Learning German in Bremen offers an immersive experience, combining language acquisition with cultural and academic growth. The vibrant university atmosphere enhances both linguistic skills and career opportunities. Cities like Bremen, a historic city-state, provide a unique blend of medieval charm and modern innovations, offering visitors a glimpse into both the past and the future.
Learn German in the university city of Bremen, where education and culture come together!
Bremen is not just a city for studying—it's a place where students can explore, relax, and enjoy a vibrant cultural and social life. From easy access to other European cities to tranquil parks and lively nightlife, there’s always something to experience.
Students can enjoy excursions throughout the region, with Bremen's central location in Europe making it the perfect starting point for trips to cities like Hamburg, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Brussels, and Amsterdam, among others. Additionally, Bremen is the only German city with an international airport just a ten-minute drive from the city center.
In Bremen, the city and peaceful countryside are just moments apart. When you need a break from student life, a short 20-minute walk from the city center will take you to the tranquil Hanseatic countryside. The city also boasts numerous public parks, perfect for relaxation. One popular spot is Bürgerpark, offering plenty of space for jogging, unwinding, or simply enjoying nature.
Bremen is home to a wealth of museums. The Bremer Kunsthalle displays stunning media art and paintings spanning the last 600 years. Just by the station, you'll find the Übersee-Museum, where exhibitions highlight the unique cultures and histories of each continent. Special showcases explore fascinating eras and unusual traditions, making it the perfect place to visit when you're struck by wanderlust or longing for home!
Bremen offers plenty of exciting nighttime experiences: join a pub tour with friends in the vibrant 'Viertel' district, unwind with drinks at a chic bar, or dance the night away at a trendy club along the famous 'disco mile.
For the living expenses you will need to budget between € 350-400 (Euro) per month to cover the costs of food, transportation, and leisure activities, but you will also need to account for your accommodation, tuition fees, plus any relevant student, application or permit fees. Keep in mind the cost of living may be higher or lower depending on where you live.
There are some useful websites you can use to help budget for your time in different countries. One option is Expatistan, which calculates the cost of living in Bremen using up-to-date, crowd-sourced data.
For your banking and payments options in Bremen, you generally pay in Euro. You can make purchases at stores using coins and notes, or a debit or credit card.
Bremen offers a diverse range of culinary delights, from regional specialties to international and haute cuisine, ensuring there’s something for every taste.
Whether you're exploring the city's local restaurants, taking a food-themed city tour, or even brewing your own Bremen beer, you'll find plenty of ways to satisfy your cravings. Bremen's residents are passionate about food and drink, and you'll be tempted by a wide variety of restaurants, pubs, cafés, and food producers. You might discover local dishes like Kohl and Pinkel (kale and sausage), Labskaus (meat stew), or Knipp (sausage with groats and meat)—while they may sound unfamiliar, Bremen's specialties are sure to leave an impression.
Bremen's traditional cuisine is shaped by its coastal location, trading history, and rural connections. You can dive deeper into the city's culinary scene by attending a beer seminar, a coffee tasting, a city tour with local appetizers, or even making your own sweets. There’s no shortage of ways to actively engage with Bremen's vibrant food culture.
Shopping in Bremen is a true pleasure, with the compact city center offering an abundance of boutiques, fashion stores, department shops, restaurants, and a vibrant cultural atmosphere.
For a relaxing shopping experience, explore the malls with their spacious, glass-filled interiors or stroll through the charming squares. With such a wide variety of options, you're sure to find something truly unique and special.
You can do your supermarket shopping at Rewe, Aldi, Edeka, Lidl, Kaufland, Penny, Netto etc.
Keep in mind the supermarkets and retailers are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
As study permit conditions can change quickly, you will need to make sure you follow up to date advice. The best place to find this advice is on the website of the Germany immigration authority.
Our team can help you through this as well, we offer visa support to students like you who wish to study in Germany, for free of charge.
It is important that you arrange a medical insurance before you leave. If you have general travel insurance, this may also include medical insurance.
Our team can help you through this as well. Speak to your counsellor.
