Freshmen Year at Aachen University of Applied Sciences A degree of ease

Huan is excited at the prospect to flying to Germany tomorrow – a country she knows little about, other than the fact that it’s known for positive traits, good education and interesting culture. And the fact that it’s really different to her home country of China…

Freshmen Year:

  • One-time fee: € 16,000, recognised as a deposit.
  • Participants: approx. 160 per year
  • Group size: 25 participants
  • Graduation ratio: 90-95 per cent

Fast-forward two months, and Huan’s talking enthusiastically about her local German “buddies”, her academic progress and her success at the gymnastics club in Linnich, a suburb of Jülich near Aachen. She’s already looking forward to Linnich’s Week of Culture at which she and her fellow students in the Freshmen Year will be applauded in style by the local townspeople.

The Freshmen Year at the Jülich campus of Aachen University of Applied Sciences (FH Aachen) is a really successful model of how to integrate overseas students. Named after the first year at US universities, foreign students prepare for applied degree courses in Germany by undertaking intensive tuition in physics, Maths, English and German as well as a 12-week practical placement. Aachen University of Applied Sciences examines applicants in their home countries, thereby overcoming customary national procedural regulations. No knowledge of German is required – a unique criterion which can save students up to two years of curriculum time.

Freshmen Year, Accomodation and Support in return for an one time-fee

In return for an one-time fee, Huan will be given a “peace-of-mind” package comprising medical insurance, private indemnity cover, accommodation close to the teaching block, shared kitchen facilities, sports amenities, membership of local sports clubs, a cultural programme and host “buddies” chosen from the Jülich population. Three English-speaking student assistants will be on hand all day long to help them with everyday concerns ranging from a wake-up service when they sleep in through to personal assistance with any tricky red tape. This model has been such a runaway success that Aachen University of Applied Sciences opened a Peking office in 2009 to deal with all the enquiries.

Huan isn’t sure yet whether she’ll be enrolling for a technical/scientific or a business/financial major after completing the Freshmen Year at Jülich campus or whether she’ll be transferring to one of Aachen University of Applied Sciences’ German partner universities. But of one thing she is sure: the Freshmen Year has been the perfect start to her degree in Germany and her international career beyond.

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External links

FreshmanInformation on the Aachen University of Applied Sciences’ institute Aachen University of Applied SciencesCourse offering, research, development and international matters