German engineering is something that is known all over the world right from luxury sports cars to high- end technology used in day to day life. Now, keeping this in mind, it is actually no surprise that Germany is one of the leading study destinations in Europe. The engineering aspirants not only from Germany but also from all over the world wish to study engineering in Germany.
The growth and development in the field of engineering in Germany are unbelievable. There is a lot to learn in the field of technology. Learners interested in the engineering field compete with each other to seek admission in the varied prestigious colleges and universities facilitating the various courses in the demanding sector of engineering. Doing a bachelor or masters degree in engineering is, of course, a great experience for the students. Indian students are very fond of engineering in Germany and every year many candidates enrol in the different educational institutions in the country.
The world- class engineering education, premium quality facilities, modern infrastructure, and a number of other facilities to the students without any doubt makes Germany one of the top destinations in the world to study engineering. This is exactly the reason as to why Germany is the most sought after destinations for studying engineering.
Reasons to Study Engineering in Germany
Engineering in any of the foreign countries has generally been quite a passionate journey for almost all engineering students and in this regard, engineering in Germany has always been the most preferred choice in this regard.
Here we have listed a few of the important reasons as to why you should be choosing Germany as your destination for engineering studies:
- The technical universities of Germany are top -ranked and offer world- class engineering education to the students that too at a low cost.
- Germany has a very rich diversity of engineering as well as technological degrees.
- There is a very strong relation between the universities and the industry which is of a great benefit to the students. This allows a superb opportunity to the students to get the required industry exposure which is turn is beneficial for their future career.
- If you are worried about studying in German, there is just nothing to worry since studying engineering in English in Germany is not at all a problem.
- You can easily find Indian students studying in Germany and so it becomes an added advantage for you.
- You can easily get the food you desire and love to eat.
- Accommodation, food, and other essentials are available at affordable cost.
- The country is safe and good for higher studies.
- There are many universities to choose for engineering courses.
- Obtaining a degree in engineering from Germany readily enhances the career opportunities as an engineer which is a great advantage.
Advantages of Studying Engineering in Germany
The advantages of studying engineering in Germany are as listed below:
- The curriculum is in English medium and hence there is nothing to worry.
- No donation is required to study engineering in Germany.
- Engineering in Germany provides a great balance of better prospects.
- The student teacher ratio is just ideal.
- High quality education with low fees structure.
- World class infrastructure with modern labs, library, spacious classrooms for the comfort of students are facilitated
- Admission process is not a tedious task in the country
- The engineering degrees are valid worldwide
- The course curriculum followed is of international standard
- The students get to learn the innovative mechanisms.
- The engineering degree from Germany is recognised all over the world.
- World renowned faculty members teach engineering to the students.
Types of Education Programmes
The top fields of engineering education in Germany are in IT, automation, and mechanical engineering. However, it is mechatronics that is actually the most popular engineering programme in Germany. This is a combination of computer science, electrical, and mechanical engineering disciplines which has been a top choice of the students in the recent times.
Apart from all these specialisations, there are a number of other fields of engineering that the students can choose. It has been very rightly said that Germany spoils you with choices. In the recent times, Germany has become a highly attractive destination for studying Electrical and Computer Engineering and the associated Majors, Bachelor, Master, or Ph.D. degrees.
Here we have listed some of the very popular engineering courses opted by the students:
- Electrical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Software Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Automotive Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Design Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
The universities in Germany are mostly autonomous and have their own set of eligibility and requirements. Students need to check them separately. But there are some common eligibility conditions for engineering in Germany that are as listed below.
For Bachelor’s Degree
- School leaving certificate that class 10 with a minimum of 75 percent marks
- Passing 10+2 with 65 percent marks and above
- German language proficiency that is documented and certified by Goethe Zertifikat B1
- English language proficiency that is a test score of IELTS or TOEFL
- The students after completion of 10+2 are supposed to accomplish one year preparatory course and for the same, the students are required to get Zertifikat Deutsch.
