It’s not difficult to see why Germany is popular as a study destination. It enjoys a global reputation as a world leader for technology innovation and research, has a robust economy and an attractive quality of life, and a particularly renowned tradition in fields such as engineering and manufacturing.
Many of its universities enjoy a strong international reputation, with 46 ranked within the top 1000 in the world in the QS World University Rankings® 2020. Among these, the prestigious research universityTechnische Universität München is ranked first in the country and 55thin the world, shortly followed by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in 63rd place.
As well as offering a high standard of living, Germany welcomes international students with low costs of study and good funding opportunities. PhDs in Germany do not usually charge tuition fees (see below), and more than a quarter of doctoral candidates in Germany receive public funding.
What types of PhD are offered in Germany?
Individual doctorate
This is the traditional option and remains the most popular. In this type of PhD you will produce your thesis or dissertation under the supervision of a professor, but will mostly be working independently. The length of these PhDs varies, generally lasting three to five years. This option offers a great deal of flexibility, but also demands a high amount of personal initiative and responsibility. You are not limited to gaining your PhD by conducting research work at a university; you could also complete a project at a non-university research organization or at a German company in the industrial sector.
Structured PhD programs
You can also choose what is known as a structured PhD program. This involves a group of doctoral students being guided by a group of supervisors. There are around 600 programs of this nature available in Germany, often with an international make-up, with English as the language of instruction. These programs differ from individual doctorate programs as students’ research proposals have to fit in with existing PhD programs, whereas individual doctorates can be more freely structured to suit the individual research project. You will also need to attend lectures and seminars, and will normally have a mentor.
Which German universities offer PhDs?
Many universities in Germany offer PhDs. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers a database that you can use to search for the right PhD program for you.
How much does it cost to study a PhD in Germany?
Good news! Although tuition fees were reintroduced for non-EU students in the state of Baden-Württemberg in 2017, doctoral students are excluded from this, meaning that PhDs remain free for all students at all public universities in Germany, regardless of nationality, for up to the standard length of a PhD (three years). Beyond this, you may be required to pay fees.
However, as with all levels of study in Germany, PhD students are also required to make a semester contribution of between €150 to €200 (~US$175-230) for administration and other costs.
This means that your main expenses will be the general costs of living in Germany. If you apply for a student visa you will be asked to prove that you have access to a minimum of €10,236 (~US$11,266) per year.
This money will be used to cover living expenses, which include rent, food, clothing, transportation, working materials, recreation and other costs. Even more than this may be needed to live in a particularly expensive city such as Munich.
Is there any funding available?
Most doctoral students work on a paid research project or receive a scholarship. If you want to apply for a scholarship to help with your expenses, you may be able to find these through the official website of the university you wish to study at. You can also consult our list of scholarships to study in Germany, including PhD funding opportunities. Other good sources for finding scholarships include www.funding-guide.de and www.stipendienlotse.de (website in German).
You may also consider taking on a part-time job to supplement your funding, either within the university or beyond – but be aware of any possible restrictions. If you are a full-time EU or EEA student (excluding students from Bulgaria and Romania), there are no restrictions on where or when you can work. If you are a full-time student from outside of the EU you will be limited to working up to 120 full days or 240 half days per year before you must apply for a work permit. Upon gaining paid work in Germany you should contact the German employment office to learn about the legal conditions.
What are the entry requirements?
Entry requirements will vary between universities and PhD programs, but generally you will need to have a good higher education degree which is equivalent to a German master’s degree. Alternatively, extremely well-qualified international applicants with a bachelor’s degree may be admitted as doctoral students via a fast-track program, which will involve taking an entrance exam and perhaps attending an interview.
If you are studying your PhD in English and this is not your first language, you will need to prove your English language proficiency with an English language test such as IELTS or TOEFL. If you are studying or submitting your PhD in German, you may need to prove your proficiency in the language with a test such as the DSH or TestDaF.
