Sunday, August 2, 2009

Studying in Germany - Before

Disclaimers: I graduated from the University of Stuttgart in October 2005. A lot of things have/could have changed since then. Also, the views in this and any follow up article are purely my own. So the information might not necessarily be ''as-is''. Please check the university websites for detailed information.

The article refers only to Masters in Engineering and related branches as well as Universities. I have no information pertaining to MBA or other non-engineering degrees.

Types of Universities: There are two kinds - University (generally referred to as Universität, Technische Hochschule) and University of Applied Sciences (FH - Fachhochschule). When compared to the education system in India, the former is like an engineering college or university while the latter is like a Polytechnic. FH degrees are recognised as well but the payscale for FH is lower than a University. While Universities are more research oriented, the FH prepares you for a practical application of your skills on the job. If your career goal is to get a PhD or be involved in the state-of-the-art research then a University is the right place for you.

Ranking: Unlike US universities, there is no official ranking list for Universities in Germany. DAAD (http://www.daad.de) might have some related information. However, here is a list of some really good universities (in no particular order) - Uni Stuttgart, TUHH, RWTH Aachen, TU Karlsruhe, TU Darmstadt, TU Munich etc.

Fee Structure: One of the main reasons behind me choosing Germany was because of the golden words ''no tuition fees''. When I was a student I paid 120 euro per semester and this was cheaper than school fees in India ! However things have changed and in the last 2 years, many universities have started charging somewhere between 400-600 euro per semester. This, I believe, is still reasonable considering the quality of the education you get.

Courses: Most Universities offer international programs in English however some also offer bilingual courses where the last semester is in German. The normal course duration for a masters degree is 2 yrs. This will comprise of 2 semesters of classes and labwork, 1 semester of internship and 1 semester of master thesis. Many students however take 5 semesters to finish a course since they spread the coursework over 3 semesters and/or do an internship for a longer time.

Requirements: The basic requirements are bachelors degree and a TOEFL score. However some Universities also make an exception w.r.t the latter if your medium of instruction has been english for your undergraduate degree (Some universities also accept IELTS score in place of TOEFL. If you already taken the IELTS exam, you can write an email to the university and ask them if it is acceptable. It will be, in most cases).The additional requirements are university-specific and may range from a statement of purpose (SOP) to a prepatory exam.

Application: The application process may have 2 steps, an online part which is used for screening following which you send the remaining documents by post. TOEFL gives you the option of sending your scores free of cost to a couple of Universities but atleast when I applied this option was not available for German Universities and they generally accept a photocopy of the TOEFL score. In most cases, there is no application fee.

Visa: Because of the low tuition fees, getting a study visa to enter Germany is not really a nightmare as the US visa. Usually a DD for 7700 euro (amount can vary) should be shown during the interview and this would grant a 3 month visa. One should take this DD to Germany along with the admission letter, go to the international office and get one's visa extended to cover the period of study. More information at http://www.vfs-germany.co.in/

Learning German: Germans speak german...duh ?!....and English is not enough to get by in Germany if you want to live, study and work here. You have to learn German. Most universities offer language classes especially for students. All you need is initiative to learn the language. It is not mandatory to finish multiple levels before arriving here but knowing some basic German would definitely be helpful.

Racism: Germans are NOT racists. They are mostly reserved and are not openly friendly. You need to spend some time to break the ice but once they become friends, they are friends foreever. Like in any country, there are always a bunch of trouble makers here and there but I can confidently say that in all the time I have lived here, my safety has never once been threatened !

Living Conditions: Living in Europe is a very enjoyable experience and more so in Germany where everything more or less is like clockwork. The cost of living obviously depends on where one lives in Germany with cities like Munich, Stuttgart being a lot more expensive than small towns like Aachen. Living costs can be around 600 euro per month and most students work as research assistants (wissentschaftliche Hilfskraft - HiWi) or outside the University to support themselves.

Job Opportunities: During the course of study, getting a HiWi is not challenging. This obviously depends on your resume and your ability to learn German. The key is to be on the lookout for HiWi ads (usually in department websites and bulletin boards) and have the initiative to learn. As a student, nobody expects you to be an expert. If you can work hard and learn, then you will make a good HiWi.

