GERMAN STUDY GUIDE
Germany is the most peaceful country. According to the Global Peace Index, Germany stands on the 15th position, better than many European countries which make it a preferable destination for foreign students who intend to pursue their higher studies abroad. Germany is a strong nation in terms of economy and education. It has produced and is still producing a number of famous scientists, inventors, philosophers, geographers, musicians, composers, etc. It is a country which offers immense scope for development with respect to the educational and professional qualifications. Germany’s higher education institutions enjoy an excellent reputation. Teaching and research provide key impulses for innovation and progress. The German institutions have state-of-the art equipment and labs to provide students the best conditions for excellent studies.
The landscape of Germany’s higher education is very diverse. It offers thousands of degree programs, more than 300 institutions and lots of different credentials and degrees. This implies that you can choose a program that caters to your needs and interest from the vast variety of courses offered by this country. You can take a research-oriented program at a Universitat (university) or a more practice-focused course at a Fachhochschule which is University of Applied sciences or an artistic program at one of the Kunst-, Film-, or Musikhochschulen (colleges of art, film or music). Many programs and subjects are offered by all three types of institutions, which widen your choice even further. If you already hold a degree, then you can choose to enter a postgraduate or doctoral program for advanced qualifications.
Why to Study in Germany?
The list of the top 100 higher education institutions of the world includes the names of 6 German Universities. Most importantly the courses offered in Germany can be easily afforded by the citizens of other countries also. The inclusion of the oldest of the universities of Germany in the list of top universities around the globe bears a testament to the high quality of education that is imparted here. Institutions like Heidelberg University, Leipzig University, Rostock University, LMU Munich, etc. are some of the oldest and the best regarded institutes of this country.
The general entrance requirement for university is Abitur. It is a qualification which is based on the continuous assessment of the candidates’ performance in the last few years of his school and in his final examinations. However, this is not a uniform criterion for the entire federal area. All the 16 states of this nation have their own rules and regulations regarding educational programs. But one thing which is common to all these states is the dual system of education which consists of theoretical and practical knowledge of the subjects. Here the universities pay a lot of attention to research work along with teaching.
Reforms in the German Education System
Furthermore, after the Bologna Agreement in 1999 where several European countries made a consensus to raise the standards of education in their institutions, the German degree programs were replaced by a system of two tier programs. The first cycle is the Bachelor’s program and the second tier is the Master’s program. This dual system enables the students to nurture their skills in order to meet the requirements of the employers worldwide.
The ‘dual education system’ of Germany rests on the principle of ‘unity of learning and research.’ The German higher education system has played an important role in shaping an economic environment wherein an individual and collective responsibility, practicality and innovation are the drivers of change and progress. The combining of the theoretical and practical educations (with a strong emphasis on apprenticeship), makes German higher education institutions into firms where teaching and research not only co-exist but also support each other up and act coherently, with cooperation.