THE GERMAN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
OVERVIEW

This option is for students who are looking for a scientific, academic and more theoretical education. Universities offer a wide range of degree programs with the focus usually related to research.

However, there are also universities that specialize in certain fields such as the Technical Hochschulen (TH) or the Technical Universities (TU), Medical Universities or Pedagogical Universities.

Fachhochschulen are often presented as universities of applied sciences. Although they offer fewer courses than universities, they differ mainly in their practical approach.

They offer specialized education with a practical and applied orientation, which are determined by concrete requirements of the professional world. Many courses are also offered at universities, but at a Fachhochschule they have a more practical focus in terms of the labor market.

Bachelor is the first level of higher education recognized in the labor market. It has a duration of 6 to 8 semesters and is modular.

After the bachelor's degree, students can enter the workforce in their field or continue their education and do the master's degree. Thus, in order to do the master's degree, one must have completed the bachelor's degree.

At a few universities you can still take the Diplom degree, especially in engineering courses, and Magister in social sciences. the title Diplom-Ingenieur, for example, is recognized worldwide and is awarded after 5-6 semesters of study and the submission of a final thesis.

However, since the European higher education reform (also known as the Bologna Process), most universities have changed their education system from Diplom or Magister to Bachelor and Master in order to standardize the academic education system in Europe.

Grades 1 to 6 are assigned, with 1 being the best and 6 the worst.
This is the most common system, also at universities.
 

Grade	Performance
1,0	excellent
2,0	very good
3,0	good
4,0	satisfactory
5,0	inadequate
6,0	dissatisfaction