The story is a little different when you graduate. Having been in Germany for atleast 2 years now, employers start expecting you to have a good grasp of German although they realise you are not a native speaker. This is natural since employers would expect the same (w.r.t learning Hindi) even if we travel from the south to the North within India. Also, working as a team is impossible if you are hampered by a language. So, if you have a good resume and a reasonable command over German, you are sure to get a job

Take a course you like and not a course you believe will get you a job because the market, technology, economy and trends keep changing all the time and by the time you graduate, everything could be the stark opposite of what it was when you began studying. The key is to like what you do because it is pretty much something you are going to do for the next 20-30 years and the only way you are going to be good at it is when you are interested in what you are doing !

Germany Vs USA: Many students make the obvious mistake of comparing Germany to the US. Neither is this comparison valid and nor will it make any sense given that the philosophies are entirely different and the only thing common between them is that they are both developed countries. There is quite a difference in the culture, the University environment, people, food, weather, work culture, payscale and obviously the time zones ! One thing that surprises most students is how few desis live here as compared to the States. Please do not expect a dosa corner and a temple in every city.

If you have specific questions, leave me a comment and I will try and answer it to the best of my knowledge and experience. Good Luck !

95 comments:

  1. This is very good. Will let any student aspirant who crosses my way, and who wants to study in Germany, know about this post.

    Crisp and informative and adequate enough for a start.

    Deepa

    ReplyDelete
  2. shwetha sivakaminathanAugust 3, 2009 at 2:23 PM

    hey..tat was really helpful...just curious abt how u applied 4 the univ?? through TOEFL or through ur college grades or wat they call CGPA ?

    shwetha

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  3. @Deepa
    thanks, that is the intent :)

    @Shwetha
    I do not quite understand your question. Added a small 'application' section that might answer your query. GPA calculation is not like in the US. German Universities prefer the Indian system of grading (percentage scale).

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  4. really i am thankful to you for the information,but i have IELTS score with me ,should i go for Tofel or not

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  5. @Anonymous

    Do you already know which universities you want to apply to ? Write an email asking them if IELTS score is acceptable. If your medium of instruction for your undergraduate degree was english, you can also explain that. Most universities will not have a problem with this.

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  6. SG, Wow. Quite a lot of informations. Good to see like minded posts. Its really surprising.

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  7. Hi, i am Abhishek my brother who is goin to complete his B.pharmacy by april 2010, is more passionate about German education , wants to continue his masters in Pharma, can u please let me know about German universities , fee structure, part time student employment, career opputunities

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  8. @Abhi

    Did you read the disclaimers in this article ? Anyway, please ask your brother to google for information depending on the pointers from this blog and ask him to get back to me with specific questions. your questions are too general for me to provide any info given that neither I nor any of my friends (who studied here) are B.Pharm students.

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  9. hi,
    urs is really a good blog,it had helped me tremendously .i am a final year engg(ece)from madurai. i hadnt got my toefl score yet.i have a 73% aggregate.would it be enuf if i apply to univs like aachen stuggart n all.n certain websites (karlstrue )is in full german(the english part is nt complete)i dnt understand german..any other ways to get more info? luking forward.

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  10. @Gautam

    No. of applications depend on which courses or which places you want to go to. Don't let the website hinder you, write an email and ask for information or use babelfish translator or the leo.org german-english dictionary. If you have specific questions about any university, let me know, I can find out.

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  11. sure i would use translator and see it(found out that KTH is moving its pages so it may take sum time they had given :) ).iam an ece (thnk ur ece too)graduate i would like to knw the univs i may apply (considering my aggregate is a bit lesser) in my domain so that i may get admission.i have aachen,stutgart,tuh munchen,kth in mind but would i get admission in them? or do u have any other suggestion?

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  12. @gautam

    Getting an admission depends on lot of factors -no.of applicants and their standard, no. of people they choose to take from a country etc., so just apply and keep your fingers crossed. I would also suggest TUHH

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  13. thank you. i'll get back as soon as i get my toefl scores..
    And kudos for ur blogs..really nice stuff :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Got my toefl scores 111/120(r-30,l-29,s-24,w-28.Is it enough for German univs?

