Applications and Eligibility
Applications and Eligibility
Your Application – Step by Step
Start to plan your study abroad at least one year in advance!
1) Search for a Higher Education Institution which suits you best! The following link provides information about course search in German: http://www.study-in.de/de/studium/studienfach-hochschule-suchen/ . If you are interested in courses tought in English, you can choose from a huge variety of international master's, bachelor's or PhD programs: International Programmes . To find out about the reputation and evaluation of a program, faculty or university feel free to have a look on this website: http://www.das-ranking.de .
2) Test for Academic Studies! Since 2007, there has been a test with which foreign students can assess whether or not they possess the cognitive ability to study in Germany. The test consists of a short language test, a general knowledge test and a specialized academic field module. www.testas.de is for free and the score will tell you, if studying at a German university is right for you. Try it out! For all technical fields: www.self-assessment.tu9.de.
3) Higher Education Entrance Qualification: Is your secondary school leaving certificate (for example High School Diploma) equivalent to the German higher education entrance qualification called Abitur? You can check that by going to the DAAD Admissions data base or to the KMK database www.anabin.de. If your school leaving certificate does not qualify you for admission to studies in Germany, you must take the Feststellungsprüfung. Preparatory (or foundation) courses called Studienkollegs enable you to prepare for this test. However, you should have German language skills on the B1 level of the Europäische Referenzrahmen. On this DAAD Website you can find more information about admission to German universities.
4) Financing your studies abroad. Get information about DAAD and other scholarships: www.funding-guide.de
5) German Language Proficiency. Before you can take up a course of studies at a German university, you normally have to prove that your German language skills are good enough for studying. You can do this by passing one of the following two German language tests: "Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber" (DSH) or "Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache" (TestDaF). You can only sit the DSH at your German university. TestDaF can be taken at many test centres located in Germany and abroad. The following language certificates are also accepted: "Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz Stufe II", or the Goethe Institute's "Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung", "Großes Sprachdiplom" or "Kleines Sprachdiplom". The German language requirement does not apply to applicants who hold an Abitur school leaving certificate awarded by a recognized German school abroad. Detailed information on German language tests and certificates, German language courses, and test centres can be found on the DAAD website: www.daad.de/deutschland/deutsch-lernen/wie-deutsch-lernen/00532.de.html
6) Where to apply? The first thing to do is to read the website or contact the International Office, the Akademische Auslandsamt (AAA) of your university in Germany. They will tell you exactly how and where to apply. Here you can find their address. Generally, there are three options. You have to apply either at the "Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung", at "Uni-Assist" or at the "International Office" of your university. This is the reason why:
- There are subjects for which there are many more applicants than study places in Germany. In such cases, a nationwide admissions restriction applies for all the universities that offer this subject. (Currently these are: veterinary medicine, medicine, pharmacy, psychology and dentistry.) Germans and equal status foreigners (i. E. students from the EU or Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland) who want to study these particular programs must initially send their application to the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (www.hochschulstart.de). The application deadline for the summer semester (begins in April) is usually January 15, for the winter semester (begins in October) July 15. Besides nationwide admissions restrictions, there are also subjects with local admissions restrictions, i.e. where the admissions restriction only applies to individual higher education institutions and not to all institutions. These study places are awarded direct by the respective university.
- If your university is a member of Uni-Assist, you have to send your application forms to that agency. They check if your forms are complete and forward it to the university of your choice. One application costs 55 Euros and enables students to apply at several universities at the same time. Is your university a member of Uni-Assist? Check here!
7) Matriculation. As soon as you got the university admission, they will let you know when to enrole. The date is shortly before the semester begins.
8) Visa. If you decide to study or stay more than three months in Germany, you have to apply for a study permit. You can do that at the Foreigners' Registration Office once you arrived there.
