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Graduate study opportunities in Germany
With more than 80,000 international students currently enjoying the benefits of Germany’s graduate programs, have you considered heading towards one of Europe’s largest countries - and the home of global higher education as we know it?
Few people know that the modern-day structure of universities all over the world is largely the result of reforms enacted by German philosopher and diplomat Wilhelm von Humboldt in the early 19th century. 300 institutions of higher education throughout the country provide graduate programs in all academic areas, offering Masters and PhD degrees, many of which are taught in English, recognized internationally for their quality, content and intellectual rigour.
Most universities offering graduate programs are state-run, administered by federal and local bureaucracies that control both their funding and their quality assurance mechanisms. Many German universities are well regarded internationally and an increasing number are playing leading roles in university associations such as the League of European Research Universities (LERU). In recent years, private colleges have also emerged, offering Masters programs, particularly in more career-related areas, such as business, law, management and public policy.
PhD programs
One of the approaches in the German higher education system that sets it apart from other European countries is the way in which research and teaching are very closely combined, with the result that students have a very firm grasp of the theoretical nature of the subject they have studied. The number of international students enrolled in PhD programs is one of the highest in all of Europe and reflects the quality and emphasis of the German higher education system in this area. Graduate tutorials – or Graduiertenkollegs – are a central feature of this kind of study, encouraging small group work and close interaction with leading professors or other academic members of staff.
German qualifications are regarded as being of the highest quality, based on a system of education that blends thorough theoretical knowledge with cutting-edge research, informed by contemporary technology and discoveries. The need for quality assurance amongst German qualifications is well recognized and is the ultimate responsibility of the Standing Conference of Ministers for Cultural Affairs (KMK), which has now implemented a number of measures to ensure adherence to all agreed quality standards. This has recently become a central issue for German universities as the Bologna reforms have begun to transform the structure of many graduate programs.
Christian Mueller, Head of Marketing and Communications at the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) sees the implementation of the Bologna reforms as crucially important to the development of German graduate education: “our move to Masters degrees makes us much more attractive to the huge demand from the international market. With the new ECTS system and Diploma supplements German degrees will be recognized all over the world.”
Tuition fees and student finance
Perhaps one of the strongest arguments for international graduate students to consider Germany as their destination of choice is the low cost of tuition fees at all of the public universities. With only nominal fees of between €500 and €800 a semester, Masters and PhD programs offer great value for money with almost the entire cost of your studies and research being subsidized by the German taxpayer. Though cost of living can be high, many scholarships and financial awards are available from the German government and constituent states to encourage the best international students to apply for German programs.
Germany offers an excellent range of world-renowned Masters degrees and PhD programs at a fraction of the cost of its more expensive neighbours France and The Netherlands. With a vibrant culture and emerging internationalism, attending a German university for your graduate program may well be one of the best decisions you make for the benefit of your career and personal development.
