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Typically, you need a Master degree for a PhD. While some universities and departments offer loopholes for a BSc (commonly known as a fast-track), it's risky and sometimes discouraged.

The in-country BSc takes 3 years, an MSc takes 2 years, and a PhD 3 years (or more, per above). Typically, the PhD is oriented purely towards research and therefore, arguably, not a "programme" in the common understanding. Formal courses or other requirements are typically non-existing (except for graduate colleges).

Special for our US friends: there are no centralised graduate admissions. The supervision is a personal matter of a PhD supervisor.

Now, an agreement to supervise a PhD student does not mean anything in terms of money. It's the agreement to guide the student in their research, to give them ideas, to give them an opportunity to bounce ideas, to write papers together. Money? What money?

Well, there are positions for doctorate students available. Typically, people occupying them aim to get their PhD. This is actually the norm in STEM fields. But an agreement to supervise does not necessarily come with such a position.

Think: TA. You get a contract with the university, are obliged to do something related to your topic work there, e.g., help with the lectures of "your own" professor.

Drittmittel are external grants (in contrast to the state-provided funds that are used to pay the university funded positions). With the Drittmittel-funds, positions are created at the university that a PhD student might occupy. Even though the funding is through external grant money, the student will be employed by the university. These positions are typically advertised by the university and are for a limited time only (for the duration of the grant project)

Stipend from a charitiy / foundation or DAAD

Being an extraordinary foreign student, doing a lot of volunteering, etc. might score you a stipend from a foundation ("charity", Stiftung), e.g. from an organisation close to a political party or a large industrial company. You are not getting a contract with the university, but rather small benefits payments from the foundation. They count as something different than payment for work, the legal background has some impact e.g. in medical insurance.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also provides stipends for German nationals, who want to do their PhD abroad, and for international students, who want to do their PhD in Germany.

Research positions are also available from research institutions, such as Max Planck institutes, Fraunhofer, Helmholtz, Leibniz institutes. These positions are tied to research projects (institute-funded or via third-party funding). Candidates are employed for such a project and formally need an advisor at a university since the research institutes can't award a PhD. However, actual supervision and advice is provided by the institute.

Now, it makes little sense (at least to me) to blindly apply to a graduate college. Always look for advertised PhD positions or pick a professor and ask them directly. Email and inquiry for an appointment would suffice. It is best if you were a star student in their lectures, but a cold email might work, too.

Typically, you need a Masters degree for a PhD. While few universities and departments offer loopholes for a Bachelor degrees (commonly known as a fast-track), it's risky, uncommon and sometimes discouraged.

The in-country BSc takes 3 years, an MSc takes 2 years, and a PhD 3 years (or more, per above). Typically, the PhD is oriented purely towards research and therefore, arguably, not a "program" in the common understanding. Formal courses or other requirements are typically non-existing (except for graduate colleges).

Important for people from the US: there are no centralised graduate admissions. The supervision is a personal matter of a PhD supervisor.

An agreement to supervise a PhD student does not necessarily mean funding. It's the agreement to guide the student in their research, to give them ideas, to give them an opportunity to bounce ideas, to write papers together.

There are paid positions for doctorate students available. Typically, people occupying them aim to get their PhD. This is actually the norm in STEM fields. But an agreement to supervise does not necessarily come with such a position.

Think: TA. You get a contract with the university, are obliged to do something related to your topic of work there, e.g., help with the lectures of "your own" professor.

Drittmittel are external grants (in contrast to the state-provided funds that are used to pay the university funded positions). With the Drittmittel-funds, positions are created at the university that a PhD student might occupy. Even though the funding is through external grant money, the student will be employed by the university. These positions are typically advertised by the university and are for a limited time only (for the duration of the grant project).

Stipend from a foundation or the DAAD

Being an extraordinary (foreign) student, or doing a lot of volunteering, etc. might score you a stipend from a foundation (Stiftung), e.g. from an organisation close to a political party or a large industrial company. If you receive a stipend, you are not getting a contract with the university, but rather small benefits payments from the foundation. They do not count as salary, and have thus different tax implications and potentially some impact e.g. in medical insurance.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also provides stipends for German nationals, who want to do their PhD abroad, and for international students who want to do their PhD in Germany.

