Postgraduate Study in Germany - a Q&A with Vanessa Huebner of DAAD London

As part of our FindAMasters Study in Germany Takeover, we've 'sat down' (virtually, speaking) with Vanessa Huebner of DAAD London and asked a few more questions about postgraduate degrees in Germany.

Germany is one of the most popular destinations for international students worldwide. More than 13% of students at German universities come from abroad.

Germany is an attractive place to study and German university degrees are highly respected by employers and HE institutions around the world.

One of the main differences between Germany and the UK is that German Master degree courses usually last for two years. This is mostly because these courses highly emphasize academic knowledge as well as methodological skills. In principal: a masters’ graduate should be able to conduct his/her own research.

Furthermore, education in Germany is not centrally regulated. Each of the 16 states is permitted to issue its own university regulations and guidelines. German universities exercise a great deal of independence. For this reason, rules do not always apply to all universities in the same way.

Application deadlines and requirements vary from university to university, and sometimes even from course to course within one university. Therefore, students should enquire about the specific requirements at the university of their choice before applying.

Another important difference is that all students, whether EU or non-EU, generally do not pay tuition fees at German public universities as most German universities receive considerable funding from the government. However, the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg has recently introduced tuition fees for non-EU students and universities in that state will begin charging moderate tuition fees for non-EU international students starting this October (€1,500 per semester).

Also, for a few Master programmes and generally for degree programmes offered by private universities, students may be required to pay tuition fees.

Well, there are almost 400 state-accredited universities with some 18,000 degree programmes in Germany. This means that German universities offer degree programmes in every possible discipline and subject.

General universities focus strongly on research-oriented education in a wide range of disciplines. Universities of applied sciences, on the other hand, in general are very practice-oriented and conduct applied research.

However, there are, of course, areas of expertise that German universities are particularly known for, such as engineering.

Students might be surprised to learn that you do not necessarily need to speak German to study in Germany as the number of international degree programmes is steadily increasing.

Currently there are more than 1,300 degree courses taught in English. These are actually more common at Masters and PhD than at Bachelor level.

Furthermore, all students generally do not pay tuition fees at public universities as these receive considerable funding from the government. This also applies to non-EU students. One exception is the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg which has recently introduced tuition fees for non-EU students and universities in that state will begin charging moderate tuition fees for non-EU international students starting this October (€1,500 per semester).

And, as previously mentioned, students may also be unaware that education in Germany is not centrally regulated. Each of the 16 states is permitted to issue its own university regulations and guidelines and German universities exercise a great deal of independence. To ensure a high academic standard, nonetheless nearly all courses are externally accredited.

There are more than 8,000 Master degree programmes offered by German higher education institutions which generally last for two years. These are either consecutive or non-consecutive degree programmes.

Consecutive programmes require an undergraduate degree in the same or closely related field whereas non-consecutive programmes also require an undergraduate degree but give students the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills in a new field.

Most universities in Germany are publicly financed, hence all students (whether EU or non-EU students) generally do not pay tuition fees at German public universities. However, there are a few exceptions in that public universities charge fees for a few particular programmes and private universities do generally charge tuition fees, too. Also the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg has recently introduced tuition fees for non-EU students which universities in that state will begin charging from this October (€1,500 per semester).

A wide range of institutions in Germany offer scholarships to international students, e.g. the DAAD, party-affiliated foundations, religious organisations and commercial enterprises. There might also be further funding available in the student’s home country.

The DAAD offers many scholarship programmes targeted at German and international students, graduates and researchers. Please note though that the DAAD (and most other institutions for that matter) do not currently provide scholarships for entire degree programmes, i.e. from the first to the last semester. This may change in future, so it's worth checking back.

The selection process is very rigorous and, whilst postgraduate support is available, undergraduate students are rarely eligible for funding. All students should be aware that no applicant is automatically entitled to a scholarship!

Using the DAAD database on www.funding-guide.de, you can search for specific types of scholarships – and not only those offered by the DAAD, but other funding organisations as well.

More than 1,300 international Master and PhD degree programmes in a large variety of disciplines are taught in English and the number is steadily increasing. Students can search for international degree courses on our database on www.daad.de/idp.

Even if you are enrolled in an English-language degree programme and hardly use German at university, it’s definitely worth learning the language. Students will feel more at home in Germany if they have good language skills. Knowing German can also help them get settled in faster, participate more intensively in German life and make friends much easier.

There are many ways of learning or improving your German in Germany. Universities offer language courses parallel to their degree programmes. There are numerous summer courses at universities throughout Germany which can help to improve one’s language skills for university study. These usually take place between June and September and offer German language courses at various levels. To view a list of upcoming courses, students can check the DAAD database for Language and Short Courses.

Another excellent way to improve one's German is through a system called a 'language tandem'.

In a tandem, two people get together to learn and speak one another’s native tongue. They meet on a regular basis and practice speaking one language for a while, and then the other.

At many universities, the International Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt), international student organisations or the student council keep a list of names of people who are interested in starting language tandems. International Offices frequently do offer further social activities as well as general advice for international students. It’s always worthwhile to get in touch with them.

EU students are automatically entitled to seek work in Germany and can remain in the country without any restrictions. Non-EU students benefit from a generous immigration policy and can apply for an 18-month residence permit as a jobseeker. During these 18 months, they may take up any kind of employment to support themselves and to fund their job search. (If you have already found a job that corresponds to your qualifications before graduating, you can jump this step.)

You can apply for your residence permit as soon as you have passed your final exam. As soon as you have a job offer which corresponds to your qualifications, you can choose whether you want to apply for a German residence permit or an “EU Blue Card” for the next part of your stay.

Various conditions are attached to both these residence permits. Depending on what you are planning to do in the future, either the German residence permit or the “EU Blue Card” can be advantageous for you. If you intend subsequently to live and work in another EU state, the “EU Blue Card” may be more advantageous for you than the German residence permit. As the choice of residence permit largely depends on your personal situation, get the advice of your local foreign nationals' registration office (“Ausländeramt / -behörde”) when you apply.

However, students should bear in mind that employers usually do require German language skills.

For further information please visit the Study in German website on or contact the German Academic Exchange Service in London (or the DAAD office in your country should you not be based in the UK or in Ireland).

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