Opt for a consistent career path

A bachelor in physics, followed by a master in computer science? Not really… What may work in some countries usually doesn’t in Germany. German universities and employers believe in a consistent career path: criss-crossing between academic subjects is not interpreted as flexibility but as lack of focus. So, embarking on a particular course of studies is considered a major decision in Germany that should be based on intrinsic motivation and interest and not on extraneous considerations like the advice of parents or the availability of seats in a certain college. You will be expected to continue on this or a closely related path later on and – basically – for the rest of your occupational life.

If you have, let's say, completed a bachelor in mechanical engineering, and only then discovered your passion for computers and now want to pursue a master in computer science, be aware that in Germany this would mean that you have to start all over again. With an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering you are clearly lacking the academic knowledge needed to take an advanced degree in computer science. The arguments that “you have always had an interest in computers” or worked in the IT business after graduation (because there were no jobs for mechanical engineers) won't hold with the selection committees of German universities.

Of course, young adults in Germany – just like anywhere else – sometimes take wrong decisions. If you discontinue medical school in the second semester because you have found out that the operation theatre after all is not the right place for you, nobody will hold this up against you. Having finished a whole study course, mainly because you paid an enormous “capitation fee”, is a different story. Completing a bachelor in engineering with poor results and then applying for a master programme in business administration “because there is less physics and mathematics in it”, won't impress anybody in Germany.

Interdisciplinary or non-consecutive master degrees offered by some German universities tend to be more open to candidates with different academic backgrounds but you still need a qualification that is closely related to the graduate curriculum. To give an example: As an electrical or mechanical engineer you will be eligible for a master course in mechatronics but not in pharmaceutical biotechnelolgy which – in turn - recruits students from disciplines as far apart as medicine, pharmacy and microbiology. German graduate degrees are rarely overspecialised; they often start with a more general approach and allow students to specialise in a later semester and for their master thesis.

Be aware that universities in other parts of the world sometimes award degrees in subjects that are not fields of academic study in Germany. Topics like commerce, accountancy or “corporate secretaryship” are considered as vocational training, and a bachelor in these fields does not qualify you for graduate studies at any German university. The same applies to holders of a so-called “diploma”, which should not be confused with the German “Diplom”, a now obsolete master-level degree. Having done a “diploma” after junior high school (i.e. after standard 10) may turn out as an educational dead end in Germany. You need at least 12 years of general schooling in order to be eligible for university studies. If you have done your senior secondary school outside the EU, more likely then not you will be asked to complete a so-called “bridge year” at one of the German universities before you are admitted to undergraduate studies.

One more word on the widespread craze for MBAs in the English-speaking world. To join an MBA programme immediately upon graduation, just to get the title and without prior work experience, is considered as meaningless by German academics and employers alike. MBA courses in Germany (especially those at pubic universities) mainly target candidates who have already acquired substantial work experience and obtained at least middle-level management positions. Apart from the necessary work experience, applying for an MBA course without good basics in management and economics (documented by a related undergraduate degree and / or good GMAT scores) will rarely work out in Germany.

Chris

germanstudycentre@gmail.com

IMPORTANT: If you contact us for personalised counselling (chargeable), please mention your CGPA or percentage(s) in senior secondary school and - if applicable - in college, together with the name of the university that awarded your degree(s) and the scores of any international tests (IELTS, TOEFL, GRE etc.) you may have taken. Your CGPA has to be above 70% to make you eligible for our counselling, irrespective of your test scores.