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  15. @gautam

    sounds good to me (I don't think universities in Germany have a stringent language requirement like in the US)

    ReplyDelete
  16. can u tell more about uni assist programme?A consultant offered his services but he wants INR 32000 as charges.I can manage my application myself na?

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  17. @gautam

    I NEVER NEVER recommend consultants. I always believe in doing things myself.

    What exactly do you mean by uni assist programme ? If you mean, help/orientation offered for new students, this is university-dependent and the uni website should provide info about it.

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  18. Hi........ Is it necessary to apply through a consultancy.because they are charging really high amount.nearly Rs 50000....How did you shortlisted your university

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  19. I came to know that stuttgart is also accepting an MoI Certificate instead of Toefl/ IELTS...my question is where to get this certificate...In my college or in University...

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  20. @suren

    No consultancy needed, you can apply on your own, that's what I did. For the certificate, it should be enough if your college gave it but verify it with the program coordinator

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  21. Hi Sowmya ... First of all thanks for all the information you have provided here,it is really really useful...... i got some questions for you ... I am currently working in infosys as a senior systems engineeer and i have an experience of around 3 years ..... My bachelor degree is in Mechanical and now i want to pursue my higher studies(Masters) in Engineering and Management or Management(IT-Based like project managemnt).... I can able to select only 10-12 courses coz most of the courses ask a degree in comp. sci as requirement..... i selected one course In FH Dortmund which suits my requirements ..... but the degree awarded is only MA ..... So,i want you to clarify me what is the difference between MA degree and MSc degree (Career perpective) ..... and whether i can go ahead and apply for that course ...... Regarding Hochschule and Fachhochschule ..... should i give priority to the courses offered in Hochschule? ..... Thanks in advance .......

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  22. @Dawson

    It is exactly like I say in the blog - "FH degrees are recognised as well but the payscale for FH is lower than a University. While Universities are more research oriented, the FH prepares you for a practical application of your skills on the job. If your career goal is to get a PhD or be involved in the state-of-the-art research then a University is the right place for you". Can you send me the link to your course, I can look it up and give you more info ?

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  23. www.wirtschaft.fh-dortmund.de/eurompm/startdo.htm ...... This is the link sowmya ..... Already I have done some groundwork but I need some guidance from you in selecting the universities too .... Sorry if i am asking you too much ....

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  24. @Dawson

    I think the reason you are awarded MA instead of MS is because the stream you have chosen is management and not science. As such, masters degree for management has gained popularity only recently in Germany. while it may be recognised well in europe, I am not sure how well it is recognised in other places. Have you tried contacting students doing this course ?

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  25. I am really confused ryt now ..... I have not contacted anyone except you ..... I thought , first I will choose courses and go ahead with the university ranking and the course popularity .... As you said, it is important to study a course which one likes.... But at the same time we need to be sure whether that course gets you a job or not ryt ..... I am interested in doing msc ( comp.sci/mech/Management) .... Generally,I Want to know which is the best ( core/management ).....I want you to advice me which will be the best in job prospects ...... If you feel this comment is too specific, please reply to my personal id: maridawson@gmail.com ..... Thanks

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  26. @dawson

    Both computer science and management degrees can get you jobs, it depends on which line you want to take - do you want to be in technology development or business development ? For the former you need masters in science, for the latter masters in management

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  27. Thanks SG ...... Let me decide the courses .... one last thing .... i need your help to prioritize the universities i select .....i have already gone through the university rankings but it would be great if you tell us which is the best place to study .....

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  28. @dawson

    that's a difficult question. Even if the university is well ranked, you might not like the course or city and viceversa...so depends on many factors. what are your current choices ?

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  29. Hi SG ..... My choices are as follows:
    1)Munich university of Technology.
    2)Heilbronn University.
    3)Dortmund University of Applies Sciences and Arts.
    4)European University Viadrina Frankfurt (oder).
    5)University of Erlangen - Nuremberg.
    6)HTW Berlin.
    7)FH Emden.
    8)FH Furtwangen.
    9)University of Freiberg.
    10)University of Munster.

    Please let me know your thoughts.....

