Students typically also need to pass a final examination, which may test vocational competencies in addition to theoretical subjects. These exams are conducted by state examination bodies, or state-authorized industry associations like physician’s associations, lawyer’s associations, Chambers of Crafts ( Handwerkskammern), or Chambers of Industry and Commerce ( Industrie- und Handelskammern-IHK). There are 79 regional IHKs across Germany which conduct examinations in about 250 vocations. The final credential awarded is called the IHK- Prüfungszeugnis (IHK examination certificate). Yet these reforms soon ran into resistance in various states. The new programs were often more rigid and offered fewer elective subjects, and they required students to spend considerably more time in the classroom per week—changes that proved unpopular with many students and parents. Political opposition mounted with critics lamenting the “ lost childhood” of Germany’s students and a loss of educational quality in supposedly overloaded programs. While many education experts disagreed with these notions, the G8 reforms became a political issue and several states reversed course. Doctoral degrees are almost exclusively awarded by universities and research institutes—FHs are only in very rare exceptions allowed to offer these programs. There are two types of doctoral programs in Germany: “individual programs” and “structured programs.” Traditionally, all doctoral programs were pure research programs without coursework, attendance requirements, or hard deadlines. Candidates in these individual programs, which still predominate, independently prepare a dissertation under the supervision of a dissertation advisor ( Doktorvater or Doktormutter), usually a full professor or other senior researcher. The degrees awarded upon the defense of the dissertation have different Latin names, such as Doktor Rerum Naturalium (Doctor of Natural Sciences) or Doktor Rerum Politicarum (Doctor of State Sciences). In higher education, similarly, digitalization is now increasingly viewed as a means of academic modernization, as well as a way of boosting the already surging mobility of international students to Germany. While the COVID-19 emergency led to a sharp drop in the number of international students in the country—an estimated 80,000 of them left during the early stages of the pandemic—Germany has emerged as a growing international education hub in recent years. It draws increasing numbers of students from countries like China and India, notably to its English-taught master programs. Information on the production and submission of SQA-assessed coursework for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.

When analyzing German education, it’s important to understand that the country has a federal system of government that grants its member states a high degree of autonomy in education policy—a structure that’s not unlike the federal system of the United States. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Berlin ( BMBF) has an important role in areas like funding, financial aid, and the regulation of vocational education and entry requirements in the professions. But most other aspects of education fall under the direct authority of the education ministries of the 16 individual states, called Bundesländer in German. As in the U.S., the number of German students in Canada has been largely stagnant over the past two decades when compared with the rising interest among Germans in pursuing education in European and Asian countries. The overall number of German students in Canada is, in fact, small, amounting to just 2,955 students in 2019, down from a peak of 3,145 in 2008 (according to government statistics). Transnational Education (TNE) There are five compulsory bullet points assessed for AO2 (5 marks) and AO3 (5 marks), as specified in the criteria below. The Published 19 April 2016 | PDF | 1.4 MB 3.5.4 Theme-based vocabulary (Higher Tier) Identity and culture Me, my family and friends German Hauptschule programs most commonly last five years (grades five to nine). While there are minor curricular differences between states, nationwide standards exist for several subjects with German, mathematics, and a foreign language (predominantly English) as compulsory subjects in the entire country. In addition, students usually study natural sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, or technology), social sciences (geography, history, politics, economics), as well as physical education, and arts or music.Progression between grades is based on internal school assessment and generally requires examinations. Students who have a failing grade ( ungenügend) in a compulsory subject must repeat the year. They can have two conditionally passing grades similar to the U.S. grade of D—the grade of mangelhaft—but must usually repeat the year if they earn these grades in three subjects. The grading scale in the upper-secondary stage at Gymnasiums is a 15-point scale that is different from the grading scale used at other stages and types of schools. Both scales are shown below.

