Studying and Research in Germany

04May10

Some reasons for studying and research in Germany
There are a number of compelling reasons why Germany should become the country of your choice for both studying and research.
The academic excellence and reputation of Germany’s more than 300 universities.
Did you know that one hundred years ago half of all students studying abroad were studying in Germany? The country can indeed look back on a long tradition in education, science and research. The oldest university for instance is the Ruprecht-Karls-University in Heidelberg that was founded in 1386.
There is hardly another country in the world that boasts such a density of higher education institutions!
More than 350 higher education institutions with a tradition of academic excellence make it hard to decide where and what to study: over 400 different degree courses are on offer, and there is virtually nothing imaginable under the sun that you cannot study somewhere in Germany. The capital Berlin alone – with roughly the population of Armenia – is currently home to no less than sixteen universities and colleges! Today, about 250,000 foreigners are studying at German universities, making it the third most popular host country for international students after the USA and UK.
The moderate cost of living and studying in Germany.
Tuition fees at public German universities are very moderate. For most of the public universities, only a small administrative fee (between 35 € and 250 € per semester) is payable. Some of the public universities charge additional tuition fees of ca. 500 € per semester. Living expenses amount to around 585 to 750 € per month, depending on the region.
An increasing number of international degree courses with English as medium of instruction.
Many German higher education institutions offer courses that are taught in English and lead to an international degree, such as Bachelor, Master or PhD. You can find them easily through the DAAD database.
Germany’s geographical location in the heart of Europe and its political and economical weight as the EU’s largest member state.
Germany is home to some of the world’s leading companies in many areas, such as information technology, health care, biotechnology and the automobile industry, making it the world’ s leading export nation.
Many cultural highlights, historic towns and castles, beautiful scenery and moderate climate.
The wide range of cultural activities in Germany offers something for everybody! And a trip across Germany is a journey through just about every cultural epoch.
The importance of the German language.
With over 100 million native speakers, German is the most widely-spoken first language in Europe. The strength of German business and industry and the increasing global activity of German companies and corporations shows that the German language is also gaining significance in the international market.
Types of Universities
Germany’s universities combine scientific tradition with cutting-edge technology. They’ve been the scene of many groundbreaking discoveries, are internationally renowned and attract faculty and students from around the world. Over the course of time, distinct types of universities have evolved. Those interested in studying in Germany can thus choose between general and technical universities (Universitäten/Technische Hochschulen), which offer theoretical, research-oriented programmes, universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen), which offer shorter, practice-oriented programmes and other types of universities, eg the colleges of music, art and film.
Universitäten/Technische Hochschulen (General/Technical Universities)
Germany’s world-renowned general and technical universities specialize in methodic, theoretical education. The German ideal of a university as a place of learning shaped by the principle of the “indivisibility of research and teaching” – as proposed by higher education reformer Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767 – 1835) – still strongly characterizes the education and training offered today. Research is conducted independently of current societal interests. A university degree gives its graduates the scientific qualifications needed on the job market. The broad range of disciplines offered within the faculties and schools facilitates both interdisciplinary study and specialization, right up to the advanced theoretical fields of a particular science. Universities award the academic degrees of Bachelor, Master and PhD, as well as the traditional German degrees of Diplom, Magister Artium and the doctorate. They also have the privilege and right to confer the ‘Habilitation’, the professorial teaching qualification. Universities and technical universities continue to represent the mainstay of the German higher education system.
Fachhochschulen (Universities of Applied Sciences)
When the first universities of applied sciences were founded in the 1960s and 1970s, they were considered the “little sisters” of the classical universities, but they’ve become serious competition over the past 30 years, although they offer a comparatively limited range of subjects (mainly engineering, business, social studies, design, health and therapy studies). The need to help German industry maintain its competitiveness in the international field led to a growing demand for better-qualified personnel with an academic background who could solve practical tasks quickly and successfully. This demand marked the starting point for the approach taken by the Fachhochschulen (FHs). What primarily attracts students to Fachhochschulen these days is the clear career focus of the degree courses and the possibility to obtain these degrees in a relatively short time. In contrast to the universities, research and teaching at Fachhochschulen are always pursued with a practical, application-oriented focus. Studies are tightly structured, and rather than being taught theory, the FH student will learn how knowledge is put into practice. A compulsory one or two semester long period of practical training (industrial attachment) constitutes part of any FH degree course, and the final thesis is produced in close collaboration with companies. Faculties at universities of applied sciences usually comprise experienced professionals and managers who know exactly what companies will expect of their graduates. Fachhochschulen award internationally recognized Bachelor and Master degrees as well as Diplom degrees with the supplement (FH).
Other types of universities
Other types of universities include comprehensive universities (‘Gesamthochschulen’ – a cross between a Universität and a Fachhochschule, in the states of Hesse and North Rhine Westphalia only), colleges for art, music and film (‘Kunst-, Musik- und Filmhochschulen’), colleges of education (‘Pädagogische Hochschulen’; in the states of Baden-Württemberg and Thuringia only), church-sponsored universities and theological colleges as well as vocational colleges in some German states (‘Berufsakademien’).

