# What ways are there to getting an academic degree in Germany? For Hop-on, academic degree (Akademischer Abschluss) means that you complete your studies at an institute of higher education and pass an exam. Other terms for academic degree are university degree (Hochschulabschluss), diploma or degree (Studienabschluss). Generally, you differentiate between studies at an institute of higher education by: * Undergraduate studies (grundständiges Studium) and, * Postgraduate studies (weiterführendes Studium). You can start your post-graduate studies if you already have a degree. The degree you get from post-graduate studies is for example, a master's. An undergraduate degrees are your first studies if you don't have an academic degree yet. Most of the time, an undergraduate degree is a bachelor's. For certain studies, you get an academic degree through a state exam. At Hop-on, we concentrate on adults that don't have a university degree yet. This means that the information is interesting if you want to start your undergraduate studies (bachelor's). However, you will find a little bit of information about post-graduate studies (master's). Hop-on has no information about PhD's. You can find more information about PhD's on the website called "Research in Germany" in [German](http://www.research-in-germany.org/de/karriere-in-der-forschung/infos-fuer-doktoranden/vorbereitung-und-voraussetzungen.html) and [English](http://www.research-in-germany.org/en/jobs-and-careers/info-for-phd-students/language-requirements.html). There are different ways to get a university degree. For every way, there are special rules. ![Wege zum akademischen Abschluss, Infoillustration von für Hop-on, ist lizenziert unter einer [Creative Commons Lizenz CC-BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)" /> In the following chapters, there are answers for the most important questions: * [What are full time studies?](was-ist-ein-studium-in-vollzeit.md) * [What Are Part Time Studies?](was-ist-ein-studium-in-teilzeit.md) * [What are dual studies?](was-ist-ein-duales-studium.md) * [What is a distance learning/studying online?](was-ist-ein-fernstudium-online-studium.md) * [I have a degree. Is my degree also seen as a degree in Germany? What is recognition?](ich-habe-einen-hochschulabschluss-ist-mein-abschluss-auch-ein-hochschulabschluss-in-deutschland.md) We can also find answers to your questions. [Contact us.](https://hopon-newcomers.com/de/contact/) ### Mehr Informationen * [What is a university?](../institutionen/was-ist-eine-universitaet.md) * [What is a university of applied sciences?](../institutionen/was-ist-eine-fachhochschule.md) * [What is an art academy?](../institutionen/was-ist-eine-kunsthochschule.md) * [What is a distance learning university?](../institutionen/was-ist-eine-fernuniversitaet.md) Score: [01.09.2017]