The Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics is one of the first graduate schools at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. An internationally oriented institution, Karlsruhe is home to around 5,000 international students from over 40 countries, out of a total student population of 13,000 students. Programs offered at Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics include both, multidisciplinary master and doctorate programs. International students applying at Karlsruhe are not required to prove their German proficiency, but being proficient in the language definitely acts as an added advantage.
Being one of the top institutes in Germany and Europe, student satisfaction at Karlsruhe is known to be the best due to a systematic, balanced curriculum and excellent teaching staff. The institution also has partnerships with global corporations and students undergo a mandatory eight weeks of internship in their programs. The highest salary observed at Karlsruhe stands at 152,000 EUR. The school also offers scholarships of 400 EUR to the top 10% candidates in the class.
Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics Rankings
The Karlsruhe School possesses numerous rankings because of its exceptional quality of research and teaching. Some of the rankings are:
- According to the QS World University Rankings 2021, KIT has been ranked #136 in the world, and #36 for graduate employability.
- QS World University Rankings 2020 has also ranked the university is ranked #1 in Germany, #7 in Europe, #36 worldwide.
- Shanghai Rankings 2020 ranked the university at #1 in Energy Sciences in Germany, 39th rank in Energy Sciences worldwide and lies in the top 100 worldwide in Engineering Sciences.
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019, ranked the school at #4 in Germany for Engineering, #42 in the world for Computer Sciences, #54 in the world for Engineering and Technology.
- According to US News Best Global Universities 2019 rankings, it has been ranked #90 in Engineering.
- National TAIWAN University ranks the school at # 124 worldwide in Engineering, # 67 worldwide in Natural Sciences, and 228 in the overall ranking of the 800 best universities in the world.
Highlights
| Type of University | Public research university |
| Location | Karlsruhe, Germany |
| Campus Setting | Urban/Suburban |
| Undergraduates | 13,086 students |
| Postgraduates | 8,548 students |
| Doctoral students | 355 students |
| Percentage of international students | 20% |
| Student-Faculty Ratio | 10:1 |
| Number of Faculties | 11 faculties |
| Programs | Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Ph.D. |
| Application Fee | None |
Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics Campus
The campus of Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics has an urban/suburban setting, and is located in both the campuses: Campus North and Campus South. The Campus South is situated in the heart of the city of Karlsruhe. Most of the lecture halls are located there, whereas the Campus North is located about 10 kms away in the administrative district of Karlsruhe, and is home to most of the research facilities.
- clicKIT is an online magazine at Karlsruhe School, that provides student projects, leisure activities, and much more, aiding international students while keeping them up-to-date.
- Radio KIT is the radio program of the institution that changes weekly.
- The school also has a Study Center for Visually Impaired Students that promotes help to visually impaired students in all study programs at KIT through internships, workstations, and other facilities.
- KIT Centre for Cultural and General studies helps students in displaying skills, and promotes intercultural communication.
Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics Residence
The general cost of living in Germany ranges between 500 EUR-800 EUR, depending on the accommodation and lifestyle. The International Department campus which is located in the heart of Karlsruhe offers modern educational spaces as well as high standard accommodations to international students.
- It offers modern educational spaces as well as high standard accommodation with WLAN and modern technology equipment available for all students.
- Students live in 113 single and double rooms distributed over three floors.
- Groups of four to nine students share a modern kitchen as well as dining and working areas. These shared sections all overlook an attractive atrium that is used for various student activities, open-air assemblies, and meetings.
The prices for accommodation are as follows:
| Room Type | Monthly rent for ID students (in EUR) | Module-based rent for ID students (in EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Single Room | 575-615 | 730 |
| Double Room | 360-400 | Upon request |
Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics Programs
Studying at Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics stands for excellent education and combines academic instruction with soft skills. The intercultural campus of KSOP fosters the exchange of different nations and cultures.
- The university has eleven faculties out of which the most opted ones are mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science.
- Students can get admitted at Karlsruhe for the Master's degree if they have a first degree in natural or engineering sciences. One of the most popular degrees is the MSc degree program offered at Karlsruhe, particularly in the engineering science discipline.
