1. Talking about your degree…

2. Academic Degrees
The majority of students in English speaking countries do a three or four year bachelor‘s degree as their first degree.
The most common bachelor degrees are Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc)

3. Academic Degrees Master‘s degrees are so-called postgraduate degrees
Master‘s programs are usually one or two years long

4. Degree Comparisons
If there is a standard English translation for your degree title, use it!
Otherwise, write the German and give the nearest English equivalent in brackets.
Example:
Diplom Betriebswirt (approximately equivalent to a master‘s degree in business management)

5. Degree Comparisons
In Europe, degrees are being changed to the same 3 level system already used in English speaking countries:
Bachelor‘s
Master‘s
Doctor‘s

6. Degree Comparisons
Until all German university degrees have been converted to this system, the general rule is:
Three-year German study programs are equivalent to a bachelor‘s degree
Four, five and six-year German study programs are equivalent to a master‘s degree

7. Degree Comparisons
Degrees vary from country to country, so you should write the number of years your degree takes and your area of specialisation (UK) /major (US)
Example:
Diplom Betriebswirt (approximately equivalent to a master‘s degree in business management) A four-year degree program. Area of specialisation: Marketing

8. Degree Comparisons
Do not translate “Diplom” with the English “diploma”!
A diploma can be awarded for many different types of courses at all levels in English speaking countries

9. Degree Comparisons
For international jobs it is not usually necessary to distinguish between a university and a Fachhochschule degree.
The content of what you study, your skills and your experience will be more interesting to your employer!

10. Degree Comparisons
If you are applying to study abroad, the difference between HS and university degree equivalents is more important.
In this case just write the full name of your institution:
The commonly accepted translation for Fachhochschule is University of Applied Sciences

11. Talking about your education
When writing about bachelor's, master's or doctor's degrees, use the lower case for the degree type I received a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering The specific titles of degrees are usually capitalised. I have a bachelor’s degree in International Management Wrong: I have a Bachelor's Degree….

12. Talking about your degree
UK=upper-second class / US=B+ UK US

13. Grade equivalents Germany USA* UK (A-levels) UK (university)**
Sehr gut + (0.8) A+ A
first-class (with distinction)
Sehr gut (1.0)
A (4.0)
first-class
Sehr gut - (1.5) A-
Gut + (1.8) B+ B
upper second-class (2:1)
Gut (2.0)
B (3.0)
Gut - (2.5) B-
lower second-class (2:2)
Befriedigend + (2.8) C+ C

14. What questions do you expect to be asked?
Do you work or are you a student? Where are you studying? What subject are you studying? Why did you choose to study that? …

15. Homework
Find the standard English translation for your degree OR use the German and give the nearest English equivalent in brackets.
Prepare a short description of your area of specialisation/major