Universities

Universities (Universität)

The classical universities, in the tradition of Alexander von Humboldt, provide a broad general education and students usually attend them from three to six years. Advanced studies in law, medicine, dentistry and other professions that require government licensing are done at universities. A university that has a technological orientation is known as Technische Universität (TU, technical university).

For decades a master's level degree was the first degree available at a university. This was known as a "one-tier" integrated long program. Recent higher education reforms have introduced two-level programs and students can now earn a bachelor's degree in three or four years and a master's degree in five or six years. The one-tier year program is still available in certain disciplines. The bachelor's and master’s degrees were introduced to avoid the drastic rates of non-completers (which in some university subjects were as high as 75%) as well as to conform with degree programs in other countries.

Getting admitted to a German state university can be a trying process. Many programs are restricted regarding numbers of new students and start only once per year. Acceptance of foreign credentials is difficult and credit transfers rarely happen without losses.