All You Need to Know About Studying in Germany 2

9. Are there deadlines for direct enrollment?

The entrance application must be submitted by January 15 each year for the summer semester (beginning on April 1) and by July 15 for the winter semester (beginning on October 1). Students from outside Germany now have the opportunity to apply to several universities with only one set of documents through the Application Services for International Students (assist). assist will check that all necessary documents have been included and that they meet the necessary formal requirements, and will then forward them on to the respective universities.

10. Who does the assessment and recognition of foreign earned degrees in Germany?

As a general rule, the assessment of degrees and academic credits for admission purposes is the responsibility of universities. In assessing foreign higher education qualifications and degrees, the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) of the Conference of German Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) assists with provision of recommendations that are country-specific.
Pursuant to ‘The Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act of 2012,’ the certification authorities of the federal state of residence (or the state in which he/she intends to reside) of the applicant are responsible for the recognition of foreign higher education and degrees earned for the purpose of enrolling on an advanced study program.

11. What tuition fees do higher education institutions charge in Germany?

Even in the last few years tuition fees were pretty much a non-issue in German higher education since they were ridiculously low compared to other developed countries. Also only two out of the 16 federal states (Bavaria and Lower Saxony) used to allow their higher education institutions to charge tuition fees – and when they did, they charged up to €500 per semester. As of October 2014, Germany decided to waive tuition fees in all of the provinces making higher education literally free of charge.

Postgraduate courses (Master’s and Ph.D.) however, are liable for some extra costs, varying between €650 and a few thousand Euros per semester; it is advised that prospective foreign postgraduate students do their due diligence.

12. Do I need a lot of money to finance my stay in Germany?

The fact that there are no tuition fees mustn’t lead you jump to the conclusion that studying in Germany will be cheap. Yes, there are creative and commonsensical ways to significantly reduce your overall cost of life there, but first and foremost you need to realistically assess the resources at your disposal – take good stock of yourself financially. Don’t delude yourself thinking that working part time while studying in Germany, will take care of all your financial worries, as that’s highly unlikely to be the case – your student visa and residence permit entitle you to 120 full (or 240 half) days of work only. A scholarship and/or support by a sponsor (parent, relative, etc) may be necessary, in which case the sponsor has to explicitly state their intention of supporting you.

For more information please read: The Cost of Living as an International Student in Germany!

13. What are good places, other than universities, to apply for a scholarship if I want to study in Germany?

• A good place to start out is the German Research Foundation http://www.dfg.de/en/index.html
• Also, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)https://www.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/12359-finding-scholarships/

Apart from offering scholarship programs they also give advice on almost everything related to studying in Germany.

You can find more information here!

14. Will I be allowed to work while studying in Germany?

A foreign (not a citizen of an EU or EEA member country – with the exception of Bulgaria and Romania which face restrictions until 2014) student studying full-time in Germany is legally allowed to work a maximum of 120 full (or 240 half) days within a year, without having to obtain a permission from German employment authorities.

The legally allowed number of working days (half days) for foreign students also includes voluntary work placements, regardless of whether the placement is paid or unpaid. Also, foreign students face an additional restriction: while working the legally allowed number of days (or half days), they cannot be self-employed or work on a freelance basis. You can find more information here!

All You Need About Studying in Germany 1

1. Why choose Germany to study in as a foreign student?

Well, for starters, you’ll get first-class education (German universities are among the highest ranking in the world – right below a few of the American Ivy League and prestigious British universities) and a formal degree to show for it, that is recognized all over the world.

On top of that, the guiding principle of the German higher education being ‘The Unity of Teaching and Research’ (also the cornerstone of what is referred to as the ‘dual education system’), there is strong emphasis on ‘apprenticeship’ and hands-on involvement on the part of the student, in both the practical application of a large part of what gets learned theoretically and in researching novel ways of problem-solving (at many universities and ‘Fachhochschulen’ access to cutting-edge research facilities is available).

