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Gain insights into the Germany higher education framework, academic culture, teaching methods, and grading system to prepare for your studies.
3 to 4 years
The first degree that qualifies you for a job. Most common: Bachelor of Arts, Science or Engineering.
1 to 2 years
An advanced degree, usually after a first degree. Most common: Master of Arts, Science or Engineering.
State examination (Staatsexamen)
For medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, law, pharmacy, food chemistry and some teacher training.
Doctorate (PhD)
Only universities can award doctoral degrees.
Germany has three kinds of schools: universities, universities of applied sciences, and colleges of art and music. Together they offer more than 20,000 degree courses.
Germany has state and state-recognised universities of three main types.
They focus on research and teach many subjects.
•Only universities can award doctorates.
•Examples: Technical University of Munich (TUM), RWTH Aachen University, TU Berlin, University of Stuttgart, University of Mannheim.
They teach by doing real work, not only theory.
•Often in engineering, business and social sciences.
•Most private universities are of this type.
Teach visual, creative and performing arts and music.
•They count as much as universities.
The first degree that qualifies you for a job.
An advanced degree for further job skills.
Studied at a university. The state sets the final exams.
What to expect from student life and study rules.
German universities expect your own work.
uni-assist (a service that checks papers for many German universities) gives you a paper called VPD that puts your grades on the German scale.
A semester is half a study year. The year has a winter semester and a summer semester.
October to March
At TUM: 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
April to September
At TUM: 1 April 2027 to 30 September 2027.
Exams can also take place in the break.
German universities are state or state-recognised. Most private ones are universities of applied sciences.
Check your university before you apply.
Lists German universities and their degree courses.
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