Studying in Germany

• Academic studies in Germany may be structured and organised very differently from studies in your home country. In Germany, for example, there are different types of universities (sometimes referred to as higher education institutions): universities (Universitäten), universities of applied sciences (Hochschulen für angewandte Wissenschaften or Fachhochschulen), universities of the arts (Kunsthochschulen or künstlerische Hochschulen) and universities of cooperative education (duale Hochschulen). There are also around 21,000 study programmes in Germany – but don’t worry: you can find out which programme is offered at which university using the Higher Education Compass, for example.
• Most study programmes follow the bachelor’s and master’s system. A bachelor’s degree is the first university degree that qualifies you for a profession. A bachelor’s programme usually lasts three to four years or to put it another way six to eight semesters. Admission to a master’s programme, which usually lasts one to two years, respectively two to four semesters, usually requires a bachelor’s degree or a comparable qualification.
• In addition to the bachelor’s and master’s programmes, there are other types of degree programmes, e.g. teacher training programmes or degree programmes which lead to a state examination, such as medical studies. You can also find more information about different types of study programmes and types of universities at the Higher Education Compass.

Continue your studies: Take your achievements with you!

• You have already studied in your home country and have been offered a place to study in Germany? The credits you have already earned at the university do not necessarily have to be lost when you transfer. Your achievements may be recognised, so that you do not have to start all over again.
• Recognition (Anerkennung) means that you do not have to repeat work you have already completed. If your application is approved, you will not have to re-learn what you already know after the transfer and can, for example, shorten your studies or give yourself more time for a part-time job or other interests.
• In principle, the same requirements apply to you as for German students. This means, for example, that you must already be enrolled on a study programme in Germany in order to apply for recognition. You can find basic information on the topic of recognition on our page “From one study programme to another“.
• As higher education qualifications and the structure and content of a study programme can differ greatly in different countries, proving and verifying your achievements and skills from a previous study programme may be more complex than for domestic students. Your university in Germany requires meaningful documents that prove that you actually have the skills that are to be recognised. These can be a transcript of records, module descriptions and certificates, for example. In most cases, these documents must be translated. You can find out which documents you need to submit with your application at your university in Germany.
• It is always the university receiving an application for recognition that decides on it. You can therefore also contact your university in Germany, e.g. the International Office, if you have any questions.
• If you would like to have your degree from abroad recognised in order to work in Germany, have a look on the Information portal of the German government for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications.

Studying in Germany with professional experience

• Have you already completed vocational training in your home country? Or are you in the middle of your career and would now like to study in Germany? In Germany, you have the opportunity to have your professional skills recognised. Recognition of prior learning (Anrechnung) means that the skills you already have can replace parts of your studies, if the competences already acquired and those to be acquired through studying are equivalent. This allows you to shorten your studies, for example, and gives you more time to learn new things, make friends or work part-time.
• You can find out how the recognition of competences acquired outside higher education works at German universities on our page “From work to study“.
• You must already be enrolled on a study programme in Germany in order to apply for your recognition of prior learning (RPL). As the structure of education systems in different countries can vary greatly, comparing your foreign professional qualification with the content of your study programme in Germany may pose challenges. You should note that you must prove to your university in Germany that you actually have the competences that you would like to have recognised. To do this, you need to submit relevant documents, such as work references, certificates from vocational training and curricula from the professional context. These documents must usually be translated. You can find out which documents you need to submit with your application at your university in Germany.
• It is always the university receiving an application for recognition that decides on it. If you are interested in recognition, you can therefore generally contact your university in Germany, e.g. the International Office.

Recognition of foreign professional qualifications:

• AN! is about the recognition of vocationally acquired skills for an academic study programme. If you are instead looking for information on how you can have a foreign professional qualification recognised in Germany in order to work here, take a look at the Federal Government’s information portal on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications.