Entrance exams. Donation. Capitation. Huge lecture halls and auditoriums. Green board. Projects. Assignments. Mid-semester exams, Semester exams, Annual exams. Tutorials. The essence of the Indian higher education system can be encapsulated in these many words. Gone are the days when a student residing in Chennai travels to Guwahati for university. More students consider universities abroad as a viable option and Germany is one of those hotspots. Needless to say, the education system in Germany might not be the same as the Indian higher education system. However, there are a few similarities that probably make us Indians feel at home there.
Germany shunned its earlier nine-year university education system and switched to the eight-year system providing two certificates- the Bachelor, which can be obtained after eight to six semesters and the Master, which can be obtained after three to four semesters. Exclusively for the pharmaceutics, dentistry, medicine, law and teaching programs, an additional degree called the Staatsexamen has to be obtained. The Abitur degree is a requirement to study in Germany. However, a similar degree obtained by international students is accepted as well. Much like in India, there isn’t a central organization that outlines a universal standard for admissions. Universities can, as a result, follow their devised criteria and qualifications in admitting students. Some, like the central-funded IITs, IIMs and IIScs, do follow a blanket procedure though.
Germany’s universities can be classified into three types. First is the arts, film or music advanced colleges, we call “arts college”, that offer programs in humanities and social sciences. Second is the technical advanced college that offers programs in the field of science- science that is centered on experimentation and practical application rather than theorization. Third is the inter-disciplinary university that offers courses across several fields.
The public universities in Germany run by the Government, as of October 2014, offer tuition-free courses. Also, the Government awards scholarship or Bafög-money to any prospective student.
Much like the Indian university system, students are awarded grades after every semester in German universities. The grades not only take into account the final examination scores but also assignments, projects and speeches that are made by a student in class. During the penultimate semester, it is mandatory for students to work in a company in order to gain experience and see the concepts learnt in class come to life. Also, students are encouraged to participate in internships that span across weeks or months. Such opportunities provide students with newer skills and a starting point for their career search.
Germany’s cluster of top nine universities, called the TU9, attract several Indian students for postgraduate programs. Partnering with Indian institutes such as the IITs and IIScs offer a good platform for students to avail themselves of the quality education provided by German institutes. However, German institutions failed to garner the reach it has today. Until a few decades ago, Germany’s colleges failed to figure in the list of 500 top World Universities. With a revamping of its facilities and course structures, it has become a sought-after destination. In the Times Review 2010-11 there was only one German university that figured in the list of 200 top universities. The very next review, conducted in 2013, featured more than 16 German universities in the global rankings. This is testimony to Germany’s high quality education system.
German education system is far better than Indian education system in case of higher studies. Higher studies in abroad is embraced when you get scholarships scholarship from university for global education to the student and achieve the master degree in abroad. Overseas educational consultancy in Chennai helps the student to secure their scholarship and guide through the application process with probability of admission to your dream university.
Source: Study Overseas Chennai, Abroad Education Consultants in Chennai
