Studying and researching in Germany

1. What qualifications are available at German universities?

In recent years the courses offered at German universities have undergone a reform (the so-called Bologna process), and the traditional ‘Diplom’ and ‘Magister’ courses have by and large been superseded by international Bachelor and Master’s degrees.

You can now earn the following qualifications:

• Bachelor: The first-level degree qualification, recognised internationally in the employment market. These courses convey the basic principles of the given subject in six to eight semesters.
• Master: This course, lasting a further two to four semesters, consolidates the knowledge acquired during the Bachelor degree course.
• Staatsexamen (State Examination): The ‘Staatsexamen’ is a state, rather than an academic qualification. In other words, the exam regulations are laid down not by the university, but by the Federal states. Each of Germany’s 16 Federal states has its own laws and rules. The examinations also take place under state supervision. Before deciding to study for a ‘Staatsexamen’ – especially in medicine, pharmacy, law or teaching – you should, in all cases, check whether the qualification is recognised in your home country.
• Promotion (Doctoral studies): Dependent on the subject of your research, it can take between two and five years to study for a doctorate, during which time you will be required to prepare a dissertation. In addition to working on your dissertation, which you are largely free to choose for yourself, you may also be integrated into a doctoral program (“structured doctoral studies”). Once you have successfully completed your studies, the university will award you a doctorate.

You will find more information at:

http://www.hochschulkompass.de

http://www.daad.de/research-explorer

http://www.dfg.de/gk

To learn more about structured doctoral studies at an International Max Planck Research School, follow this link.