It's intersting to see how different this is for different fields in Germany. In Biology most people start their PhD right after their master so if everything goes as planned they are finished before they turn 30. Also they at least have a part time job at the university and do all their research there and are supervised by a mentor.
It is really different isn't it? I almost lost out on a scholarship because almost 4 years had passed since my last degree. But those years had passed because I was told by my supervisors that I needed professional practice in order to make my PhD meaningful. Phew! Luckily I made it just in time. 😅
I'm reading mechanical engineering and I was wondering what she's talking about. I never even had the notion that phds wouldn't work at university and do their project there, too.
@@beageler Hi there! Thank you to both of you so much for your insight! As A.P. says above, I am sure it is very different from department to department. However, at least in my area - about half of the PhD students are employed by the University (as research assistants, teaching assistants, etc.) and the other half are not. Those who are not employed (like myself), can sometimes find other employment in a part time basis or are working under research grants. I guess the big take away that I would share with other people who are considering a Ph.D: If you are someone who really wants a Ph.D for professional development, has a good idea for a project to run, and can find a supervisor to take them on you can still conduct a Ph.D as part of the individual study model. And if anyone out there is interested in looking for grants to help support their studies, the DAAD has a great resource to checkout: www.daad.de/en/study-and-research-in-germany/phd-studies-and-research/phd-studies-in-germany/finance-your-phd/
I have a few additional comments/clarifications. Healthcare isn't a family plan, it's a single-payer system. Student visas (i.e., non-EU) further limit you on how much you can work while here. However, it's a different visa if you're hired by and work for the university as an employee. I would hesistate recommending a non-EU student come for a PhD here without working on a project at the university. As for hand-holding/independence, I've found that that largely depends on the university, discipline, department, and even advisor(s). I would hesitate to even call it a "PhD program" at almost any Germany university, especially since the majority of students are hired to do a PhD as part of a larger funding project from the ERC or DFG (etc). Their project must then align with the goals of that larger funded project. In the US, at least in most humanities and social science programs that I'm familiar with, you usually have more independence with choice of topic and research, but the funding scheme is totally different: the university pays you as a TA or RA but then you need to find outside funding to go off and do your own research. Oh, also, I find that the structure of PhD programs in the US often includes more coursework and takes longer because students either get their MA/MS along the way, or because they simply haven't taken the same kind of coursework before. Whereas in Germany there is an assumption that you've taken coursework as part of your master's and no longer "need" it - you are expected to come in with a PhD proposal that's more or less ready to go (indeed, you often apply here with a proposal directly to a professor). This is quite different from many programs in North America that form cohorts that go through much of the coursework together, then only later are expected to e.g., go through oral, written, and/or language exams and then produce a PhD proposal. So, if you feel your coursework is done and proposal ready to go, essentially meaning you have the tools necessary to self-guide, Germany can be great for doing a PhD. Unfortunately, if you come from a master's program that did little to prepare you, it can be a disaster.
About the independence: There is a history behind it. Our university system traditionaly based on the "independent student". The school student is teached and close supervised and the teacher is asking for work and you have to be presend etc.... At the university it is/was completly different. There is no one asking you for anything. They just give you the chance to deliver them your work. And you are free if you want get teached. No one is presure you to any thing. Lots of things you need to organice for your self. Often you have to find out for your self how to deal with a problem. Often there is a student organised help for students. That traditional kind of university is more and more changed to become more a school like and you get told what to do and closly supervised. Back in the 90´s when i studied (chemstry dipl. and law) we were extremly free compared to the US System. Even if that changed a lot in the last 30 years you still can find it. In some subjects more in some less. There are many, many belivers that the "extrem" independency has a big value. Because you learn and show that you can work independent and that is a skill a future employer does value.
In physics and probably many other natural sciences, you usually meet your supervisor many times per month; if your advisor/Doktorvater is leading a large institute, you will only meet them a few times per year. And most physics PhD students will be employed by a university or research lab.
As commented by you and others, it greatly depends on the field. I do not know a single person doing a PhD in biological sciences that does not have a 65/50% contract or a stipend. I have even known engineering PhDs that get a 100% contract, which gets then almost 3k Netto per month!! In addition, people who come with a contract get a job visa, which has many advantages.. I guess that unfortunately the situation is different for social/human sciences. Nice video, thanks!
@@_P_DhruviAgrawal Physics is a STEM field, so everything I commented applies to it. I know around 4 physicists doing PhD here where I live and I think all of them have 65% contracts. They do research in astrophysics and particles. I think only people doing research in engineering get a 100% contract.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with everyone! I am from Afghanistan. I completed two master's degrees in Russia with honours and I applied for PhD programme in Free University in Berlin (Structured programme). I hope they accept my application !! Again, thank you very much for sharing everything and I wish you best of luck 🤞 🤞
I didn't thought about it, how difficult it might be to make your Ph. D. in Germany as a foreigner. I wrote my thesis in the seventies, when I was in my twenties ... the old way ... isolated ... six semesters and was lucky ... had not to work on experiments ... just pure mathematics ... paper and pencil. Compared to what you had to go through it was easy, fast and quick and the final part of my way through university. Thanks God, not as an expat today. I wish you all the best.
Doing a PhD in Germany has been a really great learning experience. Thankfully my research is written in English (my German isn't advanced enough to write at a doctoral level). But there have been quite a few unexpected things that I have had to learn along the way. Even things like the process for defending a thesis is a different organization than what I experienced in the States. I am lucky that I have great supervisors who don't mind if I ask somewhat simple questions like "What is expected of me when I present X... or... What is the process of submitting X....."
Back in early 80s we would often get (at least once a month it seemed) to reconsider if planning to go to Freiburg on the weekend as university students etc would be doing mass demonstration(s) in the city. Never bothered to find out what they were about but heeded the advice.
2:05 That is *very* inaccurate! She probably misunderstood the point back than. You are *always* eligible for public helth insurance. What really happens after 30, is that you cease to be eligible for _special discounted fixed rate for students._ However, you still may join as a so called _voluntary_ participant. Your rate will then depend on income, with minumum of €205 at the tim point I am writing this.
I followed only one other expat, who made her PhD in Germany, but she had only a few of your described problems, because she was under 30. Your story is very interesting.
Thanks! There is quite a bit that changes once you are an "older" student, plus not being from an EU/EEA country complicates thingsa bit. Glad you enjoyed the video! ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest!
Wow. That was so informative, and I've been working in Germany as a doctoral candidate (from the US) for three years. I came as a "Wiss Mitarbeiterin" (research associate) and was required to work toward a PhD as part of my contract. I never got a student visa because my status was "skilled worker". But I had no idea what kind of restrictions a student visa would place on a non-EU doctoral candidate here until I saw this. As for healthcare, thank goodness this wasn't something I had to be concerned about. I have huge respect for those students pursuing a German PhD with no job and no central source of funding. My experience here has not been easy at all, but after seeing this video and realising what many if not most people in this situation must go through, I realise I've had quite the smooth ride in Germany.