Research positions are also available from research institutions, such as Max Planck institutes, Fraunhofer, Helmholtz, Leibniz institutes. These positions are tied to research projects (institute-funded or via third-party funding). Candidates are employed for such a project and formally need an advisor at a university since the research institutes can't award a PhD. However, actual supervision and advice is provided by the institute, often the head of the institute is a professor, though.

It makes little sense (at least to me) to blindly apply to a graduate college. Always look for advertised PhD positions or pick a professor and ask them directly. Email and inquiry for an appointment would suffice. It is best if you were a star student in their lectures, but a cold email might work, too.

Charities or DAAD

Being an extraordinary foreign student, doing a lot of volunteering, etc. might score you a stipend from a charity, e.g. from an organisation close to a political party or a large industrial company. You are not getting a contract with the university, but rather small benefits payments from the charity. They count as something different than payment for work, the legal background has some impact e.g. in medical insurance.

Stipend from a charitiy / foundation or DAAD

Being an extraordinary foreign student, doing a lot of volunteering, etc. might score you a stipend from a foundation ("charity", Stiftung), e.g. from an organisation close to a political party or a large industrial company. You are not getting a contract with the university, but rather small benefits payments from the foundation. They count as something different than payment for work, the legal background has some impact e.g. in medical insurance.

The in-land BSc takes 3 years, MSc takes 2 years, PhD 3 years (or more, per above). Typically, the PhD is oriented purely towards research and therefore, arguably, not a "programme" in the common understanding. Formal courses or other requirements are typically non-existing (except for graduate colleges).

German PhD is a kind of personal affair between the supervisor (a professor, but some other options exist) and the candidate. If a candidate cannot have a working relationship with the supervisor, the chances for a successful PhD are dim.

Think: TA. You get a contract with the university, are obliged to do somewhat related to your topic work there, e.g., help with the lectures of "your own" professor.

The Fachhochschule (FH) or Technische Hochschule – by official translation: university of applied sciences – is a college / polychechnic. They were ranked a step lower than "real" universities in the Diplom times, now they provide (at least on paper) the same BSc and MSc as universities.

Depending on the field of study at the FH, (and because of the previous inequality between universities and FHs) if a subsequent PhD is done at a proper university, a PhD candidate might be required to take some extra courses to make up for the difference in study content between the more applied FH and the more theoretical university. In such a case, which courses have to be taken, would be individually agreed upon by the supervisor and the university's admission office or similar bodies.

Now, it makes little sense (at least to me) to blindly apply to a graduate college. Always look for advertised PhD positions or pick a professor and ask them directly. Email and inquiry for an appointment would suffice. It is best, if you were a star student in their lectures, but a cold email might work, too.

The in-country BSc takes 3 years, an MSc takes 2 years, and a PhD 3 years (or more, per above). Typically, the PhD is oriented purely towards research and therefore, arguably, not a "programme" in the common understanding. Formal courses or other requirements are typically non-existing (except for graduate colleges).

A German PhD is a kind of personal affair between the supervisor (a professor, but some other options exist) and the candidate. If a candidate cannot have a working relationship with the supervisor, the chances for a successful PhD are dim.

Think: TA. You get a contract with the university, are obliged to do something related to your topic work there, e.g., help with the lectures of "your own" professor.

The Fachhochschule (FH) or Technische Hochschule – by official translation: university of applied sciences – is a college / polytechnic. They were ranked a step lower than "full" universities in the Diplom times, now they provide (at least on paper) the same BSc and MSc as universities.

Depending on the field of study at the FH, (and because of the previous inequality between universities and FHs) if a subsequent PhD is done at a university, a PhD candidate might be required to take some extra courses to make up for the difference in study content between the more applied FH and the more theoretical university. In such a case, the courses which have to be taken, would be individually agreed upon with the supervisor and the university's admission office or similar bodies.

Now, it makes little sense (at least to me) to blindly apply to a graduate college. Always look for advertised PhD positions or pick a professor and ask them directly. Email and inquiry for an appointment would suffice. It is best if you were a star student in their lectures, but a cold email might work, too.