Germany

Germany is a federal parliamentary republic in western-central Europe consisting of 16 constituent states. Its capital city and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 square kilometres (137,847 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 80.6 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state in the European Union. Germany is a major economic and political power of the European continent and a historic leader in many cultural, theoretical and technical fields.

Quick Facts

  • Area: 357,168 km2
  • Inhabitants: 80,716,000
  • Capital: Berlin (3,562,166 inhabitants)
  • Official language : German and English
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Germany is the most populous European country (apart from Russia), with a population of 82 million.
Germany’s land area was over 50% larger during the Second Reich (1871-1918) and included most of present-day Poland and parts of Lithuania.
German people are the second biggest consumers of beer in the world (after the Czechs), with an average of 107 litres per person per year in 2010 (or 0.30 l per day).
The German language was once the lingua franca of central, eastern and northern Europe, and remains the language with the most native speakers in Europe.
15 million people in Germany are of non-German descent (first and second generation), i.e. 18.5% of the population. About half of them are foreign residents, not German citizens.
About a quarter of all American citizens claim at least partial German ancestry.
Germany has nearly 700 zoological gardens, wildlife parks, aquariums, bird parks, animal reserves, or safari parks, including 414 registered zoos (more than the USA) ! Berlin’s Zoologischer Garten is the largest zoo in the world, both in terms of number of species (1,500) and animal population (14,000).
In 2006, the world’s youngest billionnaire is the German Prince Albert II von Thurn und Taxis, with net worth is estimated at around $1.9 billion (USD).
As of 2012, German athletes have won a total of 1662 Olympic medals (summer and winter combined from 1896 to 2012), i.e. more than any other country in the world except the USA.
The Fairy Grottoes (Feengrotten) in Saalfeld, Thuringia, are the world’s most colourful caves, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
There are some 2.5 million half-timbered houses in Allemagne, by far the highest number of any country worldwide.

Education System Germany

Germany is a federal country. German higher education sector is regulated partly at federal, but predominantly at state level.

In Germany, higher education is offered at three types of Higher Education Institutions.

Universities (Universitäten)

These institutions offer the whole range of academic disciplines. In the German tradition, universities focus in particular on basic research so that advanced stages of study have mainly theoretical orientation and research-oriented components.

Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen)

These institutions concentrate their study programmer in engineering and other technical disciplines, business-related studies, social work, and design areas. The common mission of applied research and development implies a distinct application-oriented focus and professional character of studies, which include integrated and supervised work assignments in industry, enterprises or other relevant institutions.

Universities of Art/Music (Kunst- und Musikhochschulen)

These institutions offer studies for artistic careers in fine arts, performing arts and music; in such fields as directing, production, writing in theatre, film, and other media; and in a variety of design areas, architecture, media and communication.

The institutions of higher education are to be made more efficient by according them further autonomy, allowing them to build an individual profile in a particular area and encouraging more competition. Further reforms concerning the staff structure and recruitment requirements for professors were introduced through the Act’s amendment in 2002. An alternative to institutions of higher education is provided by Berufsakademien. These professional academies have taken the principle of the dual system of vocational education and training and applied it to the tertiary sector

Eligibilty

Admission to programmes in Germany is granted on the basis of previous academic record. However, for some management courses a GMAT is required, and some engineering programmers require a GRE score. You will need to check the requirements of the university you are applying to.

The TOEFL is a standard test required for programmers’ that have English as a medium of instruction.

Admission to Undergraduate Studies

Students applying for an undergraduate course in Germany have to undertake a one – year bridge program. This is to compensate for 13 years of school education in Germany compared to 12 years in India. In order to be eligible for this bridging course, students from India are required to have an excellent academic record up to Senior Secondary Level (10 + 2), and must have basic knowledge of the German language (G III Level of Max Mueller Bhavans).

After completion of the bridge program, Indian students are required to pass an assessment test in order to get admission into a German institution for the equivalent of the Bachelors degree. Students who have cleared the IIT Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) will be exempted from the assessment test.
Students who have successfully completed two years of undergraduate studies are also exempted from the assessment test. However, they have to prove their proficiency in the German language.

Admission to Postgraduate Courses

German universities have recently introduced international courses leading to a Master’s degree. Some courses begin with English as a medium of instruction. Students need an Indian undergraduate degree to qualify.

• Valid passport copy

• IELTS 7.0 or Test DAF

• Copy of Bachelors degree+transcripts

• 2 recommendation letters

• Statement of purposes

• CV (Resume)

Some universities also accept the three years Indian Bachelors degree

Cost of Living & Scholaship

Cost of Living

Before you begin your studies, you will have to prove that you have enough money to support yourself. The document you need is called a “Finanzierungsnachweis”, or proof of financial resources. You are asked for it when you apply for an entry visa. At the latest, you will need to present it when you apply for a residence permit in Germany. In most cases, applicants have to prove that they have around 8,000 euros at their disposal for one year.

Compared to other European countries, the cost of living in Germany is quite reasonable. The prices for food, accommodation, clothing, cultural events, etc. are basically in line with the EU average. You will need around 670 euros a month to cover your living expenses. The largest expense is your monthly rent.

Scholarships

The DAAD offers many scholarship programmes targeted at German and foreign students, graduates and researchers. Please note that the DAAD and most other institutions for that matter do not provide scholarships for entire degree programmes, i.e. from the first to the last semester. The selection process is very rigorous and first-time students are rarely eligible for funding. You should bear in mind that no applicant is ever entitled to a scholarship!

Erasmus+ provides scholarships for periods of study and internships abroad for three to twelve months (for studying only) or for two to twelve months (for internships only). Depending on your phase of study, you may be eligible for a total of twelve months of Erasmus+ funding. You can receive this funding per each cycle of your studies.

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