What is a Pre-master's program in Germany in 2023?

You may have heard of a pre-master’s program that some students choose to pursue and you might be unsure about what that is. Simply said, pre-masters programs are used as stepping stones to a full master’s degree for students who aren’t able to apply to study a master’s degree right away, due to restrictions or lack of eligibility. When you choose to study in Germany, among other different study destinations, you might need to first acquire a pre-master’s degree to be able to join the master’s degree of your dreams. Read on to learn about what a pre-master’s degree is in Germany, the reasons why you might choose to enrol in one and some of the best pre-master’s degree in Germany.

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What is a pre-master’s degree?

A pre-master’s degree is a stepping stone program that helps students with a bachelor’s degree from any accredited university be able to apply for a master’s program. It is designed with students in mind that aren’t directly qualified to enter a master’s program, either due to academic scores that are lacking, poor language proficiency or lack of sufficient work experience. The aim of any pre-master’s program is to prepare students for the master’s program of their dreams.

The program system is popular in countries like Germany, the US and Canada, among many others. That means if you want, for example, to study in Canada but lack the eligibility criteria, this program is a good option for you. The program introduces students to theories, and concepts in the study field and helps them gain the knowledge needed to measure up to other students who will be with them in their master’s program. Keep in mind though that studying a pre-master’s degree doesn’t mean you are automatically admitted to the master’s program after.

In countries like Germany where this program option is offered, you might need to also pass an exam to qualify for admittance to the master’s program of your dreams.

During any pre-master’s program in Germany, you will get to learn more about the discipline you want to pursue a master’s degree in, develop good language skills in English or German (depending on the language of instruction in your intended master’s degree) and get more familiar with the master’s system in Germany so that you can easily fit into the German academic environment.

Reasons to enrol in pre-master’s program

Students may choose to enrol in a pre-master’s degree due to several reasons, such as the ones previously mentioned. Here are some of the reasons you may decide to join a pre-master’s program prior to your master’s degree study:

You don’t meet academic requirements to be able to study the master’s degree of your dreams.
You don’t have sufficient English or German language proficiency, or haven’t taken the exams such as TOEFL, IELTS or DAF to prove your language proficiency status.
Your bachelor’s degree doesn’t fit the German eligibility criteria for master’s of being of the same or similar field of your intended master’s program, or doesn’t align with your future career goals or academic ones if you want to pursue an academic career.

Popular pre-masters programs in Germany by subject

After figuring out why you might need to pursue a pre-master’s degree and what it really is, you might be interested to know what some of the popular pre-master’s programs are in Germany, by subject area. It makes sense that pre-master’s programs would be grouped by subject, as you will learn information in the field you will pursue your master’s knowledge in. Read on to learn about the popular pre-master’s subject areas if you choose to pursue this stepping stone degree in Germany.

Pre-Master’s in Business or Pre-MBA

This type of pre-master’s program is perhaps the most popular type in Germany. In this program, students will get more familiar about applied business methods, topics in the areas of finance and investments, business information management and areas of business such as marketing strategies and techniques. They’ll also learn how to properly present information in a powerpoint presentation and learn how to correctly make speeches that are engaging and convincing. Students may also receive a training on GRE or GMAT so they are ready to pass the exams if needed.

Pre-Master’s in Engineering

Another popular type of pre-master’s program in Germany is the program in Engineering. In this degree program, students will improve their engineering skills and pick a specialisation that they will dive deeper into such as the major of Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering. Students will take core classes in subjects such as Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Solid Mechanics and more, which are crucial to study an engineering master’s degree in the future. Students will also receive GRE or GMAT test training if they wish to receive it.

Pre-Master’s in Computer Science

Another type of pre-master’s program offered in Germany is the Pre-master’s in Computer Science. This degree gives students knowledge about computer science topics they’ll need during the course of their master’s degree such as computer architecture, database systems, language processing, operating systems, and many more topics. They’ll also be taught to apply theories from computer science to practical applications like group projects.

Good Pre-Masters Degrees in Germany

After learning about some of the types of pre-master’s degrees you can choose to study in Germany, here are some of the best pre-master’s degrees in Germany so you can pick a good university to study at. Read on to learn more about this topic.

ISM International School of Management

Location: Berlin, Dortmund, Frankfurt

First on the list, with a great pre-master’s program for students who choose to study a pre-master’s in business is the one at the International School of Management, located in Berlin, Dortmund and Frankfurt. Topics in this pre-masters program include topics such as International Management, Strategic Marketing Management, Digital Marketing, Finance, Human Resources Management and Digital Transformation.

Students will also learn topics in the areas of International Logistics & Supply Chain Management, as well as Luxury, Fashion & Sales Management and Entrepreneurship, as well as modules discussing the importance of Sustainability.

Munich Business School

Location: Munich

The Munich business school also offers a Pre-master’s in Business. The course takes three short months, from May to August, and allows students to learn deep foundation skills in the area of business of their choice. These areas might be management, finance, accounting, marketing or communication. A benefit of studying this program is that if you successfully complete it, you will be automatically admitted into any master’s program of your choice at the Munich Business School.

Options to choose from include a Master’s of International Business, a Master’s in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a Master’s degree in International Marketing and Brand Management or a Master’s of Business in Sports Business and Communication. The degree is also conducted in a hybrid format, with both on-site and online courses available for students.

SRH Berlin University of Applied Science

Location: Berlin

The SRH University of Applied Sciences in Berlin also has a pre-master’s program in the field of computer science. This is for students who need extra knowledge in computer science areas relevant to the master’s degree of their choice, or they want to improve their language and studying skills. During the course of the degree, students will study general computer science subjects and also specialisation courses that are designed especially to develop their academic skills. When students successfully finish this degree program, they will receive an official certificate and then will be allowed to choose a Computer Science master’s degree of their choice to be enrolled into.

Lancaster University Leipzig

Location: Leipzig

The Lancaster University in Leipzig offers a pre-master’s program in Business for students who don’t meet the entry requirements for the master’s program. It’s also for students who want to gain extra academic skills or business skills before their postgraduate degree study. After completing the program students can be enrolled into the MSc program of Logistics and Supply Chain Management programme, which offers a joint master’s degree with the Lancaster University in the UK.

In conclusion, a pre-master’s program is designed for students who don’t meet the requirements needed to enter the master’s program of their dreams, or who want to gain extra skills and confidence before enrolling into their master’s programs. There are many subjects of pre-master’s programs for students who want to study their degree in Germany, from a Pre-master’s program in Business to a Pre-master’s program in Engineering. If you still don’t know which program you want to study or you don’t know which school to pursue your degree at, UniApp can help you out! Just follow the link to our website and you’ll find everything you need to know.

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What is a Pre-Master’s program in Germany in 2023?