-
Study Options
- Study Destinations
- Scholarship
-
Student Square
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
Benjamin Franklin - Test Preparation
RWTH Aachen University
Overview
AC Rating
Courses
Campuses
Views
Location : Germany ,North Rhine-Westphalia
Overall Rating :
With 260 institutes in nine faculties, RWTH Aachen University is one of Europe's leading institutions for science and research. Currently, more than 44,500 students are enrolled in 144 academic programmes. More than 8,500 of them are international students hailing from 130 different countries. The scientific education students receive at RWTH Aachen University is firmly rooted in real-world application. As a result, our graduates are highly sought after by businesses to work as trainees and fill executive positions. National and international rankings show that our graduates have a high aptitude for managing complex tasks, constructively solving problems in teams, and taking on leadership responsibilities. Thus, it should come as no surprise that one in five board members of German corporations is an alumnus of RWTH Aachen University.
Work conducted in the research centres at RWTH Aachen University is strongly oriented towards the current needs of industry, commerce, and the professions. This has resulted in numerous innovations, patents, and licences. The individual competence centres at RWTH Aachen University collaborate effectively across departments and faculties in interdisciplinary groups and forums, while still maintaining a strong focus on their own department specialisation. For instance, the computer science and biology departments - and even the social sciences - all have a clear connection to the school's engineering focus. This has been a crucial factor in motivating multinational corporations such as Philips, Microsoft, and Ford to locate their research institutions in the Aachen region.
Excellence in teaching and research constitutes the basis from which RWTH Aachen University works with other leading institutions and technical universities around the world.
Courses
Admission
Admission Requirements for International Bachelor and Staatsexamen Applicants
There are various requirements for admission to Bachelor and Staatsexamen studies. They are described below:
1. University Entrance Qualification Certificate
In order to apply for a Bachelor or Staatsexamen program, you will first need a university entrance qualification certificate. This is sometimes abbreviated as HZB. You typically acquire the HZB by successfully completing secondary school or high school.
Since the level of education in secondary schools varies from country to country, it is possible that your secondary school certificate does not allow you to be admitted for studies at a German university. In this case, you have two possibilities: You can either first study for a few semesters in your home country or attend a preparatory college, that is a Studienkolleg, in Germany.
2. Proof of Language Skills
RWTH currently only offers Bachelor and Staatsexamen courses of study in German. You must therefore provide proof of German language skills at C1 level when you enroll.
There are various requirements for admission to a Master course of study. They are explained below:
1. An Initial Qualifying University Degree
The most important requirement for applying to Master's studies is an initial qualifying university degree. Individuals who have never completed university studies before cannot begin with Master's studies. Furthermore, most of the Master courses of study at RWTH Aachen are consecutive. This means that the Bachelor degree provides the subject background and preparation for the Master. Thus, it is not possible to have completed a Bachelor in philosophy but then pursue a Master is mechanical engineering.
2. Proof of Language Skills
RWTH Aachen currently offers Master courses of study in German and English.
Language Requirements
The language of instruction in all Bachelor's and Master's courses of study at RWTH is German, with only a few exceptions. You must prove you have the required language skills for your chosen course of study – usually with a recognized language certificate.
Exemptions from the German language certificate
All applicants who have a school leaving qualification from Germany, Luxemburg, Austria, the German-speaking part of Switzerland, or the German-speaking communities in East Belgium and South Tyrol are exempt from the German language certificate requirement.
All applicants who hold a first degree in German that was issued by a German university – including universities of applied sciences – are also exempt.
Exemptions from the English language certificate
All applicants who have a school leaving qualification or first degree in English that was issued by an institution in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or the US are exempt from the English language certificate requirement. The school leaving qualification or first degree must have been completed in one of the countries listed above.
Please Note
Please note that having German citizenship or citizenship of an English-speaking country, even those listed above, does not in and of itself exempt you from the respective language certificate requirement.
Please also note that RWTH does not accept MyBest Scores of the TOEFL test. The required minimum TOEFL score must be achieved within one single TOEFL exam.
Conditional Enrollment By Submitting a Level B2 Language Certificate
In winter semester 2021/22, RWTH has adopted an extended regulation regarding submitting proof of the required language skills (German or English) for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs with open admission. Accordingly, students can acquire the necessary language proficiency (Level C1) during the first two semesters of study and then submit the certificates by the end of the second semester. Students who wish to use this option must, however, prove B2 language proficiency in the required language when enrolling.
If you want to make use of this option, please upload one of the following certificates where proof of C1 language proficiency is requested. As evidence for your Level B2 language proficiency, we accept the following:
- Proof of successful placement in Level B2 throught the RWTH Language Center's placement test
- B2 Certificate from the Goethe Institut,
- telc B2,
- TestDaF 3x3, 1x4,
- DSH 1,
- a final transcript from a secondary school (EQF level 4) that you have attained Level B2 in German (according to the Common European Framework of Reference)
Applicants who do not have German language skills at C1 Level are strongly advised to take a language test to prove that they have at least B2 language proficiency before coming to Germany. If this is not possible, the Language Center offers a limited number of placement exams.
Accommodation
Whether a room in a dorm, sharing an apartment, or your very own place – if you are going to study in Aachen or come here for a research stay, you will need to start looking for accommodation early on, because RWTH does not own any student dorms, only has very limited places at its guesthouses and therefore cannot provide you with housing.
Typically, RWTH welcomes more than 8,000 new students every winter semester, with hundreds of new employees and guests researchers too. The number of people looking for a place to live is equally high at this time. At the start of the semester it is particularly hard to find a place that is available, especially at a reasonable price. Thus, we recommend you start looking for a room at least two to three months before coming to Aachen.
Unfortunately, it is not possible for doctoral candidates and guest researchers to live in the student dorms run by Studierendenwerk. RWTH has three guesthouses with various accommodation options very near the university campus. As a rule, it is necessary to book very early (several months in advance), as this option is in high demand and the guesthouses are often fully booked. Since only your host institute can make a reservation on your behalf, please contact them early on to check availability.
If you are looking for furnished accommodation for a limited period of time, you will find offers for temporary and furnished apartments in Aachen on the website Wohnen auf Zeit.
Search for Accommodation
At RWTH, several student advising services are specialized in providing information on housing, for example, AStA Students' Committee, the AusländerInnenVertretung (AV), the International Office Housing Advice Service, the international student organization INCAS, and the Association of Indian Students in Aachen, or AISA.
These organizations have all teamed up and created a brochure offering a great amount of information as well as addresses that are helpful for both German and international students and researchers. Please take a close look at the brochure, which is only available in English, to find out about all the different options for finding a room or an apartment here in Aachen.
For international students in need of further guidance, the International Office Housing Service offers individual advising and is also happy to point out private offers to you.
Scholarships
Currently there are no scholarships available.
Read More About Germany
