Requirements for MS in Mechanical Engineering in Germany
Germany is a dream for people willing to study any type of engineering, while mechanical is one of the most popular in the country. It has free education and numerous postgraduate programs in English. Moreover, Germany is one of the best countries to land a job in the STEM field.
The main requirements to study master’s in mechanical engineering in Germany are:
- Degree certificate (bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or similar)
- Transcript of records
- Language certificate
Mechanical engineers see Germany as a perfect place to extend their academic and professional skills. There is probably no other country with so many production companies and a highly developed automotive industry. If you are aiming to study a postgraduate program in mechanical engineering in Germany, here is the guidance on how to do it.
1. Choose a university
Entry requirements for mechanical engineering might differ with each university; check your preferred college for conditions and the application process.
You also need to know that Germany has different types of universities that differ in the admission process. The best for studying mechanical engineering will be:
- Technical universities
These are the same as classical research universities but provide only technical professions and sometimes other majors too. The choice of majors is smaller than in a regular university. Usually, they focus on science, technology, and engineering disciplines.
The quality of education and research tends to be better/higher than in Universities of Applied Sciences. However, they provide less practical knowledge. Therefore, your master’s in a technical university will be more theoretical and research-oriented.
Research universities involve many core lectures, seminars, and independent studying.
Especially T9 – an association of the 9 best technical universities in Germany, is renowned for the best mechanical entering studies. However, you can expect higher entry requirements and a larger number of applicants.
- Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule/Hochschule)
The most considerable distinction is that Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) are more practical-orientated than Universities. The courses are usually limited and more tightly organized.
It’s ideal for all those who already have work experience or are looking for direct entry into the industry after their studies. They focus mainly on engineering, business, and social sciences.
In many cases, Universities of Applied Sciences are partnered with professional or commercial organizations. Also, internships and semesters abroad are often mandatory parts of the program. However, the Universities of Applied Sciences don’t provide Ph.D. (doctorate) programs.
The reason for this is that degree programs where afterward you are supposed to complete a Ph.D. simply don’t get offered by the Universities of Applied Sciences.
So if you plan after your master’s complete doctorate, you better choose a technical university so you don’t have to switch colleges in the process. Although, a master’s degree from the University of Applied Sciences allows you to enter a Ph.D. at the university.
In both of these university types, you will receive a Master of Science degree.
Here you can check all available programs in German and English.
2. Meet the requirements
Degree certificate and transcript of studies
As a starting point, you need at least 6/7 semesters of a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or at least seven semesters in another engineering field. This is the main requirement in German universities.
If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, your other undergraduate studies must be at least seven semester-long and have 210 credits.
Note that some universities accept only applicants with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering because the postgraduate program is tightly built on the undergraduate.
Your university must be recognized in Germany. The best way to check if it’s the case is to use the tool Anabin.
Assume your university isn’t recognized, then usually you need to attend a preparation course (propädeutischer Kurs) and pass several exams so your qualifications can be equal to German. As an alternative attending a bachelor’s program is possible.
As a second requirement transcript of courses/records you took during the bachelor’s program also must be included in the application. This is an essential document while applying for MS in Germany.
In the initial stages, the university will prove the grades you obtained during the bachelor’s program and your written documents. They will be evaluated using a point system.
Depending on the number of points accumulated, applicants are either immediately admitted, rejected, or invited to an admissions test (if some points are missed). This way, they can be sure you have earned sufficient credits in relevant areas.
Keep in mind that each university sets its requirements, entry examinations, assessments, and deadlines.
Language proficiency
Depending on the language of the program you want to study, you need to prove proficiency in German or English language.
For german programs following certificates are accepted:
- TestDaf 4
- DSH 2/3
- Goethe-Zertifikat B2/C2
- Telc Deutsch C1
- Deutsche Sprachdiplom (Stufe II) der Kultusministerkonferenz DSD II
Fortunately, in contrast to undergraduate courses, at the master’s level, there are many courses taught in the English language, either partially or entirely.
If you want to study Mechanical Engineering in English, in most cases, you need to prove a TOEFL (88 score) or IELS (from 6,5 score) certificate, as well as CAE (Cambridge Advanced English) with grades A, B, and C.
They all are accepted. Native English speakers don’t need to prove either German or English proficiency.
Interviews
Some universities, especially the Universities of Applied Sciences, organize interviews for their applicants. This way, they can get to know potential students in person and test their soft skills.
Very important to be clear and confident about why you want to study in Germany, particularly at this university. For this, you need to inform yourself about the values of the college, its structure, some important numbers, and the program beforehand.
The interview may be formal, especially in highly-competitive universities with limited places, or it can be done over conferencing platforms like Skype to make it easier for international students.
