I have been wanting to write about this topic for quite some time, since more and more DSE students are asking about the Foundation Course. I would like to explain the information of the Foundation Course without taking the wrong path.
The Foundation Programme is designed for students who have obtained a certificate of absence from the University of Germany, but are not recognised as a higher education institution in Germany. The Foundation Program lasts for one year, during which time students study the German language and a course of study in the fundamentals of the subject area, taught entirely in the German language. There are five specializations that students may pursue, depending on the program of study for university entrance. The first is in medicine, pharmacy or biology; the second is in mathematics, science or technology; the third is in economics and social sciences; the fourth is in humanities or German; and the last is in linguistics. Students must pass the Feststellungsprüfung (Feststellungsprüfung) in order to enter a university.
As for the fees, many German Foundation Classes are fully subsidized by the government, students only need to pay 200-400 Euros of administrative fees per semester. The discounted course certainly attracts many DSE students to enquire, students think that they can apply for DSE foundation course immediately after DSE, this is not true.
Since this German Foundation Course is funded by German taxpayers, it is intended to attract students who have a genuine interest in German education. Therefore, unless they have already prepared for studying in Germany, most of the Hong Kong students will not be able to meet the basic entry requirement of the German Foundation Course – a German language level of at least CEFR B2.
Students who do not have the required level of German and wish to enrol in the German Basic Course can only do so after they have achieved the CEFR B2 level. If you wish to learn German within a short period of time, the best place to do so is in Germany, and if you are enrolled in an intensive course in Germany, you can reach the CEFR A1 to B2 level in as little as half a year. The goal, however, is that this German-intensive program is not cheap and requires a lot of commitment on the part of the student, so learning a new foreign language is not an easy task.
Students can assess their own determination and ability according to their interest in education in Germany, and if you need help, you can also email us at thoss.studyingermany@online.de for more information.
