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GERMANY : ADMISSION PROCESS |
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Admission Requirements
The doors of a university are open to a student only after
he proves that he's entitled to be admitted to an institution
of higher education. This is good for those whose educational
qualifications or certificates are recognised as equivalent
to those in Germany. If this is not the case, the student
must undergo a “eligibility test”. In this
case, each Federal State lays down the decisive criteria
for evaluation of foreign qualifications required for
admission. The preparatory institutions attached to the
institutions of higher education are responsible for preparing
students to take the “eligibility test”.
An important aspect of admission: certain courses of study
are much sought after and the demand exceeds the number
of places available. Students from Germany and the European
Union must therefore undergo a selection procedure. The
decisive element here is the average grade required for
admission. Students from other countries are not subject
to this procedure. But that doesn't mean that an unlimited
number of students are accepted. To the contrary, for
instance in subjects such as medicine and psychology,
only a fixed number of foreigners who are not citizens
of the European Union are admitted. Here too the selection
process is subject to the average grade laid down by the
institution of higher education.
Application
The Foreign Students' Office admits foreign students to
the universities. The entrance application must be submitted
by January 15 each year for the summer semester (beginning
on April 1) and by July 15 for the winter semester (beginning
on October 1).
The following documents should be enclosed along with
the application:
A certified copy of the certificate for admission to higher
education or in other words the foreign high school
qualification
A translation (from an official translator) of the high
school certificate
A passport-size photograph
Bio-data with exact information about one's education
(schools visited, exams taken etc.
Proof of higher studies attended till now if applicable
Language certificate as proof of required German language
knowledge.
An officially certified photocopy of the assessment test
to determine the eligibility of foreign applicants to
studies at institutions of higher education
in Germany with subjects and mark list, if the test has
been
taken.
The “central office for allocation of study places”
(ZVS) plays a specific role. It's responsible for instance
for allocating places for students for courses of study
such as medicine. Students who come from countries belonging
to the European Union can apply for these subjects directly
at the ZVS while all others must submit their applications
to the Foreign Students' Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt).
Note : The admission notification
alone does not provide entitlement to study. All students
who require a visa for study purposes must enclose the
admission notification along with the visa application.
From 1 May students from abroad have the opportunity to
apply to several universities with only one set of documents
through the ‘Application Services for International
Students’ (assist). Assist will check that all necessary
documents have been included and that they meet the necessary
formal requirements, and will then forward them on to
the respective universities. The ‘Application Services
for International Students’ is a joint venture of
the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Conference
of University Rectors (HRK) and fifty universities. From
February 2005 foreign students have also being applying
online to study at an university that is taking part in
the assist scheme.
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. Some universities
also accept the three years Indian Bachelors degree.
Entrance Requirements
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 programmes
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 programmes that
have English as a medium of instruction.
Applying for admission
You have to apply for admission directly to the universities.
Application forms can be requested from the International
offices of universities. The filled applications have
to be sent back to the university along with documents
required to be attached. The attached documents must normally
be authenticated copies of your certificates. You will
also have to include authenticated copies of certificates
confirming your knowledge of German, if required. The
winter semester starts in October and the summer semester
starts in April. The application deadline is 15th July
for the winter semester and 15th January for the summer
semester.
Preparatory Studies for Foreign Students
Applicants whose certificates aren't recognized still
have a chance to study in Germany. They can enroll at
a College of Preparatory Studies for Foreign Students
(Studienkolleg). Enrollment for the preparatory courses
is handled by the university. As with every other authority
in Germany, one needs to apply in writing. The Foreign
Students' Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt) at the various
universities will provide you with more details.
The preparatory program lasts for one year at the end
of which foreign students have to take a final examination.
If they pass the exam they are considered to be up to
the academic level they need to study at a German university
and can apply for admission.
The preparatory courses are conducted in German, so language
proficiency is a must. The German language diplomas of
the Culture Ministers, Level 1 (“Deutsches Sprachdiplom”)
as well as the GoetheInstitute’s “Zentrale
Mittelstufenprüfung” are considered proof of
your language fluency.
Registration
A basic principle of German universities is "academic
freedom". Every student is free to choose his/her
institution of higher education and lecturer. Of course
provided that all the conditions for admission are fulfilled.
