Spotlight on: Postgraduate Study in Germany

Germany has long been one of the most popular study abroad destinations in the world, recently welcoming over 376,000 international students. It’s not too hard to understand Germany’s appeal, with world-class universities, long-standing educational heritage and extremely affordable tuition fees.

This blog will explain everything you need to know about studying a PhD or Masters in Germany this year, from applications and visas to arrivals and teaching methods. We’ve made every effort to ensure that this information is up-to-date but you should be aware that the situation can change very quickly and that governmental websites will provide the very latest info.

The good news is that many PhD and Masters programmes across Germany are currently open for applications – both for domestic and international students. Admissions deadlines do vary quite widely, but most programmes beginning this autumn are open for applications until June / July. Be sure to check your prospective university’s website for the exact dates.

Our guides to PhD study and Masters study in Germany has more detail on what to expect from the application process, but generally speaking you’ll need to supply the following documents:

• Bachelors / Masters certificate (with an officially certified translation if necessary)
• Proof of your language proficiency (either in English or German, depending on the language of instruction for your course)
• Academic grade transcripts
• CV
• Research proposal (if you're applying for a PhD)
• Letter of motivation

There isn’t a centralised application portal in Germany, so in most cases you’ll apply directly to the university. However, some institutions use a service called Uni-Assist for applications from international students.

Max Planck Institutes

Max Planck Institutes are part of a prestigious research network of universities across Germany, offering PhD training in Biological Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and the Humanities. Some programmes also allow Bachelors graduates to study an integrated Masters programme before beginning the PhD project.

Applications for Max Planck Institute programmes are due to open as normal in the autumn year. In the meantime, you can learn more about the Max Planck Society or browse Max Planck research programmes on FindAPhD.

German student visas

Students from certain countries (including the EU, EEA, Switzerland and several other nations) can enter Germany without a visa.

Nationals of other countries do need to apply for a student visa before arrival in Germany. Your first port of call in this instance should be the German embassy, mission or consulate in your home country. In most circumstances, you’ll need to attend the embassy in person to attend an application appointment.

Over the past year, most universities in Germany have moved to a ‘blended learning’ model, with a mixture of online teaching and face-to-face classes / lectures.

The German states / Lӓnder each have some degree of control over coronavirus restrictions, so you’re likely to see a range of different lockdown policies according to the region your university is based in.

Many universities are aiming to deliver a set proportion of sessions in-person over the coming summer semester, so there’s reason to feel hopeful that by autumn more and more normality will have arrived at German university campuses.

In any case, it’s well worth checking the coronavirus info page of your prospective university to find out what the current local situation is and to get an idea of the direction of travel.

For more general information on what it’s like to study there, check out our dedicated guides to PhD study and Masters study in Germany.

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