Study in Germany

How is Germany for Indian Students?

Germany has so many sides to it, from fascinating landscapes, to inspiring art and culture scenes and a modern world-class economy. Germany has always been in the forefront of technological advances and innovative inventions. If you choose to study in Germany, you will be learning about the latest technological advances and trends in your particular subject. The country’s rich history and culture make Germany an exciting and rewarding place to live and study. Come and gain an insight into an exciting country right in the heart of Europe.

The standard of living in Germany is amongst the highest in the world. This is to a large extent a result of the successful German industry. The car production industry in Germany is for example one of the world’s largest. The financial center of the country, as well as of the entire European Union, is found in Frankfurt, a truly cosmopolitan city with the largest airport in Europe.

German university education continues to be tuition free. Students usually Germany colleges and universities have to pay only for textbooks, certain administrative fees, and for room and board. However, most states continue to assess a semester fee that ranges from about 50 to 300 euros. In some states if a student’s studies exceed four semesters, there is a special tuition charge of 500 to 800 euros per each additional semester.

As of 2013, there were a total of 427 institutions of higher education in Germany. Besides 108 universities, there were six teachers colleges, 17 theological seminaries, and 52 art colleges, 215 technical institutes and 29 state administrative training institutes. Fewer than 100 of these are private institutions. Finally, Study in Germany for Indian students is a complete new experience to cherish for.

Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Programs in Germany:

German colleges and Universities participate in quite a number of study programs which are funded by Erasmus Mundus Scholarships. The scholarships allow international students to pursue a participating Erasmus Mundus study program for free.

German Foundations Scholarship Programs:

A number of political and religious foundations in Germany offers scholarships to international students from various backgrounds, interests, and qualifications. Studentwerk-berlin.de outlines them in this list.

Heinrich Boll Foundation Scholarships is an example of a scholarship offered by a German political foundation while DAAD Scholarships is an example of a scholarship offered by a religious foundation in Germany.

DAAD Scholarship Programs:

DAAD is a joint organization of Germany’s higher education institutions and is responsible for promoting international academic relations, primarily through the exchange of students, academics and researchers. The DAAD scholarship database contains scholarship and funding opportunities for foreign students, graduate students and scientists who are seeking financial support for their studies, research work or teaching assignments in Germany. The database not only lists all the scholarships offered by the DAAD Germany, but also diverse programs offered by a wide variety of institutions.

The most popular DAAD scholarship program for developing country students is the DAAD Scholarships for Postgraduate Courses with Special Relevance to Developing Countries.

For more info on How to get Scholarship in Germany for Indian Students, consult with best consultancy for Germany – Admissiongyan Consultancy.

Anyone wanting to study in Germany needs health insurance – without this you won’t be able to enroll in a German university.

To study in Germany you need health insurance. Many students will be able to use their health insurance from their home country. Germany has concluded social insurance agreements with some countries, including the member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area. This means that anyone who has statutory health insurance in their home country can register this insurance cover with a statutory health insurer in Germany. To find out the best way of doing this you will need to contact your local health insurance company. You generally need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Private health insurers from other countries are sometimes also recognized in Germany. Your local insurer will be able to provide more information. In this case, you will need a confirmation certificate to enroll in the university. Anyone commencing their studies in Germany with private insurance is then not allowed to switch to a statutory health insurer for the entire duration of their course.

Health insurance for a language course or a preparatory course?

Anyone participating in a preparatory language course or other preparatory course is generally not obliged to obtain health insurance, but may do so voluntarily.

Finding insurance in Germany

Anyone who does not have access to their local health insurance will need to obtain insurance in Germany. The statutory health insurers in Germany are obliged to provide discounted student rates for their insurance cover for students until they reach 30 years of age or until the end of their 14th semester of study. You can obtain health insurance from any statutory health insurer in Germany. They generally charge a standard fee for student health and nursing insurance. The membership fee is currently 80 euros a month. The health insurer will issue you a certificate on the existing insurance cover, which you need to submit during enrollment.