PRIVACY NOTICE
Last updated June 15, 2023
This privacy notice describes how and why we might collect, store, use, and/or share ("process") your information when you use our services ("Services"), such as when you:
Questions or concerns? Reading this privacy notice will help you understand your privacy rights and choices. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services. If you still have any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@anatolia-edu.com.
SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS
This summary provides key points from our privacy notice, but you can find out more details about any of these topics below to find you are looking for.
What personal information do we process? When you visit, use, or navigate our Services, we may process personal information depending on how you interact with Anatolia Edu and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. Learn more about personal information you disclose to us.
Do we process any sensitive personal information? We do not process sensitive personal information.
Do we receive any information from third parties? We do not receive any information from third parties.
How do we process your information? We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent. We process your information only when we have a valid legal reason to do so. Learn more about how we process your information.
In what situations and with which types of parties do we share personal information? We may share information in specific situations and with specific categories of third parties. Learn more about when and with whom we share your personal information.
How do we keep your information safe? We have organizational and technical processes and procedures in place to protect your personal information. However, no electronic transmission over the internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorized third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information. Learn more about how we keep your information safe.
What are your rights? Depending on where you are located geographically, the applicable privacy law may mean you have certain rights regarding your personal information. Learn more about your privacy rights.
How do you exercise your rights? The easiest way to exercise your rights is by submitting a data subject access request, or by contacting us. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Want to learn more about what Anatolia Edu does with any information we collect? Review the privacy notice in full.
1. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
Personal information you disclose to us
In Short: We collect personal information that you provide to us.
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you register on the Services, express an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and Services, when you participate in activities on the Services, or otherwise when you contact us.
Personal Information Provided by You. The personal information that we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. The personal information we collect may include the following:
Sensitive Information. We do not process sensitive information.
Social Media Login Data. We may provide you with the option to register with us using your existing social media account details, like your Facebook, Twitter, or other social media account. If you choose to register in this way, we will collect the information described in the section called "HOW DO WE HANDLE YOUR SOCIAL LOGINS?" below.
All personal information that you provide to us must be true, complete, and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information.
Information automatically collected
In Short: Some information — such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address and/or browser and device characteristics — is collected automatically when you visit our Services.
We automatically collect certain information when you visit, use, or navigate the Services. This information does not reveal your specific identity (like your name or contact information) but may include device and usage information, such as your IP address, browser and device characteristics, operating system, language preferences, referring URLs, device name, country, location, information about how and when you use our Services, and other technical information. This information is primarily needed to maintain the security and operation of our Services, and for our internal analytics and reporting purposes.
Like many businesses, we also collect information through cookies and similar technologies.
The information we collect includes:
2. HOW DO WE PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION?
In Short: We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent.
We process your personal information for a variety of reasons, depending on how you interact with our Services, including:
3. WHAT LEGAL BASES DO WE RELY ON TO PROCESS YOUR INFORMATION?
In Short: We only process your personal information when we believe it is necessary and we have a valid legal reason (i.e., legal basis) to do so under applicable law, like with your consent, to comply with laws, to provide you with services to enter into or fulfill our contractual obligations, to protect your rights, or to fulfill our legitimate business interests.
If you are located in the EU or UK, this section applies to you.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR require us to explain the valid legal bases we rely on in order to process your personal information. As such, we may rely on the following legal bases to process your personal information:
In legal terms, we are generally the "data controller" under European data protection laws of the personal information described in this privacy notice, since we determine the means and/or purposes of the data processing we perform. This privacy notice does not apply to the personal information we process as a "data processor" on behalf of our customers. In those situations, the customer that we provide services to and with whom we have entered into a data processing agreement is the "data controller" responsible for your personal information, and we merely process your information on their behalf in accordance with your instructions. If you want to know more about our customers' privacy practices, you should read their privacy policies and direct any questions you have to them.
If you are located in Canada, this section applies to you.
We may process your information if you have given us specific permission (i.e., express consent) to use your personal information for a specific purpose, or in situations where your permission can be inferred (i.e., implied consent). You can withdraw your consent at any time.
