Study Vocational Disciplines in Germany

The vocational disciplines are divided into several fields of study. Please note that which subjects, how many subjects, and which combinations of subjects you can choose depends on the individual federal state. As a rule, you will study at least two of the following subjects:

• Agricultural economics
• Structural engineering
• Vocational education, vocational pedagogy
• Bioengineering, chemical engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Nutritional, home economics
• Vehicle engineering, mechatronics
• Colour engineering, interior design, surface engineering
• Health, personal hygiene
• Wood technology
• Information technology
• Laboratory technology, process technology
• Media technology
• Metal engineering, mechanical engineering
• Health care
• Social pedagogy
• Textile engineering and design
• Economics and administration

You will complete your studies with a Master’s degree or a state examination; a Bachelor’s degree is not sufficient to start the traineeship, which is required for your qualification as a teacher. The traineeship usually lasts two years.

Typically, you need a general higher education entrance qualification or its equivalent to be admitted to a course of study in Germany. Because many degree programmes in vocational fields are free of admission, this higher education entrance qualification is often sufficient as the sole requirement to make you eligible to apply.

For the remaining degree programmes with restricted admission, different requirements may apply, as the content of the respective fields of study varies greatly. Relatively often, a pre-study internship or practical experience (usually of at least one year) is expected for admission to the degree programme. Sometimes a certificate of completed vocational training must be presented. If you do not have the time or opportunity to complete an internship prior to your studies, you can contact your chosen higher education institution: Some allow admission despite a lack of practical experience, as long as this is completed by a certain point during the degree programme.

In addition, some higher education institutions might use their own admission procedures, language assessments or similar tests. Master’s degree programmes often require proof of modules with a particular content that must be completed in the Bachelor’s degree programme.

The good news is that in most cases studying in Germany does not cost anything: Public higher education institutions only rarely charge tuition fees. However, please be aware of exceptions! If you want to study at a public higher education institution, you most likely only have to pay the semester contributions. The amount varies and often ranges from 100 to 400 euros. Sometimes your semester contribution covers a ticket for local public transport or you can purchase a discounted ticket. Depending on where you study, this may be valid for the city, the region or even for all of Germany. Ask your higher education institution whether such an offer is currently available. In addition, depending on your subject combination, extra costs may be incurred for excursions, for example, or for manual and laboratory work. However, these costs are usually moderate.

Living costs and your rent payment usually make up the largest part of your expenses during your studies. Since there are considerable differences within Germany, the amount of your expenses also depends on the city in which you want to study. Student halls of residence or shared flats are particularly popular among students, as they are usually much cheaper in comparison. As soon as you have decided on where you want to study, you should start looking, as halls of residence can fill up quickly. Here, you can find information on local halls of residence and the respective application process for most cities.

Please note that the costs of studying are difficult to quantify and depend on many factors. Your lifestyle also plays a major role in determining your budget!

To finance your studies in Germany, you should also find out about scholarships. There are many different scholarship programmes and excellent grades are not the only deciding factor. You can learn more about scholarships here and find suitable programmes directly on My GUIDE.

After graduation, you can teach at vocational schools, such as technical colleges or others. Your salary is tied to the pay scales of the federal states. However, if you realise during your studies that teaching is not for you, you do not have to abandon your studies: You can also find work outside of school, for example, in internal training or in companies that match your specialisation.

By the way: You already have a Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a technical/industrial field, and now you would like to teach in vocational schools later on? There are a number of Master’s programmes that are designed to make it easier for you to change your career and enter the teaching profession. You can simply enquire about this at various higher education institutions.

Tip: The federal states in Germany regularly publish their individual teaching demand forecasts (only available in German). These forecasts tell you not only which subjects or subject combinations will be in particular demand in the coming years, but also how your chances of being hired stand in the respective locations and federal states. A glance at them can help you make your decision! If you need additional help, you can get advice from the counselling centres of the Landesprüfungsamt (State Examination Office) about the teaching profession. The counselling centres will be happy to help you with information about your studies and further qualification opportunities.