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  30. @dawson

    I have had lotsa friends study in Dortmund and have also heard good things about Munich university and Erlangen. I do not know about the rest but can ask around. Have you tried contacting students from these universities, especially desis ?

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  31. No actually ..... I have not contacted anyone ..... Is ther any forum kinda thing where I can contact our desi students ? .... I subscribed to one such group in yahoo .... I guess the name is "Indian students in Germany" ..... My request was not approved :-( .... If you know any such forum ..... Just let me know .....'so that I can shoot my questions .....

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  32. @dawson

    search for orkut or facebook communities for each university. that should help since they will have both past and current students.

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  33. Sure ..... I can do that SG ..... Thanks for all your help :-) ....

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  34. Hi,
    info for veg ppl out there in germany, one good news is that now Mc Donalds has started with 100% veg burger from this month.

    hope its a good news for veggies coz, one dont have to look for restaurants to have veg food when you r starving with hunger.

    cheers

    ReplyDelete
  35. hi!! got to know about your blog from a tabloid in Chennai. nice.
    Wat do u suggest i should know bascially for a mastrs in biotech??!?! I'd like to get more info from you.
    lookin forward.

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  36. @srk
    hmm...err...dint I answer that exact question in this post ?? Find out univs that offer the course, their application requirements and then make your choice (or rather make them to choose you).

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  37. HI SOWMY, UR INFORMATION WAS REALLY HELPFUL.I HAVE PASSED 12 NON-MED.I WISH TO PURSUE CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM GERMANY,PLEASE HELPE ME.
    THANX

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  38. Hello Sowmya, this post is really gud one. I have few queries. Would you pls advise.I have got admit for computational mechanics from university of stuttgart. I'm very much bothered about job propects for the same. Having worked in IT for about 3.5 years, i'm quite concerned how much easier would it be to find a job after study. Btw, i'm academically having gud grades. Pls let me know ur thoughts abt job opportunities in germany

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  39. nice work!!
    well i am an instrumentation engineer from mumbai uni., looking out for programs in mechatronics, robotics and automation.. my agg is 60%(good for Mumbai Uni.), i kno its not good for masters in germany.
    what are my chances? should i give it a shot or?? im lookin for FH than TU.
    even shortlisted the institutes.
    write back.
    cya.

    ReplyDelete
  40. @Saurabh
    I see no reason why you shouldn't apply...admission depends not just on your scores but also on your SOP and other applicants, so good luck ! But if you have a PhD in mind, then FH is not the way to go.

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  41. @SG
    hey thanks for the reply..
    can u please differentiate clearly between the payscales after masters from FH and TU?

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi Sowmya,
    This is Prahatha. I am doing Masters in Molecular biology in UQ, Australia. I am looking forward to apply to german univs for PhD. I was looking at max-planck. I have no idea if its ambitious, how tedious or not the process is etc.
    I was wondering if you could help me out in that.
    many thanks !
    Prahatha
    (prahathavenkatraman@gmail.com)

    ReplyDelete
  43. @saurabh
    I unfortunately can't since I am not in HR and have no correct salary numbers but I do know that FH is paid less (I would guess couple of thousand euro)

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  44. @Prahatha
    can you be more specific ? have you checked out the max-planck website ?

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  45. hi this is javed got admit in rostock uni in computational engg......i came to know that rostock university is small and the place has large unemployment....is it possible to get a part time job..... and the job scope after completing the course..... is the degree valuable in india and abroad.......plz do reply me...

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  46. hi this is javed got admit in rostock uni in computational engg......i came to know that rostock university is small and the place has large unemployment....is it possible to get a part time job..... and the job scope after completing the course..... is the degree valuable in india and abroad.......plz do reply me...

    ReplyDelete
  47. @Javed
    I don't know about the University but the place has very few industries. As far as I know, the only large company in that area is Caterpillar but that shouldn't matter since you can study in Rostock and look for jobs in other cities once you graduate. All degrees from state universities are recognised everywhere but I don't know how valuable they are. As long as you know what you are good at what you do, the name of the university shouldn't matter.

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  48. hey i just completed my degree in electronics and instrumentation..i hav not yet started my process..is the summer intake gud for doin ms in germany?bcoz i just searched for courses n univ s,but i could find few courses n univ r offerin summer intake?so plz gimme some comments..