Anyone who is over 30 years of age or has been studying for more than 14 semesters during their period of study in Germany can maintain their statutory insurance, but at a higher rate. Anyone who is over the age of 29 when starting their course can only obtain private insurance.

Higher education aspirants for Germany can consult with Admissiongyan German Education Consultants in Bangalore to enquire more about health insurance details.

Unemployment among graduates in Germany one year after leaving their institution is at 4% and below, compared with a seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate of 5.9%, according to a survey by HIS-HF, a higher education statistics agency. While 4% of graduates with the traditional diploma, masters or state exam from a university or Fachhochschule (University of Applied Science) are still without a job after one year, graduates with one of the new bachelor degrees appear to be doing even better, with a 2% unemployment rate for university and 3% for fachhochschul graduates.

Consult with Admissiongyan German Consultancy in Bangalore to get more details on German job prospects after Masters.

The survey was carried out across Germany among more than 10,000 graduates from the examination cohort of 2009. Annette Schavan, the education minister, said: “Job prospects for higher education graduates are good. And they are going to get even better because of the lack of skilled labour.” The share of those taking up jobs below their qualification level is low, too, at just 3% of Fachhochschul and 5% of university graduates. Kolja Briedis, who headed the survey project, said: “This means that compared with the cohort interviewed five years previously, in 2005, entering a profession appears to be working even better.”

In the period under review, pre-tax annual salaries for full-time employees appear to have risen substantially, as well. Average annual income for job-starters had been at around EUR33,000 (US$45,400), but was at EUR37,250 for fachhochschul graduates and EUR37,500 for university graduates in 2009. There were significant salary differentials, though, with medicine graduates topping the list at just under EUR50,000 and graduates in the humanities bringing up the rear, with EUR27,000.

One year after graduating, 77% of university bachelors and 53% of fachhochschul bachelors took up a further university course, usually a masters, with around 90% of them being able to study at an institution of their choice. Most bachelor graduates who were interviewed said they wished to go on studying because they were personally motivated to do so, and not because they were worried about being unemployed. Most of the bachelor graduates who did not go on to a further university course were successful with entering a profession, and just 7% of fachhochschul graduates were working in positions below their qualification level one year after graduating. At an average of EUR33,650, income for job-starters in this group was around 10% lower than among fachhochschul graduates with a diploma.

At universities, starters in economics with a bachelor degree were earning EUR33,000 on average, and those with a diplom EUR37,000. Successful graduation at a German university opens a range of opportunities in the German job market for international graduates. What is my best method of attack?

Graduates from the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) have free access to the German job market. By contrast, graduates from other countries are allowed to extend their residence permit for up to 18 months after completing their studies for the purpose of looking for employment. Incidentally, during this period you can work as much as you want. The 18 months start as soon as the final exam result has been issued in writing. So, anyone wanting to work in Germany after completing their studies should already start looking for a job in their final semester.

Compliance with the statutory provisions

The “Information on the Statutory Frameworks applicable to the Pursuit of Gainful Employment by Foreign Students, Academics and Scientists” leaflet provides more detailed information.

Consider what your skills are:

The search for the perfect job starts with you. You should think about your own interests and skills before thinking about specific jobs. Questions that may help during this self-assessment:

• Who am I?
• What am I good at?
• What do I want to do?
• What is possible?

Many graduates only look for jobs that precisely match their course. A better approach would be to look at the bigger picture, consider related fields and transfer your knowledge. If you read job advertisements carefully, you will notice that companies are often looking for employees with certain skills, not a specific degree.

The University’s Career Centre can also help you launch your career. They help students and graduates make the transition from their studies to professional life. Career Centres help you organise your own situation and explore possible careers. They also check your application documents, hold information events and invite companies to hold presentations.

Seek an external opinion:

You can also ask people close to you for their opinion. Or, you can ask for feedback from a professor or an internship supervisor. You can then compare your self-assessment with the external opinion. These opinions can often provide new perspectives.

Searching for and finding the right job

Once you are sure of your interests and skills you can start looking for a job. In order to know which jobs you want to consider, you will need to have specific expectations of a range of different jobs. Looking for potential employers during your course, completing internships and establishing professional contacts definitely provide an advantage. It gives you something to build on when you start looking for a job at the end of your course.