In some exceptional cases, we may be legally permitted under applicable law to process your information without your consent, including, for example:
4. WHEN AND WITH WHOM DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
In Short: We may share information in specific situations described in this section and/or with the following categories of third parties.
Vendors, Consultants, and Other Third-Party Service Providers. We may share your data with third-party vendors, service providers, contractors, or agents ("third parties") who perform services for us or on our behalf and require access to such information to do that work. We have contracts in place with our third parties, which are designed to help safeguard your personal information. This means that they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do it. They will also not share your personal information with any organization apart from us. They also commit to protect the data they hold on our behalf and to retain it for the period we instruct. The categories of third parties we may share personal information with are as follows:
We also may need to share your personal information in the following situations:
5. DO WE USE COOKIES AND OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES?
In Short: We may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect and store your information.
We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like web beacons and pixels) to access or store information. Specific information about how we use such technologies and how you can refuse certain cookies is set out in our Cookie Notice.
6. HOW DO WE HANDLE YOUR SOCIAL LOGINS?
In Short: If you choose to register or log in to our Services using a social media account, we may have access to certain information about you.
Our Services offer you the ability to register and log in using your third-party social media account details (like your Facebook or Twitter logins). Where you choose to do this, we will receive certain profile information about you from your social media provider. The profile information we receive may vary depending on the social media provider concerned, but will often include your name, email address, friends list, and profile picture, as well as other information you choose to make public on such a social media platform.
We will use the information we receive only for the purposes that are described in this privacy notice or that are otherwise made clear to you on the relevant Services. Please note that we do not control, and are not responsible for, other uses of your personal information by your third-party social media provider. We recommend that you review their privacy notice to understand how they collect, use, and share your personal information, and how you can set your privacy preferences on their sites and apps.
7. HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION?
In Short: We keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy notice unless otherwise required by law.
We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements). No purpose in this notice will require us keeping your personal information for longer than the period of time in which users have an account with us.
When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymize such information, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.
8. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SAFE?
In Short: We aim to protect your personal information through a system of organizational and technical security measures.
We have implemented appropriate and reasonable technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. However, despite our safeguards and efforts to secure your information, no electronic transmission over the Internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure, so we cannot promise or guarantee that hackers, cybercriminals, or other unauthorized third parties will not be able to defeat our security and improperly collect, access, steal, or modify your information. Although we will do our best to protect your personal information, transmission of personal information to and from our Services is at your own risk. You should only access the Services within a secure environment.
9. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS?
In Short: In some regions, such as the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom (UK), and Canada, you have rights that allow you greater access to and control over your personal information. You may review, change, or terminate your account at any time.
In some regions (like the EEA, UK, and Canada), you have certain rights under applicable data protection laws. These may include the right (i) to request access and obtain a copy of your personal information, (ii) to request rectification or erasure; (iii) to restrict the processing of your personal information; and (iv) if applicable, to data portability. In certain circumstances, you may also have the right to object to the processing of your personal information. You can make such a request by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section "HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?" below.
We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
If you are located in the EEA or UK and you believe we are unlawfully processing your personal information, you also have the right to complain to your Member State data protection authority or UK data protection authority.
If you are located in Switzerland, you may contact the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner.
Withdrawing your consent: If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, which may be express and/or implied consent depending on the applicable law, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us by using the contact details provided in the section "HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?" below or updating your preferences.
However, please note that this will not affect the lawfulness of the processing before its withdrawal nor, when applicable law allows, will it affect the processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent.
Opting out of marketing and promotional communications: You can unsubscribe from our marketing and promotional communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the emails that we send, or by contacting us using the details provided in the section "HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?" below. You will then be removed from the marketing lists. However, we may still communicate with you — for example, to send you service-related messages that are necessary for the administration and use of your account, to respond to service requests, or for other non-marketing purposes.
Account Information
If you would at any time like to review or change the information in your account or terminate your account, you can:
Upon your request to terminate your account, we will deactivate or delete your account and information from our active databases. However, we may retain some information in our files to prevent fraud, troubleshoot problems, assist with any investigations, enforce our legal terms and/or comply with applicable legal requirements.