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  49. Hi sowmya,
    I have looked at the IMPRS website. They start with the online applications from sept 15th. I am not sure if Max planck becomes to ambitious without publications. What other German universities would you suggest for molecular neurocience or neuroscience+psychology in general. If its ok, could you please mail me at prahathavenkatraman@gmail.com

    Thanks a lot ! :-)
    Prahatha

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  50. @Anonymous
    there is nothing wrong in joining in March or October, depends on the course and univ.

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  51. @Prahatha
    am sorry, I really don't know much about non-engg branches. Like you, I also should only rely on google. If you want to know about PhD in general, check the 'Doing a PhD' section in http://sowmyagopal.blogspot.com/2009/08/studying-in-germany-after.html

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  52. Hello Sowmya,

    Nice blog.

    Please visit www.germanymantra.com, it is an efforts towards keeping all information together. I would be very thankful if you could contribute here. If you can allow to add your blog on this website that would also be great.
    http://www.germanymantra.com/education/colleges

    Thanks
    Surendra

    ReplyDelete
  53. Hello Sowmya,

    I completed my Btech in Mechanical Engineering in 2007 and have got two and a half years of experience in projects and manufacturing..i am thinking about going for a Ms program in Power Plant or Nuclear Energy in Germany...could you suggest me few univerisites and pls let me know the prospects..

    With Regards
    Kiran Kota

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  54. @kiran
    check daad.de and use google to find some universities and then get back to me with specific Qs. There are similar Qs about prospects in the comments, please go through them for info. Good luck !

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  55. Hey SG,
    I am going go to apply for German Student Visa. I have everything they need from me.
    But from last 2 days, i am little disturbed about PR in Germany.
    As i am a single parent child, so i wanna bring my mom after some years when i got work and PR.
    And i know it is not possible to bring your parents in Germany.
    So guide me and help me here soon...
    plzzz before my dreams got shattered... help me...

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  56. @Anonymous
    I have no idea what information you want - please be specific and clear in your questions. Please refer to the article in my blog about PR in Germany, you can apply for it after you have been in Germany for atleast 5 yrs. Your mom visiting you should not be a problem.

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  57. hello SG
    Can u please tell me, how many days deutsche bank takes to open a student bank account,it has been 23 days that i have sent my documents to Hamburg.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Hello SG
    I am little confused about my future plans.Hope you will find a solution for me.please
    My confusion is should i go for masters in Canada or Germany?
    Canada is near to USA and have good employment rates.easy PR is also a + point and many Punjabis r also living there.
    In Germany study is free and degree is very reputed across world.but Difficult PR and new language is a obstacle in my way
    But i am confused.?? help me....

    ReplyDelete
  59. @Anonymous1
    Why do you need to create a bank account from India ? In person, it takes only a few minutes and you can do it after you get here. In the meanwhile, if you want to transfer money, use western union or some other money transfer service. Did the bank ask you to send the documents ? If yes, call them.

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  60. @Anonymous2
    If you think you cannot learn German, then you shouldn't come to Germany. PR is not difficult to get but you can apply only after 5 yrs. If Canada is better w.r.t PR, then I would think Canada is a better option for you since your priority seems to be PR.

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  61. Hello mam,

    I am a engineering student and have 66% in my graduation and second division in my 10th and 12th and I have a IELTS score of 6.0. I am looking for admission in german universities can you please suggest me some universities in the feild of microsystems or optics and photonics..?? I have KSOP in mind and frieburg can you tell me whether I should go with this options or I should reappear and go for them again.