This is so interesting. When I did my phd I went for programmes that already had funding and were looking for a phd student to do the work on that particular research topic. I was automatically employed by the university on a 65% salary position (which is rare in life sciences) and enrolled at the university as a phd student to get the semester long public transportation ticket ;) Friends from my master course had vastly different experiences were they were not employed and had to take a large cut out of their stipend for health care. Due to them being on a scholarship they had to pay more for healthcare than I did, though they had no trouble finding insurance due us being under 30.
It sounds like your PhD was really nicely organized! It is really interesting to hear about all of the different methods to complete a PhD in Germany. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for watching the video!
I just want to mention that with a working Visa instead of a study Visa it wouldn´t be that complicated in behalf of some things you mentioned. You are then allowed to work any job of your choice which additionally provides automatically full healthcare and you have no income restrictions and you are allowed simultaneously to study as well. But there is a downside as well of course = for a permant resident status with a working visa you have to have a job that means you simply can´t then quid working and just soley study It soley depends on the personal needs which is better a working Visa or a study Visa.
Yes! Absolutely. Great advice! I originally came on a study visa and then switched to a work visa when Jonathan and I got married. It gave us a lot more flexibility and now that I'm wrapping up my PhD there's no restrictions on me trying to find work.
For the issue of public healthcare, you are still Eligible, but only at the minimum rate for self employed which is almost twice the rate of what under 30 students pay.
LOL I'm almost 28 and a bachelor student at the moment xD. Good to know that my benefits end when I turn 30 🤣 I had no idea. It shouldn't be a problem as I do not intend to continue uni after I'm done in a couple of months but LOL xD
I think you didn't get it quite right with healthcare. The problem is that most insurances clerks don't know much about these special cases. If you are a student you can choose at the start of your stidies if you want to be insured private health insurance or free will public health insurance (which you have to have insurance it just means you pay 100% yourself normally your employer would cover the other half. These two systems are vastly different and have some implications for later in life. So think that through. Also I thought that the age cap is 27 for the cheapest student public health insurance. Keep in mind it is not an option in Germany not to have health insurance. It so complicated that you shouldn't really relay on some Germans or first level suppoet clerks from insurances. You should get help from a lawyer or a financial adviser who specializes in this kind of law and expats and students.
Thank you for your perspective and insight. Healthcare is extremely complicated and I completely that someone should seek out additional advice from a lawyer or tax advisor. We'll keep your comment in mind for our future content.
@@TypeAshton "Hi from Hamburg" - an American girl from California - made an interesting and helpful video about this some years ago! Look if it is still online!
I'm from Austria, but laws here are practically the same: i would go for the private insurance. It's about 70,- Euro a month if you're "an older student".... Or if you have a Job, you're automatically insured. Too much money wasted for lawyer, just speak to someone at your university, they can help for sure.
I am Ahmed from Algeria and I am 52 years old. I would like to complete a PhD study in management in German universities. Is there an office that provides assistance in submitting papers to a university and accepting the university and the supervisor?
Hi there! The short version: my PhD is in the department of Human Geography. The longer version: I examine the political economics of low-income housing tax policy and how it affects the geographies of urban public housing construction patterns.
This information is very niche. Similar to other commenters I did not struggle with the health insurance at all - you basically just end up using TK because it's on-site public health insurance, regardless of your age. When it comes to the student visa; true - but only if you're from outside the EU. I was an expat as well, but from the neighbouring country. I did not have to apply for any such thing. I have never heard of a PhD student who just "did their own thing" for three years and then handed in their dissertation. Ever. I'm unsure how you got to this knowledge but it's completely alien to me. Of course you are expected to spearhead initiatives, but they are often part of some strategy orchestrated by the professor of the group. Independence varies mostly based on the professor. One thing that shocked my socks off when I first started in Germany is the INSANE health insurance prices. Coming from the Netherlands Germans practically pay almost double what dutch people pay, which is a huge dent in what would otherwise be a pretty good salary (4200EUR brutto for engineering degrees).
Hey, great video! I am looking into PhD programs in Germany, and one thing that concerns me a bit is this independence thing you mentioned. Not that it isn't awesome to have the freedom to conduct your research at your own pace, but to me it seems like you kind of miss the university experience of interacting with other candidates, taking a few graduate courses here and there etc, so I was wondering if you could explain a little about the so-called 'individual' pathway. Do you still get to meet with colleagues? How about seminars to improve your scientific skills? etc. Thanks!!
Hi there! With the caveat that "every program is different", I feel really grateful for the community of colleagues in my department at Uni Freiburg. My supervisor makes it a point to have a team meeting every 2 weeks to keep us updated on what's going on with each other's progress. And prior to the COVID work-from-home situation, I was also offered office space to share with another PhD student. However, the University-wide Graduate School has admitted that often times PhD students feel disconnected, and have shared in recent emails with us that they are making an effort to help. Whether it's science nights where we can share our research with each other to monthly workshops where we can learn more about things like getting published, they have started a number of events to get us together. But truly, knowing your own research and work style is important. I would strongly encourage you to express your needs at a future PhD student when you speak to any prospective supervisor. Your first meeting is just as much about making sure that their department is a good fit for you as you are a good student for him/her/them to take on. Ask them about what kinds of support they can offer you and whether or not they would be open to a bi-monthly meeting to discuss your progress.
@@TypeAshton Thanks so much for the advice! And yeah, it's awesome that you get to meet with your fellow PhD students/supervisor regularly! You see, I am of the opinion that human contact is rather important during one's doctorate. You know? Being able to share your ideas, take a course or two on scientific writing, research methods etc, so to me the whole philosophy of ''ok, you've been admitted to the program. See you in three/four years'' isn't really something I would like to experience, if you know what I mean. We are here to learn together. But yeah, I am going to mention all that to my prospective supervisors, for sure. Thanks and good luck with your degree! =)
@@Ma-id1nl I completed PhD in Germany and have many international (and german) friends who went through the same path. Your fears have a very solid ground here. In most cases supervisors just check on you once in a while, but no real help in research or any meaningful collaborations would come from their side. You are really on your own. I was lucky enough to have my second supervisor from Australia, but I met many people who had anxieties and lack of motivation because of this system. If you are more a people person, I'd recommend you Canada or Australia. I hope this is helpful.
@@bominosh thank you for sharing your experiences with us! I've got some questions, if you don't mind me asking: how about taking classes to improve one's knowledge on research methods/techniques? Because surely they can't expect a Master's degree to give you all the tools to conduct doctoral research completely by yourself? I mean, don't get me wrong, because I love all of the independence and stuff, but naturally (unless you're some sort of genius, which I am not), during the PhD you are going to have questions about the quality of your writing, whether that particular method could be improved, whether you can confidently use software X to gather and analyze data etc...What are you supposed to do then if no courses are offered and your supervisor seldom communicates? Like...??? Also, I've recently seen that Germany seems to be offering now so-called ''structured PhD's'', so I'm going to take a look into them as well. Anyhow, thank you again for your time!
