Study Guide for
International Students
Studying Abroad in Germany is a big chance not only for European people but for students from all
over the world. They benefit from a high quality educational system, learn a new language and gain experience from this interesting country. It doesn’t matter if one is spending his whole studies in Germany or is just interested in a term abroad.
German universities have a quite good network with universities all over the world. Every year
thousands of students have the opportunity to go abroad and spend some time in a different
country, studying and living. This should be the same way for international students. Because of this, German universities and technical colleges try to provide enough university places for
international students and they also make efforts to support them in many other questions concerning the time abroad.
German employees from different fields and disciplines are in great demand all over the world and have realistic chances to get a job in an international company in many different countries. Germany itself is also a good and
attractive country to work there later.
Study programs and processes at universities can differ from country to country. Therefore,
here is a small survey about subjects, exams and term structures. After getting the wanted place at a university in
Germany it means to find a way and organize the chaos in this new structures and country. In
Germany many things concerning university are handled with the internet because the students
come from all over the country and can’t be at university all of the time especially when on
holidays. In most cases one gets his or her access data with the enrollment form. For example for the web-based learning platform
called ILIAS. Through this site one has access to lecture documents and further contents. The library also has such an internet platform. With this access one can control if the book he or she wants is available at the moment or can renew the time to keep the books.
Getting along with these sites and the university web-page is a good start to find all the information needed.
Furthermore, it is now important to get knowledge about the subjects and lectures. This is important not only to choose the right study program but it
is also necessary to make your own timetable. Every study program has its own study
conditions and curriculum. With the help of these two it is easy to get along with all the different
courses. The study conditions describe which subjects and lectures there are and where they
have different weights. It also says which lectures need to be absolved. The curriculum
shows what subject has to be done in which term. To make your own timetable it is also possible to ask for help among older students or to ask the student advisor.
How to study in Germany
If you want to do the whole Bachelor- or Master
studies in Germany you need to apply the same way as the German students but at most
universities the places for international students are very rare. There is no central office for
students applications in Germany, therefore it is necessary to apply at the university you want to study. This can be quite confusing because there are many different application procedures depending on university and study program.
According to this, one has to achieve different admission requirements, keep to different
deadlines and submit different documents. Therefore it is the first priority to check the
webpage from the university or to call the responsible counselor to get the most important information. Which requirements have to be fulfilled, which specialities are there for
international students and which documents need to be completed. In this text there can be given a
general abstract about the application process but single universities or subjects can differ from that. Initially, there has to be differentiated between study programs with admission requirements and study programs without. The programs without
admission requirements can be studied without special average grades or other assumptions. It
is still necessary to apply and to enlist for formal reasons. The other programs have a limit after
which one isn’t accepted anymore. In most cases the limit are grades. With a certain average grade (numerous clauses: NC) one is accepted or not. The NC can differ each year, depending on how many students apply for the program. It is also
possible in some cases to upgrade the own average if it isn’t high enough to be accepted.
Internships, finished educations, social work or military duty can be charged. Depending on how
long the work was and in which area it was absolved it can push the average grade some points higher. If one isn’t sure which activity can be charged, ask the university.
The cost of studying in Germany is quite reasonable. Students don't even have to pay tuition fees to attend university in most states in Germany. But there are exceptions.
Financing your studies with a scholarship is possible depending on the country you come from and which subject you would like to study in Germany, there are different options for funding. Scholarships are offered by different institutions.
The DAAD scholarship database for foreign students, graduate students and scientists contains extensive information and a variety of possibilities for those who are seeking financial support for their studies, research work
or teaching assignments in Germany. The database not
only lists all the scholarships offered by the DAAD, but also
diverse programmes offered by a wide variety of institutions.
Types of support;
There are two forms of scholarships – financial and non-
monetary scholarships – both of which are often coupled
together:
In the case of financial scholarships, the recipient is
awarded a fixed amount, paid out on a monthly basis over
a defined funding period. These types of scholarships are often full scholarships, i.e., they generally cover the applicant’s entire living expenses. Recipients of partial scholarships, however, are required to secure additional
financial support to cover their living expenses. When awarded a full scholarship, recipients are generally not permitted to receive funding from other scholarships simultaneously. In addition to financial support, many institutions also offer non-monetary scholarships. Recipients are invited.
