Degree and Programs

Undergraduates Program

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE QUALIFICATION

If you want to study at a German higher education institution, you need what is called a “Hochschulzugangsberechtigung” – or “university entrance qualification”. This is a school-leaving certificate which qualifies you for university study. If your secondary-school certificate is deemed insufficient for study in Germany, you will have to attend a preparation/ foundation course (“Studienkolleg”) before you are allowed to enrol to a bachelor degree program.

FOR PEOPLE FROM NON-EU COUNTRIES

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The first thing to do is to find out whether your university entrance qualification is recognised in Germany.
>DAAD entrance qualification database can help you with this. Simply enter the country where you attained your secondary school-leaving certificate. You will then learn whether your certificate is
recognised as qualification for general university admission
recognised only for subject-restricted university admission (i. e. for study in a limited subiect area) recognised only in combination with one or two years of successful university study in your home country not recognised as university not recognised as university entrance qualification.
The DAAD entrance qualification database only provides a general overview. You can obtain more specific data about other coun tries and certificates at Anabin. This database includes information on how foreign secondary school-leaving certificates are evaluated. On the >Anabin website, you can specify your country and certificate when searching the database. It provides all relevant information, e. g. whether your certificate will be recognised and whether you will need to fulfil further requirements. The website, however, is only available in German.

The alternative: Preparation / foundatioN courses and higher education entrance examination

If your school-leaving certificate is not recognised as a higher education entrance qualification, you can take a Preparation or foundation course to qualify you. These courses which are held at the universities and usually last 6-12months, prepares you for your degree program. Because the Language instructions at the foundation course is German, to participate in the Foundation courses, it requires a good command of German (level B1 of the Common European Framework of reference) and a successful entrance examination in most cases. Classes take up 28 to 32 hours per week.

Graduate Program

Information for applicants holding a Bsc or diploma Certificate

In other to apply for a Masters course in Germany, you must have completed an Undergraduate studies with a minimum of 2.8 where the maximum pass grade is 1.0 and minimum pass grade is 4.0 or Minimum of 3.0 if the maximum pass grade is 5.0 and minimum pass grade is 1.0.

At some universities you can already apply before completing your first degree.
Your degree must be equivalent to a German Bachelor degree. This involves the following criteria, among others: The initial degree must be attained at a university which is recognised (accredited) according to the laws of the country in question. Some countries also require the course of study itself to be accredited.

Checking recognition

You can check the recognition of your university using the information portal "anabin" of the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). This is also where you can find out if your degree is equivalent to a German Bachelor degree.

Criteria for your undergraduate degree

Depending on the course of study you are interested in, your initial degree course will need to be equivalent to a German Bachelorcourse with a duration of 3, 3.5 or 4 years. You can find out on anabin which German degree is equivalent to your undergraduate degree.