Hi there! At least in my experience, because I was enrolled as a student, if I wanted to take any courses to improve my skills. These courses were not required for my doctorate, but I was encouraged by my supervisor to take any courses that I wanted if I thought that it could help my dissertation in any way. In addition, our graduate school also offers free workshops that we could enroll in. These workshops were not as comprehensive as an entire course, but they would be a great primer for things like scientific writing or learning new software for poster presentations, etc. I know that when I was first starting my PhD, the graduate school was a great resource and I would recommend getting in touch with yours if your supervisor doesn't give you much direction.
@Gunther H.G. Geick If you ever happen to fall out of the system you will see that sometimes it IS pure ‚bureaucratic stupidity‘. And being a PhD student from outside the EU can be such a in between responsibilities-case. If you make new laws, it is a huge task to think about every single probability and constellation. I can acknowledge to that, but it doesn’t make it any less bureaucratic or stupid.
@@missis_jo like most things in germany the bureaucracy follows a more or less strict system which has pros and cons. the pro sideis its predictable and it works kind of good enough even under heavy load. the biggest con is probably that such a system isnt suited to unexpected situations. in that case you will end up with no one being responsible and as a normal guy you are like "are you guys stupid, just think for yourself this one time". but the system doesnt work this way. its the Passierschein A38 problem. doesnt happen often but if it happens its almost unsolveable.
Hi Black forest family - I have a question I would really love an answer to. I came to Germany 6 years ago with my husband on his work Visa and now there is a PhD supervisor willing to take me on. But just a few days ago I got offered a great job. Can I take up the work and also do my PhD?
As long as your visa allows you to work full time and your PhD supervisor doesn't mind you having a job I don't see there being an issue. When I first came, I was on a student visa and was restricted on how much I could work and the type of employment I could take on. But once I was under my husband's permanent residence permit, my restrictions on employment disappeared. But I still only took on part-time work. My supervisor wanted to know how many hours I could realistically invest in my studies and my scholarships also added restrictions on how many hours of additional work I could take on.
Does someone do PhD research in psychology? I really struggle with finding the “right” idea to write a thesis. So if somebody is in psychology in Germany, you can text me here, and we maybe can have some conversation about doing PhD in Germany in psychology field via email)
What is actullly not considered as freelance and is actually freelance? Is there an official govt website link for list of freelance qork not allowed to do in germany?
I am not aware of a government website but the best advice I can give you is stay away from any job which requires you to pay for taxes and social contributions on your own (i.e. not through your employer). I taught a course through the University but after reading my contract it said I was a "contractual employee" and not a "full or part time employee" and I was responsible for reporting earnings to the finanzamt and was not paying into social contributions through the University. This would have violated my visa because it is a kind of freelancing. Thankfully I had just switched from a student visa to an Aufenthaltserlaubnis, but it could have been bad!
@@TypeAshton thanks alot for an elaborative pro tip...sadly employers dont tell people about their legal rights and use them for their personal benefits
@@ibraheemali9541 In this case you can simply ask whether it is a job with social security or not. I think it‘s not so much a question of scaming people. It‘s just that employers probably know very little about visa legal statuses and foreign employees are often not aware of the things that go along with self employment in Germany. If someone wants you to work for them, they too are often not interested in losing you before you even started.
@@missis_jo thanks that will work i guess; but sometimes the employer knows more than you do and its more about using labor laws in their favor than to worry about their churn rate
Thanks for the video! Regarding the age issue: are there any (law-imposed, or just "realistic") age limit in Germany for pursuing a PHD? Would it be a problem to start at 31-32?
No, there's no age limit. There are other PhD candidates who are in the 40's working on their dissertation in my department. However, there are age limits to "student" status for healthcare.
Hi there! Yes you are able to. If you are a non-EU/EEA student, your student visa will tell you that you are able to work in Germany alongside their studies, for 120 full days or 240 half days per year AND you cannot take up freelance employment. It doesn't limit how much you earn, just how often - since your primary role for coming to Germany is for studying, not for working. However, if you plan on applying for grants or scholarships you may have further restrictions. For example, I received a research grant from the DAAD that stipulated that I could only earn 450 euros a month in any extra side job. Otherwise, any amount I earned over that limit would be deducted from my scholarship.
@@TypeAshton Thank you very much for your Explanation i already have a master and i want to do PhD in Germany but some people told me that it's better to do master again in Germany because accepting in PhD is kinda hard because the professor will not fund you and getting scholarship from DAAD is not that easily ....how much is that right ?? And could i study PhD on my own ?? without any find i mean ?? Thanks a lot
@@ammardeyub8919 In my experience, I didn't find my US masters to be an issue. However, I finding funding was a large undertaking. I found that the DAAD is the best source for finding funding if you are from a non-EU, or EEA country. That's not to say that its "easy"... in fact, they can be quite competitive. However, they are open to all nationalities. There are a number of scholarships affiliated with political parties or religious institutions. However, these outlets ask that you are either a German citizen or from the EU. If you are serious about completing a Ph.D in Germany, your first step should be to reach out to Professor's at Universities that you are interested in and ask if they are open to taking on a new PhD student. In this email, you should include a project proposal that details your research questions, organization and plan for completion. Then be prepared to meet together (ideally in person) to discuss the feasibility of your project and how you would fit in with their research interests. Remember, this meeting is a two-way street, so to speak. You want to make sure that they are a good fit for you, just as you are for them. If both parties feel it is a good fit, then you apply for admission to the University with your professor's support - which should be straight forward. If you would like to check it out, I wrote a blog post on finding scholarships in Germany: www.blackforestfamily.com/finding-scholarship-funding-in-germany/ Alternatively, I also wrote a post about student visas/student residence permits. In there I talk about the requirements for getting a resident permit, including how much money you need to be able to have in a blocked German bank account. You will need to show financial security in order to study in Germany. This can be in the form of funding from a scholarship/grant like the DAAd or from your own money: www.blackforestfamily.com/german-student-visa-residence-permit-checklist/ Hope this helps!
Queria Fazer Ph. Em Como Dectectar Teorias da Compiração...Minha Ideia é que; Nós Humanos somos muito Burros; Inventamos Coisas para explicar Coisas que não Sabemos; O tal do Paradoxo_de_Sócrates...
If you find a professor who wants to supervise your project, absolutely. However, you will need to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your expenses while you are here. And keep in mind, a student visa limits your opportunity for working hours.
My background is in architecture, specifically government subsidized housing. Originally, my study was looking at international public housing policies, but for a number of reasons my superivsor has me still doing most of my research based on the US policy. So the cliff-notes version of my thesis is that I study the "Political Economics of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit". In the US, pubilc housing is not constructed by the government, but (primarily) through for-profit private companies. So essentially, I am conducting a case-study of how policy and economic factors influence where these private developers construct public housing within a metropolitan area.
@@TypeAshton as someone who has worked with the homeless in our community, the biggest issue seems to be "not in my backyard" mindset when it comes to locating any subsidized housing.
So kind of interesting, one of the findings of my study was that in the City of St. Louis - NIMBY-ism does play a role, but only to a lesser extent. Rather, I found that the reason why low-income housing isn't constructed in more affluent or "high opportunity" areas was because the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (which allows funding to be used anywhere) wasn't enough to fully fund the project. In order to cover their costs, developers most likely turn to various revitilization grants, which specifically say that the funds can ONLY be used to rehabilitate and redevelop distressed areas. So Although LIHTC is the largest, and most successful low-income housing program in the US, because it is under funded, it is the secondary funding that often puts restrictions and concentrates public housing in already highly segregated, less-affluent areas. .....but now I fear that I have bore you with these details. 😂 Sorry I could talk about this subject all day.
I'm curious about how you are able to make money off of youtube when freelance work in not allowed on your visa. Does youtube not count as freelance work? I'm only asking because I want to get into both PhD and youtube as well ^-^
@@TypeAshton Interesting! Thank you for your reply ^-^ Do you think it's possible for a Masters or PhD student to get paid by youtube with the limitations mentioned in the visa?
I don't believe so. The issue isn't with how much you earn necessarily, but rather that you are a freelancer. To my knowledge in Germany there is just the distinction in the visa language of employed (which is allowed within a limit) and self-employed, which is not generally allowed under a student visa. However, I have read that you might be able to apply for an exemption. You may have to declare that the freelancing is just a side-business and will not take up more time than the 120 days/240 half-days (also German students loose student status if they work too much), and will not interfere with the progress of your studies. But I don't have any personal experience with this.
No this is all not right, it always depends on your funding , student or employment visa (usually employment)and public healthcare is is mostly there provided along with phd if you are 30 or not.
As stated in the video, if you do not have healthcare via employment then qualifying for healthcare as solely because you are a student (which would be the case for a bachelor's student), is not possible for PhD students who come from countries without reciprocity. I was denied for the exact reason by both TKK and AOK.
Have another question: Why don't you do your doctorate, which opens more doors for you than the PhD? And another thing ! If you are employed as a docent in a subject area, you are an employee and not a freelancer! Caution!: Many want docents as freelancers so that they do not have to pay social benefits because that would be cheaper for them. So listen carefully and carefully because as a freelancer you are not insured when you are not working and are then automatically passed on to social support that only provides the minimum benefit and that in turn frees you as a foreigner from new problems for your residence status, etc. ............
Hi there! Great question! I have a master's in architectural studies and prior to moving to Germany I was a full-time teaching instructor at a University. I still have aspirations of pursuing professorship in higher-education and to do so I need a terminal degree in my field (PhD or equivalent) in order to be eligible for tenure.
PhD IS a doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy, Latin doctor philosophiae)! What are your talking about? Unless you are talking about post-doc or habilitation.
Most of the information in this video is either incorrect or partially incorrect. If you are a EU citizen you will not face the visa problem, and the health insurance problem she describes I'm completely unaware of. I know nobody, plenty of which of above 30, who could not apply for public health insurance. Even on the official government page there is absolutely no mention of this arbitrary restriction.
Don't get me wrong it is nice that you study in Germany. But in my opinion it is very very sad to see that foreigners can come here to take advantage of our Healthcare and Education system. Think about it, if I as a German would go to your country I wouldn't get Healthcare or wouldn't be able to study without paying for it. So expecting that is just bad imo
I completely understand your perspective. American healthcare and higher education put thousands of families into bankruptcy each year. It's something I hope can change in the future. I hope that some day the US can have something similar so that we can strengthen our academic exchange.
That is such a backwards way of thinking, you seem to be stuck in a mercantilism way of thinking. That young family isn't taking advantage of our system, but they are using it as intended. You don't loose anything just because that family came here, its just the opposite. a young highly educated couple is paying into our healthcare system, as its intended, young ppl pay more then they have to, to subsidize the older and ill er population. Same goes for well paid jobs in Germany, even if they leave right after their study time its more likely that they are a plus for the healthcare system, and if not it's even better. It's always a good thing to have exchange between cultures and a young highly educated ambassador for the German/European mindset can only be a good thing. Even worse is your mindset of, " i can't study for "free" there, so they should not have that here", i'm sorry, but the USA is no example i like to follow. We build our self a nice open society with social norms and diversity and i can't see any benefit to go back to a time before that.
@@nadal1275 I agree! The fact that German higher education is so welcoming to foreigners increases the brain gain within Germany. How do you think Germany as such a small country could produce so much outstanding research? Right by attracting the most intelligent people not only within their own population but worldwide. During my undergrad I studied alongside people from over 20 different countries (at least) and that was non the least extremely enriching for me as a German student at a German university!
Hi there! I know that the topic of healthcare in any country can spark a pretty passionate debate. So in the spirit of the phrase "a little context goes a long way", I thought maybe I would quickly chime into clarify a couple of points. First, my intention of bringing up healthcare was not to encourage or persuade misuse of the public healthcare system. Rather, I found from personal experience that there is a plethora of information for international bachelor's and master's students regarding eligibility...but very little for Ph.D students. And since healthcare coverage and cost vary so significantly for PhDs, I wanted to include it as a "5 things I Wish I Knew" in order to help others in the future. Lastly, in regards to the speculation about our legal and tax status in Germany... My husband has been fully employed as an engineer in Germany since 2013 and I to help support our family during my PhD, I have worked part-time as an architect and a University lecturer. In truth, we just recently bought a house in Germany (stay tuned for a video coming soon!). We very much love living in Germany and can't wait to continue to grow our family and community with you guys. Thank you all for the kind words and engagement.
A highly educated foreigner who is contributing to your social system here: don't worry, in a couple of months you will have one less foreigner in your country. I wouldn't recommend to any foreigner to come to live in Germany.
It's intersting to see how different this is for different fields in Germany. In Biology most people start their PhD right after their master so if everything goes as planned they are finished before they turn 30. Also they at least have a part time job at the university and do all their research there and are supervised by a mentor.
It is really different isn't it? I almost lost out on a scholarship because almost 4 years had passed since my last degree. But those years had passed because I was told by my supervisors that I needed professional practice in order to make my PhD meaningful. Phew! Luckily I made it just in time. 😅
It really depends on what kind of PhD you are working on. It is entirely different thing, if you are doing a history PhD or PhD in engineering.
I'm reading mechanical engineering and I was wondering what she's talking about. I never even had the notion that phds wouldn't work at university and do their project there, too.
@@beageler Hi there! Thank you to both of you so much for your insight! As A.P. says above, I am sure it is very different from department to department. However, at least in my area - about half of the PhD students are employed by the University (as research assistants, teaching assistants, etc.) and the other half are not. Those who are not employed (like myself), can sometimes find other employment in a part time basis or are working under research grants. I guess the big take away that I would share with other people who are considering a Ph.D: If you are someone who really wants a Ph.D for professional development, has a good idea for a project to run, and can find a supervisor to take them on you can still conduct a Ph.D as part of the individual study model. And if anyone out there is interested in looking for grants to help support their studies, the DAAD has a great resource to checkout: www.daad.de/en/study-and-research-in-germany/phd-studies-and-research/phd-studies-in-germany/finance-your-phd/
I have a few additional comments/clarifications. Healthcare isn't a family plan, it's a single-payer system. Student visas (i.e., non-EU) further limit you on how much you can work while here. However, it's a different visa if you're hired by and work for the university as an employee. I would hesistate recommending a non-EU student come for a PhD here without working on a project at the university.
