International Degree Programs

Transcription

1 Study & Research in Germany International Degree Programs Many German universities offer courses leading to an international degree. The more than 400 courses presented in this category are designed to attract foreign students looking to study with an international dimension. The range of study opportunities covers undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate degree courses (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD levels). The degree courses presented here fulfil most of the following conditions: High academic standards and well organised study programmes International degrees, i.e. Bachelor's and Master's Courses taught in English, additional German language courses Special Services: Academic and personal support, study councelling, study periods abroad The International degree programmes contain a variety of degree courses, where some are are partly and some are completely instructed in English in the first academic year. Using the website you can select the course of your choice by Subject group, Area of study, Course Language, Degree or Town. The subject groups offered under this category are : Engineering Agriculture, Forestry and Nutritional Sciences Art, Art Theory Mathematics, Natural Sciences Language & Cultural Studies Economics & Social Sciences Restricted admissions Certain subjects are so popular that there are not enough study places. German and international students are then subject to a selection process in which the average marks gained in the the school leaving examination determine admission. There are disciplines subject to restricted admissions ( called "Numerus clausus") throughout Germany. The fields of Medicine & Pharmacology come under this category. Therefore, in the International Degree Programme category, you will not find any Bachelors or Masters courses in Medicine. However courses related to the Medical field like Masters in Bio-medical Engineering, Medical Neurosciences, Molecular Medicine, Community Health, Medical Technology & Veterinary Medicine can be found at the

2 German Universities, where International students are eligible to apply. At the research level, there are no restrictions in these fields. Bachelors Degree Programmes At the Bachelors degree level, the number of programmes that are offered in English as the complete instruction medium is very less. Besides, to be eligible to apply for a Bachelors Degree at a German University, an Indian student (who has passed his class 12 exams) has to undergo a one-year bridging course in Germany. This is due to the fact that German students appear for their school-leaving exam after 13 years of schooling, compared to the 12 years in India. In order to undergo this bridging course, a good knowledge of the German language is a must. English-instructed Master's programmes In recent years, Germany's universities have established many English-instructed Master's programmes. When you search through our databases on International Degree Programmes ( or the University Guide ( on all study opportunities in Germany, please make sure that you read the detailed description for the programme in question to know about the exact admission criteria. In general, the main eligibility to apply for a Masters Degree (with medium of instruction as English) is a Bachelors degree in the related field, with consistently excellent academic performance in the school leaving examination as well as throughout the Bachelors degree semester examinations. Besides, either TOEFL or IELTS score is required as proof of English language proficiency. Some Universities may also ask for a GRE / GMAT score. Some interesting Masters courses offered in English as instruction medium: Molecular Bioengineering Bio Informatics Digital Media Mechatronics Business Informatics Applied Physics, Engineering Physics Renewable Energy Environmental and Resource Management Ecological Engineering Geosciences, Marine geosciences Agricultural Sciences Forestry, Environment Textile & Clothing Management

3 In general, all the 330 plus Universities in Germany are autonomous in nature. Therefore, there will be slight differences in the admission criteria between one University and another. The exact list of admission criteria for a particulat course can be obtained from the website of the concerned University, including details like the postal address, telephone numbers, ids, names of the professors as well as a downloadable application form. It should be noted that the deadlines to apply will also vary from course to course. The students have to apply directly to the concerned Universities, and German University admission does not involve any consultants. The websites of the Universities that give the course details will also give information on the tuition fee : whether any tuition fees are charged. In the public universities (i.e. state funded), some federal states do not charge any tuition fees, and some of them have set the fees at around euros per semester. By contrast, private universities do levy fees of various levels from their students. These fees can amount to several thousand euros per semester. Important Dates The academic year comprises the winter semester (October, 1st to March, 31st) and the summer semester (April, 1st to September, 30th). Starting dates for the courses are usually April, 15th (summer semester) and October, 15th (winter semester). The dates vary from one institution and from one federal state to another. Precise dates in the Course Catalogue or at the Foreign Student Office. Closing date for admissions applications at the Foreign Student Office are July, 15th for the following winter semester and January, 15th for the following summer semester. Research opportunities in Germany Germany offers an extremely wide spectrum of research that provides excellent opportunities and facilities in practically all areas. A very diverse range of institutions perform research in Germany: Universities form the traditional backbone of the German research landscape. Top-level research at these institutions stands out through intensive cooperation between academics, scientists and research institutes at home and abroad. The research departments of commercial companies and major research organisations represent another pillar of German research. Essentially, these are the: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften ( (Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science),