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Admission
First degrees (Bachelor, Diplom, Magister, Staatsexamen)
All applicants have to meet certain requirements in order to qualify for admission into a German university. Applicants from Germany are required to hold specific school leaving certificates, either the so-called Abitur, which is the general higher education entrance qualification and qualifies holders for admission to all types of German universities, or else the Fachhochschulreife, which qualifies holders for admission to universities of applied sciences only. International students essentially have to meet the same requirements, and thus their school leaving certificates will be compared to the above-mentioned German ones. Ultimately, it is up to the individual higher education institution to admit or reject an applicant, but of course there are standardized guidelines depending on the applicant’s country of origin. Please note that for subjects such as music, theatre studies, sports, architecture, fine arts and design etc., auditions/aptitude tests resp. submission of portfolios are compulsory on top of the general admission requirements, since applicants need to demonstrate their particular artistic talent.
If you hold an Armenian school leaving certificate (‘atestat zrelosti’ / ‘Atestat midzinakarg krtoitjan’) and would like to apply for a first degree at a German university, you may be required to attend a one-year preparatory course at a ‘study college’ (‘Studienkolleg’) or may even have to complete one or two years of university studies in your home country before you can be considered for admission into a German university. Usually, you will need to take the assessment test. As a rule, admission to the assessment test is only possible for applicants who can prove that they have successfully completed one year of higher education study. After completing two years of study in your home country, you can apply directly for admission to your chosen study programme.
Postgraduate Studies
In order to qualify for postgraduate studies at a German university, your first degree must qualify you for admission to such a course (eg. you will need to hold a Bachelor degree in order to apply for a Master progamme). In certain cases, additional periods of study in a respective field may be necessary in order to fulfil the admission requirements for the course. If in doubt, please contact the university of your choice directly. If you wish to pursue doctoral studies in Germany, your chosen institution must recognize the degree you are holding as being equivalent to a Diplom, Magister or Staatsexamen or Master degree acquired at a German university.