How do I apply for a PhD in Germany?
There is no central admissions process or selection office for doctoral students in Germany, and the application process differs depending on whether you have chosen a traditional (individual) or structured PhD – for the latter, you will simply need to apply directly to your chosen university.
If applying for an individual PhD, you will first need to find a suitable professor who is willing to be your supervisor. You may be able to find a supervisor through contacts from your previous university, or by searching for institutes and research centers or teams which relate to your area of interest. The following online search platforms might help you find a suitable supervisor:
Once you have found a supervisor, the responsible department or doctoral committee must confirm your eligibility as a doctoral candidate. This usually involves completing an application which includes a statement from your doctoral supervisor, certified copies of certificates, proof of recognition of your qualifications from the Dean’s office, academic references and the university degree that enables you to participate in doctoral study. Your application may also include an English or German language test result, if applicable. The Student Office of your chosen university will review these documents and grant permission for you to commence doctoral studies.
The next step is to enroll at the university. To be eligible for enrolment, the university must first accept your application for admission to doctoral studies. However, not all departments require doctoral applicants to formally enroll. You can find any requirements relating to enrolment on the university’s official website.
You must also make sure your postgraduate degree is recognized, obtain a residence permit and/or student visa, and ensure you have adequate finances for your stay.
Do I need a student visa?
This will depend on your country of origin. Many students will find that they do not need a student visa, but do need a residence permit. You can read more about obtaining a German student visa here, or find an overview of the countries for which a student visa is or isn’t required on the Foreign Federal Office’s website.
Do I need to speak German?
No – however, we’d recommend learning at least basic German to help you get by in your host country, especially if you’d like to work during or after your studies. If you are studying an individual doctorate writing the doctoral thesis can often be written in English, while structured PhD programs frequently allow students to complete their doctorate in English.
Fees and funding
Germany is renowned for its generous approach to higher education: public universities in 15 of its 16 states charge no tuition fees to students, regardless of nationality.
This means you can study a Masters in Germany for free, whether you are a German, EU or non-EU student.
However, the following exceptions may apply:
- Fees may still be charged at private universities. However, most of the German higher education system is publically funded.
- The state of Baden-Wuerttemberg charges €1,500 per semester to international (non-EU) students.
- Some non-consecutive Masters will charge fees. This represents a small number of courses, many of which are designed for experienced professionals.
Funding
Germany also offers generous financial support to help cover student living costs, with need-based and merit-based support available from the German government.
Read more about German Masters fees and funding
Our separate guide to German Masters fees and funding covers the cost of postgraduate study in Germany in much more detail. There you can view information on tuition fees for different nationalities as well as current student finance and scholarship opportunities.
Application process
Germany is rightly proud of the quality of its higher education system and its universities examine applications very carefully.
However, the German admissions process is fair and welcomes genuine international students (over 250,000 of whom already study in Germany).
Application process
There is no centralised portal for postgraduate applications. Instead students normally find a coursethey are interested in and then apply directly to that university.
However, some institutions use a service called Uni-Assist to manage international applications.
Universities are free to set their own deadlines. As a rough guide, try to apply at least four months in advance, particularly if you need time to organise a student visa.
You are free to make simultaneous applications (but make sure you leave enough time to manage and complete them!).
Some universities in Germany will charge a fee for processing your postgraduate application. This is not likely to be high – expect to pay less than €50.
Fees for using the Uni-Assist service will be slightly higher, reflecting the additional assistance you receive.
Admissions requirements
The main requirement for admission to a Masters in Germany is a suitable Bachelors degree. This doesn’t have to have been awarded in Germany, but it will need to be recognised by the German university you apply to.
If you apply to a German university through Uni-Assist their service will help check your qualifications.
You may also be able to receive assistance from one of the EU’s ENIC-NARIC academic recognition centres.
