Choosing a Course of Study
How do I find a subject that is right for me?
Your first point of contact at RWTH Aachen is the Student Advice Centre. We answer all of your questions about choosing a course of study, applying, and planning out your studies:
- Courses of study at RWTH
- Learning about and choosing a course of study
- Academic requirements and content
- Preparing for studies, curriculum, schedule
- Rules about applying and enrolling
- Questions not related to academics
- Career and job market prospects
We offer various events such as presentations and workshops on choosing a course of study.
Orient Yourself
First, it is important that you can assess yourself. Take a look at your previous experiences with school subjects, hobbies, jobs. These all play an important role.
- What can I do well? (abilities and strengths)
- How do I like to spend my time? (interests)
- How do I imagine my future? (personal and professional values and goals)
- What do I want professionally? (professional future)
You can also take interest tests to help you figure out what to pursue:
- Self Assessments
- was-studiere-ich.de
- Hochschulkompass: Studium-Interessentest (SIT) – What course of study is right for me?
Inform Yourself
The websites below are particularly helpful for looking for courses of study and offers in Germany:
It is important for you to take a close look at the content of the programs offered. You can read the course of study descriptions on university websites. However, the descriptions only offer a small window. The respective examination regulations often contain the curriculum and module catalogue, giving a more detailed look at the course of study.
Many universities offer an information day or open house where you can get advice and information about the university and courses of study. For example, RWTH Aachen offers an student information day, where representatives from each discipline present about their field.
Try It Out, See What Fits!
Many courses of study have offers where you can try out the subject and see if it's a right fit before making a decision. These offers include lecture visits as well as workshops, taster events, and info days.
If you would also like to know if your abilities match the course of study requirements, there are aptitude tests online to see how your skills and interests measure up:
- Subject-Specific Self Assessments
- OSA-Portal – Overview of German-language online self assessments for academic orientation
Decide – How to make the right decision
It can sometimes be helpful to supplement the offiical university information in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the studies. You can, for example, speak with former students from that course of study. The student councils are an excellent resource for this.
Career prospects can play a huge role in the decision you make. Information about professional possibilities is available on the Federal Employment Agency's website.