Finally, Germany is an important country and culture, so every international student stands to benefit greatly from familiarity with it (to say nothing of the ton of fun they are certain to have in the process).

2. What exactly is ‘Studienkolleg’?

It is a one-year preparatory course which has to be joined by individual candidates who wish to study at a German higher education institution but whose school leaving diploma is deemed insufficient to apply for a degree program.

The course covers full-time education in the subjects of a degree program as well as the German language, for five days a week. A passing score on the final Assessment Examination qualifies you to apply for a degree program that is suitable for you at any German university.

3. Can I study in Germany in English language?

Yes. There’s plenty of International Degree Courses taught in English (in the first semesters, at any rate) for students whose command of the German language isn’t sufficiently good to warrant their studying be done entirely in German. Both before and during the program there are German language courses offered. A large number of postgraduate courses (Master’s and Ph.D.) are designed and taught entirely in English.

Go to https://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/international-programs/de/ and select “English” from the field “Course Language” to find all programs in English!

4. What exactly are the International Degree Courses?

International Degree Courses have been introduced by institutions of higher education in Germany with the express aim of facilitating the process whereby international student applicants realize their educational objectives in Germany. The medium of instruction is primarily English, with gradually increasing usage of German.

These courses, which have been designed to high academic standards and are available to not only international but German students as well, cover both undergraduate (6 to 8 semesters resulting with a Bachelors degree) and postgraduate (3 to 5 semesters resulting with a Masters degree – in some courses, 6 additional semesters lead to a Ph.D.) studies.

5. Is it mandatory for international students to have passed TOEFL or IELTS in order to enroll on a study program that is taught entirely in English?

Yes, as a general rule, you need TOEFL or IELTS in order to apply for a program that is entirely taught in English at a German university. If, however, you’re applying for a postgraduate program and already hold a Bachelors degree with English as the language of instruction, you do not need TOEFL or IELTS; it goes without saying: no need for TOEFL or IELTS if you’re a native speaker of English.

6. What are the “Fachhochschulen,” and in what way are they different from a University?

Let’s first mention what they have in common: they both lead to Bachelors and Masters degrees (or their equivalents in Germany). However, ‘Fachhochschulen’ do not award Ph.D. titles; in order to earn a Ph.D. a postgraduate course at a university has to be attended.

Universities of Applied Sciences (a.k.a. ‘Fachhochschulen’) are so conceived as to maximize the practical utilization of theoretical knowledge; they are suitable for candidates who have no intention of pursuing academic careers, but are rather interested in the acquisition of as much practical experience as possible. Hence, the vast majority of degree programs taught in them are in the fields of engineering and hard sciences; programs in business administration get taught at ‘Fachhochschulen’ too, but to a lesser extent, whereas courses in humanities and social sciences are rarely offered.

7. Is there free access to computer facilities and libraries at German universities?

As a general rule, all higher education institutions in Germany provide Internet access and set up email accounts for their students. In addition to that, they have libraries and archives that are very well stocked and that supply many of the titles that are mandatory reading for students so they don’t have to buy a lot of the reading material for their study courses.

8. Are there any age limits to apply for postgraduate study programs (Masters and Ph.D.) in Germany?

No, there are no limitations set on age.

Study Cheap in Georgia

Do you know that you can study Medicine, Business Admin and other courses at cheaper rate in Georgia?
In case you don't know, see these attachments

Tourism Scholarship in Turkey

Good news to everyone planning to study in Turkey. You can study in Turkey with 100% scholarship for Tourism and Hospitality courses in Atalya College of Tourism, Turkey.
All you need do is to write an aptititude test in Maths & English and the scholarship is yours.
Eligibility: 5 Credit Passes in WASSCE or NECO
Age: Not more than 26 years
For more info contact: Gemsland Study Abroad & Tours- Plot 24B Gbemisola House, Omole Bus Stop, Omole, Ikeja, Gemsland Study Abroad & Tours - GSAT, Lagos, Nigeria
Tel: +2348068376778,8050232580 E-mail: gemslandstudyabroad@gmail.com