4 Hermann von Helmholtz- Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren ( (Hermann von Helmholtz Association of National Research Centres), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft ( (Fraunhofer Society) and Leibniz-Gemeinschaft ( ) (Leibniz Association). These are supplemented by collaborative research centres that are funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ( (German Research Foundation), a number of academies of science, and many federal and state institutes that do research and development work. All these fields are closely interwoven and so offer an outstanding environment for innovative research facilities. Further information on research in Germany is available on the following websites: How can I gain a doctorate in Germany? Around 120 German universities offer opportunities for graduates to follow up their academic studies with a doctorate. Germany does not traditionally have a system of Graduate Schools, Graduate Centres or Graduate Colleges that support and guide students to their doctorate; nor is there a binding curriculum that needs to be completed during the doctoral phase. However, recent years have increasingly seen structured programmes, socalled Doctoral Programmes, Graduate Schools, Doctoral Colleges, Graduate Centres or Graduate Colleges develop. Many of these programmes have an international focus. The fundamental eligibility to apply for a doctorate degree in Germany is a Masters degree from a recognised Indian University, with excellent academic record, as well as a clear research proposal and statement of purpose. PhD and doctoral programmes are currently tuition free throughout Germany International Post Graduate Programmes, IPP in short, is a network of 50 postgraduate programmes offered in a wide range of disciplines and subjects at centres of scientific excellence throughout Germany. Since 2001, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) have been jointly selecting these postgraduate courses under the "Doctorates at Universities in Germany" (PHD) support programme. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has made a total of EUR 30m available to participating universities for the period from 2001 to A list of all these research programmes can be viewed at

5 Some of the interesting PhD topics available in this category are: Wood Biology Molecular Medicine Environmental Geosciences Dynamic Intelligent Systems Neurosciences Biochemistry Bio Engineering Environmental & Resource Management Do I need to speak fluent German? The language normally used at our research institutes is English. But there are plenty of good reasons why you should at least learn some basic German before you come here after all, you will want to be able to communicate with others in everyday life and in your spare time. This is why we recommend that you, and any accompanying family members, attend a language course in your own country. The Goethe Institute offers language courses in many countries all over the world. Naturally, you can also attend language courses in Germany or broaden your knowledge of German here. Universities, language schools and some funding organisations offer such courses. Under certain conditions, the costs of a course may be fully or partly paid for you. Further information: How can I get funding for research in Germany? Germany provides research funding through a number of organisations and also offers opportunities to work in industry. Numerous organisations in Germany fund research in the form of grants, fellowships and prizes. The largest and most important organisations include the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung ( (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ( (German Research Foundation) and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service ). But many other organisations also support research projects of all kinds. The award of a research grant or fellowship is always accompanied by a wide range of support services like advice on which town offers the best environment for your research, on which research institute is most suitable for your project through to questions of everyday life in Germany. This means you can concentrate fully on your research.

6 German Academic Exchange Service( DAAD) ABOUT OUR ORGANISATION The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is an association of higher education institutions and student bodies in the Federal Republic of Germany promoting international academic exchange. DAAD comes under the foreign educational and cultural policy of the German government. DAAD is a self-administrative organization of Germany s institutions of higher education. The motto of DAAD is Change through Exchange. It has set itself the following tasks. It awards scholarships for German universities and research facilities to young international researchers and does the same in the other direction for leading German researchers who want to go abroad. It also aims to enhance the international attractiveness of German higher education institutions and to promote German studies and the German language abroad. DAAD finances academic co-operation worldwide, especially through exchange of students, scholars, academics and scientists. The numerous programs of DAAD are particularly interested in extending scientific and scholarly networks as they have proved to be very helpful in launching the careers of young academics. General information on higher education in Germany and on aspects related to international students in the Federal Republic of Germany can be found under the following websites: ( DAAD in India) The DAAD Regional office at New Delhi, with its network of Information Centers at Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata, visit Universities as well as organize events to inform young scientists about higher studies and research possibilities in Germany. The DAAD Information Center for Chennai is located at Max Mueller Bhavan Campus, 4, Rutland Gate 5 th Street, Chennai-6. The Chennai Center can be contacted at [email protected].

7 STUDY GERMAN IN TRIVANDRUM Ground Floor, KRISHNA KRIPA Building. T.C. No. 4/845, Toll Junction Opposite Narmada Kowdiar P.O. - Trivandrum Phone: Office Mobile [email protected]