【Germany】How to apply for bachelor’s and master’s programes in Germany? Relevant processes and sharing of experiences.

Study in Germany

Studying abroad may be a dream for many, but seeing tuition fees that can easily run into millions of dollars, not to mention living expenses, can be daunting. However, not all places of study abroad are that expensive. Germany’s higher education system is an example of this. They want capable people to find their way to their universities, so most schools do not charge tuition fees. You only need to pay two to three hundred euros per semester as a miscellaneous fee, most of which goes towards transportation expenses. This allows you to travel freely within your city and also take all of the slow trains in your state (or province).

The money problem is solved, but the language of study abroad can also be a problem. Can you go to study in Germany even if you have never studied German before? Yes, you can. I myself went to study in Germany with zero German language skills. Nowadays, more and more universities in Germany offer full English language programs, where the entire program is taught and examined in English, so you don’t have to worry about not understanding the content of the course in German. However, it is still recommended to learn some German, as it will be more convenient for daily life and help you to integrate into German society more easily.

There are few study abroad agencies in Germany, as many things need to be handled in person. It is not necessarily more convenient to find an agent. The actual application process is not very complicated, but there are some small details to note and it does require more effort.

How to search for correct program

You can search on DAAD, or use English to search on Google for the program you want to apply for in Germany. Germany also has a unified system for applying to universities called Uni-assist, which can also be used to search for programs, but it cannot guarantee that all programs will be listed. If you want to apply to a specific university, it’s best to go to the university’s website directly and look for a page with all the available programs, such as the one at the University of Hamburg called “Studienangebot“.

How to prepare the application

Once you have found the program you want to apply for, the next step is to prepare your application materials. On the program page of the university you want to apply to (as shown in the picture above for a program at Hamburg University), there will always be information about the application requirements and materials. In addition to the application materials, they will also provide information about the course structure and graduation requirements. It’s important to read through all of this information carefully, as you don’t want to find out after being admitted to the program that you’re studying something completely different from what you expected.

Another thing to pay attention to is where to apply. Some universities use the uni-assist system for applications, while others require you to apply through their own website.

Once all the information is confirmed, the next step is to prepare the documents. The basic documents required are: proof of English proficiency, high school graduation certificate and transcript, and university graduation certificate and transcript. The documents will be required to be translated into English. Please request English versions of your high school and university graduation certificate and transcript directly from the institutions, and have them sealed in an envelope before submitting them. If they do not provide English versions, please request them to do so, as only official English translations will be accepted. Uni-assist will require electronic and original copies for authentication, so at least two copies will be needed, but additional originals may be required if applying directly to the university instead of through Uni-assist.

Pay and Send

After all the documents are prepared, the last step is to pay the fees and send them out. If you are paying through Uni-assist, it is very convenient to pay by credit card. If it is an independent application to the university, some may only accept bank transfers, so record the account information provided by the university, go to a bank that can make wire transfers, provide your information to the bank, and they will help you complete the transfer. Finally, keep a copy of the transfer receipt and send the original document and a copy of it to the university to complete the application.