In some cases universities may set additional entry requirements (this is more likely for programmes with restricted places). These could require:
- Details of your secondary education – Some very competitive programmes may wish to see further details of an international student’s educational history. This normally takes the form of a ‘school-leaving certificate’, equivalent to the German Hochschulzugangsberechtigung. Certificates such as British GCSEs or A-levels (or their equivalents) will normally be fine.
- An interview – German universities may want to discuss your application and experience. Video interviews can sometimes be arranged for international students.
- Entry tests – Competitive (or specialised) programmes may ask you to take an additional entry exam or standardised postgraduate admissions test. This can be used in professional subjects to check your existing training. Business schools and MBA programmes are also likely to require a score from recognised tests such as the GMAT or GRE.
Don’t worry if the above list seems intensive or intimidating. It’s unlikely for universities to require all of them and many courses will be satisfied with a recognised Bachelors degree.
Your university should make any additional requirements clear to you before you apply – in fact, you can read about the admissions criteria and applications process for individual German Masters degrees in our course listings.
Language requirements
A large number of German Masters degrees are taught in English, making them more accessible to international students.
However, you may need to provide a language test score to study in Germany if neither English or German is your first language. This will depend on your course:
- Programmes in English will not require proficiency in German. However, non-native English speakers may still be required to take an English language test (exceptions will normally be made if you have completed an undergraduate degree, or other course, in English).
- Programmes in German will normally require international applicants to sit a recognisedGerman language test (or provide other evidence of their proficiency, such as an existing qualification studied in German). Some courses will accept a lower score at the application stage, allowing applicants to take further German language training before they commence their degree (or do so during the early stages of their Masters).
Remember, even if your course doesn’t require a German test, it’s still worth taking the opportunity to build up your language skills whilst studying abroad. Most universities offer language courses in parallel to their degree programmes.
Doing so will make your time in Germany much more interesting and rewarding – plus, gaining proficiency in a second language is a great way to get more out of your international Masters and reflect the experience on your CV.
Numerus clausus (restricted applications)
Some German Masters programmes are subject to a ‘numerus clausus’. This limits the number of students they can admit (numerus clausus translates as ‘restricted number’).
Programmes in medical professions (such as Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy) are most likely to be affected.
There are two main types of numerus clausus at German universities:
- Some subjects are centrally restricted by the German government and subject to a zentraler numerus clausus.
- Other subjects are locally restricted by universities themselves. These are subject to a lokaler numerus clausus.
Your university will make it clear whether a given Masters programme is subject to any kind ofnumerus clausus and what effect this will have on your application process.
Applying through Uni-Assist
Uni-Assist is an international applications portal used by some German universities.
Note that a university may only use Uni-Assist for some of its Masters programmes – be sure to confirm the application process for the specific course you are interested in.
The exact role played by Uni-Assist can differ between universities and programmes. In most cases the service will review applications to ensure they are valid. This also involves confirming the recognition and accreditation of foreign qualifications and transcripts.
Uni-Assist then either forwards a student’s application to the university or generates a VPD (Vorpruefungsdokumentation) certificate with which they can complete an application themselves.
Uni-Assist fees are currently set at €75 for the first university you apply to and a further €15 for each additional university you apply to within the same semester. This means that you can use the Uni-Assist service to make multiple applications without incurring prohibitive costs.
In some cases a German university will pay your Uni-Assist fees for you. This is known as cost transfer.
Student visas
Germany is a welcoming study destination with a huge number of international students. As a part of the EU (and Schengen Area), the country maintains open borders and relaxed immigration agreements with various other European countries.
Visa requirements
German student visa, immigration and residence requirements will depend on your nationality:
- If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss student you will not need a visa to study a Masters in Germany. However, you will need a residence permit.
- International students from other countries will normally need a visa and a residence permit.
Note that you cannot enter Germany on a tourist visa and study a Masters degree. Nor can you subsequently convert a tourist visa into a student applicant visa or student visa. This also applies to visas awarded for short courses (such as language training).
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