As for hand-holding/independence, I've found that that largely depends on the university, discipline, department, and even advisor(s). I would hesitate to even call it a "PhD program" at almost any Germany university, especially since the majority of students are hired to do a PhD as part of a larger funding project from the ERC or DFG (etc). Their project must then align with the goals of that larger funded project. In the US, at least in most humanities and social science programs that I'm familiar with, you usually have more independence with choice of topic and research, but the funding scheme is totally different: the university pays you as a TA or RA but then you need to find outside funding to go off and do your own research. Oh, also, I find that the structure of PhD programs in the US often includes more coursework and takes longer because students either get their MA/MS along the way, or because they simply haven't taken the same kind of coursework before. Whereas in Germany there is an assumption that you've taken coursework as part of your master's and no longer "need" it - you are expected to come in with a PhD proposal that's more or less ready to go (indeed, you often apply here with a proposal directly to a professor). This is quite different from many programs in North America that form cohorts that go through much of the coursework together, then only later are expected to e.g., go through oral, written, and/or language exams and then produce a PhD proposal. So, if you feel your coursework is done and proposal ready to go, essentially meaning you have the tools necessary to self-guide, Germany can be great for doing a PhD. Unfortunately, if you come from a master's program that did little to prepare you, it can be a disaster.
About the independence: There is a history behind it. Our university system traditionaly based on the "independent student". The school student is teached and close supervised and the teacher is asking for work and you have to be presend etc.... At the university it is/was completly different. There is no one asking you for anything. They just give you the chance to deliver them your work. And you are free if you want get teached. No one is presure you to any thing. Lots of things you need to organice for your self. Often you have to find out for your self how to deal with a problem. Often there is a student organised help for students.
That traditional kind of university is more and more changed to become more a school like and you get told what to do and closly supervised. Back in the 90´s when i studied (chemstry dipl. and law) we were extremly free compared to the US System. Even if that changed a lot in the last 30 years you still can find it. In some subjects more in some less. There are many, many belivers that the "extrem" independency has a big value. Because you learn and show that you can work independent and that is a skill a future employer does value.
In physics and probably many other natural sciences, you usually meet your supervisor many times per month; if your advisor/Doktorvater is leading a large institute, you will only meet them a few times per year. And most physics PhD students will be employed by a university or research lab.
As commented by you and others, it greatly depends on the field. I do not know a single person doing a PhD in biological sciences that does not have a 65/50% contract or a stipend. I have even known engineering PhDs that get a 100% contract, which gets then almost 3k Netto per month!! In addition, people who come with a contract get a job visa, which has many advantages.. I guess that unfortunately the situation is different for social/human sciences. Nice video, thanks!
Hey what about PhD in physics?
@@_P_DhruviAgrawal Physics is a STEM field, so everything I commented applies to it. I know around 4 physicists doing PhD here where I live and I think all of them have 65% contracts. They do research in astrophysics and particles. I think only people doing research in engineering get a 100% contract.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with everyone!
I am from Afghanistan. I completed two master's degrees in Russia with honours and I applied for PhD programme in Free University in Berlin (Structured programme). I hope they accept my application !!
Again, thank you very much for sharing everything and I wish you best of luck 🤞 🤞
Best of luck to you!
I didn't thought about it, how difficult it might be to make your Ph. D. in Germany as a foreigner. I wrote my thesis in the seventies, when I was in my twenties ... the old way ... isolated ... six semesters and was lucky ... had not to work on experiments ... just pure mathematics ... paper and pencil. Compared to what you had to go through it was easy, fast and quick and the final part of my way through university. Thanks God, not as an expat today. I wish you all the best.
Doing a PhD in Germany has been a really great learning experience. Thankfully my research is written in English (my German isn't advanced enough to write at a doctoral level). But there have been quite a few unexpected things that I have had to learn along the way. Even things like the process for defending a thesis is a different organization than what I experienced in the States. I am lucky that I have great supervisors who don't mind if I ask somewhat simple questions like "What is expected of me when I present X... or... What is the process of submitting X....."
Back in early 80s we would often get (at least once a month it seemed) to reconsider if planning to go to Freiburg on the weekend as university students etc would be doing mass demonstration(s) in the city. Never bothered to find out what they were about but heeded the advice.
2:05 That is *very* inaccurate! She probably misunderstood the point back than.
You are *always* eligible for public helth insurance. What really happens after 30, is that you cease to be eligible for _special discounted fixed rate for students._ However, you still may join as a so called _voluntary_ participant. Your rate will then depend on income, with minumum of €205 at the tim point I am writing this.
I followed only one other expat, who made her PhD in Germany, but she had only a few of your described problems, because she was under 30. Your story is very interesting.
Thanks! There is quite a bit that changes once you are an "older" student, plus not being from an EU/EEA country complicates thingsa bit. Glad you enjoyed the video! ❤️ Cheers from the Black Forest!
Wow. That was so informative, and I've been working in Germany as a doctoral candidate (from the US) for three years. I came as a "Wiss Mitarbeiterin" (research associate) and was required to work toward a PhD as part of my contract. I never got a student visa because my status was "skilled worker". But I had no idea what kind of restrictions a student visa would place on a non-EU doctoral candidate here until I saw this.
As for healthcare, thank goodness this wasn't something I had to be concerned about. I have huge respect for those students pursuing a German PhD with no job and no central source of funding. My experience here has not been easy at all, but after seeing this video and realising what many if not most people in this situation must go through, I realise I've had quite the smooth ride in Germany.
This is so interesting. When I did my phd I went for programmes that already had funding and were looking for a phd student to do the work on that particular research topic. I was automatically employed by the university on a 65% salary position (which is rare in life sciences) and enrolled at the university as a phd student to get the semester long public transportation ticket ;) Friends from my master course had vastly different experiences were they were not employed and had to take a large cut out of their stipend for health care. Due to them being on a scholarship they had to pay more for healthcare than I did, though they had no trouble finding insurance due us being under 30.
It sounds like your PhD was really nicely organized! It is really interesting to hear about all of the different methods to complete a PhD in Germany. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for watching the video!
I really appreciate that 👍🏼. Can I please have your email ID to contact w
I just want to mention that with a working Visa instead of a study Visa it wouldn´t be that complicated in behalf of some things you mentioned.
You are then allowed to work any job of your choice which additionally provides automatically full healthcare and you have no income restrictions and you are allowed simultaneously to study as well.
But there is a downside as well of course = for a permant resident status with a working visa you have to have a job that means you simply can´t then quid working and just soley study
It soley depends on the personal needs which is better a working Visa or a study Visa.
Yes! Absolutely. Great advice! I originally came on a study visa and then switched to a work visa when Jonathan and I got married. It gave us a lot more flexibility and now that I'm wrapping up my PhD there's no restrictions on me trying to find work.
For the issue of public healthcare, you are still Eligible, but only at the minimum rate for self employed which is almost twice the rate of what under 30 students pay.
Great presentation skills (Y)
This channel is so underrated. Really.
Wow thank you so much! We are so glad you enjoy the content. ❤️
@@TypeAshton as a German watching your channel to improve my language skills it also makes me appreciate more what we have here :)
All points are really useful. thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Very informative - thank you.
