German Education System, Education system of Germany, Education in Germany

German education system is mainly handled by state with federal government playing a minor role. Nursery schooling is provided to all children between three and six years after which schooling is compulsory for 11 to 12 years.

In Germany education for pupils between 6 and 18 years old is free and compulsory. Almost every German adult is literate that means he is able to read and write.

At the age of four years, German children begin their education at the primary school i.e. Grundschule till the age of 10 years. They are allowed to take up further education based on the result obtained from the test given after that primary phase. More than half of the students go for upper level school i.e. Hauptschule for more 5 years of education. Once they are completed with higher education they go for 3 years of occupational training Berufsschule. Besides classroom training students are also given practical and onsite training.

The ones who have completed their primary education will obtain classroom training Realschule for three years related to commerce and administration. After completion they can go for higher level of professional training, Fachoberschule.

Students who wish to take admission in a university will have to obtain 9 years of rigorous education i.e. Gymnasium after which they have to take a take to obtain the diploma Abitur.

Germany is well known for the high quality of their education. Heidelberg University is among the oldest in Europe and founded in 1386.

German universities are located in Berlin, Bonn, Erlangen, Frankfurt, Friburgo, Gotinga, Hamburgo, Leipzig, Marburg ander Lahn, Munich and Tubinga. Germany also has many excellent schools of Music, Fine Arts, Cinema and Photography.

Education in Germany is public, with most schools, colleges and universities are paid by the taxpayers and so they do not charge any tuition fee. Educational programs are organized, financed and administered at the state level. . The Department of Education in each of the 16 federal states oversees the state's primary, secondary and career training schools and much of higher education. Administrators at both the state and federal level coordinate with each other for educational planning and research. As a result the quality of education is quite good throughout the country.

There are over 300 post secondary institutions in Germany that includes colleges of art and music, theological colleges, comprehensive universities and polytechnic universities. German constitution allows students to fully develop their potential in one’s occupation and fully develop skills and have proper career training.

About 75% of German students first go for a formal three year training program with hands on job experience in business, industry and government with career specific classroom instruction.

Bachelor 

Though recognized and known the world over, the Bachelor degree is fairly new to Germany. To obtain a Bachelors degree you need to have 180 study points in European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The study period is minimum 3 years. You can get the following degrees after completing your Bachelor’s Program.

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
• Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)
• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.)
• Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
• Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.)
• Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)

Master

A Bachelors degree forms the basis for the next academic step is a Masters degree. One or two year study program equals 120 ECTS points. A Bachelors degree is required to apply for a Masters study program. A Masters degree is valued the same as a German ‘Diplom’ or ‘Magister’ degree.

Master types:

• Master of Arts (M.A.)
• Master of Science (M.Sc.)
• Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)
• Master of Laws (LL.M.)
• Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
• Master of Music (M.Mus.)
• Master of Education (M.Ed.)

Doctorate / PhD

You can apply for a PhD after completing your Master’s program. You would be required to write a dissertation and give an oral exam to attain the Doctorate title (PhD). Students that are working on their dissertation are called Doktoranden. 

The Old German Degree System

Diplom
 
The term ‘Diplom’ belongs to the old degree system (before the Bologna reforms), though some universities still have the Diplom program. The length of the Diplom program is 4 years.

Magister
 
This is also part of the old degree system, the most common degree program for the social sciences. 

Staatsexamen (State exam)
 
This is a state organized exam and the degree is for jurists, doctors and teachers. One  usually two State Exams are needed to receive a degree.
Admission:

Admission to various universities, depends upon the type of institution that you opt for. All Higher Education Institutions, have a Summer Semester which usually lasts from March to August or from April to September and Winter Semester is from September to February or from October to March.

Do’s and don’ts in Germany, Study in Germany, Manners in Germany

Do

• Shake hands when you’re introduced to someone – it’s impolite not to.

• Say Prost! (cheers!) before you sip your beer – and look your drinking buddy in the eye when you say it.

• Feel free to have serious discussions in social settings – Germans like talking politics and philosophy. They don’t relish idle chit-chat or small talk.

• Say your name at the beginning of a phone call, even if it’s followed by ‘do you speak English?’

• Address people with the formal ‘you’ (Sie). If the familiar ‘you’ (Du) is cool, they’ll let you know.

• Hit the ATM – cash rules in Germany and many restaurants don’t take credit cards.
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Don’t

• Be late – everyone else will be on time.

• Send a German friend lilies – they’re for funerals. Carnations symbolise mourning, too.

• Dig into that Sauerkraut before your host says ‘Guten Appetit’ (good appetite).

• Stroll in the bike lane. You’ll get bruised or yelled at (or both). It’s marked red for a reason.

• Jaywalk. Nobody else does, and you might get fined.

• Drink yourself into a stumbling fool. We know the beer goes down easy, but public drunkenness is frowned upon.

Accommodation in Germany

Cost of living in Germany is high and to lead a moderate lifestyle in Germany you need at least700 euro per month. However, if you are living in new Federal States i.e. former East Germany, you can sustain on 600 Euro per month. What you should keep in mind while staying and studying in Germany is that you should learn to maintain fixed costs, e.g. rent, as low as possible. You can look for student dormitory, shared room or economically priced-room. 

Newspapers and Notice-boards

You can get information on accommodation in local newspapers, usually in the Wednesday and weekend editions. The “notice-boards” of your university are usually filled with offers of accommodation scrawled on bits of paper. For those who arrive in Germany alone, flat sharing in so-called “WGs” (Wohngemeinschaften) is a good way to meet people.

Shared-living Centers, University residences, Estate agents

Many university cities have shared-living centers (Mitwohnzentrale). These help you look for accommodation for limited periods on a commission basis. University residences also provide accommodation.

Student DormitoriesThough the rooms here are very small, yet they are the cheapest. Many dormitories now have bigger rooms and even offers for couples.
Approximate Cost of Living in Germany as a Student:
650 euros i.e. approximately INR 35,000 - 40,000 per month (rent, bills, food, transport, leisure activities, clothing, study material, health insurance)

Germany country profile, About Germany, Germany faqs

Germany is in the middle of Europe. It is bordered by Denmark to the north, and it also shares borders with the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland. Its capital is Berlin.

More than 82 million people live between the North and Baltic seas in the north, and the Alps in the south of Germany. A number of midsize mountain ranges traverse the country. Its most important rivers include the Rhine, the Danube, the Elbe and the Oder. There are lakes too -- mostly in the northeast, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, but also in the foothills of the Alps.

The northern coasts are dotted with numerous islands, and the metropolises include Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, the Ruhr Valley, Cologne, and the Rhine-Main region around Frankfurt.

• Full name: Federal Republic of Germany
• Population: 82.1 million (UN, 2011)
• Capital: Berlin
• Area: 357,027 sq km (137,849 sq miles)
• Major language: German
• Major religion: Christianity
• Life expectancy: 78 years (men), 83 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
• Main exports: Motor vehicles, electrical machinery, metals
• GNI per capita: US $43,110 (World Bank, 2010)
• Internet domain: .de
• International dialling code: +49