Germany — University & Course Overview

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Types of higher-education institutions

Germany mainly has three categories:

Type
Main focus
Good for
Universität
Research/theory
Master's, PhD, academic careers
University of Applied Sciences (HAW/FH)
Practical/application-oriented
Engineering, IT, business, applied sciences
Art/Music/Film University
Creative & performing arts
Music, design, film, fine arts

Main courses available in Germany

There are programmes in almost every major field.

Computer Science & IT

Common programmes include:

  • Computer Science

  • Information Technology

  • Software Engineering

  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Data Science

  • Machine Learning

  • Cybersecurity

  • Information Systems

  • Business Informatics

  • Computer Engineering

  • Embedded Systems

  • Robotics

  • Digital Engineering

  • Human-Computer Interaction

  • Bioinformatics

  • Computational Science

Engineering

  • Mechanical Engineering

  • Electrical Engineering

  • Electronics

  • Mechatronics

  • Automotive Engineering

  • Aerospace Engineering

  • Civil Engineering

  • Chemical Engineering

  • Industrial Engineering

  • Environmental Engineering

  • Biomedical Engineering

  • Energy Engineering

  • Renewable Energy

  • Materials Engineering

  • Manufacturing Engineering

  • Robotics & Automation

Health & Life Sciences

  • Medicine

  • Dentistry

  • Pharmacy

  • Nursing

  • Public Health

  • Health Management

  • Biomedical Sciences

  • Biotechnology

  • Molecular Biology

  • Neuroscience

  • Biochemistry

  • Life Sciences

  • Nutrition

  • Physiotherapy

  • Health Sciences

Important: Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and some other regulated professions can have special admission procedures and state-examination requirements.

Business & Management

  • Business Administration

  • International Business

  • International Management

  • Finance

  • Accounting

  • Economics

  • Marketing

  • Human Resource Management

  • Business Analytics

  • International Finance

  • Supply Chain Management

  • Logistics

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Management

  • Banking

  • Insurance

  • Tourism Management

Humanities & Languages

  • English Studies

  • German Studies

  • Linguistics

  • History

  • Philosophy

  • Literature

  • Cultural Studies

  • European Studies

  • Translation

  • Intercultural Studies

Science

  • Physics

  • Chemistry

  • Mathematics

  • Biology

  • Environmental Science

  • Earth Sciences

  • Geology

  • Astronomy

  • Materials Science

  • Applied Mathematics

  • Statistics

Architecture & Design

  • Architecture

  • Urban Planning

  • Interior Design

  • Industrial Design

  • Product Design

  • Graphic Design

  • Fashion Design

  • Landscape Architecture

  • Sustainable Architecture

Business & Management

  • Business Administration

  • International Business

  • International Management

  • Finance

  • Accounting

  • Economics

  • Marketing

  • Human Resource Management

  • Business Analytics

  • International Finance

  • Supply Chain Management

  • Logistics

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Management

  • Banking

  • Insurance

  • Tourism Management

Law & Social Sciences

  • Law

  • International Law

  • European Law

  • Political Science

  • International Relations

  • Sociology

  • Psychology

  • Social Work

  • Public Policy

  • European Studies

Bachelor's, Master's and PhD

Bachelor's

Usually around 6 semesters (3 years), although some programmes take longer. Common degrees include:

  • BA

  • BSc

  • BEng

DAAD states that the standard bachelor's period is usually six semesters.

Master's

Usually 2–4 semesters, depending on the programme.
Examples:

  • MSc Computer Science

  • MSc Data Science

  • MSc Mechanical Engineering

  • MSc International Management

  • MSc Finance

  • MSc Biotechnology

  • MSc Renewable Energy

PhD / Doctorate

Germany has a strong research and doctoral system, particularly in engineering, natural sciences, medicine and related fields.

Some major German universities

Here are universities that are particularly well known internationally:

University
City
Major strengths
Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Munich
Engineering, CS, AI, Business, Science
LMU Munich
Munich
Medicine, Science, Humanities, Business
Heidelberg University
Heidelberg
Medicine, Life Sciences, Science
RWTH Aachen University
Aachen
Engineering, Technology, CS
KIT – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Karlsruhe
Engineering, CS, Natural Sciences
Humboldt University of Berlin
Berlin
Humanities, Social Sciences, Science
Free University of Berlin
Berlin
Medicine, Social Sciences, Humanities
Technical University of Berlin
Berlin
Engineering, Architecture, CS
University of Bonn
Bonn
Mathematics, Science, Economics, CS
University of Hamburg
Hamburg
Science, Business, Humanities
University of Cologne
Cologne
Business, Economics, Medicine, Social Sciences
Goethe University Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Finance, Economics, Medicine, Science
University of Freiburg
Freiburg
Medicine, Science, Engineering
University of Tübingen
Tübingen
Medicine, Biology, Neuroscience
University of Münster
Münster
Medicine, Science, Business
University of Göttingen
Göttingen
Science, Medicine, Agriculture
University of Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Engineering, Automotive, Technology
TU Dresden
Dresden
Engineering, Science, CS
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU)
Erlangen/Nuremberg
Engineering, Medicine, CS
Saarland University
Saarbrücken
CS, AI, Cybersecurity

Universities of Applied Sciences

These are especially important if you're interested in job-oriented/practical education.
Examples include:

  • Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences

  • Munich University of Applied Sciences

  • Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg

  • Cologne University of Applied Sciences

  • Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

  • Berlin University of Applied Sciences

  • Hochschule Bremen

  • Hochschule Darmstadt

  • Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences

  • TH Nürnberg

  • FH Aachen

  • Münster University of Applied Sciences