Germany As Study Destination

It is observed that more and more prospective students are leaving their home countries in search of the best places to live, learn and work. One such destination that has long-proved popular is Germany, which can boast a long and distinguished history of higher education. It is also Europe’s economic leader. Studying business in Germany is, therefore, a rather appealing option for many students.

German graduates / employees from different fields and disciplines are honoured and are in great demand all over the world and have realistic chances to get a job in an international company in different countries.

MBA in Germany

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is an internationally-recognized degree designed to develop the skills required for careers in business and management. The value of the MBA, however, is not limited strictly to the business world. An MBA can also be useful for those pursuing a managerial career in the public sector, government, private industry, and other areas.

Most MBA programs include a "core" curriculum of subjects, such as accounting, economics, marketing, and operations, as well as elective courses that allow participants to follow their own personal or professional interests. Some schools require that MBA candidates complete an internship at a company or organization, which can lead to concrete job opportunities after the program.

Quality business schools generally require that candidates have at least a few years of professional work experience before starting an MBA program. Applicants are also asked to submit Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores, academic transcripts, letters of reference, and an essay or statement of purpose that reflects why they want to pursue an MBA. Non-native English speakers usually have to prove adequate English skills with TOEFL or IELTS scores, or through previous academic experience.

The MBA is currently the most popular professional degree program in the world.

Master of Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most popular master degree programs and is approved worldwide. FH Wismar, one of the highly ranked public universities in Germany offers MBA programs with promising career opportunities.

Reasons why student should consider doing an MBA in Germany:

Germany is known to be an important International trading partner.

The German Economy:
Students have the advantage of studying business in a country with the strongest economy in Europe. German Unemployment remains one of the Lowest in Europe. Skilled Technical graduates or Business graduates from Germany are neither unemployed nor under-paid.

The strong German economy means , continuous entry of educated workers – including many English speakers – who are highly sought in important German City’s finance and business communities.

German R&D Investment:
Germany is also a regional leader in R&D investment. With more than half a million R&D professionals, the country continues to attract a top-notch talent pool. It means that for students studying business in Germany have regular accesses to professional training from renowned and established universities and also from German R&D investment.

Geographic Advantage:
Germany, being at the crossroads of Western and Eastern Europe, offers direct access to huge potential customer base.

Despite the country's reunification nearly three decades ago, there remains an economic divide between what were once East and West Germany. This offers enormous opportunities for entrepreneurs who can develop businesses in places, like Berlin (which was split between the two), which has recently enjoyed growth in technology start-ups.

Innovation and ‘Economic Freedom’:
An index charting 186 countries’ economic freedom, published by the Wall Street Journal in conjunction with the Heritage Foundation, reports that economic freedom in Germany is on the rise. In one key component, the study notes that in Germany, “The overall entrepreneurial environment remains one of the world’s most transparent and efficient.”

Economic freedom is partly responsible Germany’s innovation and entrepreneurial initiative. According to Statistical Office Of The European Communities (EUROSTAT), amongst the 28 countries in the European Union more than 40% of all patents are held by Germany. Half of the cities in top-30 metropolitan areas for patents are in Germany.

As Eurostat notes on its website, “Patents reflect inventive activity and they also show the capacity to exploit knowledge and translate it into potential economic gains.”

Life in Germany

Germany is an economic superpower that has become a very attractive place for students all over the world to pursue their studies, and ranks right after the United States and Great Britain in that respect. Many German universities are in the top 100 world rankings, having both tradition and excellence in teaching, and where many Nobel laureates have studied; so there isn’t a doubt that you will receive extraordinary education. Studying in Germany is amazing, easy and loads of fun.

German Culture

Going to a new place always means adjusting and learning about that country and it’s culture. It is helpful to prepare yourself before going abroad, for the new things you will encounter, by consulting books, websites and forums as well as getting recommendations from friends that have been there before. To gain a good personal experience of Germany, you have to submerge yourself in its culture, by getting to know and spending as much time as you can with Germans around you, be it students or locals.

Job Opportunities

International students from other countries can work a total of 120 full or 240 half days per year. If you want to work more, you need a permit from the "Agentur für Arbeit" (Federal Employment Agency) and the foreigners' authority. Whether you are issued a work permit largely depends on the condition of the local job market. You are less likely to receive a permit to work more than 120 days in regions with higher unemployment rates.

This does not include work as a research assistant. No time limits apply for this activity. However, you will still need to inform the foreigners' authority. In addition, international students from outside the EU or EEA are not permitted to work in a self-employed or freelance capacity. If you are unsure about what kind of job you have been offered, please consult the relevant authority.

Regulations are particularly strict for participants in language courses or in preparatory courses ("Studienkolleg"). You may only work in lecture-free periods and only with the consent of the Federal Employment Agency and the foreigners' authority.

Graduates of German universities are allowed to stay in the country for 1,5 years to search for a job Afterwards students are allowed to stay and work in Germany on the precondition that their job has adequate compensation and is in the broad professional area of the study programme they completed. Students can obtain a permanent work and residency permit. The preconditions include an adequately compensated occupation and the consent from the federal employment agency.

Some of the Universities of Germany provide assistance with the application process for jobs and internships. The Career Services Department of some Universities provides students with jobs and internships.