Teacher education in Germany has traditionally been organized like education in other professions: Students attended long, single-tier university programs that combined studies in teaching subjects (typically two subjects) with pedagogical courses and a short teaching internship. These programs prepared students for teaching at specific levels of education (elementary, lower-secondary, upper-secondary, or vocational) and concluded with the first state examination for teachers ( Erste Staatsprüfung für das Lehramt) conducted by the individual states. Programs for upper-secondary school teachers lasted longest (usually nine or ten semesters). Credentials awarded in the dual system are formal, government-recognized qualifications. In 2019, there were 325 officially recognized vocations with titles that include carpenter, tax specialist, dental technician, and film and video editor. The most popular field of study among men in 2019 was automotive technology; most women studied office management. Please note: Understanding Standards materials are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain up to date. As in several other European countries, the Bologna Process brought major changes to the German higher education system. Before the reforms, the standard courses of study at German universities were long single-tier programs with a nominal duration of 9 or 10 semesters, although it often took students much longer to graduate. These integrated programs led to the qualification of Diplom—awarded in the sciences, engineering, business, and some social science fields—or the Magister Artium (awarded mostly in the humanities). These credentials could be classified as graduate level qualifications and provided access to doctoral programs. Universities of Applied Sciences, on the other hand, offered shorter four-year programs leading to the Diplom (FH), which usually did not allow for progression to doctoral studies.Germany is known for its high-quality vocational education system that has been emulated by several countries worldwide, partially because it’s considered effective in limiting youth unemployment: In 2020, Germany had the lowest youth unemployment rate in the OECD after Japan. Admission into public universities in Germany is generally based on the final Abitur grade, which determines how fast students get admitted into their program of choice. Although all Abitur holders are eligible for admission, those with lower grades must often wait longer to enter. The way the system works is that universities consider the number of semesters that have passed since applicants graduated from upper-secondary school with each semester in waiting increasing the chances of admission. In addition to students who meet the minimum grade threshold in a given academic year, a certain number of students are admitted based on waiting periods. The length of these waiting periods varies by field of study. While programs with enough seats admit students instantaneously without delays, applicants in popular fields like medicine or law may have to wait for several years. Additional entrance requirements are relatively uncommon for students with the Abitur, but some programs also require admissions tests or demonstrated foreign language skills. Note, however, that there are some minor variations between states. For the most part, ECE institutions are called Kindergartens or “Kitas” ( Kindertagestätten) and have few, if any, compulsory curriculum guidelines. But a dwindling number of jurisdictions, such as the state of Hamburg, not only have Kitas, but also maintain an older and more formalized model of pre-school, which is attended for one year only (age five). These pre-schools are usually directly attached to elementary schools.

Private HEIs tend to be smaller institutions focusing on business and technical majors, as well as professional fields like medicine. Many of the theological universities are private as well. Except for some institutions like the FOM University of Applied Sciences, Germany’s largest private HEI with 55,000 students, the vast majority of these private universities enroll less than 2,000 students.

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for the tier. Ie, nine minutes for Foundation tier and twelve minutes for Higher tier. Foundation and Higher tier Germany’s HEIs are recognized and regulated by the ministries of education of the states. To become “state-recognized” and have the same standing as public HEIs, private institutions must also be accredited by the Science Council, an advisory body to the federal and state governments. While Science Council accreditation is voluntary, private institutions without state recognition are not allowed to call themselves Hochschulen nor issue formal academic qualifications. Accreditation is granted for three to ten years based on the evaluation of teaching facilities and staff, quality assurance mechanisms, finances, and the mission statement of institutions. Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE German specifications and all exam boards. Compulsory education in Germany generally begins at the age of six, but almost all children— 95 percent in 2017—attend early childhood education (ECE) between the ages of three and five. This stage is intended to socialize and prepare children for formal education. The first thing to do is to find out whether your university entrance qualification is recognised in Germany. The can help you with this. Simply enter the country where you attained your secondary school-leaving certificate. You will then learn whether your certificate is