- Once the preparatory course is over, the students need to appear in an examination and after this the final results are declared.
Now, you are ready to take admission to the engineering courses in Germany. It is to be kept in mind that each of the universities has their own specific rules and eligibility conditions. It is recommended to check and apply to avoid any inconveniences.
For Master’s Degree
- The candidate should have completed their graduation from their own country or in any other countries
- Usually the 4 year bachelor’s courses of engineering in India are considered equivalent to the German bachelor’s degree.
- If the bachelor’s course was for 3 years, then it is important to check the eligibility conditions of the university applied to.
- Valid scores of English proficiency test, that an IELTS or a TOEFL score.
- In case the medium of teaching of the course is German, it is required to furnish a valid score of German proficiency that is the exams like TestDaF.
For Doctorate Degree
- A university degree that is a diploma, magister or masters with above average results that is a grade of 2.5 + or grade “good”.
- Good written as well as spoken English skills are required which allows the candidate to speak fluently with the supervisor regarding the research work at the time of application interview.
|A copy of valid passport especially the personal information and the photo ID page|
|Proof of German or English language proficiency that is a test certificate or online equivalent will do|
|Completely filled up application form|
You are eligible to get a German student visa if you are not a resident of Germany and you have received a letter of complete admission for studying at any of the German universities or institutions.
The German visa is granted if you expect to attend any of the following:
- Full time academic studies
- German language courses for other studies
- State preparatory college for the preparatory courses
- Propaedeutic course
- Mandatory preliminary internship
Here is the list of documents required for German visa:
- Two duly completed national visa application forms
- Valid national passport
- Two recent biometric portrait photographs
- Proof of admission into a study programme in Germany
- Authenticated certificates of all past education all qualifications
- A copy of CV
- Evidence of financial stability for the course undertaken
- Covered health insurance
- Motivational letter stating the reason as to why the specific university and the course of study is chosen
- Proof of payment of visa application fees
- Proof of German language proficiency for German and mixed language study programmes
- Proof of English language proficiency for English and mixed language study programmes
Here are the admission requirements to any of the German engineering universities:
- Identity document
- Academic transcript of all the previous studies and qualifications
- University application form
- Letter of recommendation
- Personal Statement
- English or German or both language proficiency as per the programme
There are two types of intakes of in the engineering courses in Germany. The winter intake starts in the month of October and the summer intake starts in the month of March. The exact dates of beginning and ending tend to vary from university to university.
The students can avail the education loans from their own country but there are loan facilities available in Germany for the international students as well along with scopes for scholarships too. Arranging the minimum requirement of financial is mandatory for all. Your bank balance should have the amount to support your one year fee, accommodation, food and other expenses.
- Technical University of Berlin – The Technical University of Berlin is a research university that is located in Berlin. The university came into existence in the year 1879 and since its inception; it emerged to be a top technical institution. The university has two campuses in Berlin with a total of about 8455 faculty members among which 338 are professors and 2,598 are postgraduate researchers, 2,131 works in the administration section and 2,651 are student assistants. The university has about 33,500 students, 40 research institutes and 100 study programmes. It has the highest percentage of international students where 24 percent of students are from 130 different countries of the world.
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology – The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is a popular public research university and is one of the largest research and educational institutions in Germany. Students from all over the world dream of getting admission into the university. There are a total of 25196 students enrolled in the university with about 5859 academic staffs and 3456 administrative staffs.
- Technical University of Dresden – It is an extremely well known public research university and the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden. The university is one of the top 10 largest universities in Germany with a total of 32389 students. The university has an urban campus which provides all the essential facilities to the students.
- University of Stuttgart – The University of Stuttgart is a research university that is located in Stuttgart, Germany. It came into existence in the year 1829 and is organized into 10 faculties. The university is one of the oldest technical universities in Germany with some of the most highly ranked programmes in civil, mechanical, industrial and electrical engineering.
Tuition Fee Payable for the Engineering Courses
There are a number of public German engineering universities that offers education for free to the students including the international students. The students just require paying a small fee which ranges from about 250 to 300 euros for the covering of administration costs along with some other costs per semester.
