I would say going to TUD was one of my best decisions. Germany is great country for life science research, but also for living (Its not too expensive). The University helped me to build better, stronger personal and professional connections. I was an introvert and was easily intimidated by people, but the whole experience changed my life and helped to become a stronger, confident and independent person. Academically, it boosted my core skills and helped me to achieve things that was impossible to achieve with my past experiences.
Course Curriculum :
Curriculum was well structured , but because of Covid we had limited practical sessions. An entire semester is dedicated for research, and it greatly helped to expand my career and go for PhD
Exams :
IELTS 7.5 (Minimum score 6.5). You don't need any German skills for my course, but it is highly recommended. I had to submit my CV , a motivation letter( or SOP) and 3 letters of recommendation. I believe that SOP is one of the most important document required, it can really set you apart from other candidates. Make it believable, tell a story of how you made it so far and what drives you to go forward. It may not be clear of what you want to do in future, but mentioning a future plan can be a great bonus! Make sure at least one letter of recommendation is from a highly reputed professor/ Head of the department from your course, the LORs are crucial for an application. Do not hesitate to communicate to the people who will write the LORs about what information you definitely need inside that letter. Its okay if you haven't got any experience or did a lot of internships in your previous degree, I didn't either. Show that you are motivated to learn. Make sure to not mention any degrading remarks about your previous institutions( like it had bad infrastructure, unexperienced professors etc.). Have a positive outlook on the CV and SOP. After the initial screening of the applications, I was selected for an interview with two professors from my course. The interview itself was quite relaxed, but I guess it depends on the people. They asked me about why I wanted to join this particular University and course, what I hope to achieve in the end and about my Bachelor's thesis( its really important to "sell" your project and know it inside out).
Placement :
Usually people either goes to academia or industry, most of them get placed before graduation. I myself got a PhD position in ETH Zürich ( one of the top 10 universities in the World) because of my thesis research expertise and letters of recommendation from my thesis supervisor and professors.
Fees :
There is no tuition fee, only semester fee which is around 290 euros per semester ( includes semester public transportation ticket).
Faculty :
All the professors are researchers, well established in their area of expertise. But however, they are dedicated to teach and it shows in their effort to make notes, slides, Q and A sessions , feedback sessions and so on. They are really approachable.
Campus Life :
TUD is quite international with a huge Indian population. Department offers summer parties, retreats, and other events. There is a well established library near to the main campus. Campus is offered with wifi. There are many student clubs offered with are both academic and non academic
Hostel :
Accommodation offered by Studentenwerk - average rent is 230 euros( includes water and electricity), you can get cheaper ones. You can also live in a shared flat or studio apartments( higher rent for studios)
