Academic degrees

Use of academic degrees and titles in Germany

The use of academic degrees in Germany is regulated by the higher education laws of the federal states.

Definition of
Leadership" is understood to mean that one identifies oneself as the holder of an academic degree in public, e.g. by entering the degree on a business card or on business stationery, but also through verbal statements. Anyone who merely brags about a non-existent degree in a small private circle (e.g. at a party) does not make a good impression, but is not liable to prosecution in the sense of unauthorized conduct. The use of an academic degree as part of a stage name (e.g. "Dr. Motte") also does not fall under "leadership" in the legal sense.

Shape
In general, degrees may only be used in the form specified in the award certificate or the examination regulations. For example, if the degree of a university of applied sciences was awarded with the addition (FH), this addition may not be omitted when using the degree. In contrast to Austria, it is not regulated by law in Germany whether a degree is used as a suffix before or after the name. However, it is generally customary for diploma and doctoral degrees to be listed before the name, while master's and bachelor's/master's/PhD degrees are listed after the name.
Special regulations apply to the use of foreign degrees, which can be found in the higher education laws of the federal states. As a rule, foreign degrees may only be used with a supplement of origin (the name of the awarding university), with the exception of degrees from countries of the European Union including the Vatican. A literal translation of the foreign degree into German can be added in brackets.