Higher Education in Germany
Get an advanced degree in a campus setting, at home at the computer, full time or at your own pace.
There are more than 300 universities and about 220 Fachhochschulen (Universities of Applied Science) listed in the official guidebooks and web-sites. Unfortunately most of the information materials are available in German only, and admission in most cases is depending on German language proficiency as well. While a few universities and Fachhochschulen today offer programs taught in English - in particular executive programs in selected business and science fields - the vast majority of programs are taught in German, no matter whether they lead to a traditional German university diploma or to one of the newer bachelor's and master's degrees which have been introduced since 1999.
At the universities, for many decades a master's level degree was the first degree available and only the recent higher education reforms, which have introduced two-level programs at both the bachelor's and master's level have opened a chance to leave university earlier. The bachelor's degree was introduced to avoid the drastic rates of non-completers, which in some university subjects were as high as 75%. The Fachhochschulen / universities of applied science offer shorter and more practice-oriented programs. They generally lead to credentials at the bachelor's level, but more and more Fachhochschulen also offer master's programs for those students eligible for further study. A number of colleges of art and music offer programs in these areas.
Higher education in a more international setting and with English as the language of instruction is offered by several American and British institutions. Some of these have established a campus of their own in Germany, such as Schiller International University in Heidelberg. Other institutions operate in close co-operation with German state institutions,for instance, Duke University with Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. There are also some newer German institutions, one of which is Jacobs University Bremen that is German-founded and follows state-approved curricula. Some 'international' institutions are business units of large German state universities, such as Dresden International University (attached to Technische Universität Dresden), International Department Karlsruhe (attached to Technische Hochschule/Universität Karlsruhe) or Stuttgart Institute of Management & Technology (attached to Universität Stuttgart).
An enterprising new sector of private institutions in higher education has developed over the last two decades. Some of these institutions follow international patterns with their curricula, such as, ESCP-EAP in Berlin, or Internationale Fachhochschule Bad Honnef. Again, in some cases with private German universities, an English name of an institution does not automatically mean that programs are taught in English. Another new development is the creation of corporate universities, such as Volkswagen AutoUni. Only few have reached a point beyond regular in-service training, and in most cases corporate programs are open to employees only.
To make things even more complicated, there are several so-called 'business schools'. Most of these institutions have German state licenses, which allow them to offer 1- or 2-year programs leading to vocational degrees below the bachelor's level. In co-operation with British universities these 'business schools' now offer additional programs which lead to British credentials (in German) or master's level (but, again, not always in English).
Getting admitted to a German state university can be a trying process. Many programs are restricted regarding numbers of new students and start only once per year. Acceptance of foreign credentials is difficult and credit transfers rarely happen without losses. So sometimes a private, an American or British institution can offer a quicker way to a degree in Germany. Make sure to ask for executive programs, week-end and distance learning options.
Printed brochures describing the state higher education sector are available in English, French and Spanish from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) explaining the different levels of higher education studies (Studying in Germany - Information for foreigners on university services / on Fachhochschule studies/ on studies at colleges of art and music). Additional information at the web-site www.daad.org. Some information about private universities can be found on the web-site www.private-hochschulen.net (in German language only)