LOL I'm almost 28 and a bachelor student at the moment xD. Good to know that my benefits end when I turn 30 🤣 I had no idea. It shouldn't be a problem as I do not intend to continue uni after I'm done in a couple of months but LOL xD
I think you didn't get it quite right with healthcare. The problem is that most insurances clerks don't know much about these special cases.
If you are a student you can choose at the start of your stidies if you want to be insured private health insurance or free will public health insurance (which you have to have insurance it just means you pay 100% yourself normally your employer would cover the other half.
These two systems are vastly different and have some implications for later in life. So think that through.
Also I thought that the age cap is 27 for the cheapest student public health insurance.
Keep in mind it is not an option in Germany not to have health insurance.
It so complicated that you shouldn't really relay on some Germans or first level suppoet clerks from insurances. You should get help from a lawyer or a financial adviser who specializes in this kind of law and expats and students.
Thank you for your perspective and insight. Healthcare is extremely complicated and I completely that someone should seek out additional advice from a lawyer or tax advisor. We'll keep your comment in mind for our future content.
@@TypeAshton "Hi from Hamburg" - an American girl from California - made an interesting and helpful video about this some years ago! Look if it is still online!
I'm from Austria, but laws here are practically the same: i would go for the private insurance. It's about 70,- Euro a month if you're "an older student".... Or if you have a Job, you're automatically insured. Too much money wasted for lawyer, just speak to someone at your university, they can help for sure.
@@noizW good thing I found the answer to my question… I thought that private insurance would be somewhere between $500 and $1200 like in coveredca.
very helpful and interesting videos. keep it up
Thank you! We are so glad you found it helpful. ❤️❤️
What is the music played in background?
Thanks 👍
We use royalty-free soundtracks from Epidemic Sound. The music at the start of the video is Satellite by Onda Norte.
I am Ahmed from Algeria and I am 52 years old. I would like to complete a PhD study in management in German universities. Is there an office that provides assistance in submitting papers to a university and accepting the university and the supervisor?
What is the subject of your PhD?
Hi there! The short version: my PhD is in the department of Human Geography.
The longer version: I examine the political economics of low-income housing tax policy and how it affects the geographies of urban public housing construction patterns.
@@TypeAshton I was looking for this info before asking. That sounds like a really interesting topic and so relevant!
TH-camr from Freiburg 👏👏👏
Hey! I just checked out your channel! Hello fellow TH-camr! Nice to meet you.
@@TypeAshton yeah I'm also a PhD student in uni Freiburg.
And make videos in Hindi for PhD aspirants.
That is awesome! Such a great way to support your community. Let me know if I can be a resource in any way.
@@TypeAshton yeah may be we can collaborate and make a video regarding PhD tips and advice.
This information is very niche. Similar to other commenters I did not struggle with the health insurance at all - you basically just end up using TK because it's on-site public health insurance, regardless of your age. When it comes to the student visa; true - but only if you're from outside the EU. I was an expat as well, but from the neighbouring country. I did not have to apply for any such thing. I have never heard of a PhD student who just "did their own thing" for three years and then handed in their dissertation. Ever. I'm unsure how you got to this knowledge but it's completely alien to me. Of course you are expected to spearhead initiatives, but they are often part of some strategy orchestrated by the professor of the group. Independence varies mostly based on the professor.
One thing that shocked my socks off when I first started in Germany is the INSANE health insurance prices. Coming from the Netherlands Germans practically pay almost double what dutch people pay, which is a huge dent in what would otherwise be a pretty good salary (4200EUR brutto for engineering degrees).
Hey, great video! I am looking into PhD programs in Germany, and one thing that concerns me a bit is this independence thing you mentioned. Not that it isn't awesome to have the freedom to conduct your research at your own pace, but to me it seems like you kind of miss the university experience of interacting with other candidates, taking a few graduate courses here and there etc, so I was wondering if you could explain a little about the so-called 'individual' pathway. Do you still get to meet with colleagues? How about seminars to improve your scientific skills? etc. Thanks!!
Hi there! With the caveat that "every program is different", I feel really grateful for the community of colleagues in my department at Uni Freiburg. My supervisor makes it a point to have a team meeting every 2 weeks to keep us updated on what's going on with each other's progress. And prior to the COVID work-from-home situation, I was also offered office space to share with another PhD student. However, the University-wide Graduate School has admitted that often times PhD students feel disconnected, and have shared in recent emails with us that they are making an effort to help. Whether it's science nights where we can share our research with each other to monthly workshops where we can learn more about things like getting published, they have started a number of events to get us together. But truly, knowing your own research and work style is important. I would strongly encourage you to express your needs at a future PhD student when you speak to any prospective supervisor. Your first meeting is just as much about making sure that their department is a good fit for you as you are a good student for him/her/them to take on. Ask them about what kinds of support they can offer you and whether or not they would be open to a bi-monthly meeting to discuss your progress.
@@TypeAshton Thanks so much for the advice! And yeah, it's awesome that you get to meet with your fellow PhD students/supervisor regularly! You see, I am of the opinion that human contact is rather important during one's doctorate. You know? Being able to share your ideas, take a course or two on scientific writing, research methods etc, so to me the whole philosophy of ''ok, you've been admitted to the program. See you in three/four years'' isn't really something I would like to experience, if you know what I mean. We are here to learn together. But yeah, I am going to mention all that to my prospective supervisors, for sure. Thanks and good luck with your degree! =)
@@Ma-id1nl I completed PhD in Germany and have many international (and german) friends who went through the same path. Your fears have a very solid ground here. In most cases supervisors just check on you once in a while, but no real help in research or any meaningful collaborations would come from their side. You are really on your own. I was lucky enough to have my second supervisor from Australia, but I met many people who had anxieties and lack of motivation because of this system. If you are more a people person, I'd recommend you Canada or Australia. I hope this is helpful.
@@bominosh thank you for sharing your experiences with us! I've got some questions, if you don't mind me asking: how about taking classes to improve one's knowledge on research methods/techniques? Because surely they can't expect a Master's degree to give you all the tools to conduct doctoral research completely by yourself? I mean, don't get me wrong, because I love all of the independence and stuff, but naturally (unless you're some sort of genius, which I am not), during the PhD you are going to have questions about the quality of your writing, whether that particular method could be improved, whether you can confidently use software X to gather and analyze data etc...What are you supposed to do then if no courses are offered and your supervisor seldom communicates? Like...??? Also, I've recently seen that Germany seems to be offering now so-called ''structured PhD's'', so I'm going to take a look into them as well. Anyhow, thank you again for your time!
Hi there! At least in my experience, because I was enrolled as a student, if I wanted to take any courses to improve my skills. These courses were not required for my doctorate, but I was encouraged by my supervisor to take any courses that I wanted if I thought that it could help my dissertation in any way. In addition, our graduate school also offers free workshops that we could enroll in. These workshops were not as comprehensive as an entire course, but they would be a great primer for things like scientific writing or learning new software for poster presentations, etc. I know that when I was first starting my PhD, the graduate school was a great resource and I would recommend getting in touch with yours if your supervisor doesn't give you much direction.
