Why Study in Germany :-
Out of the 1.8 million students who apply to study abroad, one-tenth chooses to study in Germany. The Universities are a blend of old age traditions and modern technologies. The reputed Universities offer courses on subjects like Law, Medicine, English and German. Most universities combine research and study along with theoretical work with its practical application. Also, interdisciplinary cooperation is common as most such universities have cooperation with multinational firms and other research institutions in Germany and other countries which in turn enables a student’s job chances in the market. Apart from academics, Germany offers all the elements a student life needs to have fun and interesting experiences while studying abroad to take back home. This country is in the centre of all European action, plus Germany by itself holds so much of history and culture which a student while studying here can experience in one of the many opera houses and theatres. If a student is lodged with a local host family, it is a unique experience.
The Education System of Germany:-
The Basic responsibility of the German Education System lies with the Bundeslander meaning States. Though the system varies all over Germany as every State/ Bundeslander decides their own policies. The Education starts with Kindergarten, students aged 3-6 years old. The Basic structure is as follows:-
1. Primary known as Grundschule for children aged 6 to 10 yrs.
2. Lower Secondary known as Hauptschule for children aged 10 to 15 yrs.
3. General Secondary known as Gymnasium for children aged 10 to 19 yrs.
4. Integrated Secondary known as Gesamtschule for children aged 10 to 15 yrs.
5. Higher Secondary known as Berufliches Gymnasium/Fachgymnasium for children aged 16-19 yrs.
6. Vocational Secondary known as Fachoberschule for children aged 16 to 18 yrs.
There are Public and Private state recognized institutions for higher education and they are categorized as follows:-
1. Universities/Universitäten and equivalent higher education institutions/Technische Hochschulen/Technische Universitäten, Pädagogische Hochschulen.
2. Colleges of art and music/Kunsthochschulen and Musikhochschulen.
3. Fachhochschulen/universities of applied sciences and Verwaltungsfachhochschulen.
Next is the Non University Level which is offered for continuing vocational training to help and enable those with prior vocational training and related work experience of at least one year to be able to take on management functions and a Successful completion of the same leads to the award of a professional title in the student's specialization.
Finally in Higher Education are as various University Levels as follows:-
1. University Level First stage- FACHHOCHSCHULEN /Universities of applied sciences which offers an application oriented study course in Engineering, Economics, Social Work, Public and Legal Administration and Health and Therapy.
2. University Level Second Stage- Hauptstudium which leads to the final degree examination and lasts for five more semesters leading to awarding of a Diploma. The course of study for the same comprises either two equally weighed major subjects or a combination of one major and two minor subjects.
3. University Level Third Stage- Promotion is the period for Doctoral studies which consists of two to four years' independent research and the submission of a thesis following the award of the Diplom/Erstes Staatsexamen/Magister Artium/Master of Arts/Science. Doctoral studies can only be pursued in universities/Universitäten.
Hence, there are quite a lot of complications and intricacies to studying in Germany, hence it is advisable to have a thorough check and research before a student applies for any university.
The Application Procedure:-
The education system is very rigid in Germany, hence many aspects are looked into before giving admissions to any international student. A few of those things are mentioned as follows:-
1. First and foremost, if a student holds the appropriate qualification or not in which one needs to prove if the school leaving certificate or secondary education qualification is equivalent to the German one or not.
2. The Qualification needs to be considered equivalent which is evaluated by the standards of the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs in the respective German federal state. One can check if it equivalent or not at the following DAAD link- www.anabin.de.
3. Proof of proficiency in German also needs to be given for which the following certificates are accepted: The Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber (DSH), the TestDaF, or the Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz Stufe II, the Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung, the Großes Sprachdiplom or Kleines Sprachdiplom, awarded by the Goethe Institute.
4. Applying for the German Student Visa depending on the applicants’ education type and duration.
5. A Letter of recommendation to be able for a third person to judge the student as an individual. This letter should be the recommendations of those who know the student enabling the university to make an independent assessment of your skills and qualities.
6. A statement of Purpose is a must for admissions in any university in Germany as it describes an applicant as in individual and is a personal statement of himself, his career path, professional interests etc.
7. An applicant needs to sit for exams like GRE, GMAT and TOEFL to be able to get admissions in a university in Germany.