    ReplyDelete
  62. @ Sg as i asked you about deutsche bank.. Actually now it is compulsory for students to have a blocked account in German or deutsche bank.
    i have to deposit 7800 euros in that account.so if you have information regarding this,help me out.please
    tell me how many days deutsche bank takes to open a student blocked account???/please help

    ReplyDelete
  63. @Anonymous2
    Like I said, call them ! It should not take more than a day to open a bank account (assuming your documents have reached them)

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  64. Hello SG
    Can you please tell me how many points should one get in test Daf to meet with university requirements for Masters degree..
    even if it varies from uni to uni , please u r requested to tell me both min and max points for Daf

    ReplyDelete
  65. @anonymous
    you have to get TDN 4 in general but some universities also consider TDN 3. More details are here - http://www.testdaf.de/teilnehmer/tn-info_nivea.php

    ReplyDelete
  66. Hello SG
    can u please spend a little of ur valuable time to check my visa ques and answers.please
    here is the ques nd answers prepared by me..
    Why this university
    The combination of subjects and course I want to study is available in this university,
    More over in this university ,I will get specialized in 2 fields, one is compulsory ,other is elective unlike other universities, where I would get specialized in 1 field

    Ques What is the purpose of this interview?
    Ans Sir, as I want to go to Germany for my higher studies and I have applied for German student visa. To check put the authenticity of my documents and me , German officers will take this interview


    Ques 1-: Why you want to go to Germany?
    Answer-: Sir,I want to go Germany for higher education. I will pursue my MS.

    Ques 2-: Why Germany. Why not any other country?
    Ans-: Sir,The technological advancement of Germany will provide me a better exposure to latest technology like EMC, Cloud computing etc. And also a master degree from Germany is highly reputed across globe. More over, education is highly subsidize
    In Germany.

    Ques 3- Do you think this course can be done in India?
    Ans- yes Sir,this course is available here. but the pedagogy and curriculum is different. More over there is unbalance between the theoretical and practical knowledge in India. And getting a right kind of exposure is not possible here.

    Ques 4- Which university you have chosen?
    Ans- Sir,I have chosen Technical University Claushtal.

    Ques 5-: Which course you have chosen?
    Ans-:Sir, I will pursue my Masters in Computer Science.

    Ques 6-:Why this course?
    Ans-:Sir, This course will enhance my skills and knowledge in my field and also give me the knowledge about latest technology like declarative programming and Artificial Intelligence, which will further help me to achieve my aim. We know that in this competitive world, we have to do some better so if we have international degree in a particular subject its change our future earning.

    Ques 7-:How this course will help you?
    Ans-:



    Ques 8-: What will you do after finishing this course?
    Ans-: Sir, I will come back to my country and do a job in some reputed firm or MNC.

    Ques 9-:What are your future Plans.
    Ans-:Sir,My future plan is to join a MNC to get experience and a totally practical experience after doing Masters. After 5 -6 years of Experience in MNC, I want to got for a PHD degree in same field.

    Ques 10-: Will you come back to India.?
    Ans-: yes , sir. I will surely come back to my country because all my family tie-up are here. And to achieve my aim, I will come back here.
    Ques- 12: What you have done in past?
    Ans-: Sir, I have done Bachelors in Computer Applications.
    Ques 15-: Who is sponsoring you?
    Ans-: Sir, My Mother is sponsoring me.
    Ques16-: what your Father do?
    Ans-: Sir,My father has expired 16 years ago
    Ques 17-Do you have any idea about the MNC companies in India? Who will hire you? And which one is your targeted MNC
    Ans- Sir, As India is becoming the hub of IT industry so my chances to have a better job in one of leading MNC is brighter after getting an international degree. Like every computer engineer, my dream is also to be a part of Microsoft.
    Ques18-: After finishing your course, if you get a job in Germany what will you do?
    Ans-: Sir, as my aim is not to make money, so even if I get a good salary job there , I will come back to India. Because here equal opportunities are also available.
    All answers are prepared by me, nd nthing is imported frm net...
    please check these questions and reply asap,please i need it badly nw.. waitng for ur valuable feed back nd suggestions.

    ReplyDelete
  67. thanks a lott information regarding Daf,,
    god bless u... keep it up...

    ReplyDelete
  68. @Anonymous
    your answers are pretty similar from my interview, refer to it - http://sowmyagopal.blogspot.com/2009/09/german-student-visa.html

    as long as you are reasonably truthful and do not get too dramatic, it should be fine because the visa officers have seen 1000s of students like you and have heard 1000s of replies like this. All they want to see is that you are prepared for this new life and you are qualified.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Thanks @SG
    i posted tht auestions.
    r my answers good enough to convince them.?
    My profile is nt soo convincing
    I got 81% in 10th,66%in 12 th nd 76% in bechelors.
    I do have offer letter from TUC
    So give me ur suggestions to make it more better ,so that i can make tht tough job to convince thm.plzz..
    thanks a lott

    ReplyDelete
  70. @anonymous
    all my suggestions are in the link I gave you before and your marks do not matter since you already have an admit. Just stick with your current answers and state them with conviction and you should be fine.

