Step 3:
What is the right path for me?
You are aware of your strengths and interests. You can judge what you are good at and what you want to do professionally. Now the question is which path to take. Read about university courses and training occupations that suit you. Consider whether you will achieve your goal via a (dual) university course or vocational training.
German version
A good start is to look here at abi» in „Was kann ich studieren?”. There you can find information about different study opportunities (in German language).
Another good website for getting information about university courses is studienwahl.de. There, you will find detailed information about all the fields of study and individual courses in both German and English. With the help of a integrated search function you can find out which universities in Germany offer courses in a specific subject.
In the Federal Employment Agency’s Studiensuche (course search), you can directly search for courses by fields of study and see what is on offer at the universities. This also applies to dual study programmes. For example, enter “civil engineering” as the search term. The search results will be shown as a list.
The Hochschulkompass (Higher Education Compass) also provides the option of searching for university courses throughout Germany.
If you are looking for information in the form of videos, you can view films about university courses on BERUFE.TV.
The website AusbildungPlus provides information specifically about dual study programmes.
A good start is to look here at abi» in „Welche Ausbildungen gibt es?”. There you can find information about different vocational trainings (in German language).
You can find comprehensive descriptions of dual and college-based training programmes on the Federal Employment Agency’s BERUFENET. You can enter a specific occupation in the search or use the function “Search from A-Z”. A “Sucheinstieg über Berufsfelder” (search by professional field) is also possible. For example, if you open the description of the occupation “chemical laboratory technician”, you will find information about the training, access to the training and the work involved in the job.
You can also view films about training occupations on BERUFE.TV. Some of the films are offered with English subtitles.
You can find reports from young people describing their training programmes on the website planet-beruf.de under “My Career”.
For some occupations, you do not have the choice between a university course or a vocational training programme. Anyone who wants to become a doctor has to study medicine; anyone who wants to work as an engineer will choose a degree in engineering. Similarly, there is only one route into the occupations of baker or industrial mechanic: the dual training programme.
However, there are also occupations or areas of activity for which there is no fixed path. If you want to work in a bank, for example, you can study business administration (including as a dual study programme) or do a dual training programme to become a bank clerk. The same applies to computer scientists: here, you can choose between a degree in computer science, a dual training programme to become an IT specialist with various specialisms and a college-based training programme to become an IT assistant.
If there is more than one path to your goal, you have to make a decision. The following table provides an overview of the differences between the four pathways of university study, dual study, dual training and college-based training:
Training paths at a glance
The following four tabs give you an overview of how the four paths study, dual study, dual training and school training differ:
Qualifications
Bachelor, Master, state exam; occasionally a diploma or a “magister” degree
Learning venues
Universities
Duration (regular)
Bachelor: 6-8 semesters
Master: 2-4 semesters
State exam: 7-12 semesters
Costs / remuneration
- Semester fee depending on the university (approx. 50-300 €)
- At private universities, there are also tuition fees
- No remuneration
- Financing e.g. via BAföG, part-time job, scholarship, student loan
Structure
- Winter semester (October to March) and summer semester (April to September)
- Lecture-free period between the semesters for examinations and internships
Where and when to apply?
- Application to the university and/or via hochschulstart.de
- Application via Uni Assist
- Open admission: enrol approx. one month before the start of the semester
- Local admission restrictions: application generally by 15th January for the summer semester and by 15th July for the winter semester
- Nationwide admission restrictions (medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy): application generally by 15th January for the summer semester and by 15th July for the winter semester; veterinary medicine only for winter semester
Type of activity during the training
- Academic education
- Compulsory internships, voluntary internships and/or practical semesters are possible, depending on the course
Where are there training / university places?
Qualifications
- University degree (mainly Bachelor)
- Some dual study programmes also lead to a vocational training qualification
Learning venues
- Universities or vocational academies
- Companies
Duration (regular)
3 to 4.5 years
Costs / remuneration
- Semester fee depending on the university/vocational academy
- Generally monthly training pay depending on the sector and the company
Structure
- Switches between university/
vocational academy and company, e.g. every three months - Training generally begins on 1st August or 1st September
Where and when to apply?
- Application to a company and a university
- Application period generally starts one year before the start of the training, application to the university is generally only possible with the signed employment contract
Type of activity during the training
- Academic education at the university
- Learning practical skills at the company
Where are there training / university places?
- University and vocational academy websites
- Federal Employment Agency Jobsuche (job search)
Qualifications
Vocational training qualification
Learning venues
- Companies
- Vocational colleges
Duration (regular)
2 to 3.5 years
Costs / remuneration
Monthly training pay depending on the sector and the company
Structure
- Switches between company and vocational college, e.g. three days a week at the company, two days at the vocational college
- Training generally begins on 1st August or 1st September
Where and when to apply?
- Application to a company, registration at a vocational college by the company
- Application period generally starts one year before the start of the training
Type of activity during the training
- Learning practical skills at the company
- Specialist classes at the vocational college
Where are there training / university places?
Qualifications
Vocational training qualification
Learning venues
- Vocational colleges or professional academies
- Companies (during internships)
Duration (regular)
1 to 3 year(s)
Costs / remuneration
- Tuition fees only incurred at private vocational colleges
- Training pay in some cases (depending on the occupation)
Structure
- Five days a week at the vocational college
- Block internships or internships on certain days
Where and when to apply?
Application to the relevant vocational college or professional academy half a year to a year before the start of the training
Type of activity during the training
- Specialist classes at the vocational college
- Learning practical skills through exercises and internships
Where are there training / university places?
Vocational college and professional academy websites
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