Study Chemistry in Germany

Chemistry is an experimental science that deals with the substances that you encounter wherever you look. What are these substances composed of and what is their structure? What are their specific properties and how might they be transformed? According to what rules do these substances interact with each other? Chemistry deals with all these questions and more. As a student, you will learn the theoretical foundations and then further examine their practical applications in the laboratory.
In addition to other natural sciences, especially physics and mathematics, you will deal with different types of chemistry:

• Analytical chemistry
• Inorganic chemistry
• Food chemistry
• Macromolecular chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Physical chemistry
• Theoretical chemistry

The courses of study consist of a great deal of practical laboratory work. You will spend approximately half of your time in laboratories, including the practical exercises during the semester. Most of your internships will also be internal laboratory internships.

The English language is also important for studying chemistry! In addition to individual lectures or entire courses of study that are held in English, some of the specialist literature is only available in English.

By the way: The German Chemical Society (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, DGCh) is a non-profit association with about 30,000 members. As a member of the DGCh, you can participate in various training courses and conferences and greatly expand your network with an annual (student) contribution.

You can study chemistry at universities or universities of applied sciences. For admission, you need a general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification. Some degree programmes, including part-time studies, let you apply with completed vocational training and relevant work experience. However, you often have to take an aptitude test.

In addition, there may be further admission restrictions, which can vary greatly between the higher education institutions: Some higher education institutions require a pre-study internship, for example, while others have local admission restrictions such as a minimum grade (the so-called numerus clausus). In addition, there are often institution-specific admission or selection procedures or aptitude tests.

Semester contributions instead of tuition fees: In most cases, there are no tuition fees to pay at public higher education institutions. Nevertheless, keep an eye open, as tuition fees may be charged in some cases. As a rule, however, you will only have to pay the semester contributions, which range from about 100 to 400 euros per semester, depending on the higher education institution. 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.

You often have to pay for the additional costs of laboratory work yourself. These include, for example, lab coats, and protective goggles, but also costs for chemicals that you used. Normally, however, you don’t have to worry about paying more than 200 euros per semester. For textbooks and literature, we recommend borrowing from libraries or buying second-hand books to save some money.

Leaving the nest? Many students want to or have to move out to study and therefore have to pay rent. How much you should budget for rent depends, among other things, on the city in which you study. Large and popular cities are usually not only much more expensive, but it often takes longer to find something suitable (and affordable). Low-cost options include student halls of residence and shared flats. As soon as you have decided on where you want to study, you should start looking, as halls of residence can fill up quickly. , you can find information on local halls of residence and the respective application process for most cities.

Also, don’t forget to factor in your costs of living. These can vary depending on the city and lifestyle. In addition, you’ll need to cover the costs of health insurance or internet service.

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  and find suitable programmes directly on My GUIDE.

After completing your degree, career paths in many different sectors are open to you. Options are:

• In addition to the chemical industry, chemists are also sought after in the pharmaceutical industry, and the food and consumer goods industry.
• Depending on the company and sector, a job in sales or marketing is also conceivable.
• Employment is also possible in quality assurance and in the patent and documentation sector. This can be in both public agencies or companies.
• Official food monitoring, authorities and ministries are other potential employers in the public sector.
• If you choose to complete a PhD, which is quite common in chemistry, a career in science and research is of course also an option.
• For a management or leadership position, you usually need at least a Master’s degree and sometimes even a PhD.
• You can also become self-employed and work as an outside expert, for example.

Especially compared to other fields of study, chemists earn a very good salary. The prospects for a steady salary increase are also promising. However, the chemical industry, for example, pays significantly better than research institutions.