Congratulations, you have finally narrowed in on Germany as the destination for your higher education. Studying in Germany has several wonderful benefits. The education system is designed to benefit students and scholars and help them make most of their stay in the country. Along with that a culturally diverse student body also makes your experience of study abroad richer!
But now that you have picked Germany as your study destination, it’s time for you to delve deeper into the various criteria and processes that you need to know and research before you can start your journey of studying in Germany. Team Coracle is here to help you out by creating a list of 10 things that you must research before you start applying for universities in this country.
1. The Need For TOEFL or IELTS
While German universities teach most of their courses in German, there are quite a few colleges where you can study in Germany in English. For these courses, you are expected to show a TOEFL, IELTS or equivalent certification to prove that your English-speaking proficiency is good enough for you to attend this course.
However, if your previous degree was taught in English, you can simply get a certificate from your institution specifying the same and voila! You will not need to spend any money and take another test. This document will certify that you are a fluent English speaker and can follow a course that is entirely taught in English.
If you are also applying in other countries that need a TOEFL or IELTS score, you can always send in your score along with the document from your college if you feel it strengthens your application.
2. Choosing The Right Location
Most German cities are extremely student-friendly. But there are a few things that you must consider before you narrow down the colleges you apply to. The foremost among these is the cost of living.
While you can always find cheaper alternatives for everything else, your accommodation is often the thing you spend most of your money on. So, when you are narrowing down to a city where you would like to live, research to find out the rental costs of that particular place. For example, Munich has the highest housing costs in the country whereas Berlin is surprisingly affordable despite being very popular among young people and professionals.
Another important thing to consider the level of diversity in a federal state’s population as well. According to a 2016 Brookings report, Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine Westphalia) has the highest immigrant population.
Coincidentally, it also has some of the best universities and colleges in the country like Päderborn University, TU Dortmund, University of Cologne and University of Bonn among others. A more immigrant-friendly city also means that you will be a part of a more diverse student community which becomes an important part of the student experience when you study abroad.
Moreover, not all states offer free education to non-EU citizens. For example, in Baden-Württemberg, international students have to pay a semester fee of 1,500 Euros with a few exceptions such as non-German EU & EEA citizens among others.
3. Finding The Best Universities In Germany For Your Field
Once you narrow down to the federal states and cities you would like to live in as a student in Germany, comes the most important step of finding the universities that have the best programs for your field of study.
Most universities here have great programs in the STEM courses and you will have a huge list to choose from. However, when it comes to non-STEM fields, your choices might be limited to only a few public universities with a majority of private schools populating the list.
Moreover, you might be able to find schools that cater to your specialized area of work through studying research papers, looking at facilitators and professors at these colleges and understanding their bodies of work.
It might also help if you apply to universities in Germany that are good for your field irrespective of their location and then choose the best ones in your preferred state after you receive your acceptance. This keeps your options wider and allows you to pick and choose once you have concrete results.
4. Researching The Criteria For Your Course
Coming from a different country and continuing your education in Germany means that you need to ensure your current certifications, degrees and documents are valid here. The English-language proficiency certificate is one such extra document that universities in German might ask for.
Similarly, if you have completed school in your home country, you might need to attend a subject-restricted preparatory course (“Studienkolleg”) to receive admission in your field of choice. For some countries such as India, finishing 2 semesters of a bachelor’s course from a state-recognized university allows you to gain direct admission to a bachelor’s degree program in Germany.
If you are applying for your Master’s degree, the criteria change. Such as if your bachelor’s degree was 4 years or more, you can apply for colleges that are outside of your area of specialization. With a degree of 3 years, however, your options are restricted to courses that belong only to your field of study. For example, if you have a Bachelor in Computer Applications which was spread over 3 years, you can only apply for masters’ in related courses.
DAAD has a comprehensive explainer and tool that will help you find out exactly what your current status of education means for your study abroad plans in Germany. You need to do in-depth research and stay abreast of the changing regulations to ensure that your application meets all the requirements recommended by the authorities and the institutions that you choose.
5. Seeking Relevant Scholarships
DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) or German Academic Exchange Service offer several scholarships for international students looking to study in universities in Germany for their Master’s courses.
Several other organizations also offer scholarships that assist international students from various fields of education. These grants are thankfully not only restricted to students in the STEM domain and is extended to students pursuing their studies in artistic domains.
