Frequently Asked Questions

RWTH International Academy is a subsidiary of RWTH Aachen University. We administer private Master’s degrees in English in addition to exclusive career, social and academic support for our registered students. The courses themselves are carried out on RWTH Aachen University ground and by academics of the same university. The achieved qualification is also granted by RWTH Aachen University.

We accept the following bachelor’s degrees:

• B. Tech
• B. Sc.
• B. Eng

Part of the application process following this is to assess your credits achieved during your bachelor degree within specific academic fields.

You can find detailed information about all of our courses of study, individual programs and admissions requirements on our page M.Sc. Degree Programs.

Tuition fees are charged for all programs organized by RWTH International Academy. This amounts to EUR 5,500 per semester (with a regular study period of 4 semesters). Additionally, RWTH Aachen University charges semester fees (student body and social contribution fees), which include the costs for the semester transport ticket. The exact amount varies each year, but on average it is about 300 Euros per semester.

Compared to other European countries, living costs in Germany are low. However, secure funding is very important for the success of your studies. You should plan to have a monthly budget of about EUR 800 for living expenses. This includes rent (around EUR 350 for a room in Aachen), travel expenses, costs for food, clothing, study material, health insurance, phone, Internet, radio and television fees, as well as expenses for leisure activities.

English Language Requirements

Proof of your proficiency in the English language is required for all of our master's programs. This can be achieved through the completion of one of the accepted examinations listed below:

• TOEFL Internet based minimum of 90 pts/Paper based minimum of 577 pts.,
• IELTS test minimum overall band 5,5 pts.,
• Cambridge Test – Certificate in Advanced English (CAE),
• First Certificate in English (FCE), completed with a B,
• Placement-Test of RWTH Aachen University's Language Center (B2).

Please note that you must prove your English language proficiency by taking an official test. Exceptions from the language requirements only apply for applicants who hold a school leaving qualification or a first degree issued by an institution in the USA, the UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or Australia.

Please do not send the original TOEFL or IELTS score sheets or any other original documents to the university! We ask that you upload a scanned copy to  your online application. Please keep the original score sheets and bring them to the enrollment (in case of admission).

German Language Requirements

No German language certificate is required for admission/enrollment as our master’s programs are completely taught in English (except for M.Sc. Textile Engineering). You will have the chance to take part in German language courses during your master’s program at RWTH Aachen University Language Center.

For our English-taught M.Sc. degree programs it is not mandatory to learn German before admission. A basic German course is part of some programs.
We recommend students to start learning German although it is not an academic requirement: it will help students to settle down in a German environment.

Exemption:
For M.Sc. Textile Engineering: Application requirement: A2 Goethe Certificate until enrollment (A1 until 1 July)

Learning German is essential in helping you settle in a German environment. Being able to communicate in German will help you pursue internships or job opportunities in Germany after graduating. We therefore highly encourage all international students to at least learn the basics of German after their arrival here, or even back home before their departure for Aachen.

RWTH Language Center offers German courses every semester which you are invited to participate in. Please refer to the Language Center’s website for current information about courses and the registration process. Most of our M.Sc. programs also have a basic German language course as part of their curriculum, meaning that it is free of charge. Please refer to the specific program website and have a look at the section "German Language Courses".

GRE with a minimum score of 145 | 160 | 3.0 is a requirement at application for the following programs:

M-Sc. NPE | M.Sc. RoboSys | M.Sc. CAME | M.Sc. Textile | M.Sc. MME-CAME | M.Sc. MME-PS

No GRE is required for the following program:

M.Sc. MME-CONSTRUCT

Citizens of the EU, EWG and Bildungsinländer are exempt from this requirement.

GATE is not a requirement for any of our M.Sc. programs.

Practical professional experience of no less than one year is required. Applicants need to provide proof of at least six months work experience at the time of application. The total amount of 12 months must be presented upon enrollment.

We accept many forms of relevant work experience, including part time work, internships and research. Please note however, that your work experience needs to be considered relevant to the field of study that you would like to begin.

Yes, we offer scholarships prior to enrollment as well as during studies. Please find an overview of scholarship opportunities here.

There is no minimum grade required for any of our programs. Rather, an all rounded (academic and professional profile) is of greater importance. Specific minimum grades are relevant for the proof of English proficiency and GRE exam.

You will need to plan enough time for your visa appointment, and open a blocked account to do this. You will also need to either arrange health insurance in Germany or prove your membership in your home country. We also recommend that you look for accommodation as soon as possible.

Admission occurs after your application has been reviewed – at this point you are offered a place to study here. After this you need to register (enroll) yourself as a student of the university. This takes place in September, just before the start of your studies.

According to our statistics, 90% of our alumni land a job position within 6 months after their graduation. 21% get a job offer even before the submission of their master's thesis.

Applications are submitted by uploading documents via our online portal RWTHonline and are free of charge. For more information about application process, requirements, scholarships, fees and expenses please refer to the application section of your desired program and all corresponding links.

