At many German universities it’s possible to apply for admission twice a year – to commence studies either in the winter or summer semester.
The summer semester runs from March to August at Fachhochschulen and April to September at universities; the winter semester is from September to February and October to March respectively.
In general, applications for winter enrolments need to be made by 15 July, and applications for summer enrolments by 15 January. However, application deadlines vary between institutions, and the same institution may set different deadlines for each program – be sure to carefully check the specific dates for your chosen course.
It’s recommended to submit applications at least six weeks before the deadline, to ensure time for corrections or additions if any information is missing. You should expect to receive a formal acceptance or rejection approximately one to two months after the deadline has passed.
The specific documents required and application process will be set by each institution, but you’ll typically be asked to submit:
At many German universities it’s possible to apply for admission twice a year – to commence studies either in the winter or summer semester
If you have a European qualification, such as a baccalaureate or A-levels, then you will only need to prove you can speak German (unless you’re enrolling on a course taught in English) and you can then apply directly for a university level course. Students with qualifications from outside Europe may have to sit the Feststellungsprüfung entrance examination after attending a preparatory Studienkolleg. High-achieving students may be able to bypass this.
For most subjects, you can apply directly to the international office of the university. Alternatively, you can use the website www.uni-assist.de, a centralized admissions portal for international students, run by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
For some subjects, there is a nationwide cap on the number of students who can enrol. For these subjects (mostly life sciences), students from the EU (plus Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein) need to apply through the Foundation of Higher Education Admission. Non-EU students should apply as normal.
At master’s level, you will need to have completed (or be about to complete) an undergraduate degree. Specific requirements will vary depending on the course, institution and where you have previously studied. For some master’s degrees, applicants are required to have earned a minimum number of credits in specific fields of study.
Applications for master’s programmes are either submitted directly to the university, or via the online portal www.uni-assist.de. Bear in mind that not all German universities use this service, and those that do may require applicants to complete their own application process as well. For PhDs, applications may be made directly to potential supervisors, by submitting a project proposal, or – for “structured” PhDs – via the official application process detailed by the university.
Master’s degrees in Germany are usually categorised as either “consecutive” or “non-consecutive”. Those of the first category are designed to build on the academic knowledge gained during a related bachelor’s degree, while the second tend to have a greater focus on professional development, often requiring applicants to have both an undergraduate degree and some relevant work experience. Most master’s degrees take four semesters (two years) to complete, though some are shorter or longer.