Information for Students and Researchers

The intention of this page is to help students and researchers who want to spend some time at RWTH Aachen University . On the following pages you will find the most important information and contacts for a visit to Germany.

Opportunities

Student Research Projects / Small Theses

are offered by every institute. Apply for it directly at the respective institute. They require about six weeks of work and end with a written report and a presentation of the results. The goal is to gain experience in working on a scientific topic. Academic guidance is provided by an assistant who will accompany you through the entire project. Before applying for a thesis at our institute, you should choose a topic from the list on the Theses / Small Theses page.

Diploma Theses / Master Theses

are offered by every institute like student research projects. They require about six month of work and end with a written report and a presentation of the results. Special focus is put on the independent work on a scientific topic in limited time. Academic guidance is provided by an assistant. Before applying for a thesis at our institute, you should choose a topic from the list on the Theses / Small Theses page.

Research Visits

are offered for post-graduates. Visiting researchers can work on current research topics and scientific questions at the institute.
Please contact the institute directly for an application.
[Email]

Master Program

The RWTH Aachen University offers a master program. This website provides all necessary information.

Study Visits

are possible at the RWTH Aachen University. Please have a look at the website of the Dezernat für Internationale Hochschulbeziehungen/ International Office. There you will also find more information concerning the organization of your stay in Germany.

Entire study program at RWTH Aachen University

The International Office can provide useful information on this topic.

Studying at RWTH Aachen University

A study program in Germany is single track, there are no separate undergraduate and graduate studies as in the USA or in Great Britain. The first academic degree (Diplom/Magister/Staatsexamen) is normally achieved after 5 to 7 years of studying and is comparable to a master degree. Nominal five years are scheduled for a study program at RWTH Aachen University (Regelstudienzeit). But actually, most students need five to seven years.

Are you qualified to study in Germany?

If you fulfill all requirements to begin an academic program in your home country, you are basically qualified to study in Germany. You can start immediately, if your high-school graduation certificate is accepted as equal to the German Abitur by the conference of the German ministers of education. Otherwise you have to visit a study-qualification course, the so-called "Studienkolleg", and take the qualification exam. Years at university in your home country can compensate for the study-qualification course. The required number of years is different for each country, normally one to three years of successful studying have to be proven. If you have already completed an academic program of at least four years and hold degree, you can directly start with special studies. For an admission to RWTH Aachen University, your final grade must be at least equivalent to the German "befriedigend", which is the third best grade on a scale from one to five. For the admission to a PhD program further special requirements have to be met.

Is your German good enough?

Teaching language at RWTH Aachen University is German. The only exception is the master program. Moreover, knowledge of the German language is very useful for the daily life. The better your communication is, the better you will get along. That is why we recommend to learn German already in your home country. The RWTH Aachen University does not offer basic courses. The application for a study program without admission restriction requires knowledge of German on the level of the certificate "Deutsch als Fremdsprache". For a study program with admission restriction (numerus clausus), the certificate "Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang" (DSH) is needed. An application without this certificate will be rejected.