Cookies and similar technologies: Most Web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually choose to set your browser to remove cookies and to reject cookies. If you choose to remove cookies or reject cookies, this could affect certain features or services of our Services. You may also opt out of interest-based advertising by advertisers on our Services.
If you have questions or comments about your privacy rights, you may email us at info@anatolia-edu.com .
10. CONTROLS FOR DO-NOT-TRACK FEATURES
Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track ("DNT") feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. At this stage no uniform technology standard for recognizing and implementing DNT signals has been finalized. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this privacy notice.
11. DO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS HAVE SPECIFIC PRIVACY RIGHTS?
In Short: Yes, if you are a resident of California, you are granted specific rights regarding access to your personal information.
California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the "Shine The Light" law, permits our users who are California residents to request and obtain from us, once a year and free of charge, information about categories of personal information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared personal information in the immediately preceding calendar year. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please submit your request in writing to us using the contact information provided below.
If you are under 18 years of age, reside in California, and have a registered account with Services, you have the right to request removal of unwanted data that you publicly post on the Services. To request removal of such data, please contact us using the contact information provided below and include the email address associated with your account and a statement that you reside in California. We will make sure the data is not publicly displayed on the Services, but please be aware that the data may not be completely or comprehensively removed from all our systems (e.g., backups, etc.).
12. DO WE MAKE UPDATES TO THIS NOTICE?
In Short: Yes, we will update this notice as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws.
We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated "Revised" date and the updated version will be effective as soon as it is accessible. If we make material changes to this privacy notice, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this privacy notice frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.
13. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS NOTICE?
If you have questions or comments about this notice, you may email us at info@anatolia-edu.com or contact us by post at:
Anatolia Edu
__________
Firuz Ağa Mah. Boğazkesen Cadde. No.34 K.1 34425 Beyoğlu-İstanbul, Türkiye
If you are a resident in the European Economic Area, the "data controller" of your personal information is Anatolia Edu. Anatolia Edu has appointed Anatolia Edu to be its representative in the EEA. You can contact them directly regarding the processing of your information by Anatolia Edu, by email at info@anatolia-edu.com, by visiting https://www.anatolia-edu.com/contact, by phone at +49 (176) 63810043, or by post to:
Firuz Ağa Mah. Boğazkesen Cadde. No.34 K.1 34425 Beyoğlu-İstanbul, Türkiye
14. HOW CAN YOU REVIEW, UPDATE, OR DELETE THE DATA WE COLLECT FROM YOU?
Based on the applicable laws of your country, you may have the right to request access to the personal information we collect from you, change that information, or delete it. To request to review, update, or delete your personal information, please contact us using the details below:
https://www.anatolia-edu.com/contact
info@anatolia-edu.com
Firuz Ağa Mah. Boğazkesen Cadde. No.34 K.1 34425 Beyoğlu-İstanbul, Türkiye
Types of universities in Germany
Higher education in Germany is offered at three types of higher education institutions:
Research and practice-oriented higher education institutions (Universität and Fachhochschule) offer bachelor's or master's degrees at the end of higher education. Universities offer more theoretical and research-oriented education, while Fachhochschule offer a practice-based education program. For this reason, Fachhochschulen are becoming an important option in practical fields such as engineering and design
In Germany, there are also Schools of Education Science (Pädagogische Hochschule) and Theological Schools (Theologische Hochschuleler).
Duration of university in Germany
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree training programs lay the academic foundations, provide methodological skills and lead to the attainment of professional qualifications. The Bachelor's degree is awarded after 3 to 4 years. The Bachelor's degree program includes a thesis requirement.
In fields such as medicine and law, the duration of study ranges from 3.5 to 12 years.
Master's degree
The master's degree is the second degree obtained after 1.5 or 2 years. Master's degree programs can be differentiated into "practice-oriented" and "research-oriented" profile types. Higher education institutions determine the profile. The master's program usually includes a thesis requirement.