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Application
Preparing for your studies abroad takes time. You need to gather all sorts of information and make important decisions before you are ready to go. Give yourself about one year from your initial inquiries to the commencement of studies. Once you have decided on what kind of degree course you would like to pursue and what type of higher education institution is right for you, you need to find out which universities are offering your degree course of choice, eg by consulting databases such as www.studying-in-germany.de, www.study-in.de or International Degree Programmes. Once you have found a suitable course, download the application form from the university’s international relations office (‘Akademisches Auslandsamt’) website or apply online.
The international relations office staff will also help with questions regarding admission requirements, the recognition of overseas degrees etc. Get the relevant documents and apply either
a. directly to the university’s international relations office (‘Akademisches Auslandsamt’) or
b. through UNI-ASSIST (the application scheme for international students), if the university of your choice is one of the ASSIST membership universities. Check the Uni-Assist-Website to find out more.
As a general rule, the application deadline for degree courses starting in the winter semester (October) is July 15th, for those starting in the summer semester (April) it is January 15th of the same year. However, closing dates for international degree courses are often set earlier to enable students from non EU-countries to apply for a student visa in good time. Please check with your university of choice and make sure you send in the completed application form and accompanying documents on time. Once you have received a letter of admission (‘Zulassungsbescheid’) from a German university, you can go ahead and apply for a student visa at the German Embassy.
Language Requirements
The medium of instruction for the majority of degree courses at German universities is German, and thus a sound knowledge of the language is indispensable. Applicants for full degree courses conducted in German exclusively, whose mother tongue is not German or who do not hold a school leaving certificate from a school that uses German as its medium of instruction, must pass a language proficiency test known as the “Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang” (DSH) or TestDaF.
The DSH exam is held twice annually at universities all over Germany, shortly before the start of the lecture period in October and April. It can only be retaken once. It will take someone with no previous knowledge of the language roughly 10 to 12 months of intensive courses to reach the required level of proficiency (approximately 1000 hours of German lessons). Many universities offer special DSH-preparatory courses for advanced learners of German as a Foreign Language. Besides, the Goethe-Institut specializes in preparatory courses for university studies on all levels.
Whereas the DSH can only be taken in Germany, it is also possible to gain proof of one’s language proficiency while still in Armenia. This involves taking a standardized test called “Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache”, better known by its abbreviation TestDaF. TestDaF is offered by the UFA Language Centre in Yerevan four times a year, the application deadline is roughly four weeks earlier.
International degree programmes taught either exclusively or partly in English, do not normally require applicants to pass the DSH before they can be admitted (exceptions apply). In fact, many programmes conducted fully in English do not require any previous knowledge of German at all, however, the respective universities will in most cases offer compulsory or optional German language classes to successful applicants. However, excellent English language skills are a must. Most German universities require that applicants submit a TOEFL or IELTS result together with their application forms.
The level of German required for those international degree programmes that use a mixture of English and German as medium of instruction, depends on the individual degree course. In some cases, no previous knowledge of German is required, in other cases a basic foundation of about 240 hours of German language instruction may be called for, and in some instances, the minimum level required is the Zertifikat Deutsch (ZD) which requires about 400 to 600 hours of German.

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Research in Germany
General information
Germany is an excellent choice to carry out a research project and to get in touch with the German and international scientific community! Internationally, Germany occupies a leading position in science and research. Germany offers excellent research opportunities in an open interaction with German colleagues. If you come to do research work in Germany, you will be able to build up your own professional network with contacts not only in Germany, but in other European countries and beyond.
Language is not a barrier. If you cannot speak a word of German, you can still do research freely in Germany. Numerous research projects are currently conducted in English. The researchers are also recruited internationally. Therefore, the German language does not constitute an obstacle for you to do research in Germany.
A highly-developed university and research landscape plus innovative companies shape the scientific-research system in Germany. The high quality of academic training “Made in Germany” is recognized worldwide. More than 100 research universities train 70% of the students in Germany. With more than 250,000 scientists and investigators working here, Germany is the world’s third-largest “country of researchers”.The strengths of German research traditionally lie in mechanical engineering, chemistry, medicine, physics and mathematics. Some disciplines of the humanities also play an outstanding role. German scientists and research institutes are world leaders in biomedicine and medical engineering, in environmental research and automotive engineering, and in engineering, in general. But German scientists and researchers also play their part in the world’s top groups in the future fields of optical technologies, Microsystems engineering, neurosciences, biotechnology and process engineering. In 2003, more than 13,000 German inventions were patented throughout Europe, meaning that almost one quarter of all European patents are based on developments made by German scientists. And Germany actually comes 1st in the field of nanotechnology, So, research in Germany is particularly attractive for international academics and scientists: guests from many countries carry out research at Germany’s universities and scientific institutes. Alone 20,000 foreign researchers are supported by German funding organizations, while a large number of scientists additionally finance their stays in Germany by other means.