Additional entry tests
Entry tests may occur in competitive universities or when the university receives plenty of applicants. Therefore, additional exams might be a part of the application, especially in Universities of Applied Sciences like to practice.
The GRE or GMAT tests are required only in some German universities.
Additional requirements
Each university has its own rules; some may also require the following:
- Letter of motivation
- Internships certificates
- CV
Particularly mechanical engineering internships are often a must. If you don’t have enough work experience yet, the university might include half a year of internship as a part of the degree.
To apply for the program, you can directly email the university’s international office or by using the website www.uni-assist.de.
3. Apply for a student visa
The next step for your studies in Germany is the visa application, how to do it right, and which requirements to expect.
Financial proof
The most important part of a visa application is to prove your financial situation. You shouldn’t be broke while coming to study in Germany.
Based on the German government’s estimations, an international student studying in Germany must have at least 853 EUR per month or 10,236 EUR in their bank account.
This will be your proof of financial resources for one year. When applying for a visa extension, this amount must be demonstrated again. Many international students use a blocked account for this purpose.
A blocked banking account is a special feature for international students that few German banks provide. Why it’s blocked? Well, you won’t have access to the all amount but only to a maximum of 853 EUR per month.
This way, the German government ensures you have enough money for the entire year.
A blocked account must be opened before departure in Germany, before even the application process. One of the easiest and fastest ways is to use Fintiba; this company will do it remotely for you.
Upon arrival in Germany, you will receive a debit card to withdraw the money.
A blocked account is by far the most common way to prove your financials. However, there are other options for this purpose:
- Declaration of guarantee from a resident “Verpflichtungserklärung.“ A person is living in Germany, showing they’ll be covering your accommodation and/or other living costs while you’ll be here. (They don’t have to, it can be just on paper)
- Proof of parent’s income. Your parent’s declaration of guarantee, bank statements of the last 6 months, and financial assets.
- Scholarship awarding certificate. It must show you as a receiver and the amount of financial coverage granted to you by this scholarship.
- The deposit of an annually renewed bank guarantee with a financial institution in Germany.
Health insurance
As with the blocked bank account, you must take out health insurance before your visa application.
EU students aren’t required to have additional health insurance in Germany if they’re entitled to the European health insurance system, but they also don’t apply for a visa.
As a non-EU applicant, you must apply for health insurance remotely from your home country. The most common insurance international student take out is the DR.WALTER, either German Student insurance or EDUCARE24.
In fact, DR.WALTER has the most inexpensive packages for international students in comparison to other providers.
This is one of the few insurance providers in Germany that will send you all the needed documents for your visa instantly via email. Other companies will require you to show up in the office.
What will you learn during MS in mechanical engineering?
The course of study is consecutive and based on the Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. The master’s degree program offers broad professional education in the scientific and engineering fundamentals and extends this by your chosen specialization.
It can be automotive, aerospace technology, vehicle engineering, medical technology, energy technology, and others.
There are courses you can expect during MS in mechanical engineering:
- Mechanical engineering and business Informatics
- Fluid dynamics
- Solid-state continuum mechanics
- Parametric-associative design in automotive development
- Multi-body systems
- Hydraulic machines and equipment
- Heat transfer
- Materials technology
- Applied Simulation in vehicle safety
- Laser-Assisted Manufacturing
- Manufacturing automation
- Vehicle-track interactions in rail vehicles
Top universities for MS in mechanical engineering in Germany
- Technical University of Munich
- RWTH Aachen University
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
- Technical University of Berlin
- TU Clausthal
- TU Chemnitz
- BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg/Cottbus
- Magdeburg University
- University of Stuttgart
- TU Darmstadt
Career opportunities after MS in mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is one of the most perspective fields and essential elements in the German economy. Graduates are offered a wide range of possible jobs, often already during their studies.
Industries you can work in with MS in mechanical engineering:
- Automotive industry
- Chemical industry
- Aerospace engineering
- Renewable energy technology
- Medical technology
- Engineering companies
- Construction industry
- Telecommunication
- Electrical engineering
- Technical monitoring and testing
The primary areas of responsibility of mechanical engineers include the production, planning, design, operation, maintenance, and servicing of machines and technical systems.
In addition, mechanical engineers also work in production planning, customer service, logistics, quality management, management, education and training, purchasing, sales, warehousing, and materials management, or research and teaching at Universities.
As you can see, the list goes on and on. A Master’s degree in mechanical engineering will open doors to new possibilities in Germany and any other country, thanks to the world recognition of German degrees.
For instance, master’s graduates receive a starting annual salary of 47,000 EUR on average.
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