Contents
When can I expect the official confirmation letter?
The official invitation letters for all students who have received the email - confirmation from the faculty and who have completed the document based process at UniAssist (i.e. sent documents to the faculty, registered at UniAssist, paid the fee...) will be sent out starting 16.5.11. Please allow 2 weeks for the letter to arrive.
How and where can I apply for accomodation?
You will have the possibility to reserve a student flat. We will sent out emails with the application form probably mid of June.
How does the application procedure look like this year (WS2011)?
The application procedure consists of several phases.
Electronic application: In a first phase, you have applied electronically at the faculty of electrical engineering. Based on your records, the faculty has decided whether the application is accepted or rejected. The result has been sent to you by email. This phase has ended 15.4.2011.
Paper application: Those applicants who have been accepted have been asked to send in their paper documents and to register at UniAssist for a formal check of their application. Very important: In order to complete this phase, you have to complete the following 4 steps:
- Send your bachelor degree and transcripts of records to our faculty - this step is finished.
- Register at UniAssist - this step is finished.
- Fill in the UniAssist application form for the HDA and send it to UniAssist
- Pay the required fee at UniAssist
Please note: If you do not complete these steps until 15.5.11, your application will not be considered any longer!
Confirmation: If you have completed the paper application, you will receive an email from UniAssist that your papers have been checked. At the same time, UniAssist is sending your confirmed records to the Hochschule Darmstadt. Here, an official confirmation letter in German and English will be prepared and send to you by normal mail. Please allow 3-4 weeks for this process, before inquiring about the status.
Housing and trip preparation: Starting beginning of June, we will contact you for details about housing, trip details and similar.
To whom can I send my questions?
We understand that planning your study Germany is a challenging process and that you have thousands of questions. We will try to answer all your questions and to support you in the best possible way, but in order to make this process efficient, we kindly ask you to follow these recommendations:
- Before writing an email, please check our website and especially this FAQ section. We will update the FAQ's on a regular basis.
- We are currently preparing a small brochure containing all the needed information for your study in Germany. This brochure will be sent to you by email. Estimated time: End of June 2011.
- In addition to the Master Course Directors, Prof. Meuth and Prof. Fromm two senior students are available to answer your questions and to assist you in your preparation.
Senior students contact:
- Mayke Kosnadi: mayke.d.kosnadi@stud.h-da.de
- Arjun Tamari: arjun.tamiri@stud.h-da.de
How can I prepare my study in Germany?
In addition to all the formal things you have to do like getting the visa etc we have a few recommendations for preparing a successful study period:
- Software development will be an important subject in your curriculum. Our Master program is designed expecting very good C and C++ skills. As this has been a major obstacle for many students in the past, we recommend to study C and C++ programming before coming to Germany. A pretty good tutorial can be found here: http://www.cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/
- Although German skills are not formally required before starting with the study, having at least basic skills will facilitate and enrich your stay very much. It will be easier to find a job, to communicate with Germans etc. Therefore we recommend to study the language (especially talking and understanding) before you come.
What is the deadline for applications and can I apply at any time?
Applicants with a foreign academic degree:
Deadline for the applications is April 15th, each year, for winter semester of the same year. Applications will be accepted from December 1st until April 15th. Applications outside of this period are not possible.
Applicants with a German academic degree:
Deadline for the applications is September 1st, each year, for winter semester of the same year. Application period is from June through August.
Do I need to apply for a visa if I want to study in Germany?
EU citizens do not need a visa. Everybody else must apply for a visa for study purposes via the German diplomatic representation in their home country. You must not under any circumstances travel to Germany on a tourist visa. Further information is available at the Foreign Office of Germany.
How expensive is it to study in Germany?
The cost of living in Germany will be approximately 850€ per month.
In addition to the cost of living you have to pay a semester fee that is due in advance of each semester and amounts to currently 213,50 Euros (up to date information about the semester fee). The semester fee is a social contribution that entitles you to a large number of discounts and includes a semester ticket for public transportation within the Rhein-Main area.
What will I have to do once I have arrived in Germany?
This is an overview of the things you have to do once you are in Germany and before you start to study. We will assist you in all these matters:
- Booking a student accommodation
- Opening a bank account
- Take out health insurance
- Registration at the city authorities
- Enrolment at the university
What will happen during the first month of my stay in Germany?
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE IN DARMSTADT ON THE 1st OF SEPTEMBER!
- September 1st - Welcome meeting
- First week of September - You will be busy with administration.
- Second week of September - German Tests and start of German Intensive Courses (3 courses depending on your German knowledge).
- An Intercultural Forum Living in Germany – and liking it will take place.
- You have to attend technical pre-semester courses.