Finding Your University and Study Program:
First and foremost, if you have decided to study in Germany let’s find the right course and university for you. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has a database of over 2000 programs to search from including almost 1500 programs offered in English. Therefore, you have all the information and university links in a single platform on the website mentioned below. Go to the website, play around a bit and you will start to get an idea about the German graduate programs.
Which kind of university to Choose?
Firstly, there are German hochschulen or technical universities with more focus on practical aspects of study fields. Secondly, conventional universities with lots of theory and with little or no practical experience other than internships. Which one to choose? Although both have excellent career prospects, I recommend choosing a conventional one to stand out.
Are Universities Free?
YES! ALMOST ALL GERMAN UNIVERSITIES ARE FREE EVEN FOR A BANGLADESHI STUDENT! Unlike the US overall German public universities rank higher than private universities. Good news is, they are free for international students (this applies to Bangladeshi students also!). You must pay a half yearly semester contribution (app. 336 EUR) which additionally covers public transport expenses for six months. Apparently, some private universities do charge semester fees. Simply avoid them.
Check the Admission Requirements:
Requirements can vary but the followings are essential:
1. Transcript of Grades (usually over CGPA 3 is sufficient. However, there are many examples of people getting in with CGPA as low as 2.6 from lower ranked Bangladeshi universities in German MSc/MA economics/public policy programs. So, do not hesitate to apply if your CGPA is low).
2. Proven language proficiency with (IELTS 6+) or TOEFL. Some universities may accept MOI too (Medium of Instruction, which simply means if your undergraduate program was conducted in English, you are exempt from taking IELTS/TOEFL!).
3. Letter of Motivation/ Statement of Purpose (Focus on how it matches with your past education and what great things you can accomplish if you are selected.)
4. Letter of Recommendation (German universities generally never asks for a letter of recommendation. However, some top universities like Bonn/Mannheim/LMU require it).
5. GRE and GMAT (Most universities do not require these scores from economics graduates. Again, some top universities require them).
Manage your finances:
Government-funded scholarships to study in Germany:
1. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship (monthly 861 Euros) which covers all the expenses during your masters or PhD period.
https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/?status=&origin=&subjectGrps=&daad=&q=&page=1&back=1
2. ERASMUS+ is led by the European Commission, funding international students to study in Europe.https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/
To apply without a scholarship, you will need to show proof that you have, or have access to, around €10,332 to cover your living costs. Usually, you send that amount of money in any European bank as a blocked bank account (Sperrkonto) during your visa application process. When you arrive in Germany and open your own bank account, they will release your money at the end of every month for the next 12 consecutives months. Basically, the money you blocked you get all back in your active bank account by one year. If you get any scholarship in that case you would not have to show this. The same is true for fully funded PhD programs.
Apply!
In general, applications for winter enrolments (most universities have winter intake only) need to be made by 15 July, and applications for summer enrolments by 15 January. For non-European students it’s always recommended to apply early due to visa procedures.
Application Fees:
Many universities accept direct applications from international students, and they charge no fees for that. However, some universities use centralized admission portal www.uni-assist.de. You send your application documents to Uni-Assist and they do the rest. This portal charges service fees. Probably, 75 EUR for the first application and 25 EUR for every additional application. Don’t worry! Every single detail can be found in the aforementioned DAAD website.
Can You Work While Studying?
YES! A German student visa allows students to work 120 full days or 240 half days annually which can be good enough to support yourself and to show your solvency while you apply for visa extension in the next few years. Even for “English only” students, managing student jobs are not difficult. This is a huge benefit for Bangladeshi students.
How Big a Barrier is LANGUAGE?
German is the only official language here. People around you would like to talk in their own language but if they sense you are new here, they won’t mind trying in English. Jobs for Economics graduates will mostly require good German language skills. However, jobs with more technicalities like with the knowledge of R, STATA, SQL, Tableau, Power BI etc will require NO GERMAN or only B1 level of German which is doable while you study in Germany.
The German language is not that tough to learn if you are already familiar with English. Try Duolingo (a free app on play store) as a starter on German language. It can be said with a pinch of salt that Bangla-Hindi duo is comparable to English-German duo, knowing one makes learning the other easier and faster.
Social Networks into Use
While I applied, the only Facebook group I followed was “Bangladeshi Student and Alumni Association in Germany (BSAAG)”. I found no other groups as complete as that of BSAAG. If you read their doc files and related posts, you will know everything from zero to what to buy before getting on the plane. You can even ask for solutions for your problems regarding applying to German programs. Link’s below,
Bangladeshi Students Association In Germany Facebook Group
Apart from that, there is a dedicated website for Bangladeshi students who are planning to go to Germany. You would also get to know almost all your queries from that website too. This website even features easy recipes of Bengali traditional foods for inexperienced cooks. Link’s below,
These being said, there is a huge community of Bangladeshi students/ expatriates in Germany and that community continues to grow endlessly. No matter where you go in Germany, you are likely to find a helpful Bangladeshi community that will never let you feel far from home.
About Me:
I am Nazmul Hossain from the 90th Batch. Currently, I am studying at the Ethics-Economics, Law and Politics (EELP) Master program under RUHR UNIVERSITY BOCHUM in Germany. Additionally, I am working as an intern in the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (an international consortium of business and environmental NGOs).
VielErfolg und VielGlück (Wishing Success and Good Luck).