Since most universities are free, these grants cover your monthly expenses of 861 euros (as of 2021) and often cover your health and liability insurance as well. In some cases, they might even reimburse your house rent!
If you get one of these scholarships, you will effectively not have to show funds in a blocked account as this takes care of your financial requirements for studying in Germany. Therefore, research thoroughly and find out your eligibility for these grants and apply generously for an even smoother study experience in the country.
6. Learning The German Language
The short answer to this question will always be yes! But you might not always need German for your academics. If your course is in German, you might need to show a proficiency level of B1 or above to secure admission in the same.
However, many universities in Germany have courses that are taught completely in English. Moreover, if you have already studied in English, it might not be very easy for you to continue your studies in a completely new language, however fluent you are in that.
But knowing German will make your daily life immensely easy in the country. It especially comes in handy when you have to look for a job during your studies or after as many employers seek out skilled employees with a certain level of proficiency in spoken German.
Needless to say, knowing the language also helps you in communicating with your neighbours, colleagues and classmates, ensuring that you have a more vibrant and fulfilling social life in a new country away from home.
7. Looking Out For Advice From Current and Former Students
No one knows the experience of being a student in a foreign country better than a person who has gone through the grind of finding a college, applying for it, finally moving to and studying in Germany.
Therefore, one of the best ways to prepare for your applications is talking to your seniors who have applied for similar courses and gone through the process. Their lived experiences often reveal hacks and strategies that might come in handy for you. They can give you valuable insights into their experiences with their particular institution, student community and city that they live in.
An easy way of finding students who are studying in Germany is through Facebook groups for particular universities. Most cities also have Facebook groups exclusively for students and this might be extremely helpful in connecting with and understanding the ease of living in a particular location.
8. Following Informative Social Media Accounts
If you are a millennial or GenZ, the chances are that you spend a significant amount of your time on social media. Therefore, it only seems fair that you can use it to help you become more informed about your future move to Germany.
You don’t need to do this solely to learn more about studying in Germany but to understand the culture of the country that might come in handy in the long run. Instagram especially has several accounts that are filled with interesting content that addresses the needs of current and future students. You can follow our Instagram account here to get a glimpse of similar content.
Moreover, is there a better place to see the beautiful tourist locations in and around Germany than on Instagram? Following travel pages on the platform can give you a nice idea about the different cities, their special attractions and fuel your excitement about moving to the country.
9. Understanding The Visa Requirements For Your Country
The German visa is not an easy one to acquire. The main reason for this is the current upsurge in student applications and the lack of infrastructure to process these rapidly and efficiently. On paper, a D-type study abroad visa to Germany takes 6–12 weeks but due to Covid-19, this process is much less predictable.
Therefore, if you are planning to travel to Germany for either the winter or summer semester (October or April) make sure you have enough time to get your visa and travel to your university before classes begin. In addition to that, stay abreast of the changing visa and travel regulations to ensure that your documents are always up to date.
The German Consulate has partnered with VFS Global to provide both long term and short term visa to applicants in several countries. You can visit their website to get a comprehensive list of documents and other criteria that you need to fulfil to receive your visa.
10. Choosing A Good Blocked Account & Insurance Service
One of the most important criteria for your German visa is the blocked account with 10,332 euros, health insurance and travel insurance. These three things can completely determine the fate of your visa processing.
Many might choose Deutsche Bank for their blocked account services given that it used to be the only solution till just a few years back. However, they are not extremely advanced and require you to submit the application for a bank account at your local German embassy to begin the process. It is often complicated and slow, thereby making it the least favourite among most international students.
Therefore, the best way to show your money and insurance to the authorities is to use one of the several blocked account service providers who help students with the same.
All of these companies not only help you to create a blocked account that you can access once you arrive in Germany, but they also provide you with the relevant documents that you can show at the Consulate for your visa appointment as proof of funds.
Also, they provide travel insurance and public health insurance for students which are activated once you reach your destination in Germany. Opening your blocked account with Coracle also gives you options to choose between multiple public health insurance providers.
Are You Ready To Apply?
Once you have done your research thoroughly, your focus should primarily be on creating an outstanding application that universities cannot turn down. The key to a successful admission is having several options at hand, getting valuable advice from your seniors and showing your passion and personality in your application!