Doctorate - PhD
You can choose between different study paths for your PhD in Germany. Depending on your discipline, research topic, personal circumstances and requirements, there are two different pathways:
Individual doctorate: An individual doctorate is based on independent research carried out alone under the supervision of a professor. The majority of doctoral students in Germany choose this as the traditional method.
Structured PhD program: These programs offer a similar approach to PhD programs in English-speaking countries. You are supervised by an independent team and attend lectures and seminars with other PhD students. Usually, such programs are publicly advertised and include grant or paid PhD positions.
It usually takes five to six years to obtain a PhD, but this can vary.
University Grading System in Germany
The German university grading system typically follows a numerical scale from 1.0 (best) to 5.0 (fail). The passing grade is 4.0 or better, with the following meanings:
| German Grade | Verbal Equivalent (in German) | Approx. Percentage | Meaning (English) |
| 1.0 – 1.5 | Sehr Gut | 90 – 100% | Very Good |
| 1.6 – 2.5 | Gut | 75 – 89% | Good |
| 2.6 – 3.5 | Befriedigend | 60 – 74% | Satisfactory |
| 3.6 – 4.0 | Ausreichend | 50 – 59% | Sufficient (Pass) |
| 5.0 | Nicht Ausreichend | 0 – 49% | Fail |
The verbal indication of grades may differ in some cases and for doctoral degrees. In addition, institutions partly use the ECTS grading scale (A–F).
University Tuition Fees in Germany
State universities
While tuition fees are waived for many programs at state universities, you may be required to pay fees for some programs.
There are generally no fees for undergraduate and postgraduate programs at state universities; only a semester contribution of approximately €100 - €450, known as the semester fee or semester fee, has to be paid. This semester fee covers the cost of the public transportation card (one semester ticket for free use) and the student ID card.
While tuition fees are waived for many programs at state universities, you may have to pay fees for some programs. For example, for joint degree programs with universities in another country or for part-time master's programs for career-oriented professionals. These fees range from €5,500 to €25,000.
Additionally, some public universities in Germany charge tuition fees specifically for non-EU international students. These semester fees typically range between €2,000 and €3,000, but they can be lower or higher depending on the institution and program. In many cases, international students may apply for tuition waivers or scholarships to cover these costs.
Semester fees also apply for doctoral studies and all public universities in Germany do not charge tuition fees for at least the first 6 semesters.
Private universities
Private universities operate independently and are funded by tuition fees. As such, they are generally more expensive than public universities; you should budget between €10,000 and €20,000 per year for undergraduate and master's programs.
Scholarships for higher education in Germany
International students in Germany can apply for and benefit from different scholarships, including government and privately funded scholarships, private scholarships offered by German universities, state-specific scholarships and various MBA scholarships for international students.
Application requirements for studying in Germany
Applicants to a higher education institution in Germany are expected to have certain qualifications. These include an internationally recognized high school diploma, such as the Abitur in Germany, and a German or English language proficiency certificate. Some degree programs have minimum grades and quota restrictions.
Requirements for Applying to Bachelor’s Programs in Germany
Students who are eligible to study in a formal undergraduate program in their home country can apply to a department of their choice in Germany. There is no limit to the number of courses you can apply for.
You have studied or are studying at a university outside Germany:
Requirements for Applying to Master's Programs in Germany
Students who have completed a bachelor's degree program in their home country can apply to a program of their choice in Germany. There is no limit to the number of courses you can apply for. Your bachelor's degree will need to be equivalent to a German bachelor's degree of 3, 3.5 or 4 years. Some degree programs have minimum grades and quota restrictions.
PhD Admission Requirements in Germany
The regulations and requirements for doctoral studies are set by the relevant university departments. In Germany, you need to select a potential supervisor and apply directly to the professor in question.
Once you have found a professor in Germany as your supervisor, the responsible department or doctoral committee at your university must approve your eligibility as a PhD candidate. At some universities, candidates have to apply for admission to the doctoral examination at this stage.
For your application to be successful, your planned doctoral thesis must be in line with the main emphases of the program and you must have a good or very good degree recognized in Germany.
Application periods for universities in Germany
In most higher education institutions, winter semester study starts in September/October and summer semester study starts in March/April.
