There are various forms of universities in Germany. Universities offer mostly theoretical knowledge and usually offer a wide range of different themes. However, some are specialized in a specific subject, and in this case they are called technical universities (Technische Universitäten, TU) or education colleges (Pädagogische Hochschule, PH). Art and music colleges are suitable for those with a particular talent in music or arts. At the Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen and Hochschulen für angewandte Wissenschaften), more emphasis is placed on practical training on a subject.

You will have longer-term work or spend practically half-term as company employees. Dual universities combine academic studies and professional training. You can study the following degrees at German universities:

  1. Bachelor’s degree: Bachelor’s is the initial academic title recognized in the international labor market. During a degree, you acquire basic knowledge of a course lasting from six to eight semesters. This may sometimes consist of two issues or one important and two minor issues. Once you have successfully completed your degree, you can begin your career or take the next academic diploma: master’s. Typical degree programs include the Bachelor of Arts (BA) for Humanities and Social Sciences, the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) for Technical and Scientific Studies and the Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) For Engineering Sciences .

Pros: After this degree you can either go directly to employment or apply for a Masters degree in a topic area that interests you.

 

2. Master’s Degree: In German universities, Master’s is the academic title followed by Bachelor’s. The prerequisite is that you have successfully completed a Bachelor’s (or equivalent). During a Master program, you can deepen and expand your knowledge or specialize in a specific field with a duration of two to four semesters. If you have an undergraduate degree in biology, you could, for example, take a master in bioinformatics.For postgraduate courses, there is also a choice between Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Master of Engineering (M.Eng.).Curricula at German universities have recently been reformed. Although you may come across traditional Magister (Artium) diplomas and courses, it is similar to Master’s.Pros: The program will enable you to specialize in a specific area. This knowledge will give you many choices in the job market.
3. Doctorate: During your doctoral studies, you write a research paper on a specific topic (dissertation or doctoral thesis). The duration of the Ph.D. depends on the research topic. Most last between two and five years. Doctoral studies are completed with a PhD degree. There are two types of doctoral studies: in the traditional model, you work independently with your dissertation and will be supervised by a professor from the faculty. If you want to do a PhD, you will need to find a PhD supervisor in advance. Alternatively, you may have a fixed period of three years in which you work in your dissertation with many supervisors. You need to clarify in advance which university and which research focus is available on your subject.

4. Staatsexamen (State Examination): Some curricula lead to state examination. This means that the final examination is organized and held by a government council. The examination rules are not determined by the university, but by the federal state. If you want to work as a doctor, lawyer, teacher or pharmacist in Germany, you will need a state examination. You can carry out the first state examination after theoretical academic studies in law, medicine and pharmacy or after teacher training courses. After that, you will be prepared for the second state examination with a practical training period.