Don’t be so polite and talk about „complicated“ things. It’s just pure bureaucratic stupidity.
We all know in Germany.
@Gunther H.G. Geick
If you ever happen to fall out of the system you will see that sometimes it IS pure ‚bureaucratic stupidity‘.
And being a PhD student from outside the EU can be such a in between responsibilities-case. If you make new laws, it is a huge task to think about every single probability and constellation. I can acknowledge to that, but it doesn’t make it any less bureaucratic or stupid.
@@missis_jo like most things in germany the bureaucracy follows a more or less strict system which has pros and cons. the pro sideis its predictable and it works kind of good enough even under heavy load. the biggest con is probably that such a system isnt suited to unexpected situations. in that case you will end up with no one being responsible and as a normal guy you are like "are you guys stupid, just think for yourself this one time". but the system doesnt work this way. its the Passierschein A38 problem.
doesnt happen often but if it happens its almost unsolveable.
@@necrionos
agreed!
Yes, unfortunately this is a big part of the experience that she left out in this video. I agree that it needs to be included.
Can you please tell me if I have a percentage around 63 m I eligible for English taught PhD . M also doing intership in my field
If we got admission in PhD on self finance how we can support out living expense? Is there any scholarship other than DAAD? PLEASE Guide
Hi there! I did an entire video on this exact topic. You can view it here: th-cam.com/video/HC-rD_HcPU8/w-d-xo.html
Hope this helps! ❤️
Thanks for the video
I wanna ask about the academic qualifications required for pursuing a PhD in Germany
Hi Black forest family - I have a question I would really love an answer to. I came to Germany 6 years ago with my husband on his work Visa and now there is a PhD supervisor willing to take me on. But just a few days ago I got offered a great job. Can I take up the work and also do my PhD?
As long as your visa allows you to work full time and your PhD supervisor doesn't mind you having a job I don't see there being an issue. When I first came, I was on a student visa and was restricted on how much I could work and the type of employment I could take on. But once I was under my husband's permanent residence permit, my restrictions on employment disappeared. But I still only took on part-time work. My supervisor wanted to know how many hours I could realistically invest in my studies and my scholarships also added restrictions on how many hours of additional work I could take on.
Does someone do PhD research in psychology? I really struggle with finding the “right” idea to write a thesis. So if somebody is in psychology in Germany, you can text me here, and we maybe can have some conversation about doing PhD in Germany in psychology field via email)
What is actullly not considered as freelance and is actually freelance? Is there an official govt website link for list of freelance qork not allowed to do in germany?
I am not aware of a government website but the best advice I can give you is stay away from any job which requires you to pay for taxes and social contributions on your own (i.e. not through your employer). I taught a course through the University but after reading my contract it said I was a "contractual employee" and not a "full or part time employee" and I was responsible for reporting earnings to the finanzamt and was not paying into social contributions through the University. This would have violated my visa because it is a kind of freelancing. Thankfully I had just switched from a student visa to an Aufenthaltserlaubnis, but it could have been bad!
@@TypeAshton thanks alot for an elaborative pro tip...sadly employers dont tell people about their legal rights and use them for their personal benefits
@@ibraheemali9541
In this case you can simply ask whether it is a job with social security or not. I think it‘s not so much a question of scaming people. It‘s just that employers probably know very little about visa legal statuses and foreign employees are often not aware of the things that go along with self employment in Germany.
If someone wants you to work for them, they too are often not interested in losing you before you even started.
@@missis_jo thanks that will work i guess; but sometimes the employer knows more than you do and its more about using labor laws in their favor than to worry about their churn rate
Thanks for the video! Regarding the age issue: are there any (law-imposed, or just "realistic") age limit in Germany for pursuing a PHD? Would it be a problem to start at 31-32?
No, there's no age limit. There are other PhD candidates who are in the 40's working on their dissertation in my department. However, there are age limits to "student" status for healthcare.
@@TypeAshton thank you!!
hello
can PhD student work beside doing PhD ? if yes how many hours is allowed
Hi there! Yes you are able to. If you are a non-EU/EEA student, your student visa will tell you that you are able to work in Germany alongside their studies, for 120 full days or 240 half days per year AND you cannot take up freelance employment. It doesn't limit how much you earn, just how often - since your primary role for coming to Germany is for studying, not for working. However, if you plan on applying for grants or scholarships you may have further restrictions. For example, I received a research grant from the DAAD that stipulated that I could only earn 450 euros a month in any extra side job. Otherwise, any amount I earned over that limit would be deducted from my scholarship.
@@TypeAshton Thank you very much for your Explanation
i already have a master and i want to do PhD in Germany but some people told me that it's better to do master again in Germany because accepting in PhD is kinda hard because the professor will not fund you and getting scholarship from DAAD is not that easily ....how much is that right ??
And could i study PhD on my own ?? without any find i mean ??
Thanks a lot
@@ammardeyub8919 In my experience, I didn't find my US masters to be an issue. However, I finding funding was a large undertaking. I found that the DAAD is the best source for finding funding if you are from a non-EU, or EEA country. That's not to say that its "easy"... in fact, they can be quite competitive. However, they are open to all nationalities. There are a number of scholarships affiliated with political parties or religious institutions. However, these outlets ask that you are either a German citizen or from the EU.
If you are serious about completing a Ph.D in Germany, your first step should be to reach out to Professor's at Universities that you are interested in and ask if they are open to taking on a new PhD student. In this email, you should include a project proposal that details your research questions, organization and plan for completion. Then be prepared to meet together (ideally in person) to discuss the feasibility of your project and how you would fit in with their research interests. Remember, this meeting is a two-way street, so to speak. You want to make sure that they are a good fit for you, just as you are for them. If both parties feel it is a good fit, then you apply for admission to the University with your professor's support - which should be straight forward.
If you would like to check it out, I wrote a blog post on finding scholarships in Germany: www.blackforestfamily.com/finding-scholarship-funding-in-germany/
Alternatively, I also wrote a post about student visas/student residence permits. In there I talk about the requirements for getting a resident permit, including how much money you need to be able to have in a blocked German bank account. You will need to show financial security in order to study in Germany. This can be in the form of funding from a scholarship/grant like the DAAd or from your own money: www.blackforestfamily.com/german-student-visa-residence-permit-checklist/
Hope this helps!
@@TypeAshton
thank you for your kindness and support
that's help me a lot
I really appreciate your help. Thank you.
How much a current phd student earn?
Queria Fazer Ph. Em Como Dectectar Teorias da Compiração...Minha Ideia é que; Nós Humanos somos muito Burros; Inventamos Coisas para explicar Coisas que não Sabemos; O tal do Paradoxo_de_Sócrates...
Could you give a clarification regarding Masters or PhD, which one is better to get a job and settle in Germany
That depends on the field of study, many PhD programs are seen as somewthat simmelar to german master degrees.
Hello, I am not from EU. I’d like to ask if I can start my phd before applying scholarship?
If you find a professor who wants to supervise your project, absolutely. However, you will need to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your expenses while you are here. And keep in mind, a student visa limits your opportunity for working hours.
What is your thesis topic?