If the program you are applying for starts in the winter semester, the application deadline is usually July 15; if the program starts in the summer semester, the application deadline is usually January 15. However, each university or undergraduate program can accept applications within the application deadlines they set, for example, April 1-30 or May 15-July 15
In addition, some universities allow applications throughout the year.
Restrictions
Numerus Clausus (limited number): At universities, the demand for some departments exceeds the number of students those departments can accept. For this reason, quota restrictions, known as NC (Numerus Clausus), are applied.
örtliches NC (local NC): Some universities may restrict the number of applicants for some of their programs; this is called a örtliches NC
bundesweites NC (nationwide NC): Some university courses (e.g. medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and dentistry) are subject to admission restrictions at all universities in Germany because they are very popular.
Mindestnote (minimum grade): A minimum grade is required for some bachelor's and master's programs. In addition to the GPA, universities may set other criteria that play a role in the selection process, such as tests, selection interviews or motivation letters. The criteria vary depending on the university and degree program.
Conditional acceptance at German universities
Conditional admission is a preparatory program for prospective international students who have the university entrance qualification (not all admission requirements have been met) but have not yet reached the German C1 language proficiency level. Enrolling in this preparatory program allows you to stay in Germany with a student residence permit.
The purpose of conditional admission is to enable prospective students to reach German C1 level in order to apply for the degree program. This period is a maximum of 4 semesters.
Please note that expired admissions and language course registrations will not be accepted and may lead to rejection of your application.
Types of universities in Türkiye
Higher education in Germany is offered at three types of higher education institutions:
Research and practice-oriented higher education institutions (Universität and Fachhochschule) offer bachelor's or master's degrees at the end of higher education. Universities offer more theoretical and research-oriented education, while Fachhochschule offer a practice-based education program. For this reason, Fachhochschulen are becoming an important option in practical fields such as engineering and design
In Germany, there are also Schools of Education Science (Pädagogische Hochschule) and Theological Schools (Theologische Hochschuleler).
Duration of university in Germany
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree training programs lay the academic foundations, provide methodological skills and lead to the attainment of professional qualifications. The Bachelor's degree is awarded after 3 to 4 years. The Bachelor's degree program includes a thesis requirement.
In fields such as medicine and law, the duration of study ranges from 3.5 to 12 years.
Master's degree
The master's degree is the second degree obtained after 1.5 or 2 years. Master's degree programs can be differentiated into "practice-oriented" and "research-oriented" profile types. Higher education institutions determine the profile. The master's program usually includes a thesis requirement.
Doctorate - PhD
You can choose between different study paths for your PhD in Germany. Depending on your discipline, research topic, personal circumstances and requirements, there are two different pathways:
Individual doctorate: An individual doctorate is based on independent research carried out alone under the supervision of a professor. The majority of doctoral students in Germany choose this as the traditional method.
Structured PhD program: These programs offer a similar approach to PhD programs in English-speaking countries. You are supervised by an independent team and attend lectures and seminars with other PhD students. Usually, such programs are publicly advertised and include grant or paid PhD positions.
It usually takes five to six years to obtain a PhD, but this can vary.
University Grading System in Germany
The German university grading system typically follows a numerical scale from 1.0 (best) to 5.0 (fail). The passing grade is 4.0 or better, with the following meanings:
| German Grade | Verbal Equivalent (in German) | Approx. Percentage | Meaning (English) |
| 1.0 – 1.5 | Sehr Gut | 90 – 100% | Very Good |
| 1.6 – 2.5 | Gut | 75 – 89% | Good |
| 2.6 – 3.5 | Befriedigend | 60 – 74% | Satisfactory |
| 3.6 – 4.0 | Ausreichend | 50 – 59% | Sufficient (Pass) |
| 5.0 | Nicht Ausreichend | 0 – 49% | Fail |
The verbal indication of grades may differ in some cases and for doctoral degrees. In addition, institutions partly use the ECTS grading scale (A–F).
University Tuition Fees in Germany
State universities
While tuition fees are waived for many programs at state universities, you may be required to pay fees for some programs.
