Study and research in Germany

Admission is the key to studying

Admission opens the door to uniTomás is overjoyed. The postman has finally delivered the letter of admission from his future university. It entitles him to start his Bachelor of International Business Administration programme in the following winter semester. "I really have to thank for staff at uni-assist for ensuring that everything went so smoothly. I was able to call the uni-assist hotline at any time if I needed advice. And it was really useful that uni-assist informed me that a certificate was missing as soon as they had received and checked my application papers," reports Tomás on his positive experience with uni-assist - the Service Centre for International Student Applications.

You can't study if you haven't been admitted: Not only did our scout Tomás have to apply for admission to higher education. In fact, every study applicant from abroad has to do so. This applies equally to first-year students/undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates and doctoral students. No international applicant can study in Germany if they have not been admitted to higher education. The admissions process checks whether the applicant meets the academic requirements for the programme in question. This includes, for example, the school leaving certificate (particularly important for first-year students) or any academic achievements or credits already earned in the home country (particularly important for postgraduates and doctoral students). Certificates and credits have to be recognised as equivalent with German qualifications. If they are not, applicants need to improve their qualifications, for example by sitting admissions exams.

Find out about the admissions requirements as early as possible: Tomás, for example, still had to  complete a pre-study internship and pass a German as a foreign language exam called TestDaF. In fact, many degree programmes make admission subject to the applicant having adequate German language skills. In the case of our scout Mai, however, the situation was slightly different. To be admitted to her international Master of Chemistry programme she had to prove that her English proficiency was good enough for a course of academic studies. Many German universities offer International Degree Programmes especially for foreign applicants. These programmes are mostly taught in English. "Besides studying for my Master's degree, I'm now also learning German at the Language Centre. Then, at the end of the second semester, I have to take a German language test. I need that for admission to the doctoral programme."

Recognition of previous academic achievements and credits important: To gain admission to the Master's programme, Mai first had to have the academic degree in chemistry that she had earned at the Vietnam National University recognised. This involved her submitting loads of papers and documents to the International Office of her chosen university. These included an publicly authenticated copy of her higher education entrance qualification and of her academic degree, a letter of recommendation from a university teacher, and proof that her English language skills were adequate, which she provided in the form of a language certificate.

Observe the formal specifications: "After two weeks I got an email from the International Office which informed me that the copies of my certificates could not be accepted. I had to have them officially authenticated. They advised me to go to the German Embassy, which is entitled to officially authenticate such documents."

Tomás came across a similar problem. He had translated his certificates into German himself. "I thought I could simply do it like that. After all, I can speak and write German. But uni-assist in Berlin informed me that the translation had to be done by a certified or sworn translator. The staff at uni-assist then explained exactly what an authenticated copy is."

So Tomás and Mai both know now that "it is important to find out about the admissions procedure and requirements as early as possible. Otherwise, you won't have enough time to catch up with any missing admissions requirements or to obtain the required documents."

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