    ReplyDelete
  71. @ Sg,
    CAn u please tell me the procedure to get an appointment with German embassy. I mailed VFS regarding this . but no reply.please help me how do i get an appointment with Delhi consulate.

    ReplyDelete
  72. @anonymous
    http://www.vfs-germany.co.in/contactus.aspx - please go in person, submit your documents and VFS will give you an appointment.

    In the future, before you ask questions, remember that I live in Germany and applied for a visa 8 years ago and things in India would have changed. This site is only for making your search easier, once you have done your homework i.e. try google search.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Hi SG,
    My hearty thanks for all the information and replies. Your blog has given me new vision on my German study plan.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Hi SG...grt blog.

    Plz help me regarding this if you cn..
    My degree(B.tech in EEE) was due to complete in May 2011...but i had backlogs...and now it has extended by an year..
    I want to apply for winter 2012 for masters programme..now the result will come out in august 2012..and the deadline for applying is in july..

    I have been learning German for a while now and am keen to study masters course there..
    plz help...

    and my agg. would be around 65% in B.tech and first division in both 10th and 12th..

    Sunny
    waiting for your reply..

    ReplyDelete
  75. @sunny
    don't understand what you are asking. If you mean, how you can apply without getting your results, I would suggest requesting the univ to let you submit the marksheet at a later reason. In most cases, they would accept it.

    ReplyDelete
  76. That is exactly what i was asking...
    thanx a lot..
    and..
    your blog is pretty as you are..
    carry on..

    take care..:)

    ReplyDelete
  77. hi sowmya...
    which course u did at Stuttgart?

    ReplyDelete
  78. Hi sowmya....nice blog

    What are the chances of getting a job in Germany..after doing MS from Germany in electrical field..
    kindly tell in clear words....
    thanks a tonne in advance

    reply soon

    ReplyDelete
  79. Hi Sowmya,
    First of all thanks for a great piece of blog, truly informative, really appreciate it .
    I will be applying for a few TU9 universities for 2013 .Given its rankings and information from professional sites they are among worlds best . But i found a lot of negative reviews from students especially from outside countries . So can u please clarify on some of the facts :
    1. How is the teaching quality especially comparing it in Indian context ? I dont expect spoon feeding but would like to have interesting class teaching unlike here .
    2. How good are the professors ?
    3. What about the research opportunities?
    I have an internship from a very repuded university in US and it was really awesome , expecting a good(if not similar) experience from Germany .
    I know its been a long time since u have completed your studies but it would be nice if u can answer these queries with reference to your university .

    ReplyDelete
  80. @anonymous
    I did masters in INFOTECH (major:micro and opto-electronics)

    @anonymous
    your question is too generic. Chances depend on your resume and the German economy but I've never known anyone with a good engg/science degree from Germany unable to find a job

    ReplyDelete
  81. @Rajendra
    The teaching is definitely a lot better and so are the research opportunities. That being said, comparing it to the US never works since most Germans can express themselves way better in German than in English - this does affect the teaching ability of some people. Also the culture in Germany is a lot different from that in India and the US...so keep an open mind and good luck !

    ReplyDelete
  82. Hi this is kushal. I have done b.pharm from india and have already applied in universities like Jena, gottingen, dresden , and bonn.

    unfortunately i did not find a coarse in english for pharmacists so I have applied in related fields.
    i have following questions.

    1. Is a four year bachelor degree considered better than a three year one ?

    2. what is the weightage given to extra curricular activities ? (I have some awards of national and international level)

    3. I have an aggregate of 60 % in graduation but overall the profile is good with lots of conferences, abstract selections and some national level activities. Do I stand a chance ?