German Research Institutions
Research is carried out not only at the universities, but also at approximately 350 institutes and organizations which receive public support. Very often the directors of the institutes are at the same time faculty members of universities. This is why these institutes have the right to confer doctorate degrees in cooperation with the affiliated universities and have since become a popular choice for PhD students.
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) – German Research Foundation
The German Research Foundation is a central, self-governing research funding organisation that promotes research at universities and other publicly financed research institutions in Germany. The DFG serves all branches of science and the humanities by funding research projects and facilitating cooperation among researchers.
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is a non-profit foundation established by the Federal Republic of Germany for the promotion of international research cooperation. It enables highly qualified scholars not resident in Germany to spend extended periods of research in Germany and promotes the ensuing academic contacts. The Humboldt Foundation promotes an active world-wide network of scholars. Individual sponsorship during periods spent in Germany and longstanding follow-up contacts have been hallmarks of the foundation’s work since 1953.
Max Planck Society
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is an independent, non-profit research organization that primarily promotes and supports research at its own institutes. The research institutes perform basic research in the interest of the general public in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. In particular, the Max Planck Society takes up new, innovative and interdisciplinary research areas that German universities are not in a position to accommodate or deal with adequately. Moreover, some institutes perform service functions for research performed at universities by providing equipment and facilities to a wide range of scientists, such as telescopes, large-scale equipment, specialized libraries, and documentary resources.
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
The Helmholtz Association is a community of 15 scientific-technical and biological-medical research centres. These centres have been commissioned with pursuing long-term research goals on behalf of the state and society. The Association strives to gain insights and knowledge so that it can help to preserve and improve the foundations of human life. It does this by identifying and working on the grand challenges faced by society, science and industry. Helmholtz Centres perform top-class research in strategic programmes in six core fields: Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Key Technologies, Structure of Matter, Transport and Space.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is Europe’s leading organization for technical and organizational innovations and a partner for contract research in all fields of the engineering sciences. It undertakes applied research of direct utility to private and public enterprise and of wide benefit to society in roughly 80 research units, including 58 Fraunhofer Institutes, at over 40 different locations throughout Germany. Its services are solicited by customers and contractual partners in industry, the service sector and public administration.
Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz e.V. – Leibniz Association
The Leibniz Association is a scientific organisation comprised of 82 non-university research institutes and service facilities. The research work carried out and services provided are of national significance. The Leibniz Institutes are demand-oriented and interdisciplinary centers of competence. They consider themselves as co-operation partners for industry, public administration and politics; scientific collaboration with universities is particularly close.
Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen “Otto von Guericke” e.V. (AiF) – German Federation of Industrial Cooperative Research Associations
The central concern of this registered non-profit association is the promotion of applied Research and Development for the benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Union der deutschen Akademien – Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities
The Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities is an association of seven academies of sciences and humanities that have joined together to achieve their common goals. It assembles more than 1600 scientists and academics who are outstanding representatives of their disciplines, both nationally and internationally, and whose work covers a broad range of subject areas. They have joined forces to promote scientific exchange, high quality research, and the emergence of new talent in science and the humanities.
German Aerospace Center – Deutsches Luft- und Raumfahrtzentrum
German Aerospace Center (DLR) is Germany´s national research center for aeronautics and space. Its extensive research and development work in Aeronautics, Space, Transportation and Energy is integrated into national and international cooperative ventures. As Germany´s space agency, DLR has been given responsibility for the forward planning and the implementation of the German space programme by the German federal government as well as for the international representation of German interests. Approximately 5, 700 people are employed in DLR´s 29 institutes and facilities at thirteen locations in Germany. DLR – DAAD Research Fellowships is a new programme implemented by DLR and DAAD. This special programme is intended for highly-qualified foreign doctoral and postdoctoral students as well as senior scientists. DLR-DAAD Fellowships offer outstanding scientists and researchers the opportunity to conduct special research at the institutes of the DLR in Germany.