The university Career Centre should be your first port of call. They help to answer any questions about launching your career – and most have well-structured job exchanges. The Federal Employment Agency manages Germany’s largest online job portal and also provides an overview of the potential fields of employment. A range of other job portals are available on the Internet: general portals, such as www.monster.de and www.stepstone.de, as well as specific websites. The Absolventa job portal specifically targets students, graduates and young professionals. The ZEIT portal provides more academic job offers.

Newspapers are of course another important tool. The Science Shop Bonn collects job advertisements for scholars in the “Arbeitsmarkt” magazine every week. Or you can have a look at the websites of companies that you find particularly interesting to check whether they have any vacancies. A whole range of job and career fairs are also held, which you can find out about in the Radar job fair.

Social networks for professional contacts are also popular in Germany – for example www.xing.de or www.linkedin.com. These networks let you create a professional profile and establish contacts with companies that are looking for new employees.

Correctly assessing your job prospects

It always takes time and effort to find the right job. But, thanks to the good economic situation in Germany, university graduates looking for work generally have very good prospects. Added to this is the fact that there is a lack of skilled employees in many regions and professions. The fields of mathematics, IT, natural sciences and technology as well as other areas, such as the health sector, are experiencing particular shortages.

This means that, depending on the sector, you have a good chance of finding a job. You can find more information on the actual figures on the “Portal zur Fachkräfte-Offensive”. The welcome portal “Make it in Germany” provides information on the job opportunities in Germany as well as an overview of life in Germany.

Better opportunities with a good knowledge of German

Your chances of finding a job in Germany are generally much better if you have a good knowledge of German. Exceptions include large, multinational companies and scientific research institutes.

The permit is usually granted for one year and is extendable as long as your situation remains the same. After five years, you can apply for a settlement permit or EU right of residence in order to stay in the country indefinitely.

1. Permits for general employment

If you are coming to work in general employment (that is, a job that does not require you to be highly skilled or highly educated), you will need to apply for a residence permit for the purpose of general employment, and you will only be eligible if the position cannot be filled by a worker from the EU/EEA or Switzerland. You will need to have a vocational qualification and a firm offer of a job in Germany (and show both evidence of your qualification and an employment contract or letter of intent).

2. Permits for highly skilled workers earning EUR 84,600+

Those who fit this category can apply for a settlement permit, entitling you ¬– and your family members – to live and work in Germany indefinitely (if you were to come to Germany on a regular residence permit, you would have to be resident for five years before applying for a settlement permit). You will need to have a specific job offer and the permission of the Federal Employment Agency.

3. Permits for self-employed/freelancers

If you want to come to Germany to set up a business, you can apply for a residence permit for self-employed business purposes. It is valid for three years and can be extended if the business is successful.

You need to prove that the business will fulfill a need in Germany, benefit the country economically and be fully financed by a bank loan or your own capital. You’ll need to have a viable business plan, relevant experience, and show how your business will contribute to innovation and research in Germany.

When you apply, you will have to provide evidence of all of these things, plus proof of pension provision if you’re over 45.

Freelancers can also apply for a residence permit for self-employment, which are those defined as self-employed people working in science and engineering, the arts, professional writing or teaching, or who offer a professional service, such as a doctor, dentist or lawyer.

4. Permits for scientific researchers

If you want to come to Germany a researcher, then you need to have a ‘host’ agreement (contract) with a research institute recognized by BAMF, which will confirm the details of the research that you will be carrying out, and that you are properly qualified and financially secure.

To get complete details on work permit, consult with Study in Germany Consultants in Bangalore – Admissiongyan Consultancy. 

According to Admissiongyan German Consultancy, the cost of living in Germany generally differs according to the city you are in, while Leipzig can be bizarrely cheap and affordable Munich is nothing likewise. Among the bigger metropolitan cities as Hamburg, Koln, Stuttgart and tiny yet cozy towns like Erfurt, Freiburg or Osnabruck Berlin is caught somewhere in the middle as a common ground to shed some perspective on a random students truthful cost of living when in Germany.

