany today is one of the most popular countries among applicants.This is facilitated by the high quality of education and the rather low cost of education in state universities.German diplomas are appreciated all over the world, which will greatly simplify the job search for a future graduate in any country.

Germany is open to accepting foreign students and has a policy aimed at increasing their number.Now there are more than 300,000 of them - every ninth student came from abroad.

Higher education system

There are about 250 universities in Germany, of which 103 are universities and 176 are universities of applied sciences.Most educational institutions are public and subsidized by the government, only 69 are private.

Germany is a party to the Bologna Agreement, therefore, higher education is divided into three stages: bachelor's degree (3-4 years), master's degree (1-2 years) and postgraduate studies (3-4 years).The academic year consists of winter (October-March) and summer (April-August) semesters.Students are expected to have a high level of responsibility and independence: the set of disciplines studied is compiled by the student, it is also on it to find a place for practical training, and the curriculum includes a large amount of material for independent study.

Admission

Most universities do not need to take any admissionsexams.Residents of Germany, after graduating from high school, take exams in basic school subjects, which are called "Abitur".Graduates with an average score are enrolled in the university.An important difference: in a German gymnasium, education lasts 13 years, while in Russian schools - 11. Therefore, a graduate of a Russian school cannot immediately enter the first year.There are two options here:

  1. Studienkolleg.These are courses at German universities that fill this gap in two years of study between graduates of the Russian and German schools, and also prepare the applicant for admission to the university.At the end of the exam, an exam is passed,admitting to the university.For those who graduated from school in Russia with a gold or silver medal, the courses last not two, but one year.

  2. Two years of study at a Russian university.Then the courses are no longer needed, you can immediately enter the university.You have to understand that it will not be possible to radically change the direction of study: if you studied the humanities at home, then in a German university you will also need to choose a humanitarian specialty, the same with technical and natural sciences.

If you are applying for a master's or postgraduate program, you will need a document recognizing the validity of your diploma as a foreign one.There isa portalwhere you can find out if a diploma of a particular Russian university is quoted in Germany.Select the desired section and enter the parameters of the educational institution and program in the search field.Unfortunately, the site is only available in German.

Masters in Germany are of two types: associated (konsekutiv) and unrelated (nicht konsekutiv) with the baccalaureate.The concise master's program is fully continuation of the bachelor's program, while the student can take any direction of the non-constructive.Not every university provides both types of programs, most focus on related ones.

How to choose

The German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD operates in Russia...They have their own site, where a lot of information is presented for those wishing to study in Germany.Most of the content is available in English and German, there are several pages in Russian.

If you cannot decide on the choice of the training program - read the information provided here, read about the choice of the university here .Also on the site there is a very convenient search engine of educational programs - Higher Education Compass.The search is carried out according to all sorts of criteria: the desired city, university, educational level, field of science.

Submission of application

Existsa special organization "Uni-assist", which cooperates with 167 universities throughout Germany, and if your university is one of them, you will need to submit documents only through it.The procedure takes place through the site , where you register and attach the documents required for admission. All data is checked, your GPA is calculated and the application is sent to the university.The registration fee for submitting documents to the first institution is 75 €, in each subsequent one - 15 €.

Admission rules and the required set of documents may vary from university to university.Some universities may additionally require a resume, a letter of motivation, or, for example, confirmation of internship.For detailed information, you must contact the selected university directly (most often, it is enough to go to the official website of the university).

Uni-assist recommends submitting documents six weeks before the deadline set by the university, so that there is time, if necessary, to amend or add missing documents.The deadline for submission of documents is usually mid-January or July.Within 2-6 weeks, universities process the applications received and contact applicants.Results are announced in mid February or August.

A lot of useful information about the admission procedure can also be found on the DAAD website.

Language

Most of the programs are of course taught in German.To enter them, you will need to confirm your level of language proficiency - to pass the Test DaF or DSH international exam.The first one is taken in licensed examination centers around the world (in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk it is Goethe-Institute, the cost of passing at the moment is 195 €.DSH is taken directly in Germany at certain universities.Language proficiency requirements vary depending on the chosen educational institution and program.Most faculties require a C1 level, with the exception of philology, where they often only accept speakers at the native level, that is, C2.

If your German level is B2, youcan be enrolled in a German university for one semester, during which you will attend a language course, and after that you will pass the DSH again.Get C1-C2 - you can continue your studies as a full-fledged student.

In the special database DAAD, you can find many English-language programs for different levels of education.Here you can also find preparatory courses for foreigners, as well as programs for summer language courses.Separately, the latter can be looked for here.

On the German-language portal FaDaF you can find information about courses at German universities and language schools.You can choose a program in a specific federal state or city.

Tuition fees

In private universities, rates can reach several thousand euros per semester.In public it is from 0 to 650 € / semester.To this you need to add an administrative fee - from 40 to 270 € (it usually includes travel by public transport) and medical insurance - about 90 € per month.

Scholarships

The website DAAD provides information on scholarships for study at universities and language schools in Germany.There is also a convenient English-language search engine.

One of the most popular programs, the Germany Scholarship (Deutschlandstipendium), rewards talented international students with monthly payments of € 300.The amount is not the largest, but there are always a lot of applicants.

There are also various political foundations that provide financial support to students: the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Konrad Adenauer, Friedrich Ebert and others.Socially active students who excel in their studies can expect to receive payments of up to 800 € per month.

Also visit the official website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Science of Germany - there you will find information not onlyabout scholarships and research, but also about the structure of the German educational process, its history and much more.

2022-01-14 07:19:50
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