MBA Scholarship in USA

United States University is the college of choice for international students because the OEPIS is fully dedicated to them

US University (San Diego) - $14,000 scholarship
Net tuition fee rate $20,000 ($10,000 per year)

University of the Potomac (Washington DC) - $12,000 scholarship

Net tuition fee rate $20,000 ($10,000 per year)

·         Both universities have the highest form of accreditation in the USA

·         Opportunity to also undertake 10-week internship with US University (in addition to practical training opportunities)

·         High value of scholarships

Documentation:

 US University has intakes every 3 months.

Once the application is submitted, it can take between 5-10 business days for approval. Online students can start the following intake and campus students must apply for a student visa. Upon approval of visa, students can arrive, no more than 30 days before classes start.

MBA

3 Semesters/ 12 Months
        
36 core credits

Students can transfer in up to 20% of graduate credits

10 week, credit-based internships offered (campus only)

Offered online or on campus

All Applications sent to EFA should include:

Completed Application Form (PDF)

Certificates & Transcripts (translated copies)

Proof of English Language Level (If student does not speak/write English)

Personal Essay (500 words)

Financial Affidavit & Bank Statements (Campus)

Copy of Passport (Campus) For more info call/contact: 08068376778,8050232580 or email:gemslanstudyabroad@gmail.com

Master/Phd Scholarship to Study in Holland

University of Groningen Talent Grant: Eric Bleumink Fund

Selection criteria

Purposes:	Master programme, Master (MSc/MA/LL.M.), Ph.D.
Programmes:	All
Countries of origin:	Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Korea, Dem. Rep., Timor-Leste, West Bank and Gaza Strip, Congo (Rep.), Côte d'Ivoire, Kyrgyz Republic, Micronesia (Federated States), Sudan (Rep.), Congo (Dem Rep.), South Sudan, Central African Republic

Additional information

Eligible candidates:	Criteria for approval are: (a) academic excellence, shown by academic performance and may be confirmed by letters of recommendation from university professors; (b) contribution of candidate’s education in terms of strengthening the scientific capacity in the candidate’s home country; (c) perspectives to a long-term linkage between the home institution and the University of Groningen. For Ph.D programmes , the grants will usually be awarded for a maximum period of four years. Part of the research should be conducted in the home country and part in Groningen.
Grant information:	The grant is awarded for a 1 year or 2 years Master’s degree programme. The grant covers tuition fee, costs of international travel, subsistence, books, and health insurance.  Please note that a considerable number of students apply for this scholarship each year, whereas the University can issue only a limited number of grants.
Grant provider:	University of Groningen
Deadline:	January 15th, 2015. (opening call: October 15th, 2014)
Application:	To be nominated the student needs to be (conditionally) admitted to one of the Master's programmes. Nominations will be handled by the admissions officers. Master's degree programmes: A step-by-step application guide First the candidate should apply for admission to a Master's programme at the University of Groningen . When the candidate applies for this admission, he or she must indicate on the online application that he/she wishes to be nominated for a Eric Bleumink Fund scholarship. If the study programme board agrees with the candidacy for a EBF scholarship, they will send a standard application form including the motivation of the candidate to the Board of the Eric Bleumink Fund prior to 1 March. Per studyprogramme only two candidates can be nominated. The Board of the Eric Bleumink Fund will take a decision during their meeting in March. The studyprogramme and the candidate will both be informed on the decision taken by the Board. If a candidate is selected the coordinator and the candidate will have contact on the details of his or her arrival. If necessary he/she can contact the Board of the Eric Bleumink Fund for extra assistance. Ph.D programmes The application should consist of: 1. an elaborate research proposal or pre-proposal and 2. a letter of recommendation from the academic supervisor describing the benefits of the research for the department and/or the University of Groningen. 3. The application may also be submitted by the academic supervisor at the University of Groningen or at the home institute in the developing country. The academic supervisor in Groningen participates in one of the Research Schools or Research Institutes of the University of Groningen . 4. Motivation: it should be made clear by the applicant that requests for other funding have also been submitted.