Please understand that we cannot check applications beforehand or make any statements regarding eligibility. In addition to this, please read all the requirements carefully in order to submit a complete application. We look forward to receiving your application via RWTHonline which will open in December every year.

Each applicant may apply for a maximum of 10 Master’s degree programs.

You do not need to send any documents to us by post. Even if the online system offers that option. Should you receive an admission, you will need to show the original documents to the International Office at enrollment.

www.applyatrwth.de

You will be informed in your acceptance letter whether you have been awarded “conditional acceptance”. This means you will need to complete additional credit point in specific academic areas. You have until the end of your studies to complete these exams, however we recommend that you complete them prior to your studies. This will allow you to wholly focus on your studies when necessary and we offer them in English, for a fee. You may alternatively study the courses during your studies which might affect an already full exam period and these courses can only be completed in German, however free of charge.

If there are no such exams in your University or transcript, you may fill in ‘not planned’.

Please complete the ‘Grade’ field with a score out of total format, e.g. 70/100 or 7/10 or 3.2/4.0 or 13/20 etc.

If you did not elect a minor or second subject in your previous degrees, you may leave these fields empty and just fill in your major.

Please combine the two letters into one PDF file and upload that file.

You do not have to upload the certificate now. In case of admission, you will need to produce the original certificate at enrollment.

You application number can be found at the top of the page, directly under the title “Meine Bewerbungen” or “My Applications”. It is a 9 digit number in the following format: 0-12345678.

Your matriculation number can be found on the documentation received directly after your enrollment.

In case of admission you will be asked to submit the missing documents. These must be submitted until enrollment at the latest:

• Bachelor‘s Degree Certificate
• Proof of Language Proficiency
• (Only for Chinese applicants: APS)

All other documents need to be submitted by March 1.

Please understand that we cannot accept applications after the deadline of 1 March (Non-EU applicants).

Please understand that all applications are reviewed with the utmost care. As a result, the evaluation of the applications will take about two months. Therefore, letters of admission/rejection will be available in the online application system (RWTH Online) from the months of April and May approximately.

As soon as you click “submit” rest assured that we have received everything that you have uploaded for your application. You can made changes to these documents until the end of the application period. We will contact you once we have assessed your application, should we require further documentation.

We regret to hear that you have not been granted admission. We suggest that you consider the following to improve your chances during the next application period.

• Re-sit the GRE exam
• Continue to gain relevant work experience
• Considers re-writing your motivational letter

We wish to make your experience here as easy as possible. Please contact your study course coordinator for further assistance, so that we can discuss your options.

Please apply for placement in one of the university’s student dormitories (you do not need to have been accepted to apply for a room) here via Studierendenwerk’s portal as soon as possible. Unfortunately we cannot arrange accommodation for you, which is why we strongly suggest that you read the information on our webpage. For further information please contact: accommodation@academy.rwth-aachen.de.

The semester ticket may be used to travel with trains, trams and buses across the state of North Rhine Westphalia. Students may also travel in the southern Dutch state of Limburg as far as Maastricht as well as well as to the Belgian town of Kelmis. Please note that students may not use the IC or ICE trains with the semester ticket.

Yes, we offer several preparation courses. These are carried out by professors at the university in English and vary between two and four weeks in length. You are welcome to take part in them either with conditional or full acceptance. A fee of 750 Euro is charged per course. Please find more information about our All-inclusive Masters here which includes both two preparation courses and accommodation.

The academic year always starts in October with the Winter Semester. The semester lasts around 4 months, followed by a period of exams (lecture free period). After this there are several weeks break. Your own break depends on when you complete your last exam. For the exact semester dates, please go to the following site.

For any course content related questions please always contact your academic advisor, located at the faculty of your course. You might also need to contact the central examinations office for questions related to the registration of grades.

You can find an overview of all the courses (compulsory and elective) in the module handbook. This is available for download on each program webpage.

You can find the time and location of each theory and exercise class on RWTHonline. Once you have successfully registered for each module, you can view your class timetable under “My Calender”.

Classes may range between 30 to 1000 students, depending on the study course and module.

There are many student clubs varying from designing and building racing cars to social clubs. Please view this page for more information.

Students can search for jobs on the following platforms:

• RWTH Job Openings
• ASTA Job Offers

We recommend students to be cautious of beginning a job in their first semester. It might be best to first get used to being a student of RWTH Aachen University as well as the exams, before beginning a job. Please note that non EU students are allowed to work 120 full days (or 240 half days) a year.

Contact Division 1.3 - Central Examination Office, as they are responsible for the exam administration.

Contact Division 1.2 - Registrar's Office, as they conduct the de-registration. They will issue the certificate of exmatriculation. If you contact them via email, you should message them with your RWTH mail account and always state your matriculation number.

More Infomation: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/Studium/Im-Studium/~egy/Exmatrikulation/?lidx=1

More Information: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/ejb/lidx/1

You must pose your request with your RWTH email account. Emails from other accounts arrive in the SPAM folder by default. Be patient and wait for a few days before sending a reminder email.

More Information: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/Studium/Im-Studium/~eio/Pruefungen-Abschlussarbeiten/?lidx=1