My background is in architecture, specifically government subsidized housing. Originally, my study was looking at international public housing policies, but for a number of reasons my superivsor has me still doing most of my research based on the US policy.
So the cliff-notes version of my thesis is that I study the "Political Economics of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit". In the US, pubilc housing is not constructed by the government, but (primarily) through for-profit private companies. So essentially, I am conducting a case-study of how policy and economic factors influence where these private developers construct public housing within a metropolitan area.
@@TypeAshton as someone who has worked with the homeless in our community, the biggest issue seems to be "not in my backyard" mindset when it comes to locating any subsidized housing.
So kind of interesting, one of the findings of my study was that in the City of St. Louis - NIMBY-ism does play a role, but only to a lesser extent. Rather, I found that the reason why low-income housing isn't constructed in more affluent or "high opportunity" areas was because the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (which allows funding to be used anywhere) wasn't enough to fully fund the project. In order to cover their costs, developers most likely turn to various revitilization grants, which specifically say that the funds can ONLY be used to rehabilitate and redevelop distressed areas. So Although LIHTC is the largest, and most successful low-income housing program in the US, because it is under funded, it is the secondary funding that often puts restrictions and concentrates public housing in already highly segregated, less-affluent areas.
.....but now I fear that I have bore you with these details. 😂 Sorry I could talk about this subject all day.
This video triggered a lot of informative comments by German people. Thanks.
I'm curious about how you are able to make money off of youtube when freelance work in not allowed on your visa. Does youtube not count as freelance work? I'm only asking because I want to get into both PhD and youtube as well ^-^
Not freelancing. My husband started a media company as a GmbH to which I am an employee of.
@@TypeAshton Interesting! Thank you for your reply ^-^
Do you think it's possible for a Masters or PhD student to get paid by youtube with the limitations mentioned in the visa?
I don't believe so. The issue isn't with how much you earn necessarily, but rather that you are a freelancer. To my knowledge in Germany there is just the distinction in the visa language of employed (which is allowed within a limit) and self-employed, which is not generally allowed under a student visa. However, I have read that you might be able to apply for an exemption. You may have to declare that the freelancing is just a side-business and will not take up more time than the 120 days/240 half-days (also German students loose student status if they work too much), and will not interfere with the progress of your studies. But I don't have any personal experience with this.
Minor correction -
It is "ineligible", not "Uneligible"
No this is all not right, it always depends on your funding , student or employment visa (usually employment)and public healthcare is is mostly there provided along with phd if you are 30 or not.
As stated in the video, if you do not have healthcare via employment then qualifying for healthcare as solely because you are a student (which would be the case for a bachelor's student), is not possible for PhD students who come from countries without reciprocity. I was denied for the exact reason by both TKK and AOK.
Have another question: Why don't you do your doctorate, which opens more doors for you than the PhD?
And another thing ! If you are employed as a docent in a subject area, you are an employee and not a freelancer! Caution!: Many want docents as freelancers so that they do not have to pay social benefits because that would be cheaper for them. So listen carefully and carefully because as a freelancer you are not insured when you are not working and are then automatically passed on to social support that only provides the minimum benefit and that in turn frees you as a foreigner from new problems for your residence status, etc. ............
Hi there! Great question! I have a master's in architectural studies and prior to moving to Germany I was a full-time teaching instructor at a University. I still have aspirations of pursuing professorship in higher-education and to do so I need a terminal degree in my field (PhD or equivalent) in order to be eligible for tenure.
PhD IS a doctorate (Doctor of Philosophy, Latin doctor philosophiae)! What are your talking about? Unless you are talking about post-doc or habilitation.
Wow, what those of over 45 to hope to when it comes to PhD studies in Germany then?
Most of the information in this video is either incorrect or partially incorrect. If you are a EU citizen you will not face the visa problem, and the health insurance problem she describes I'm completely unaware of. I know nobody, plenty of which of above 30, who could not apply for public health insurance. Even on the official government page there is absolutely no mention of this arbitrary restriction.
@@ThefamousMrcroissant I am talking about non-EU citizens.
谢谢
You will appreriate the healthEnsurance once you get hurt once!!!!!!!!
Absolutely. Although no one likes to be sick or hurt, we've had a very nice experience thus far with the healthcare system.
Try to find a public health insurance if you want to study in the USA. 😀
Is So Like
NIce too see you come to Germany to have the Germans pay for your American edication,.. are you smart
Probably the most German thing I've ever seen.
Don't get me wrong it is nice that you study in Germany. But in my opinion it is very very sad to see that foreigners can come here to take advantage of our Healthcare and Education system. Think about it, if I as a German would go to your country I wouldn't get Healthcare or wouldn't be able to study without paying for it. So expecting that is just bad imo
I completely understand your perspective. American healthcare and higher education put thousands of families into bankruptcy each year. It's something I hope can change in the future. I hope that some day the US can have something similar so that we can strengthen our academic exchange.
That is such a backwards way of thinking, you seem to be stuck in a mercantilism way of thinking. That young family isn't taking advantage of our system, but they are using it as intended. You don't loose anything just because that family came here, its just the opposite. a young highly educated couple is paying into our healthcare system, as its intended, young ppl pay more then they have to, to subsidize the older and ill er population. Same goes for well paid jobs in Germany, even if they leave right after their study time its more likely that they are a plus for the healthcare system, and if not it's even better. It's always a good thing to have exchange between cultures and a young highly educated ambassador for the German/European mindset can only be a good thing.
Even worse is your mindset of, " i can't study for "free" there, so they should not have that here", i'm sorry, but the USA is no example i like to follow. We build our self a nice open society with social norms and diversity and i can't see any benefit to go back to a time before that.
@@nadal1275 I agree! The fact that German higher education is so welcoming to foreigners increases the brain gain within Germany. How do you think Germany as such a small country could produce so much outstanding research? Right by attracting the most intelligent people not only within their own population but worldwide. During my undergrad I studied alongside people from over 20 different countries (at least) and that was non the least extremely enriching for me as a German student at a German university!
Hi there! I know that the topic of healthcare in any country can spark a pretty passionate debate. So in the spirit of the phrase "a little context goes a long way", I thought maybe I would quickly chime into clarify a couple of points. First, my intention of bringing up healthcare was not to encourage or persuade misuse of the public healthcare system. Rather, I found from personal experience that there is a plethora of information for international bachelor's and master's students regarding eligibility...but very little for Ph.D students. And since healthcare coverage and cost vary so significantly for PhDs, I wanted to include it as a "5 things I Wish I Knew" in order to help others in the future. Lastly, in regards to the speculation about our legal and tax status in Germany... My husband has been fully employed as an engineer in Germany since 2013 and I to help support our family during my PhD, I have worked part-time as an architect and a University lecturer. In truth, we just recently bought a house in Germany (stay tuned for a video coming soon!). We very much love living in Germany and can't wait to continue to grow our family and community with you guys. Thank you all for the kind words and engagement.
A highly educated foreigner who is contributing to your social system here: don't worry, in a couple of months you will have one less foreigner in your country. I wouldn't recommend to any foreigner to come to live in Germany.
Lol and this is what they brag about?