Finnish government to introduce tuition for non-EU students

 

16 Dec 2014

There are currently four European countries that do not charge tuition fees for university studies: Finland, Germany, Norway, and Iceland. Get set to strike Finland off the list though. In the wake of a government proposal tabled in October by Minister of Education, Science and Communications Krista Kiuru, Finland will introduce tuition fees for non-European students as of 2016.
The proposal was unexpected. While the question of international tuition has been regularly debated in the Finnish parliament in recent years, it has not received strong support in political or academic circles. Indeed, earlier proposals to raise fees for students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) have been widely panned by student groups in Finland. And a pilot project to levy fees at 19 Finnish institutions concluded earlier this year with no strong findings in favour of international fees, and little apparent enthusiasm for the subject among participating universities and polytechnics.
Minister Kiuru’s proposal would see fees apply for students from outside the EEA – that is, the 27 European Union members (ratification is pending for a 28th member: Croatia) as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – beginning in 2016. While institutions will have discretion in setting their own fees, the government proposal prescribes a minimum tuition of €4,000 (US$5,000) per year, to apply only for degree programmes taught in languages other than Finnish or Swedish. Exchange students will not be affected by the new policy.

Inbound mobility today

Finland hosts roughly 20,000 international students today, including both exchange students from within Europe and visiting students from beyond the EEA. Roughly half of them stay on to work and contribute to the Finnish economy following their studies.
A recent item in University World News quotes, in translation, from a preliminary report on the impact of international students in Finland prepared by the Ministry of Education’s Centre for International Mobility, “The reported Statistics Finland figures show that, during the last ten plus years, the number of foreign students in Finland’s higher education institutions has tripled, being almost 20,000 in 2013. In particular, the numbers of students originating from Asian and African countries have increased substantially in recent years… Of the foreigners [who] graduated in 2011, more than two thirds were still in Finland a year after graduation, while two thirds of the ‘stayers’ were in employment.”
The most recent figures from UNESCO indicate that Finland hosted 17,636 foreign students in 2012, with the top 15 source countries accounting for nearly 70% of that enrolment as follows:

• China (2,129 students);
• Russian Federation (2,107);
• Nepal (976);
• Nigeria (939);
• Vietnam (904);
• Estonia (772);
• Pakistan (603);
• Bangladesh (591);
• India (557);
• Sweden (556);
• Germany (525);
• Ethiopia (454);
• Iran, Islamic Rep. (401);
• Kenya (388);
• Ghana (382).

Non-EEA countries, particularly those in Africa and Asia, account for a surprising percentage of total international enrolment. In fact, non-EEA markets in the top 15 source countries outlined above account for about 60% (10,431) of all foreign students in Finland.

Reaction thus far

The Finnish government has sent its tuition proposal out for review by the country’s higher education institutions, and, as news outlet YLE reports, “It now appears that universities and polytechnics in the country are agreeing to the motion, as a comment round organised by the Ministry of Education and Culture shows that they predominately approve… A number of higher education institutions in Finland support the implementation of tuition fees, but wish to keep the authority to collect and determine the tuition amount themselves.”
Samu Seitsalo, Director of the Centre for International Mobility (CIMO), adds a broader perspective as to the potential economic impacts of the tuition policy: “From a university and polytechnic perspective, it is a positive move, as it would mean more money for the institutions. As long as the proportion of people coming to study remains the same and the state continues to pay its part, the universities can use the tuition fees as they see fit. In terms of the national economy, however, it is a trickier issue. How that plays out will be largely dependent on how many students come to Finland from outside the EU and the EEA after tuition fees are implemented.”
Student groups and faculty associations, meanwhile, are firmly opposed and question the underlying business case for introducing fees for international students. Jarmo Kallunki is the education policy officer at the National Union of University Students in Finland and, he, for example, has laid out a detailed case against the introduction of international fees in a recent guest column for University World News where he:

• questions the competitiveness of Finnish education relative to other international destinations;
• outlines the current economic impacts of foreign students in Finland;
• argues that the introduction of fees for non-EEA students will “cause international student numbers to plunge” – with a corresponding decline in the foreign capital contributed by students for living expenses;
• and explores the longer-term impacts of students staying on in Finland after their studies.

In part, both Mr Kallunki and Mr Seitsalo are reflecting on the same question: to what extent could the introduction of tuition fees cause non-EEA enrolment in Finland to drop? And in this respect Finland has a close-to-hand example to consider in the case of Sweden.

A cautionary tale

Sweden introduced fees for non-EEA students in 2011 and non-European enrolment in the country promptly plummeted.
The Swedish Higher Education Authority reports that non-EEA enrolment in Sweden dropped roughly 80% from fall 2010 to fall 2011 (the point at which international fees were introduced).
As the following table reflects, non-European enrolment has recovered modestly in the years since, in large part due to the recruitment efforts of Swedish institutions (and the country’s international education bodies) and with expanded scholarship support for visiting students.
Please note that the term “free mover” is used in the table to indicate students who come to Sweden outside of a formal exchange programme (including non-EEA students which accounted for about 61% of “free movers” in Sweden in fall 2010) and are therefore more likely to have been affected by the introduction of foreign student fees.

Incoming higher education entrants for Sweden by region and student category, 2010-2013. Source: Swedish Higher Education Authority
This sharp shift in enrolment from 2010 to 2011 is shown even more graphically in the following chart.

Incoming higher education entrants during the academic years 2003/04-2012/13, total enrolment as well as free mover and exchange enrolments. Source: Swedish Higher Education Authority
It doesn’t automatically follow that the impact on non-EEA enrolment would be the same in Finland as it was in Sweden. However, the similarities between the two countries are notable. They share a similar geography and competitive profile in the global education market. And Finland today has a level of international enrolment comparable to that of Sweden in autumn 2010.
One important difference, however, is that non-EEA students account for a slightly higher proportion of Finnish enrolment today (than was the case for non-European students in Sweden in 2010) – 60% for Finland versus 50% for Sweden – and may therefore have somewhat greater exposure to enrolment declines following the introduction of international student fees.
There are of course other variables that could mitigate any negative impacts arising from the introduction of international fees in 2016, such as any steps that the Finnish government and Finnish institutions take to expand their marketing and recruitment efforts, and also the expansion of scholarships or other financial supports for non-EEA students.
As we have noted in the past, such strategies can play an important part in countering any downward pressure on student numbers arising from tuition increases. No doubt such measures, along with other key implementation details such as the actual tuition rates established by Finnish institutions, will ultimately determine the long-term impacts of Finland’s new policy.

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This entry was posted in Agents, Country Reports, Europe, Finland, Higher Education, Market Intelligence, Regions, Vocational and tagged Bangladesh, China, colleges with international students, Croatia, education abroad, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union student recruitment, Finland, Germany, Ghana, higher education reform, higher education statistics, Iceland, India, international students, Iran, Kenya, Liechtenstein, Ministry of Education, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, polytechnic, postgraduate student recruitment, Russia, scholarships for foreign students, student affairs, student enrolment, student mobility, student recruitment, study abroad, Sweden, tertiary education overseas, tuition fees, tuition fees for international students, undergraduate admissions, undergraduate student recruitment, universities with international students, Vietnam, vocational schools abroad by Editor. Bookmark the permalink.

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