Berlin, besides being relatively cheap has also the advantage of being a huge city with numerous options given that in this same city one can live on a few hundred bucks straight and decent close to some millionaire celebrity whose limit is the sky. So to say, with few managing skills you are in for the kill.

Cost of Living in Germany:

As of October 2014, all of the Universities are free of charge; Germany has finally approved the abolition of tuition fees in the country. However before you get ahead of yourself, there’s no such thing as free lunch; yes all of the Universities are free of charge now but there is this thing called “Semesterbeitrag” considered a semester contribution that is mandatory and it ranges from 250 to several hundreds of Euros depending on the University. The benefits of this so-called contribution are the access to free public transport in and around the city area which long-term saves loads and loads of money.

Public transport in Germany is comfortable, fast and efficient. For the ones who appreciate weekend getaways and wish to explore the country, there is the Bahn- Card purchased annually that offers discounts ranging from 25%, 50% and 100%, basically a free ticket.

The annual price of this card varies from 57 EUR second-class to 114 EUR first-class under the 25% discount up to the 100% discount costing 4080 EUR second-class and 6400 EUR first-class.

Assuming that, while new in town one wants to share the apartment with a roommate, split rents in the common student neighborhoods go up to 300 EUR even cheaper, tax included. If you’re lucky enough to find out that you share the same interests with the roommate so you end up being friends you may as well start using the apartment fridge after all, split the food supply expenses and do some cooking of your own. In the end of a month you will end up saving a fortune.

Cheaper rents for the ones not able to afford this kind of a lifestyle are offered by dormitories and student residences meanwhile the student Mensa has always hot soup, meat and “karttofel” for less than nothing.

On the contrary, if you are used to having the space to yourself and most importantly can afford renting a flat on your own prices may vary from 350-800 EUR. The outrageously expensive deal breaker about renting on your own is the acquired deposition of approximately 1500 EUR in case any damage is done.

Shopping for groceries and essentials monthly won’t escalate a sum of 100 EUR and if you are sharing it with the roommate even less. Cooking in is healthier, make’s a perfect hobby and saves tons of money. This is another reason why sharing the apartment with roommates is much more fun, you get to cook for each other and dine together while cooking for one person is usually dull and kills the joy.

How much does it cost to study Master’s in Germany?

Around Rs 12 to 35 lakhs depending upon the university including the living cost.M

Is studying Master’s in Germany free?

Yes, there is no tuition fee but a semester contribution of 100-300 Euros per semester is applicable for students for Public University

Is Master’s Degree good in Germany?

Yes, Germany is one of the top destinations among non-English speaking countries for engineering and science students.

Can I study Master’s in Germany in English?

Yes, Germany offers 100% English-taught courses for Masters and MBA programs.

Should you expect a significant Language barrier in Germany?

Whether you applied to a German or English-taught degree, professors and staff will speak English and they have an advanced proficiency, so no worries there.

As far as the English level of German people in general, there is no simple answer. In big cities, like Berlin, Munich, or Cologne, most people speak very good English so you shouldn’t have any problem with your social activities. In smaller German cities, things are a little different, meaning that you will have to address people using the German language, at least on a conversational level.

What are the accommodation options and living costs in Germany?

Although most German universities provide student accommodation, the number of available rooms is always limited. Around 40 % of international students in Germany choose to live in student residences, due to low costs.

Out of all the monthly expenses, students in Germany spend the most part on housing, so finding good accommodation options is essential.

Living costs in Germany amount to an average of 400 – 700 EUR/month that includes accommodation costs, food, public transportation and social activities.

How is the social life in German cities?

Particularly, big cities in Germany abound with bars, clubs, restaurants, museums and plenty of festivals and social events. So, there is always something to do, and there is no chance of getting bored. You can enjoy the famous beer fests, carnivals, film festivals, Halloween parties and so on.

Universities also organized plenty of student events so you can join various clubs, engage in sports, and attend student parties.