FAQ for Degree Seeking Students
These are some of the most frequent questions we receive! Please use our Degree-Seeking Student Contact Form for any additional questions you may have!
Check this section before completing the contact form!
Your questions are as individual as you are. But there are some questions which have played a role in many enquiries - and here are the answers to them!
Your Questions - Our Answers!
At present, most students in the federal state of Rhineland Palatinate do not have to pay tuition fees. However, students have to finish their studies within the limits of a certain timeframe which is allotted to them by means of a study account ("Studienkonto"). If students exceed the standard study periods substantially, they may have to pay tuition fees. Students of our part-time MBA Programme also have to pay tuition fees (cf. MBA website).
Sorry, no. Like most German universities, we do not issue conditional offers. Incomplete applications will always be rejected. Please keep your documents and apply for a later start date.
Yes, e.g. by applying to a Studienkolleg or by opting for preparatory language courses. The Studienkolleg for the universities of applied sciences in the federal state of Rhineland Palatinate is Studienkolleg Kaiserslautern ( www.hs-kl.de/international/internationales-studienkolleg ).
Please contact UNI-ASSIST about this question. Once your application fee has been received, you can send them an online version of your application; based on this information, they can provide you with advice and suggestions before you submit your full application. You may also use the the ANABIN database maintained by the German Central Office for Foreign Education in order to find out about academic recognition for qualifications you have attained ( www.anabin.de ).
As we assume that you will have some German language skills when you arrive, our language courses focus on German language skills for academic purposes. Small-group tuition is provided. Courses are very communicative and interactive and substantial individual input is expected. Some of the courses are designed to facilitate integration into the German labor market.
As a university, we generally don't. However, you may be eligible for scholarships offered by the German Academic Exchange Service. ( www.daad.de ). Some of these merit-based scholarships are quite competitive. Others are designed to support international students during the final phase of their studies. Whatever you apply for - always think of an appropriate back-up and co-financing in order to finance your living expenses!
Most lectures are taught by one professor; the most frequent type of lectures is 90 minutes per week. You will spend about 20 real-world hours (as opposed to the typical 45-minute teaching units) in seminar rooms, laboratories and lecture halls - - - but you should calculate another 20 hours per week for preparations, revision sessions and further reading. The ECTS credit point system is based on a total workload calculation - and it works on the assumption that passing an exam requires substantial work outside the classroom!
If the courses are organised in different parallel groups (e.g. in practical exercises "Übung"), you are expected to participate actively and on a regular basis. In lectures, professors will explain to you what type of direct interaction is feasible. In many cases, traditional lecture elements and discussions will be combined.
Always check out the online resources (https://olat.vcrp.de) as it may provide pertinent information, session recordings, reading lists, downloadable resources, tests, quizzes and other key materials.
Assessment methods may vary (research papers, written and oral examinations, lab reports, assignments, portfolios ...); however, written exams are frequently used as group sizes make it difficult to use the other alternatives extensively.
Please note that multiple-choice exams are very rare as departmental guidelines limit the extent to which multiple-choice questions can be included. Free-writing sections are often used to give students an opportunity to explain the reasoning behind their answers.
Please note that AI Guidelines may vary depending on academic disciplines and expected learning outcomes.
Will I have to pay tuition fees?
At present, most students in the federal state of Rhineland Palatinate do not have to pay tuition fees. However, students have to finish their studies within the limits of a certain timeframe which is allotted to them by means of a study account ("Studienkonto"). If students exceed the standard study periods substantially, they may have to pay tuition fees. Students of our part-time MBA Programme also have to pay tuition fees (cf. MBA website).
Will I receive a conditional offer if I fulfil most (but not all) of the requirements (e.g. all conditions except for German language requirements)?
Sorry, no. Like most German universities, we do not issue conditional offers. Incomplete applications will always be rejected. Please keep your documents and apply for a later start date.
Is it possible to work on my language skills after my arrival in Germany?
Yes, e.g. by applying to a Studienkolleg or by opting for preparatory language courses. The Studienkolleg for the universities of applied sciences in the federal state of Rhineland Palatinate is Studienkolleg Kaiserslautern ( www.hs-kl.de/international/internationales-studienkolleg ).
Can you check my documents before I apply to UNI-ASSIST?
Please contact UNI-ASSIST about this question. Once your application fee has been received, you can send them an online version of your application; based on this information, they can provide you with advice and suggestions before you submit your full application. You may also use the the ANABIN database maintained by the German Central Office for Foreign Education in order to find out about academic recognition for qualifications you have attained ( www.anabin.de ).
Can I continue to work on my language skills after enrolment?
As we assume that you will have some German language skills when you arrive, our language courses focus on German language skills for academic purposes. Small-group tuition is provided. Courses are very communicative and interactive and substantial individual input is expected. Some of the courses are designed to facilitate integration into the German labor market.
How can I finance my studies in Germany?
As a university, we generally don't. However, you may be eligible for scholarships offered by the German Academic Exchange Service. ( www.daad.de ). Some of these merit-based scholarships are quite competitive. Others are designed to support international students during the final phase of their studies. Whatever you apply for - always think of an appropriate back-up and co-financing in order to finance your living expenses!
What level of interaction is expected from students?
Most lectures are taught by one professor; the most frequent type of lectures is 90 minutes per week. You will spend about 20 real-world hours (as opposed to the typical 45-minute teaching units) in seminar rooms, laboratories and lecture halls - - - but you should calculate another 20 hours per week for preparations, revision sessions and further reading. The ECTS credit point system is based on a total workload calculation - and it works on the assumption that passing an exam requires substantial work outside the classroom!
If the courses are organised in different parallel groups (e.g. in practical exercises "Übung"), you are expected to participate actively and on a regular basis. In lectures, professors will explain to you what type of direct interaction is feasible. In many cases, traditional lecture elements and discussions will be combined.
Always check out the online resources (https://olat.vcrp.de) as it may provide pertinent information, session recordings, reading lists, downloadable resources, tests, quizzes and other key materials.
And how will my grades be calculated?
Assessment methods may vary (research papers, written and oral examinations, lab reports, assignments, portfolios ...); however, written exams are frequently used as group sizes make it difficult to use the other alternatives extensively.
Please note that multiple-choice exams are very rare as departmental guidelines limit the extent to which multiple-choice questions can be included. Free-writing sections are often used to give students an opportunity to explain the reasoning behind their answers.
Please note that AI Guidelines may vary depending on academic disciplines and expected learning outcomes.
