Will they recognise my higher education certificates?

If you want to study at a German university, you need a so-called Hochschulzugangsberechtigung. This long word describes an easy document: a school leaving certificate, which is recognized as higher education entrance qualification. In Germany, this is also called the Abitur.

How can you determine whether your higher education entrance qualification will be recognised in Germany? A good place to start is the DAAD online admission database. Simply enter the country where you received your school-leaving certificate.

The database will then inform you whether your certificate:

• is recognised as a qualification for direct university admission
• is only recognised as a qualification for subject-restricted study (i.e. only for admission to a certain range of subjects)
• is only recognised in combination with proof you have successfully completed one or two academic years in your home country
• is not recognised as a higher education entrance qualification

If you happen to come from an EU country, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, and your school-leaving certificate is recognised as a university entrance qualification there, it will also be recognised in Germany. This also applies to those who have received their Abitur from any of the 133 German Schools abroad.

The DAAD online admission database only provides a general overview. The database on the website of the anabin (German only) can give you detailed information with a more extensive list of countries and school-leaving certificates (select “Land wählen” then “Zeugnisbewertung”).

In some cases, especially gifted applicants may be admitted into artistic degree programmes without a higher education entrance qualification. Depending on the university, candidates must either submit a work portfolio or pass an aptitude test.

Ultimately, the university you apply to always has the final say concerning your admission. Therefore, before applying, you should enquire at the International Office about the admission requirements at the university of your choice.

What if my school-leaving certificate is not sufficient?

If your school-leaving certificate is not sufficient for university admission, you will have to take a qualification assessment examination in Germany, called a Feststellungsprüfung.

You can prepare for this examination in a foundation course (Studienkolleg) in Germany. Foundation courses are special programmes offered at universities and universities of applied sciences. They include modules with a focus on certain subject areas.

The examination assesses a student’s proficiency in several subjects that are crucial to the degree programme. One component of the qualification assessment examination is a language test. However, students must have some basic German language skills to even participate in a foundation course – approximately the B1 level based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Subject-specific foundation courses usually take two semesters to complete. Students who demonstrate above-average achievement may be permitted to take the qualification assessment examination after only one semester. Foundation courses provide about 32 hours of instruction per week.

Almost all universities offer this preparatory instruction free of charge. However, like normal students, foundation course participants are also required to pay the semester contribution.

More information on the website of the Studienkollegs