For the other universities, the fees charged ranges from about 1500 to 3500 euros per year depending upon the university.
Cost of Living in Germany
The cost of living in Germany depends upon the cities. The rents in Germany vary from about 290 to 560 euros per month for the purpose of accommodation. This depends on the location of the institution and where the students are living.
The cities like Munich are much more expensive as compared to the others. Now, including food, rent and other costs of living, the total expenditure comes to about 850 euros per month. This again varies as per the lifestyle of the student.
The process of application for engineering in the universities of Germany is not a very difficult task. The first thing that you need to do is to choose your course of studies or the specialisation of your engineering degree. Then you need to decide on the university where you want to pursue engineering. Here you need to be sure that your chosen subject is taught in that university.
So, after you are done with the above, here are a few of the simple steps to follow for getting admission in the engineering or technical universities of Germany:
- First of all, the application form needs to be carefully and completely filled online.
- The next step is to submit the scanned copies of the applicant’s passport and all other necessary documents.
- Then you need to collect the admission letter so issued by the university within a time period of ten days after form submission.
- After the confirmation of admission, the immigration would begin.
- You need to visit the German embassy or consulate in your country after the receipt of the invitation letter within a month.
- Now, you need to carefully check each and every document before applying for a German student visa.
- After you receive the visa, you are all ready to go to Germany for your engineering studies in your chosen university.
Part Time Jobs in Germany
Part time jobs in Germany are available for the students but the German law permits a student to work a maximum of four hours per day. With the possession of a student visa, a student can work for a maximum of 20 hours per week irrespective of the profile and experience which comes to about 120 full days or 240 half days of work in a year.
In general, the reputed companies hire the students as an intern with a pay of around 500 to 1000 euros depending on the interview conducted.
Better to Learn German Language Before Going to Germany
If you are planning to go for engineering in Germany, it would certainly be a very good idea to learn German, at least basic communication in German language. This would be of a great help in effectively communicating with the locals, fellow students, and professors which is of a great benefit in a number of ways.
Scholarships in Germany
Scholarships for engineering education in Germany are available to the local and international students. The scholarships are based completely on merit. Only the meritorious students are eligible to get scholarships which help them to get a reduction in their fees and other expenses during the course of study.
The scholarships happen to be extremely advantageous for the international students opting for engineering education in Germany.
Indian Students in Germany
There are a lot of Indian students studying engineering in Germany. The enrolments are increasing year after year which clearly indicates the popularity of Germany as a study destination for the engineering student. So, on opting to study engineering in Germany, you can be quite sure of meeting fellow Indian students. You can find Indians among your seniors, class fellows, and at other places in Germany.
Disadvantages of Studying in Germany
Along with the advantage’s, you need to take into consideration the few disadvantages also.
There are a very few disadvantages of studying in Germany that are as mentioned below:
- The first problem is that of the new language. Not knowing German can make it difficult to communicate with the locals. Also, the language can act as a barrier if something is taught in German. Thus, learning the German language is essential which might be a difficult task.
- Climate can be another point of concern especially for the Indian students since the climate of India is different as compared to the climate in Germany.
- Food is also a challenge in Germany. The German cuisines are different and hence the students need to adapting to the new cuisines might be a challenging task for the international students.
- Staying away from home can be another disadvantage for a number of students since they are unable to go home except for long vacations. This becomes quite a problematic situation for many international students especially the Indian students.
Here are a few facts and figures about studying engineering in Germany.
Once you have opted to study engineering in Germany, you need to know a few interesting facts about Germany that are as listed below:
- Germany is the most populous nation of Europe and is one of the largest economies of the world.
- The nation is an international leader in the development of renewable energy with its carbon dioxide emissions only a fraction as compared to the US and China.
- About one third of the nation still remains forested.
- Germany has a great global reputation for its technological expertise.
- College education in the nation of Germany is free even for the foreign students as well.