There are generally no fees for undergraduate and postgraduate programs at state universities; only a semester contribution of approximately €100 - €450, known as the semester fee or semester fee, has to be paid. This semester fee covers the cost of the public transportation card (one semester ticket for free use) and the student ID card.
While tuition fees are waived for many programs at state universities, you may have to pay fees for some programs. For example, for joint degree programs with universities in another country or for part-time master's programs for career-oriented professionals. These fees range from €5,500 to €25,000.
Additionally, some public universities in Germany charge tuition fees specifically for non-EU international students. These semester fees typically range between €2,000 and €3,000, but they can be lower or higher depending on the institution and program. In many cases, international students may apply for tuition waivers or scholarships to cover these costs.
Semester fees also apply for doctoral studies and all public universities in Germany do not charge tuition fees for at least the first 6 semesters.
Private universities
Private universities operate independently and are funded by tuition fees. As such, they are generally more expensive than public universities; you should budget between €10,000 and €20,000 per year for undergraduate and master's programs.
Scholarships for higher education in Germany
International students in Germany can apply for and benefit from different scholarships, including government and privately funded scholarships, private scholarships offered by German universities, state-specific scholarships and various MBA scholarships for international students.
Application requirements for studying in Germany
Applicants to a higher education institution in Germany are expected to have certain qualifications. These include an internationally recognized high school diploma, such as the Abitur in Germany, and a German or English language proficiency certificate. Some degree programs have minimum grades and quota restrictions.
Requirements for Applying to Bachelor’s Programs in Germany
Students who are eligible to study in a formal undergraduate program in their home country can apply to a department of their choice in Germany. There is no limit to the number of courses you can apply for.
You have studied or are studying at a university outside Germany:
Requirements for Applying to Master's Programs in Germany
Students who have completed a bachelor's degree program in their home country can apply to a program of their choice in Germany. There is no limit to the number of courses you can apply for. Your bachelor's degree will need to be equivalent to a German bachelor's degree of 3, 3.5 or 4 years. Some degree programs have minimum grades and quota restrictions.
PhD Admission Requirements in Germany
The regulations and requirements for doctoral studies are set by the relevant university departments. In Germany, you need to select a potential supervisor and apply directly to the professor in question.
Once you have found a professor in Germany as your supervisor, the responsible department or doctoral committee at your university must approve your eligibility as a PhD candidate. At some universities, candidates have to apply for admission to the doctoral examination at this stage.
For your application to be successful, your planned doctoral thesis must be in line with the main emphases of the program and you must have a good or very good degree recognized in Germany.
Application periods for universities in Germany
In most higher education institutions, winter semester study starts in September/October and summer semester study starts in March/April.
If the program you are applying for starts in the winter semester, the application deadline is usually July 15; if the program starts in the summer semester, the application deadline is usually January 15. However, each university or undergraduate program can accept applications within the application deadlines they set, for example, April 1-30 or May 15-July 15
In addition, some universities allow applications throughout the year.
Restrictions
Numerus Clausus (limited number): At universities, the demand for some departments exceeds the number of students those departments can accept. For this reason, quota restrictions, known as NC (Numerus Clausus), are applied.
örtliches NC (local NC): Some universities may restrict the number of applicants for some of their programs; this is called a örtliches NC
bundesweites NC (nationwide NC): Some university courses (e.g. medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and dentistry) are subject to admission restrictions at all universities in Germany because they are very popular.
Mindestnote (minimum grade): A minimum grade is required for some bachelor's and master's programs. In addition to the GPA, universities may set other criteria that play a role in the selection process, such as tests, selection interviews or motivation letters. The criteria vary depending on the university and degree program.
Conditional acceptance at German universities
Conditional admission is a preparatory program for prospective international students who have the university entrance qualification (not all admission requirements have been met) but have not yet reached the German C1 language proficiency level. Enrolling in this preparatory program allows you to stay in Germany with a student residence permit.
The purpose of conditional admission is to enable prospective students to reach German C1 level in order to apply for the degree program. This period is a maximum of 4 semesters.
Please note that expired admissions and language course registrations will not be accepted and may lead to rejection of your application.
