× Universities Degrees Career Popular Rate & Win Interests Test GERMAN

DISCOVER PASSAU

FIND YOUR STUDY PROGRAM IN PASSAU
PASSAU WEATHER

PASSAU AT A GLANCE

Located in the southeastern part of Germany in Lower Bavaria, Passau lies in the confluence of three rivers – Danube, Inn and Ilz. This is the reason why this place is also known as ‘’The City of Three Rivers’’. Given its location, the natural scenery surrounding the city is more than fascinating and remains often overlooked because of the fairly small size of the town. The inner parts of Passau are equally impressive with beautiful alleyways and medieval architecture especially in the old city center located in between two of the rivers. Some of the most famous landmarks here are the St. Stephen’s Cathedral home to the world’s largest cathedral organ and the Veste Oberhaus castle. Furthermore, Passau has many secret locations that can be found by simply walking around the city. The weather here is strongly influenced by the layout of the city with strong influences of the western winds and continental cool climate. This can be felt during the cold and snowy winters or in summer when, although warm, it can be very wet due to the significant amounts of rainfall. Traveling to and from Passau is quite easy and can be done by train connecting the city with Frankfurt, Dortmund or even Berlin, by water only through Danube or by car or a bus. Getting around Passau is quite easy using the public transport served by city buses. By paying the university semester fee, students get a hold of a semester ticket allowing them to travel as much as they want to. Walking and cycling are also preferred among locals for daily navigation within the city as mostly everything is within a short distance.

Academic Year

Summer Semester: April – September / Winter Semester: October – March

Official Language

German

Higher Education Institutions

1

Population

51781

Living Costs

760 – 800 EUR

STUDYING IN PASSAU

The city offers excellent conditions for studying, which is also the reason why almost a fifth of the population here are actually students. The University of Passau has nearly 13,000 students enrolled for the past year of which almost 1,500 are foreigners. The university offers a range of 39 degree courses taught by acknowledged professionals in four different faculties. Business Administration and Economics, Social Sciences, Law and European Studies are only few of the subjects covered by the renowned institute. Research activities are also coordinated with the innovative teaching process in order to ensure the successful qualification of each student. Internationalism is an important characteristic for the University of Passau, which is the reason behind the many partnerships with other foreign higher learning institutes. Furthermore, the university is very keen on providing a comfortable environment for international students by offering English-taught courses. The International Office can help newcomers with their accommodation search by offering them room and flats in one of the student residence halls around Passau. The average price for such accommodation ranges between 200 EUR and 400 EUR per month for a fully furnished room including all bills. Most of the residence halls are located within a walking distance to the university campus and others might be further away with a short bus or bike ride for no more than 30 minutes. Such type of accommodation is usually the first thing students tend to look for, which is also the reason why the availability might be very limited towards the start of the semester. This should not be an obstacle for the rest of the students since there are plenty of housing opportunities on the private market as well.

PASSAU LIFESTYLE

Attending lectures and studying for exams alone is almost no one’s perfect idea of a student life. Entertainment, too, is an important aspect for students, especially when this is the main way to loosen up after a busy week at the university. Passau has a lot to offer in that area as well, thanks to its colorful cultural life filled with exciting leisure and sports activities. Festivals and student parties often hosted at the residence halls are a perfect way for socializing. The river Danube has also a lot to offer such as a beautiful scenery perfect for walking or cycling in the warm sunny days or an adventurous boat party with great music and fancy cocktails. Countless bars and clubs are also a preferred spot among young adults for some night entertainment. Some of the best venues can be found along the city center where during daytime restaurants and cafes offer exceptional gastronomical experiences with the variety of traditional and international dishes. A must try is definitely the Lebkuchen, which is the German equivalent of gingerbread, quite popular during the Christmas season. Passau hosts several festivals, of which some of the most popular ones are the International Film Festival taking place every two years or the European Weeks festival celebrating the values of different cultures and bringing them together with not limits.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN PASSAU

There are two stages related to work experience that students are often concerned about. The first one comes almost right after the decision to study at a university, namely finding a part-time employment. In Germany students are allowed to work, however there are certain regulations in terms of working hours depending on different factors like the country each individual is coming from, their desire to pay national insurance contributions and few other aspects. It is strongly recommendable for each student to have some basic knowledge of the German language as this will undoubtedly enlarge the list of work opportunities especially in smaller cities. Those who are planning on working while studying should get familiar with the legal regulations beforehand since there might be severe consequences for those who break them. The second stage related to work experience comes towards the end of one’s studies and concerns the various career paths graduates can choose from. Whether outside of Germany or within it, graduates will have many career opportunities in various fields depending on their knowledge and practical set of skills. There are many prospects in Passau as well due to the many large enterprises established in the city. The tourism industry is very well-developed here, thanks to the thousands of tourists coming from other parts of Germany and from abroad as well. The number of venues and accommodations has increased in recent years creating many employment opportunities for expats and locals. Young adults interested in taking a peek at the local labor market can navigate to the “Career” section on universitaet.com and take a look at the various job offers listed there.