# What is a good major if my goal is to live in Germany?



## SchwarzesMaedchen

I'm currently doing to Culinary School and about to graduate with a AA in Culinary Arts. However, I don't want to do this and would rather go into the medical field (thinking about going the Nursing route). The uni I'm considering has a Nursing AND a study abroad program.

Truth: I've never been to Germany and have never left the US before. :redface: :tsk:

Because of this, I want to do the study abroad for a year and decide for sure from there. If I hate Germany, no biggie I can always go back home. However, if I love Germany, I want to be in a position where I can take the next step towards becoming an immigrant, so I've read a little up on the process.

I've read that one of the stipulations is that you be a skilled worker. But what skills are the wanting/needing in Germany? Do they want me to be an engineer? A pharmacist? A nuclear scientist? I have no interest in any of those occupations but if that's what it takes then so be it.


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## James3214

I think Nursing is a good option to study as you will be in demand in many countries not just Germany. I don't know of an official list of skills in demand but the following link (in German) shows the sectors where jobs are becoming increasingly difficult to fill.
http://www.welt.de/img/wirtschaft/crop112654090/2238721966-ci3x2l-w620/DWO-Fachkra-ftemangel.jpg


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## Bevdeforges

Just a question - will Germany recognize a nursing qualification from outside the EU? I only ask because it is often an issue here in France. 
Cheers,
Bev


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## James3214

That's a difficult question but apparently it depends on your qualifications and experience and what they normally ask is send everything in for them to make a decision. You probably have to do a conversion course in Germany and more importantly need to be fluent in spoken and written German. I am not sure if the OP intends taking the course in Germany. Apparently, German nurses are not 'registered' as they are in some other countries like the UK.


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## SchwarzesMaedchen

Thanks Bev and James for your answers. And uni I'm talking about is University of Houston.

I like the point that Bev brought up and I've been thinking about this too. The uni two programs: Pre-Nursing and Pre-Nursing/Nursing. The first prepares you for professional schools though quote " special advising, career-related workshops and seminars, and more" not sure what that entails and second is where I take my pre-nursing math and science at UT while working towards my bachelors in Nursing. 

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a chance to talk to the Office of International Affairs (all I've been getting is the answering machine) so I haven't been able to ask questions about the program or talk to anyone about my goals and plans and get any advice. It's a little hard to find colleges that offer Nursing and study abroad. Ideally, I'd like to complete my entire degree in Germany but again, I don't know if that's a choice through UH.

I've been studying German for about a year and half but I'm not fluent. I can read and write it pretty well although my speaking and listening skills are pretty bad.


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## Verdande

*Career in nursing EU*

Bev is right to mention this. Before starting a nursing education I suggest finding out what qualifications from outside the EU are accepted. In Scandinavia there are many persons who were nurses in their home countries (typically the Phillipines, Ukraine etc.) but they are not considered qualified nurses here. This is also a problem within the EU. For example Polish nursing degrees equivalate to a Swedish/Danish nursing aide. Within Germany there may be different requirements depending on the state (Bavaria, Saxony etc.) A good place to start to find out about the EU and careers is this website: eures.eu
Presently there are hundreds of thousands of EU citizens moving from southern and eastern EU countires to the northern and western ones. As a US citizen you will be "competing" with them - and of course, you must speak German.
Good luck and choose your path carefully




Bevdeforges said:


> Just a question - will Germany recognize a nursing qualification from outside the EU? I only ask because it is often an issue here in France.
> Cheers,
> Bev


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## Verdande

If you wish to improve your German there are many free online interactive language programs. 
One I like is: book2.de


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## SchwarzesMaedchen

Verdande, thanks for that awesome link. It's what I've been looking for. I'm going to get in touch with one of the Agentur :kiss:

Don't stop posting though people. I love reading them


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## ALKB

SchwarzesMädchen said:


> Thanks Bev and James for your answers. And uni I'm talking about is University of Houston.
> 
> I like the point that Bev brought up and I've been thinking about this too. The uni two programs: Pre-Nursing and Pre-Nursing/Nursing. The first prepares you for professional schools though quote " special advising, career-related workshops and seminars, and more" not sure what that entails and second is where I take my pre-nursing math and science at UT while working towards my bachelors in Nursing.
> 
> Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a chance to talk to the Office of International Affairs (all I've been getting is the answering machine) so I haven't been able to ask questions about the program or talk to anyone about my goals and plans and get any advice. It's a little hard to find colleges that offer Nursing and study abroad. Ideally, I'd like to complete my entire degree in Germany but again, I don't know if that's a choice through UH.
> 
> I've been studying German for about a year and half but I'm not fluent. I can read and write it pretty well although my speaking and listening skills are pretty bad.




Germany is notorious for not recognising anything that's not German (or that they are forced to recognised due to EU treaties).

Have a look here:

Registered general nurse (m/f)

German nurses do not receive their qualification in university but rather as a combination of a practical training programme in a hospital and theoretical studies once or twice a week. The programme usually takes three years to complete. So a general nurse in Germany already has three years of practical experience in a real life hospital when they receive their qualification.

I am not sure whether it is possible to get a student visa for that but it might be worth investigating.

Another possibility would be to do a year of intensive pre-uni language studies in Germany which would get you to the level of being able to follow lectures/work in Germany. If you decide that you don't like Germany after all you might end up being fluent in a language and having international experience, which is always a plus. Studying in Germany might be worth it as there are mostly no tuition fees, so the investment into the one year for the language could well be worth it.


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## SchwarzesMaedchen

I've never heard of pre-uni language studies before, I assume this is different from a language school like Goethe? I think their longest program is for a month. It sounds like something to be looked into and so does the nursing program. I think I would like Germany's nursing program. I learn better by doing and actively participating as opposed to bookwork anyways.


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## Nononymous

I don't mean this to be offensive, but what would possess you to make plans to migrate to a country you've never experienced directly? Particularly when you don't have the language. (Okay, millions have done exactly that over the centuries, but usually driven by economic opportunity/necessity.) 

[Fair enough, your original post says exactly the following, so please partially ignore the rant.]

Make plans to visit, do a summer language course, or a student exchange program. If you're relatively young, presumably you can get the one-year working visa and sling beer while learning German. But I would think it's way too early to start thinking about where to live or what qualifications you will need. You might find you hate the place. 

I love living in Berlin (which I do part of the time) and I'm fluent, but there are days when I am close to losing my mind. Germany is awesome, but it is also very, very different from the US and it takes a lot of time and effort to figure that out. Go spend some time there - doing anything really - before committing to a course of action.

As for racism and acceptance of foreigners and all that, it really depends where you are. Move to Kreuzberg (Berlin) and nobody would bat an eye, and some days you'd be hard pressed to hear anything but English plus a bit of Spanish and Italian. Move to some small town in the former east and I expect it would be a very, very different experience - though quite possibly not half as bad as you'd be told to expect.


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## ALKB

SchwarzesMaedchen said:


> I've never heard of pre-uni language studies before, I assume this is different from a language school like Goethe? I think their longest program is for a month. It sounds like something to be looked into and so does the nursing program. I think I would like Germany's nursing program. I learn better by doing and actively participating as opposed to bookwork anyways.


Goethe would be a possibility. So would be the Studienkolleg of a university but for that you need to be preparing for a course at that university and since nursing is not an option at uni... (How would that work with the study abroad thing btw?)

There are quite a few language schools offering language courses for up to a year, really depending on your level of German when you start. 

For example:

Welcome to Eurasia Institute - EURASIA Institute Berlin

If you are already enrolled in uni in the US, there are also some awesome summer school programmes that combine German language classes, field trips and seminars that earn you credits for your uni at home. Might be something to try out before taking the plunge.


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## SchwarzesMaedchen

Nononymous said:


> I don't mean this to be offensive, but what would possess you to make plans to migrate to a country you've never experienced directly? Particularly when you don't have the language. (Okay, millions have done exactly that over the centuries, but usually driven by economic opportunity/necessity.)
> 
> [Fair enough, your original post says exactly the following, so please partially ignore the rant.]
> 
> Make plans to visit, do a summer language course, or a student exchange program. If you're relatively young, presumably you can get the one-year working visa and sling beer while learning German. But I would think it's way too early to start thinking about where to live or what qualifications you will need. You might find you hate the place.
> 
> I love living in Berlin (which I do part of the time) and I'm fluent, but there are days when I am close to losing my mind. Germany is awesome, but it is also very, very different from the US and it takes a lot of time and effort to figure that out. Go spend some time there - doing anything really - before committing to a course of action.
> 
> As for racism and acceptance of foreigners and all that, it really depends where you are. Move to Kreuzberg (Berlin) and nobody would bat an eye, and some days you'd be hard pressed to hear anything but English plus a bit of Spanish and Italian. Move to some small town in the former east and I expect it would be a very, very different experience - though quite possibly not half as bad as you'd be told to expect.


Not offensive at all!

I've always had nothing but love for Europeans. I look at them and their countries and I've always thought and still think that they're progressive and forward thinking people. I guess you can say that I admire Europeans and Germans especially because of their demeanor, lifestyle, and work ethics. They say the grass is always greener but it seems like in this case it's actually true. People who have been there for a long time and come back to the US, usually come back totally different people, in fact they come back better and happier people and I want that for me. I know this sounds really silly and it probably is but that's how I feel.


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## MrTweek

> They say the grass is always greener but it seems like in this case it's actually true. People who have been there for a long time and come back to the US, usually come back totally different people, in fact they come back better and happier people and I want that for me. I know this sounds really silly and it probably is but that's how I feel.


But that is always a personal thing. There are no "good" or "bad" countries. I'm sure, any country in the world has their good and bad sides. You have to find out what exactly you like. And that takes time. Take your time, or you will be disappointed.


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## SchwarzesMaedchen

I've been given a lot to think about. How often should one visit and how long should one stay in order to find out if they like a country? I know it may be wise to wait but I don't want to finally figure it out and I'm like 40. Nothing wrong with being 40+ but I figure if I go while I'm young I might be able to adapt better since I would still have time to "grow up" in the new culture. At 40, people are already mature and grounded in what they know.


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## ALKB

SchwarzesMaedchen said:


> I've been given a lot to think about. How often should one visit and how long should one stay in order to find out if they like a country? I know it may be wise to wait but I don't want to finally figure it out and I'm like 40. Nothing wrong with being 40+ but I figure if I go while I'm young I might be able to adapt better since I would still have time to "grow up" in the new culture. At 40, people are already mature and grounded in what they know.


There is no set formula for this. Nor does a decision to move abroad have to be for life.

I have lived in six different countries so far and don't intend to stop there  (Neither do I intend to stop at 40!)

You should not underestimate the visa process. It is surprisingly difficult for Americans to get a work permit/long term residence permit in Europe. (And for Europeans to get the same thing for America.) The "one year work permit" that was mentioned before is probably the work and travel visa and is not open to Americans as these things are reciprocal and Germans also don't get a work and travel visa for the US.

Germany has fairly recently introduced a post study work visa for people who have graduated from a German university. If those students find a qualified job during that time, they can apply and will most probably be granted a long term residence permit.

Otherwise you will have to find an employer who is willing to sponsor you, which is quite a bit of paperwork and not a terribly quick process (so not a very attractive prospect for an employer). In the end it's the Department of Employment that decides whether to grant the work permit or not. In many cases, the employer will also have to prove that there is nobody in Germany or Europe who could do the job. 

I believe there are also possibilities for Americans to be employed by the armed forces stationed in Germany but I know nothing about requirements or processes.


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## SchwarzesMaedchen

Hmm...maybe I'm just way out of my league. I knew I would have to work like a Hebrew slave to try to pony up enough money to even take a week-long trip. This may be too tall of an order for me. It's a little dissapointing to be honest. I could save 3k and go to the Goethe-Institut for a month, get to know the country and the language but then I'd just come back home to hear from my folks about how I've wasted my money on BS. I would never hear the end of it.


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## ALKB

SchwarzesMaedchen said:


> Hmm...maybe I'm just way out of my league. I knew I would have to work like a Hebrew slave to try to pony up enough money to even take a week-long trip. This may be too tall of an order for me. It's a little dissapointing to be honest. I could save 3k and go to the Goethe-Institut for a month, get to know the country and the language but then I'd just come back home to hear from my folks about how I've wasted my money on BS. I would never hear the end of it.


If you really want to live in Germany, I'd look into applying to German university and doing a Studienkolleg (one year of preparatory studies including language) - it's free of charge unless you choose a private uni, so you only have to worry about your cost of living (Germany asks you to show EUR 8040 per year). 

Would that be an alternative?


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## SchwarzesMaedchen

ALKB said:


> If you really want to live in Germany, I'd look into applying to German university and doing a Studienkolleg (one year of preparatory studies including language) - it's free of charge unless you choose a private uni, so you only have to worry about your cost of living (Germany asks you to show EUR 8040 per year).
> 
> Would that be an alternative?


It's a very viable alternative, assuming I'm able to get accepted into a German uni. I imagine they have very high standards when it comes to accepting foreign non-EU students. Do I have to have a job in line before I go there or can I wait till I'm there to find a job? Will the money I would be bringing with me count towards the 8,040? I've met quite a few natives through social networking and some have offered to let me stay with them if I were to come.


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## vronchen

SchwarzesMaedchen said:


> It's a very viable alternative, assuming I'm able to get accepted into a German uni. I imagine they have very high standards when it comes to accepting foreign non-EU students. Do I have to have a job in line before I go there or can I wait till I'm there to find a job? Will the money I would be bringing with me count towards the 8,040? I've met quite a few natives through social networking and some have offered to let me stay with them if I were to come.


As far as I know you have to show savings of $8,040before getting the visa. As a foreign student you are only allowed to work on a limited basis. 
In Germany there are 3 different types of "high school". Only the "gymnasium" allows you to enter a regular university (there are some options for students from other high schools). SO there are specific requirements on someone with a US high school diploma to be able to apply to a university. You can check the requirements at Anabin - Informationssystem zur Anerkennung ausländischer Bildungsabschlüsse: Schulabschlüsse mit Hochschulzugang . There are also requirements for the 1-year studienkollegs others talked about earlier. Check here: Studienkolleg en | Preparatory Courses.

I totally get your dream to immigrate to a country that you never even have visited before. Since the first time I have seen a picture of the Sydney opera as a little girl I am dreaming of immigration to Australia  Hope you reach your goal. All the best!


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## ALKB

SchwarzesMaedchen said:


> It's a very viable alternative, assuming I'm able to get accepted into a German uni. I imagine they have very high standards when it comes to accepting foreign non-EU students. Do I have to have a job in line before I go there or can I wait till I'm there to find a job? Will the money I would be bringing with me count towards the 8,040? I've met quite a few natives through social networking and some have offered to let me stay with them if I were to come.


So I found something for you:

http://www.eh-berlin.de/studienangebot/bachelor-of-nursing/uebersicht.html

It seems to be the only university nursing programme in Germany. It's in German, very predictably.

I recommend that you think about how much you want to live in Germany and why. 

Also, why don't you write an email to that uni and ask about your chances and their requirements. Worst thing they can say is 'no'.

Personally, I love going to new countries and new places and often dive in head first 

Depending on which country you are from (don't know about the US), the German Embassy will require you to show that you can cover your cost of living even in the event that you don't find a part time job once you are in Germany. For many countries, prospective students are required to open a student account with Deutsche Bank, put in €8040 and that money will then be blocked until you are in Germany.

This is to make sure that you don't borrow money from friends and family, show it for visa purposes and then end up under a bridge.

German Missions in the United States - Study

AND you should also research whether a German nursing qualification is recognised in the US! Life has a way to surprise and you might end up anywhere including back home!


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## SchwarzesMaedchen

ALKB said:


> So I found something for you:
> 
> Evangelische Hochschule Berlin - Übersicht
> 
> It seems to be the only university nursing programme in Germany. It's in German, very predictably.
> 
> I recommend that you think about how much you want to live in Germany and why.
> 
> Also, why don't you write an email to that uni and ask about your chances and their requirements. Worst thing they can say is 'no'.
> 
> Personally, I love going to new countries and new places and often dive in head first
> 
> Depending on which country you are from (don't know about the US), the German Embassy will require you to show that you can cover your cost of living even in the event that you don't find a part time job once you are in Germany. For many countries, prospective students are required to open a student account with Deutsche Bank, put in €8040 and that money will then be blocked until you are in Germany.
> 
> This is to make sure that you don't borrow money from friends and family, show it for visa purposes and then end up under a bridge.
> 
> German Missions in the United States - Study
> 
> AND you should also research whether a German nursing qualification is recognised in the US! Life has a way to surprise and you might end up anywhere including back home!


It took me a little while but I sent off that email. It's hard to be professional sounding in a language when you're not fluent. I'm hoping they would want to send me to the Studienkollig. I really need it. If they don't think I'll be a good match then I'll look more into Eurasia.

I know that they require 8,040 Euros and up but I was wondering around how much money should I save up total. I imagine that being a foreign student my tuition would be astronomical. I have time to save and prepare for everything.


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## ALKB

SchwarzesMaedchen said:


> It took me a little while but I sent off that email. It's hard to be professional sounding in a language when you're not fluent. I'm hoping they would want to send me to the Studienkollig. I really need it. If they don't think I'll be a good match then I'll look more into Eurasia.
> 
> I know that they require 8,040 Euros and up but I was wondering around how much money should I save up total. I imagine that being a foreign student my tuition would be astronomical. I have time to save and prepare for everything.



Go you! Well done sending that email so quickly! I#d probably have agonised over it for ages!

Er, no tuition fees. At all. No matter whether you are German or an international student.

There might be an administrative fee of something between 50 and 500 EUR per semester but that includes usually all sorts of amenities that cancel out that cost.

The programme in nursing is very attractive. I don't know whether you saw but they actually combine Bachelor studies with the traditional German training, meaning they will pay the students for the work they do in hospitals! I don't know what kind of effect that would have on the EUR 8040 requirement.

I am crossing my fingers and holding my thumbs for you, as we say in Germany


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## SchwarzesMaedchen

Still nothing yet it seems. I haven't heard back from the Uni so I'll send another one tomorrow. Should it be in German or English this time? Last time was in German


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## ALKB

SchwarzesMaedchen said:


> Still nothing yet it seems. I haven't heard back from the Uni so I'll send another one tomorrow. Should it be in German or English this time? Last time was in German



I wouldn't worry too much, yet.

You emailed on a Thursday and I wouldn't expect them to reply immediately. Also, Monday is a bank holiday in Germany, so staff might have taken some holidays before/after. I'd wait until Wednesday at least before sending another email. An email in German is better, I think, as it shows that you are serious about studying in German.

I did find another nursing/health management course that's even in English, but it requires that students already have a nursing qualification.

There is another one in Frankfurt am Main but they ask for tuition fees - between 300 and 350 EUR per semester. 

You are welcome to pm me your email if you'd like me to look it over.


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