How to Apply to German Universities?

Germany, although a small country, is a major player in international trade, politics, economy and education. Popular automobile brands like Audi, Mercedes-Benz have made it clear that the German technology is one of the leading technology and responsible for bringing innovation in automobile and machinery industries. They are able to achieve it because there is a continuous supply of great talent with expertise in the field from top universities, like Technical University of Munich, Ludwig Maximilian University, etc. They provide top class education to students, encourage pragmatic teaching and research oriented approach. The results can be recognized by the number of Nobel prizes won by German citizens. The good news for international students who are willing to study in Germany is, most of the universities are government-funded and hence they charge little to no fees for the courses offered. Therefore we would advise students to do adequate research before finalizing on the colleges they would wish to study in. It is a wise idea to check the rankings of the universities you are applying to as well.

Searching for universities are easy, thanks to the DAAD(German Academic Exchange Service). This is a government run website which has a database of all the courses, i.e., almost 17000 different courses that are offered in German institutions and in which language it is being offered. It contains every information related to the university that you may want to know, including the approximate cost that would be required to stay in the city, admission deadlines and requirements, etc.

There are some ground rules one has to follow to apply for a university in Germany. The DAAD takes care of some of the application process.

1. Does the degree have restricted entry?
   Some courses have a greater demand from the students than what the universities can offer. So, some German Universities conduct admission procedures.

2. Does the restriction apply locally or throughout Germany?
   Some degree are much sought after like, pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, etc. There is a restriction called numerus clausus (restricted number) for such courses. For courses with a German level restrictions, the universities conduct selection interviews or require a letter of motivation. The remaining courses don’t have any restrictions, so you can apply directly to the universities.

3. Where do you apply?

   Foreign students can apply directly to the university of their choice or can apply through University Application Service for International Students (uni-assist).

4. What documents are required to apply?

   The International Admission Office of the respective institution you wish to apply will tell what documents are required. Here are some common documents they require:

   -An officially copy of GRE scores

   -A transcript of your subjects and grades (with official translation)

   -Certified copies of your previous higher education certificates

   -A passport size photograph

   -A photocopy of your passport

   -Official results of the IELTS/TOEFL tests

   -Some courses may require you to have knowledge of the German language.

   Do note that some institutions require translated versions of the mentioned documents. The translated copies can be got at the German Embassy in the country.

5. What are the deadlines?

   For winter semester enrolment:

   • Application period: from around the end of May to 15 July
   • Acceptance letters are sent out in August / September.
   • Rejection letters are sent out in September / October.

   For summer semester enrolment:

   • Application period: from the beginning of December to 15 January
   • Acceptance letters are sent out in February / March.
   • Rejection letters are sent out in March / April.

BYJU’S will be glad to help you in your GRE preparation journey. You can ask for any assistance related to GRE from us by just giving a missed call at 088845 44444, or you can drop an SMS. You can write to us at gre@byjus.com.

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