Private universities, art and music academies as well
as sport academies generally select candidates based on
tests or interviews. But for most other subjects however,
you can register directly at the university. Before the
semester begins, long queues of hopeful students can be
seen in front of the Registrar's office. Most of them
are usually young people and carry the same papers :
The registration application (available at the Registrar's
office)
The school leaving certificate (translated in German and
if required certified) or the notification of
admission from the Foreign Students'
Office
Proof of adequate knowledge of German if applicable (or
knowledge of English for international study
courses)
A certificate from the university in the home country,
if a course was begun or completed in the country of
origin
Proof of medical insurance
This small document portfolio ensures successful registration.
All that remains is to pay the fees each semester and
one can immediately call oneself a real student.
Course Fees
After the Constitutional Court of Germany lifted the ban
on tuition fees in January 2005, many federal states announced
that they would introduce tuition fees. Baden-Württemberg,
Bavaria, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and North Rhine Westphalia
have been charging tuition fees for the first degree since
the summer term 2007, Hesse and Saarland are to follow
suit from the winter term 2007/08 onwards. Currently fees
of up to 500 Euro per semester are being charged.
There might be special regulations for international students!
This is why it is important to get detailed information
at the universities in question on whether tuition fees
will be charged. Information will generally be provided
by the enrolment offices or the „Studentensekretariat“.
Tuition fees for long-term students
Students who need more than the regular time to study
have to face additional top-up fees which will be charged
in almost all Federal States. Students who take longer
than average to complete their degree have to pay up to
800 Euro on top of the regular fees! At the moment, such
fees would usually be charged after 7 years, i.e. 14 semesters.
Registration Fees
Regardless of such tuition fees, German students need
to pay a registration fee. The so-called "social
contribution" of approximately 100 Euro per semester
goes to the student union and the social services. It
also entitles students to quite a number of benefits such
as free public transport (buses and trains), student reductions
etc.
Scholarships/Grants
Imagine you've finally been admitted to a German university,
but then discover that you don't have enough money to
study and live in this country: A scholarship could be
the solution. There are several organizations which offer
financial support for a course of study in Germany. The
magic term is “Promotion of talent”. Whereby
“talent” does not strictly mean just intelligence
or the ability to achieve good grades. Personality and
social commitment are also important criteria when considering
a person's eligibility for a scholarship. Some organizations
award scholarships specifically to first-year students,
while others only go to doctoral candidates. Several foundations
and organizations are directly supported by the German
government or industry, whereas others are run by the
church or other private organizations.
Many scholarship programs are intended specifically for
foreign undergraduate and graduate students. It’s
important to remember that all requests for information
about scholarships and all applications for a scholarship
should be sent in as early as possible, since there are
a large number of people interested in receiving them.
Scholarship Amount
The amount of money paid out through a scholarship is
usually calculated to cover normal living expenses. Even
if the sum may at first appear high to someone living
outside of Germany, you shouldn't forget that the cost
of living is high in Germany, and it's very likely that
there won't be a lot of money left at the end of the month.
Also, if the person receiving the scholarship takes on
a part time job they have to report this to the organization
providing the scholarship. And that organization will
then usually subtract the amount earned from the grant.
More than just Financial Support: The Political Foundations
The democratic political parties in Germany have realized
that the young scholars of today will be the decision-makers
of tomorrow. One of the main goals of their political
foundations is therefore the financial support of outstanding
students. Providing foreign students with financial aid
is very much in the interest of German politics, since
whoever has studied in Germany is familiar with the market
and culture - and will thus after graduation seek to establish
and maintain contacts with German companies. The foundations
especially promote exceptionally talented students. All
these foundations expect a high degree of social activity
and commitment on the part of applicants - as well as
the willingness to put the knowledge gained in Germany
to good use in their home country. In addition to financial
support the foundations also try to offer general guidance
and assistance in all academic and personal matters, such
as a mentor at the university. They also offer visiting
scholars the chance to take part in special events and
seminars.
Helpful information about scholarship programs is also
available in a book compiled by the German Students Services
(Deutsches Studentenwerk). The book is called “Förderungsmöglichkeiten
für Studierende or Promotion possibilities for students”
and was published in Bad Honnef in 2000.
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