Study Engineering and Management in Germany

A degree programme in engineering and management will prepare you for the responsibilities you will encounter in your future career. These responsibilities may include, for example, keeping track of complex processes and assessing them in terms of a cost-benefit ratio. During the first few semesters of your course of study, you will learn about the basics of business and national economics, law, engineering, and mathematics. This initial study period is often followed by an internship semester. Various programme specialisations also allow you to explore your personal interests and help you decide which future career is right for you.

Therefore, when choosing your degree programme, you should pay particular attention to the areas of specialisation that are offered. Depending on the institution of higher education, these could be individual subjects or combinations of subjects from the engineering sciences (e.g., mechanical engineering, systems engineering, plastics engineering, etc.) and the economic sciences (e.g., operational or strategic management, product management, energy management, etc.).

In addition, you will acquire key qualities that you need as a manager in a globalised economy, including, e.g., social and communication skills.

As already mentioned, students are expected to have analytical skills and an interest in technology or science. This includes mathematical knowledge as well as a basic understanding of economic contexts. For some degree programmes, a preliminary maths course is recommended. Check with your higher education institution whether they offer one!

To be able to study in Germany, you need a general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or an equivalent school-leaving qualification. For the field of study in engineering and management, you can simply enrol at many higher education institutions. However, there are also higher education institutions that have internal admission procedures. These can be, for example, a certain NC, i.e. a minimum grade in the school leaving certificate, proof of existing knowledge in certain areas or aptitude tests. There are also higher education institutions where a technical or commercial internship of eight to twelve weeks is compulsory.

For Master’s programmes, the admission requirement is usually a first degree from a higher education institution in a subject-related Bachelor’s programme. An NC is often applied here as well.

Bachelor’s programmes usually last six to eight semesters. Often a practical semester is an integral part of the curriculum. These compulsory sections are intended to further the students‘ theoretical knowledge and practical professional skills.

The standard period of study for a Master’s degree in engineering and management is three to four semesters. This can be extended by a few semesters depending on the form of study (part-time, etc.). Project and practice-oriented studies are also promoted in the Master’s degree programmes.

The course organisation can vary greatly depending on the form of study or type of higher education institution. If you study engineering and management at Bachelor’s level, you will specialise in one or more fields following the first few semesters. You will be able to implement this knowledge in your practical semester and Bachelor’s thesis.

Some Master’s programmes in engineering and management are designed to cover one specified area. Nevertheless, you can continue to focus on the skills you learned in your Bachelor’s degree in various modules.

Studying is tuition-free at most public higher education institutions in Germany. However, you often have to pay a so-called semester contribution of 100–400 euros twice a year to cover the administrative costs and the student union. Sometimes your semester contribution covers a ticket for local public transport or you can purchase a discounted ticket. Depending on where you study, this may be valid for the city, the region or even for all of Germany. Ask your higher education institution whether such an offer is currently available.

However, some higher education institutions do charge tuition fees. For a Bachelor’s programme in engineering and management, these can amount several hundreds of euros per month. In a Master’s programme, the costs can be even higher. So read the programme descriptions carefully!

Rents vary depending on the city you want to study in. In large cities, housing is often scarce and expensive, while in smaller cities it is comparatively affordable. In any case, student halls of residence are usually your cheapest option. As soon as you have decided on where you want to study, you should start looking, as halls of residence can fill up quickly. Here, you can find information on local halls of residence and the respective application process for most cities. It is advisable to establish a realistic estimate of the costs you can expect before you start studying or applying for a degree.

To finance your studies in Germany, you should also find out about scholarships. There are many different scholarship programmes and excellent grades are not the only deciding factor. You can learn more about scholarships here and find suitable programmes directly on My GUIDE.

Graduates of engineering and management have many different career options open to them, both at home and abroad. You can find a job at the interfaces of production and logistics, sales, project management, production planning, product development or in controlling. Sectors range from the automotive industry, construction, environmental management to consulting companies.

The starting salary for Bachelor’s graduates in engineering and management in Germany is above the average for engineering careers. With a Master‘s degree you can expect a slightly higher salary than with a Bachelor‘s degree.

Courses of study in engineering and management offer you a wide range of different study forms. For example, you can take a part-time or dual study programme. Here you do not study full-time, but can work and earn money alongside your studies. This is also often the case with distance learning studies. In the case of practice-integrated models, higher education institutions enter into cooperation agreements with your workplace, which makes it easier to combine studies and working life and even allows you to obtain a practical degree in addition to your academic degree.