Promotion – PhD made in Germany
The traditional way of pursuing a PhD in Germany (‘Promotion’) is a doctorate by research under the supervision of a university professor; unlike in most other countries, course work is generally not required. The findings of the doctoral candidate’s research work need to be presented in the form of an independent, written dissertation covering new academic or scientific ground. Self motivation, dedication to the research project, and the ability to work independently are therefore important qualifications for candidates who are planning to obtain a PhD in Germany, which usually takes between three to four years to complete. Students can work towards their PhD at universities and non-university research institutes as those of the Max-Planck Society, the WGL Science Association, the Fraunhofer Society, and the HGF Association of German Research Centres, which cooperate with universities. For more information about these research organizations, see above.
All candidates applying for doctoral studies the traditional German way must first independently find an academic supervisor for their dissertation. The supervisor must accept the proposed topic and must be willing to provide or arrange for academic supervision throughout the course of study (‘Betreuungszusage’). Feel free to use the internet to find and contact a professor in your field of research interest, then write to him/her, enclose your academic records as well as a detailed research proposal and cross your fingers that he or she is interested in your project. German professors are likely to accept you as a PhD student under their supervision if you can convince them that you will be able to contribute to their research.
If a professor is interested in your work, you will probably not only get a kind reply, but you can also expect help in finding financial support. Many professors will advise you to contact the DAAD in order to apply for funding. Every year, the DAAD grants a limited number of full scholarships for PhD candidates and postdocs from Armenia. For more information, please click here. In addition, there are funds available in Germany for which the foreign researcher cannot apply directly, but only through the host professor, eg grants awarded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and other publicly financed research institutes in Germany. But even if you are unsuccessful in obtaining any scholarship or grant, Germany still is an affordable destination for pursuing a PhD. The living expenses are about 585-750 € per month.
Once your proposal has been accepted by you host professor-to-be and the application for acceptance as a doctoral student has been approved by the doctoral committee of the appropriate faculty, you can apply for a visa at the German Embassy.
More and more German universities are establishing structured international PhD programmes for doctoral candidates, modelled on graduate school programmes offered in the Anglo-American higher education system. Not only is the medium of instruction predominantly English, but study-integrated German language courses also help students overcome the language barrier. International Postgraduate Programmes made in Germany is a network of 50 postgraduate programmes offered in a wide range of disciplines at centres of scientific excellence throughout Germany, supported by both DAAD and DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft).
Graduate Colleges and the International Max Planck Research Schools represent another avenue for pursuing a doctorate in Germany. Research Training Groups or Graduate Colleges (Graduiertenkollegs, are university training programmes established for a specific time period to support young researchers in their pursuit of a doctorate. They are funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Council) and offer excellent conditions for international PhD students. In these colleges between 15 and 25 PhD students work in the framework of a co-ordinated research programme which has been designed by faculty members of the university the college is located at. A PhD student who is admitted as a member of a graduate college is granted a two to three year’s scholarship by the DFG to cover his or her living expenses. The student will be supervised by individual advisors, but also be given the opportunity to discuss his or her work with other faculty members who participate in the graduate college.
A systematically organized study programme is offered which consists of presentations by doctoral and post-doctoral members of the college as well as of guest lectures by professors from all over the world. This ensures a broad and excellent academic training in the field the graduate college is engaged in.
In 1999, the MPG, together with the Association of Universities and Other Education Institutions in Germany, launched an initiative to promote junior scientists, called the International Max Planck Research Schools. At these centres of scientific excellence, gifted young scientists from Germany and abroad who have excelled in their respective field and are working towards their doctorate degree are offered a structured PhD programme and excellent research conditions in many innovative and interdisciplinary research areas such as molecular biology, neurosciences, computer science, demography, law, plasma physics and polymer research. 29 International Max Planck Research Schools have already been initiated involving a total of 34 Max Planck Institutes and many faculties and universities.

Courtesy aad.org

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