    4. How is indian education system considered in germany , I mean when they get an application for a coarse from more than one asia country , where does indian education system stand ??


    thank you so much

    ReplyDelete
  83. @Kushal
    1.not necessarily, but with a 3 yr course you might not fulfill their credit requirements and may be required to take extra subjects in masters

    2. If the international awards are recognised in Germany, then they would definitely be considered.

    3. Depends on other applicants who apply along with you i.e. how your application compares to others

    4. Depends on your previous batch mates at the university. If all students from India were poor, then that reflects on opinion they have of Indian education system. In case of engineering, the standard of Indian education is not considered good here. But I don't know how it is in Pharmaceuticals.

    I also think you learning German is very important because anything associated with health care demands that the person understands the local language.

    PS: its not 'coarse' but spelt 'course'

    ReplyDelete
  84. Hi, I got admission in hs darmstadt for this winter/2012. I heard its difficult to find accommodtion in germany. Can you help how to find accommodation there.

    ReplyDelete
  85. @Siddartha
    Does the university not offer any accmmodation ? Even if they don't they will definitely have suggestions in their website. Also try http://www.immobilienscout24.de (choose mietwohnungen in the opening page and then choose the state - Nordrhein-Westfalen, city - Dortmund etc.). Usually students stay in WG where 3 or 4 students share a big apt. These options are cheaper than individual apts. Let me know if this works.

    ReplyDelete
  86. pleas what are the things needed to apply for viadrina uni.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Good work SG,..

    I got admission in Jena(scientific instrumentation). As it takes 6-12 weeks to get visa approved am going to apply for my visa now.
    My question is can I change my university after getting my visa or in between the visa processing (as some of my university results are yet to come)?
    is it possible? or shall I wait until all univ results are announced...

    ReplyDelete
  88. @gautam. I have applied in university of jena too.
    but have not got any confirmation from them. The application portal says that the documents are handed over to the admission committee and this status is from since last 2 months. can u just tell me your graduation details and any other information about jena ?
    my email id is kparrived@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  89. Hi, i applied for MS in one of FH university. In the department website it is clearly stated that the course will be taken in English language. In my case is it enough with the English lang or do i need to learn German language. How could it impact on my visa approval chances....
    In ur blog it is clear that to live or to work in germany one need to learn german lang. But all i want to know is how could it affect the visa approval chances without learning or without any certificate of German language.

    ReplyDelete
  90. I browsed a lot and little confused about this point. Please give me your inputs on this.

    Internships offered only in FH?
    What about possibilities of internship in TU?

    If i get a place in both TU & FU, which one is should opt for, though i would like to do research, i need financial support too....

    Please advice.

    ReplyDelete
  91. @Sridhark7
    Like I explain in my blog, it depends on what you want to do after the course. A TU degree is considered a step above a FH degree but what you learn in FH is more practical than what you learn in TU. If you are more interested in research, then I would suggest opting for TU

    @anonymous
    Even for the visa, its better to show that you know basic german or are smart enough to be able to learn the language. Visa is issued based on the assumption that you will be able to live and manage in Germany and German is a must for that. So I would suggest being prepared for basic german questions like 'where are you going in Germany' or 'which university/course have you applied for' etc.

    ReplyDelete
  92. Thank you Sowmya!
    One more implicit question, What about internships at TU? Is that a part of curriculum in all the TU or only some of the TU offer internships? Please advice.

    By the way, i am becoming a fan of your blogs. Awesome !

    ReplyDelete
  93. @Sridhark7
    I don't quite get your question. Internships are usually a course requirement i.e. it depends more on the course you choose rather than the university itself. Internships are not always offered only in universities, one can also do internships in the industry (I did mine at Bosch).

    ReplyDelete
  94. Hi Sowmya,

    Thanks for guiding others.

    I need your suggestions, i have complete B.E computer Science and working in Chennai for 3 years. I m planning to do Ms in Germany i have applied for TUD and Uni of Stuttgart. But I have an average academic score of 65% but i have work experience. Will i have chance to get seat in above Univ.
    I have worked in Cloud computing and i wish to do Ms in Distributed Systems.

    Thanks
    Dinoop

    ReplyDelete
  95. @Dinoop, I really cannot answer that question Dinoop (I have mentioned this before in my comments too), it depends on the university and the people who apply with you, Good luck !

    ReplyDelete

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