Thread by @folaeclipse

@Tundetash challenged and encouraged me to do a detailed thread of the stepwise process of applying and studying in Germany.

So I took the challenge and here we go.

https://twitter.com/TundeTASH/status/1224424526957752326

Here are the topics I will cover:
A.) Admission requirements
B.) Applying to the University
C.) Visa application
D.) Possible scholarships in Germany

A.)ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

You can search for your desired course of study in the DAAD database.
This database provides you with the important admission requirements for each program.
www2.daad.de/deutschland/st…

Some courses are not indexed in the DAAD database. So you can do a further search in Google in case you dont find your course of interest in the database.

e.g. Type the keywords: "Agronomy Master English Germany"

Generally Most Universities in Germany are tuition free except Universities in the state of Baden Wurttemberg who introduced a small tuition fee of about 1500 euros in 2017.

Some Universities which now require tuition fees are:
•Universität Freiburg
•Universität Stuttgart
•Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
•Universität Konstanz
•Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
•Universität Mannheim
•Eberhard Karls Universität
•Universität Ulm

So when these Universities pop-up during your search, you can exclude unless you are willing to pay the small tuition fee.

Besides, there is mandatory registration fee every student must pay for services such as canteen, transport, library etc. This can range btw 100-500 euro.

Basic requirements are:
Bachelor degree:
Only SSCE = preparatory course in Germany required
SSCE + 100 level result = direct university entry
HND/OND = direct university entry
Some Universities also require SAT

Master degree: Bachelor degree with good grades

PhD degree: Doctoral and postdoctoral admission in Germany are a bit different and I can cover the details later if there is demand. In the meantime, you can see my article on research funding here:
quora.com/How-do-I-get-f…

Other requirements are proficiency in English which can be proven by writing standard English tests or obtaining a letter from your school that you were taught in English. Some Universities may also require a motivational letter or CV

B.) APPLYING TO THE UNIVERSITY
There are two ways of applying depending on the University.
1.) Apply directly to the University and no application fees required.
2.) Apply via Uniassist. Pay 75euro for the first course and 30 euro extra for additional.
uni-assist.de/en/how-to-appl…

However,some Universities already paid the fees to Uniassist for you
eg. Master studies at these Unis are free:
Goethe University Frankfurt
Gelsenkirchen University
Technische Universität Berlin
University of Potsdam
Philipps-Universität Marburg
HfWU Nuertlingen-Geislingen Uni

You submit your application to uni-assist. They evaluate your application for the universities. After a positive evaluation, your application is then automatically forwarded to the universities. The University then decides on your admission and informs you of the decision.

Usually, the following deadlines apply for university courses in Germany:
July 15th for winter semester.
January 15th for summer semester.

You can find out about the specific deadlines for your chosen course from the university of your choice.

During the application, you might need to certify your documents. You can certify your documents in different ways including:
•the issuing university,
•the ministry of education,
•German embassy,
•Notary public

C.)VISA APPLICATION
Recently, the number of Nigerians who wants to study in Germany has sky-rocketed. As a result, the German embassy in Lagos are overstretched and they implemented a new visa application criteria.
Credit to @uniwritercons as I saw this info on his TL first

All applicants who fulfill one of the following criteria can register with the priority “A - list”:
1. You have a TestAS certificate (for bachelor study) with score between 100-130
2. You have B2 proficiency in German language

3. You have a recently awarded first class or second class upper bachelor degree
4. You have a scholarship from Germany or Europe
All other applicants need to register with the “B - list”.
See more details here: nigeria.diplo.de/ng-en/service/…

One of the most important requirement for visa application is to block about 10,000 euro or 4million Naira. Many people get discouraged at this point because that amount seems to be a lot. There are some alternatives I will tell you.

1. Loan the money and get prepared to do student jobs and to economize as much as you can to survive in Germany. You can then safely return the money as you withdraw it from the blocked account.

The disadvantage of this is that it distracts you and might affect your studies

2. Get a family/friend living in Germany who can sponsor you. Such people must earn above a certain salary and they must be willing to do the rigorous paper work for you.

3. Find a scholarship. I was fortunate to get a scholarship when I moved to Germany & I even got more to fund my studies without the need to do side jobs. Although it is not easy, you can do it too if you are dedicated. I will write about my scholarship story someday.

D.) Possible scholarships

I would like to emphasize that studying in Germany without paying tuition is already a form of partial scholarship granted to everybody. However, to get a stipend scholarship, you need to qualify for it by showing academic excellence.

Some Universities offer limited scholarships but you have to search rigorously for such information on the website of your intended university. For example,
Master scholarship at Goethe University
enviroscholars.com/wp2/all-review…

DAAD is the biggest scholarship resource in Germany
DAAD Scholarship for postgraduate students in Germany
Eligibility: You must have atleast 2 years professional experience and you must prove that your motivation is development and societal relevant.
enviroscholars.com/wp2/all-review…

Masters scholarships in oil and gas for Nigerians
This is a scholarship in collaboration with PTDF
www2.daad.de/deutschland/st…

Konrad Adeneur scholarships for International students in Germany
Eligibility: B2 level German proficiency and not older than 30 years old
enviroscholars.com/wp2/all-review…

Bayer Foundation Scholarship
This scholarship enables students and young graduates to come to Germany for a short stay for your internship, masters research or other kind of study.
The scholarship cover studies in science, medicine, agric and education.
enviroscholars.com/wp2/all-review…

So this is a summary of the process
Apply for admission - Receive admission offer – Book visa appointment at the embassy – Fund your blocked account or apply for scholarship – Apply for visa – Prepare to come to Germany

As i said earlier, I decided not to cover research, doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships in this thread so as not to make it too long. But we can surely do this another day.

Going through this lengthy application process is not an easy task and it is only those who are dedicated and determined that are likely to get through. I wish you all the best as you embark on this application process!!!✌️🙏