Masters in Germany - sharing experience

More and more specialists, having graduated from a domestic university, decide to continue their education, having received a master's degree at the University of Germany . Today we will tell you in detail about how a master's program is organized in this country.
Go!

Tongue

Why, after all, an interesting country, Germany: it would seem, you know the German language - go to a magistracy and study for your health. But it turns out that almost all master's programs are “tailored” exclusively for English. Seminars, lectures, not to mention the works themselves - all this is in English. You can shine with your knowledge of the German language on the streets, in restaurants, and in supermarkets. Although in these places, most people can easily chat with you in average English. For a person whose main foreign language is German, finding a program in it is quite complicated.

Cost

As you know, education in Germany is free (with the exception of lands where a semester fee is provided). This is very tempting, and especially for those students who have decent knowledge and a lack of money.

The semester gathering is a separate topic for discussion, and, for the most part, political. We will not go into details of the history and purposes of its introduction, but simply state the very sad fact that there is a fee in some lands (for example, in Bavaria it amounts to 500 euros, but in Hessen it is not at all). Add to this the funds you need for accommodation, food, the purchase of essential goods, as well as medical insurance - and you will receive an amount of about 600 euros per month.

Of course, a lot depends on the specific region: if in Bavaria you have to “tighten the strap” for this money, then somewhere in the east or north of Germany the amount will also be enough to “go to a restaurant or a movie a couple of times a month”. Despite the prevailing stereotype that everything is expensive in Europe, in Germany this is true only for travel: transport is really expensive, and everything else, including food (which is often given out in huge portions), utilities and clothing, can be purchased approximately for the same money as ours.

University Choice

Advising which university is better to enter is pointless. It depends, first of all, on your specialization, level of knowledge, experience in the chosen activity, preferences and financial opportunities. It’s simply not possible to count all the nuances, and therefore no one will be able to choose the best university for the student than he himself.

There is a ranking of leading German universities. You can use it, but do not forget that each university has its own direction and its own specifics of education. For example, one of the most interesting universities in the field of IT is HPI-Posdam. Each graduate student is assigned a professor who oversees his work and helps to cope with the inevitable difficulties. The established business connections of the university also play a significant role - a rare master is left without a well-paid job after graduation.

Financing

You can earn a scholarship to study in Germany before enrolling in a university. It is considered as a specific grant, the amount is about 700 euros. But the payment is made not to every good student or excellent student, but only to those who manage to convince the board that it is he who deserves to receive a scholarship from the state.

In order to receive a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service ( DAAD ), you must write a motivation letter in which to justify the expediency of the payment. Of course, the letter should be drawn up by a person who has a higher education behind him.

It seems to be nothing complicated, but it seems only at first glance. A motivation letter must be prepared correctly, preferably in a detailed way, outline your plans for the future. You must tell in great detail how the allocated funds will help you on your way to a better life and benefit science and society. In general, Germany wants to protect itself as much as possible from unsuccessful investments in “hopeless” students.

Try to dream and paint who you see yourself in the next 5 years. It doesn’t matter if your Napoleonic plans come true or not, the main thing is that they should sound as convincing as possible. You must have a goal and a clear plan of action.

So, the letter is composed and sent. The first part of the test is behind. It remains only to wait and hope that you are lucky, and you will be on the list of those lucky ones who, according to the results of the first round, will be invited for an interview in Moscow. There you will most likely have a chance to talk with a German professor. Basically, he can ask you anything. But it is absolutely certain that you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge in the subject area, to tell a little about yourself as a person, to solve several logical problems. You will be checked for general adequacy, they will try to draw up a psychological portrait of the person. It is not necessary that all the answers are correct - it is more important to show yourself as a thinking student with good analytical skills.

In addition, do not forget about the presidential program "Global Education".

Global Education is a Russian program of financing students who have independently entered foreign universities. The program already involves more than 200 universities in 27 countries. The program finances not only study, but also accommodation abroad.

Admission process

In order to be safe as much as possible, it is better to think over several alternatives in case you do not enter the coveted university. Although this is extremely unlikely: earning a scholarship is much more difficult. But if in the end you don’t go anywhere, then of course you won’t get scholarships.

Examinations for admission to universities in Germany are not provided. Despite the fact that all specialties are divided into non-competitive and competitive, the maximum that threatens you is an additional telephone interview.

Universities do not have a single deadline for submitting documents. Some establishments envisage filing applications for several years in advance. The main defining document is a motivation letter. In addition to him, you will need translations of the school certificate and diploma (certified by a notary), a certificate of knowledge of the language (for English - TOEFL or IELTS , for German - TestDaf ) and CV.

Visa application

After receiving an invitation from the university, it is recommended that you immediately begin to deal with issues of visa and housing. You need to act as quickly as possible. Paperwork takes longer than it seems at first glance. Especially for those who are not scholarship holders. A whole month can pass from your appointment to the interview.

For those who managed to get a scholarship to study, separate conditions apply. Such students do not need to go for an interview, they are granted a visa for free, and all the necessary documents are drawn up directly in the academic exchange service. However, for each district there are separate features that are best specified in advance.

Housing Search

The sooner you start to “monitor” housing prices, the more likely you are to be able to find decent apartments at an affordable price. There are special organizations that search for housing for students. For example, Studentenwerk . But if you go there right before your departure, then it’s far from the fact that there are free places. Still, the excitement before the start of the school year is big enough, and everyone wants to get comfortable.

How much money will be needed to send documents?

Formally, admission is free, but many costs will have to be paid on your own. For example, to send documents. You can do this in different ways (for example, through the “Russian Post”, DHL, Pony Express or EMS Russian post). Each of the services works at a different speed and for a different price (which can differ several times). Delivery speed often depends on the remoteness of your village from Moscow.

Money will be needed not only for sending documents, but also for notarizing the translation of a diploma. It often happens that notaries refuse to certify documents translated by third parties, and require that you use the services of a full-time translator. So include this expense item in your budget. You may also have to pay for checking your documents with a German university.

To act or not?

Student years are the golden time of our life. The probability of receipt, and even more so, the receipt of a grant depends on how much effort and time you devoted to preparing for all the necessary stages. Good luck!

Next time we will share material on education in the Netherlands. It turns out that this area provides a lot of opportunities for graduates.

The author of the article is Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult