Undergraduate studies
The three UA Ruhr universities offer a total of around 600 degree programmes in the humanities and social sciences, health sciences (including medicine), as well as natural sciences and engineering. Admission to all bachelor’s degree, teacher education, and state examination programmes requires proficiency in German. This is due to the fact that all courses are taught in German, with only a few subjects, such as in language and literature degrees, being offered in other languages.
Bachelor
A bachelor's degree programme usually lasts six semesters. It is a professionally qualifying degree and concludes (depending on the subject or combination of subjects) with a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Laws. After completing a bachelor's degree, students can decide whether they want to start their career or continue with a master's degree.
State examination
Some universities also offer courses that do not lead to a bachelor's or master's degree, but instead to a state examination, for example the state examination in law at the Faculty of Law or the state examination at the Faculty of Medicine. Ruhr University Bochum offers state examinations in medicine and law, which last 13 and 10 semesters, respectively. The University of Duisburg-Essen offers a state examination in medicine, which normally takes 12 semesters and 3 months to complete.
Teacher Education degrees
Teacher Education degrees are pursued by individuals who wish to teach at public, private, or religious educational institutions in Germany. At the UA Ruhr universities, Teacher Education degrees consist of a six-semester bachelor's degree programme, followed by a four-semester master's degree programme (Master of Education). The course is then followed by an 18-month teaching internship, known as the "Vorbereitungsdienst" or "Referendariat".
Academic calendar and tuition fees
Academic calendar
The academic year in Germany is divided into two semesters: the winter semester (1 October to 31 March) and the summer semester (1 April to 30 September). Studies usually begin in the winter semester, but this may vary depending on the degree programme.
Further information about the academic calendar and dates of the UA Ruhr universities can be found at the following links:
Academic calendar - TU Dortmund
Tuition fees
Public universities in Germany do not usually charge tuition fees for bachelor's degree programmes. However, some master’s programmes do charge tuition, including certain master’s programmes at the UA Ruhr universities. Anyone interested in studying should therefore check whether tuition fees apply to their chosen programme.
In addition, all enrolled students in bachelor's and master's degree programmes at the UA Ruhr universities are required to pay a social contribution each semester. This mandatory fee is around 350 euros and is recalculated before each semester. In addition to contributions for student services (such as canteens and student housing) and university student unions, it also includes a mobility fee for the semester ticket.
You can find more information about the semester contributions of each of the UA Ruhr universities here:
Semester contributions - TU Dortmund
Further information on the degree programmes offered by the UA Ruhr universities can be found at the following links: