What Students Say
Likes
- I chose to pursue my Masters in Germany because of its reputation in having the highest standards of Engineering and Science. The education is Germany is nearly free with zero tuition fees, thus an economic vantage to pursue higher education here. Being one of the TU9 Universities, RWTH Aachen receives a lot of Federal funding, thus making it a good research hub.
- Also, RWTH Aachen has the reputation of providing a very international environment comparatively. Also, the vast alumni base of RWTH Aachen is something one can tap to build a good network. All in all, these were reasons enough to choose RWTH Aachen as my destination pursue my master’s studies.
- RWTH Aachen, situated in western part of Germany, is one of the TU9 Universities. The University provides an international environment to support your interpersonal growth in parallel with your education. The different Chairs at the University provides with a plethora of opportunities to pursue different research avenues and gain experiences that could help an individual to learn relevant Engineering skills.
Dislikes
- There is not much to dislike about the University. Although, the genuine impression on the education system of Germany is that it requires some effort to complete your degree. The subjects are taught in great details. Being a TU (Technical University), the courses taught here are research oriented. The course structure is very vast in both length and breadth.
- So, one needs to put in genuine efforts to understand the concepts to clear the subjects. Also, there might be some pre-requisite course from the bachelor’s that one needs to take to be eligible for their thesis work. This can be a bit overwhelming as they are bachelor level courses and seems to be a bit tougher.
Required Exams for Admission
The overall experience at RWTH Aachen was very enriching and fulfilling. My expectations with respect to the course contents were met. I was able to experience different cultures and make new friends from different parts of the world. I was able to fill my knowledge gaps and expand my knowledge base during my master’s journey. I was also able to grow my professional network. All in all, the experience has shaped me into a better and efficient engineer.
Course Curriculum
The course syllabus is vast. One needs to make sure that they put in real efforts in understanding the course content. The syllabus is up to date as RWTH Aachen is at the center of Research. The University has a lot of collaboration with the Government and the Industrial giants for technological advancements. So, the course content is advanced. The topics are research based and one gets enough exposure to work on mini projects to enhance their knowledge further. But one needs to be really proactive when it comes to finding relevant research topics and gain experience. The course content is very much relevant to the Major one opts for.
Faculty
The Faculty at RWTH Aachen is one of the best faculty one will find for their education journey. The way the lectures are delivered is very intuitive. The Professors here are experts and are the leaders driving the technological advancements in their respective fields. The Professors are available for clearing the doubts after the lecture sessions. Also, each Professor has a group of PhD grads helping through the semester and providing tutoring sessions as needed. They are highly reachable and provide explanations for the doubts one might have. The Professors that left an incredible impact were Dr.-Ing Albert Moser and Dr.-Ing Antonello Monti. Their credibility in the field of Electrical Engineering is very high and they are driving the technological advancements in the Grid Infrastructure and Grid Automations to strengthen the Grid further.
Campus Life
There are many opportunities to be a part of student clubs here in RWTH Aachen. In the welcome week, one can find all the details regarding this. There are booths and pamphlets providing such details in the welcome weeks. The libraries and labs are well equipped with the latest resources. The sporting and gym facilities for students are little subsidized and well maintained.
Placement
Placement is a concept that exists in India and maybe in some other Asian countries. But when you move out, it's all on one's ability to learn concepts and network their way through. There are a lots of job fairs happening throughout the year. One needs to make sure that they attend those fairs and build a network throughout their master’s journey, that they can tap into when the job search begins. Be active and keep the profiles updated in the professional platforms like LinkedIn, Xing, Stepstone, etc. Make sure to work on the Resume, as it is a crucial part of the job/internship application. Also, there is a very big alumni base of RWTH Aachen, spread across the industry. Try to build a network with them as well. Getting an internship, paid thesis contracts, jobs is totally a skill one learns through their master’s journey. So, one needs to be at it, updating their skillsets and building a strong professional network. And when it comes to salary, there is no fixed median values as the salaries in Germany depends a lot on the kind of work experience and skillsets one has. I see a lot of the leaders in the industry, technology or otherwise are from RWTH Aachen. So, that is a testament to the University's reputation.
Accommodation
Finding an accommodation in Germany can be a bit challenging with the increasing number of incoming students. One needs to plan well to find a good apartment or student dorm in Germany. Now coming to Aachen, the rooms in shared apartment (WG) can cost from 350-500€. One can get a student dorm as well. The rent ranges from 200-350€, depending on the room size. The waitlist for the student dorms is very huge. So, one should plan to apply for student dorm along with the university application. one can expect a room size ranging from 10 meter squared to 24 meter squared, depending on the rent budget one has. One should be careful about signing a rental contract. Use the visitation appointments and confirm that the property really exists, because there are a lot of scams happening around rental contracts. Either visit yourself or reach out to a student who can visit for you. If you don't find anything and your arrival date is close, book an air bnb for the first month, come and find something. Or get a sublet from a verified University student and then find a house when you are here. This ensure one is safe from scams.
Exams
My scores: GRE: 320 Quants - 167 Verbal - 153 Analytic Writing - 3.5 TOEFL: 104/120 I submitted the following documents with my applications: SoP: The SoP should be personalized in a way that it presents your motivation to pursue your Master’s Program and how the University fits your education goals. One should research about the University and figure out what kind of research areas one can contribute to. Writing a SoP with a clear alignment of your education goals, professional goals and your motivation will strengthen your application. LoRs: I submitted 2 LoRs with my application. It was an optional requirement back in 2020, but it surely does strengthen one’s application. One LoR from University Professor and one LoR from your Manager/Lead of your workplace or internship. CV: The CV should highlight one’s accomplishments, outlining the various projects and skills acquired over one’s career.
Fees
There is no tuition fees. Although, there is a semester contribution of roughly 310€ and one gets a semester ticket that allows one to travel across the state of NRW for free.