- The Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics has a great reputation for its top-class research environment and highly skilled professors to assist. Every doctoral student gets the opportunity of claiming personal advisors and profits from modules that provide a deep insight into management skills.
Tuition fee of some top programs offered at Karlsruhe are:
| Program | Cost/ year (in EUR) |
|---|---|
| Energy Engineering and Management | 15,000 |
| Optics and Photonics | 3,000 |
| Financial Engineering | 7,500 |
| Resources Engineering | 1,500 |
Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics Application Process
Interested applicants who are willing to apply for admissions at Karlsruhe must be updated with the important dates and events. The candidates can visit the official website to complete their registration process.
How to apply: KIT Online Application Portal
Application Deadline: April 30th
Application Requirements:
- Copy of your bachelor degree
- CV/ Resume
- Letter of motivation
- Letters of Recommendation (Two)
- Proof of English language proficiency
English Language Proficiency Test Scores
Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics Cost of Attendance
The MSc program offered at Karlsruhe has no tuition fee for EU students and quite a low tuition fee for international students. Additionally, international students willing to study in Germany will need other living expenses for the duration of their studies. Average monthly expenses of a student at Karlsruhe range from 700 EUR to 900 EUR.
Given below is the tuition fee at KSOP:
| Student | Costs per semester (in EUR) |
|---|---|
| EU Students | 153.69 |
| Non-EU Students | 1,500 (tuition fees) + 153.69 (administrative contribution) |
Other costs at Karlsruhe include:
| Expenses | Cost (in EUR) |
|---|---|
| Room and board | 400 (Shared room) 600 (Single room) |
| Books and stationery | 30 |
| Meals | 150 |
| Transportation | 35 |
Know more about Travel and accommodation in Germany
Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics Scholarships
Students ranking in the top 10% of their classes can apply for financial support within the scope of the KSOP Scholarship Program. Students have to attach the scholarship application to their printed applications and send it together with other documents.
The KSOP scholarship amounts to up to 400 EUR/month. Part of the scholarship is individual consulting and career coaching and students also get an opportunity to work as a research assistant on a research project in one of the KSOP institutes.
Apart from the above mentioned scholarship, applicants can also look for external institutions and external scholarship providers like:
- Deutschlandstipendium
- Educations (study abroad scholarship for 5000 EUR)
- Carl Zeiss Foundation - Master of Science Scholarship
Also check Scholarships in Germany for international students
Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics Placements
KSOP is famous for providing its students with top notch job opportunities in Germany, and has a very close bond with its premium and platinum industry partners such as BOSCH, ZEISS, and Polytec. Other industry partners include nanoplus, Avantes, THORLABS, AVL, nano scribe, PHILIPS, OSRAM, and many more.
The average salary of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology graduates by job is given below:
| Job | Average Salary (in EUR) |
|---|---|
| Executive Management and Change | 152,000 |
| Financial Services | 120,000 |
| Program and Project Management | 117,000 |
| Engineering | 84,000 |
| IT and Software Development | 65,000 |
At a glance, the Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics provides a great opportunity for study abroad by offering a premium quality of education. A degree earned by an international student from KSOP, Germany has a prominent value in any part of the world. The school also attracts students by providing ample career opportunities in Germany and higher value of returns in terms of placements, with an average salary of 60,000 EUR.
FAQs
Ques. Does KIT offer support on finding a job?
The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology offers advice for graduate students looking for a job via its Office for Relationship Management. The homepage has its own “Job Portal”. The Office for Relationship Management also provides information about upcoming career fairs, ideas on how to improve your application, and more.
Ques. What are the major specializations offered at KSOP?
During a 2-year master course you can specialize in the following majors:
- Photonic Materials & Devices
- Quantum Optics & Spectroscopy
- Biomedical Photonics
- Optical Systems
- Solar Energy
Ques. How long is the study period at KSOP?
A: The regular period of study is four semesters. The winter term starts on October 1 and ends on March 31 each year. The summer term starts on April 1 and ends on September 30 each year. Each Semester lasts for six months.
Ques. Can students send their application documents via email?
A: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the 2021/2022 application phase the institute is allowing all documents to be submitted online.
