One of the first things international students notice when studying in Germany is how much control they have over their academic journey. This can be an advantage, as it allows you to customize your academic schedule. But the process can also be confusing, especially when you first arrive. Below, we’ll dive into how study programmes are structured, what the average class load is per semester, and some resources students can use as they prepare for each term.

These master’s degrees can prepare you for in-demand careers in Germany and worldwide.

Types of Academic Programmes in Germany

Germany’s academic institutions support learning across a wide variety of fields. In fact, over 17,000 bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes are offered across the country! 

Tip: To understand how degrees you’re considering compare to others in that field of study, check out the Centre for Higher Education (CHE)’s yearly rankings by subject.

Before starting your degree, it’s important to know if it includes state examinations (Staatsexamen). In Germany, some degree programmes have final exams which are conducted by a government board. If you’re studying medicine, law, education, or pharmacy programmes, your degree may be divided into a theoretical, classroom-based section, capped by your first state exam, and a practical education phase which has its own state examination at the end. If this applies to your programme, before you enrol, ensure your degree is recognized by the country where you plan to work after graduation.

Dual study programmes also alternate in-class learning with practical experience in their field through company placement and vocational training. As most of these programmes are offered by institutions teaching in German, they’re a better fit for students with strong German communication skills.

Class Formats

Like in many other study destinations, your classes will be divided between ones that you need to take in order to graduate (or Pflichtveranstaltungen) and elective classes, where you can choose from a wider range of topics. While you may select this second group of classes from a more diverse class list, you’re still responsible for attending them and completing classwork, as you might guess from the German term which describes them: Wahlpflichtveranstaltungen, which translates to ‘compulsory elective courses.’

Within these two groups of classes, what the classrooms look like and how you’ll learn also varies:

• Exercises (Übung) allow students to test what they’ve learned in class. You’ll solve exercises and conduct experiments using scientific methods.
• Lab rotations (Praktikum) are popular in technical and natural science fields. In these classes, students build practical experience in their field in experiments at campus labs or workshops.
• Lectures (Vorlesung) are the largest classes. They’re teacher-led and often not very interactive.
• Seminars (Seminar) are more informal, and built for active discussions of key topics with the instructor and other students.
• Tutorials (Tutorium) are led by senior students (tutors). These classes build on what you’ve been taught in lectures, and can also include exam prep strategies.

To understand which types of classes you’ll need to take, check the programme’s Studienordnung (study regulations) on your institution’s website. You can also learn a lot at orientation events for first-semester students, so remember to attend those!

Setting Your Schedule

Every degree programme in Germany has a standard period of study (Regelstudienzeit). You’ll find this timeframe included on the programme’s information page, and with its exam regulations documents. Generally, students must complete 30 credit points per semester to finish within the standard period of study. In turn, to earn one credit point, students need to put in around 30 hours of work.

Some students may wish to take more time to finish their degree. For students who want to work while studying, or with family or health obligations, spacing classes out makes sense. 

For most international students, working while studying is common—our Spring 2025 Student Pulse Survey found only 3% of student respondents didn’t expect to work during their studies! However, course availability, government funding, and scholarships may be harder to acquire after the standard period of study has passed.

Standard Periods of Study

How long a degree is expected to take varies by study level:

• Bachelor’s degrees take six to eight semesters to complete. The standard period of study is usually six semesters.
• Master’s degrees vary between two and four semesters.
• Doctorate degrees’ duration varies by programme model. Either two to five years (traditional model; more self-determined) or three years (structured doctorate).

As some master’s degrees are open to students with diverse academic histories, students with a degree related to their master’s may graduate faster. For example, in a master’s of sustainable engineering programme, Bachelor of Engineering grads may be able to graduate in three semesters. Meanwhile, students with a bachelor’s in another field may need to take an introductory semester in engineering classes, making their master’s degree four semesters long.

We hope that this overview has helped you understand how degree programmes are structured in Germany. For a deeper dive, check out our Germany 101 blog on the education system.

Ready to study in Germany? Use our ApplyBoard platform to find a programme that fits your career goals.