University and school education in Berlin for foreign students has a twisty and complex history. Berlin is a very international city with deep traces of the past, which influenced, among other things, the development of education at all levels. Today the city is the student center of Germany for people from all over the world and boasts 11 universities, 21 colleges and more than 250 research institutes. And the cost of studying in Berlin for foreign students, like life in general, is very acceptable.
The education system in Berlin: the features of teaching for foreign students in the German school
The official academic year begins on August 1 and ends on July 31. The period of study in Berlin for foreign students and citizens of the country in primary classes, unlike other federal lands, is 6 years. Upon completion of primary education, the students have the choice to go to the integrated secondary school (integerte Sekundarschule, ISS) or the gymnasium. The difference is that in the ISS, depending on the academic successes and desires of the student, students can get a certificate of incomplete / incomplete extended / secondary education at the end of the 12th grade, and after 13 years - a certificate of maturity (Abitur), which allows continuing education in the University. Gymnasium also assumes a more intensive load in education and obtaining a certificate of maturity according to the results of the final exam in the 12th grade.
In the capital of Germany you can also find prestigious international schools, where instruction is conducted in a foreign language or even in several languages. For foreign students and their parents, the implemented project of bilingual European schools in Berlin will be especially interesting: teaching in such schools is conducted in the German and the native language of the student, subject to mandatory study of the German school curriculum. In addition, in each school, in addition to the teacher in the classroom there is an assistant who helps the teacher to teach and entertain children during the rest.
Higher education in prestigious universities in Berlin for foreign students
Germany highly appreciates higher education and sets a very high standard of education at the state level. In addition, Germany is one of the most affordable countries at a cost for foreign students in Europe, since the price of tuition is kept to a minimum: the fees are about 500 € per semester.
- The prestigious language school German Language School (GLS Berlin) offers for foreign students the academic program Studienkolleg, the successful completion of which guarantees admission to one of two universities:
- Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena,
- Westsachsische Hochschule Zwickau.
The advantage of this program is that it includes intensive German courses and prepares foreign students for the delivery of TestDaF and university studies in more than 10 areas, the most popular of which are computer science, business, design and medical support. GLS Berlin was recognized 3 times as Germany's best language school, and from year to year its leadership is doing everything possible to improve the teaching methods and living conditions of its students. The cost of Studienkolleg per year is 2,340 €. Also the school teaches students and adults for the Goethe Zertifikat and organizes summer camps for teenagers.
- Humboldt-Institut Berlin-Zentrum is one of the oldest and most prestigious German universities. He is annually included in the TOP-100 of the world's strongest universities, and in the past Otto von Bismarck himself studied here, 55 of the Institute's employees are Nobel laureates, including one of them was Albert Einstein. The linguistic center on its base has been operating for more than 40 years and has produced more than 60,000 students from more than 160 countries. The leaders of the summer language school for students from 15 to 18 years pay special attention to the international principle, distributing students into groups. The international composition allows students to quickly adapt in a German-speaking environment and to make new friends from different parts of the world. Education in Berlin for foreign students on summer vacation lasts usually for 2-3 weeks - this time is enough to significantly raise the level of German (it is possible to extend the stay in the summer camp to 6 weeks). Curators of the vacation program form the course in a balanced way for effective study and rest of students. The cost of studying for 3-week courses for foreign students is 2,850 € with accommodation, meals and entertainment. At the end of the course, students receive a certificate that attests to the level of proficiency of a foreign language.
Education in Berlin for foreign students: language programs, schools and summer camps in Germany
In Berlin, there are courses for day and correspondence courses, as well as courses for foreign students with accommodation for the period of study. Language schools are very diverse both at prices and other conditions. In addition to certified linguistic centers, foreign language education can be provided on the basis of the top universities in Berlin.