Studienkolleg – preparatory course
If your educational background does not qualify you for direct entry into a course of study, the Studienkolleg (preparatory course) prepares you academically and linguistically for studies in Germany. Read more on what to keep in mind.
Criteria check
Your educational background
Sometimes, a school leaving certificate or additional education are not enough for direct entry into a course of study in Germany. In many cases, this problem can be solved by attending a Studienkolleg and completing the "Feststellungsprüfung" (university qualification exam). If you successfully complete the exam, you may study subjects from a specific subject area.
Are you unsure if you need to complete a Studienkolleg (preparatory course) first? Use the tool "Check: university admission" to find out.
Your result – what happens next?
Preparatory course
If you are qualified for the Studienkolleg (preparatory course), please read our guidelines on additional criteria.
Direct admission
If your educational certificates qualify you for direct entry into your chosen course of study, you can find more information under Bachelor & Staatsexamen.
I don’t know
If you are not sure whether you can take up your studies directly, if you need to attend a Studienkolleg first or if you are not qualified to study in Germany at all, we will find out while processing your application. You should look into additional criteria now.
Language proficiency
The language of instruction in Studienkollegs is German. Therefore, in order to be admitted to a Studienkolleg, you will generally need to show adequate proficiency in German. This also applies if, subsequently, you wish to take a bachelor course with English as language of instruction.
Further criteria
In addition to an appropriate educational background and sufficient language proficiency, there are further criteria for admission to a Studienkolleg. These admission criteria are set by the individual universities and Studienkollegs.
These may include formal application requirements such as deadlines or certification and translation of documents.
Getting information
If you wish to apply to a Studienkolleg, contact the uni-assist universities to find out about your options and the criteria for your application.
Not every university offers a Studienkolleg. In the states of Brandenburg and North Rhine Westphalia, there are generally no state-sponsored Studienkollegs, and not every Studienkolleg offers each subject (Focus course). You can find the current course offer at studienkollegs.de.
The language requirements as well as the accepted language certificates may vary between different Studienkollegs.
application deadlines for Studienkollegs are often set earlier than those for university studies. If you are applying for the "externe Feststellungsprüfung" (external university qualification exam), other deadlines than those for the Studienkolleg may apply. You can find more information under Deadlines and processing time.
uni-assist is not automatically responsible for all applications to a uni-assist university. In some cases, uni-assist handles applications to university courses, but not applications for the Studienkolleg.
