international full degree students
Attention: important information for all international applicants from winter semester 2007/08 onwards
Starting winter semester 2007/08, the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg requires all international undergraduate applicants from countries outside the EU to sit for an aptitude test. Candidates' test rank must be higher than 50 % and for subjects with restricted numbers of places we will calculate a special admission score from both test results and grades of previous education certificates. The test will enable our university to properly choose applicants who meet our level of requirement. And applicants will be able to make a better judgement on their prospective success in the German university system. You will find detailed information on the webpage of TestAS . (Some applicants may not need to sit for the test , see below).
The following information sheet addresses itself to all those who come to Germany directly from a foreign country. If however, you have attented a German secondary school and obtained the German Abitur, you are considered a so-called "Bildungsinländer". In this case, you hold the same rights as German school leavers (high school graduates) and may apply to and register with our university under the same conditions (see I). This also applies to applicants with EU nationality, although they still have to pass the German language aptitude test (see III.).
- How to apply
- Higher Education Entrance
- German Language Classes and DSH Language Proficiency Test
- University Studies
I. How to apply
International applicants normally apply directly to our university's admission office:
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Zulassungsstelle
Postfach 3520
91023 Erlangen
(Visitor’s address: Schlossplatz 3, Room 0.031)
There are only two exceptions to this rule: If your degree course is subject to nation-wide admission restrictions and if you are a citizen of a European Union member country or a holder of the German High School Leaving Certificate "Abitur" (a so-called "Bildungsinländer"), you must address your application to the "Zentralstelle für die Vergabe von Studienplätzen (ZVS)" in 44128 Dortmund.
At the moment the following disciplines at our university are subject to the central admissions procedure: Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy.
In order to apply to the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg you must fill in the application form for international students. (To do this you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader® which you can also download free of charge.)
If you have no possibility of downloading the registration form, we are also prepared to send it to you by mail. Together with the registration form you must hand in authenticated copies of the following documents:
- high school leaving certificate
- certificates acquired during university studies
- certificates indicating your level of German proficiency or proof of enrolment in a German language course not yet completed
- certificate of aptitude test (exempted from the test are for instance applicants with EU nationality; applicants who have completed a degree programme of 3 years minimum at an accredited university; applicants for Master and PhD programmes; for further details see here)
Your application for admission must have reached the university
- by July 15 for admission to a winter semester and
- by January 15 for admission to a summer semester.
II. Higher Education Entrance
Admission to studies at a German university depends on how your secondary school leaving certificate is assessed. If it is recognised as being equivalent to the German high school leaving certificate "Abitur" you can be admitted directly to university studies after having passed the DSH language proficiency test (see below). This applies to certificates from most European countries but also to quite a few certificates from African and other overseas countries such as Cameroon, Tunisia, Syria or Israel.
Applicants who cannot be admitted directly (usually those with less than 12 years of school attendance) must first take an assessment test, the so-called "Feststellungsprüfung". If you have to sit this test you are urgently advised to attend a one-year preparatory course at a "Studienkolleg" before doing so. The Studienkolleg closest to Erlangen-Nuremberg is the one in Munich.
If you have already completed one or two years of a degree programme in your home country you may be exempted from the assessment test.
III. German Language Classes and DSH Language Proficiency Test
http://www.sz.uni-erlangen.de/abteilungen/daf/
With the exception of only a few courses taught in English (see section 4), all other courses at our university are held in German. Hence it is imperative that you gain a high level in the German language. Prior to commencing your course of study you must take the DSH language proficiency test for admission to higher education ("Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber").
The DSH test result is expressed in three levels: DSH 1, DSH 2 or DSH 3. A pass achieved at Level DSH 2 or better counts as proof of sufficient German language skills for matriculation in any degree programme. (For degree courses in Mathematics and Physics DSH level 1 is also accepted.)
Applicants can only be exempted from the DSH test if they gained their Abitur in Germany (or at one of the recognised German schools abroad) or if they are holders of one of the following certificates:
"Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung" or "Kleines/Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom" issued by the Goethe Institute
Level II language certificate of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the German "Länder" (states)
TestDaF certificate: The TestDaf is administered by a net of licensed test centres and can thus be taken in the candidate's home country (or in Germany and also in Erlangen/Nuremberg, see www.testdaf.de ). Test Daf passed at a minimum level of TDN 4 in all four sections of the examinations is sufficient for enrolment in all degree programmes (For courses in Mathematics and Physics TDN 3 is also regarded as sufficient.)
The DSH test is held at our university twice a year, at the beginning of April and at the beginning of October. Applicants wishing to sit for the test must hand in proof that they have completed the "Mittelstufe" (intermediate level) corresponding to a minimum of about 600 course hours.
If you are not yet able to pass the DSH test you may attend German classes at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. The tuition fee for these courses is € 600 for one semester (4 months). The entry requirements for the language classes are as follows:
- your certificates from secondary education (and university studies) must entitle you to be admitted directly to university studies in Germany
- you must have acquired a certain basic level of proficiency in the German language (minimum 200 course hours).
Admission to German language classes is not possible for applicants wishing to enrol for study courses in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy or psychology which are subject to admission restrictions (Numerus clausus). If you wish to apply for admission to a German language class you must also fill in the admission form paying special attention to section 11 ("Antrag auf Zulassung zum Studium für ausländische Studienbewerber/innen").
IV. University Studies
In addition to the traditional degree courses leading to a diploma, Magister or state examination German universities have started introducing degree programmes leading to a Bachelor's and Master's degree. These programmes will eventually (by 2010) replace the traditional degree programmes.
In the winter semester 2007/08, our university will offer Bachelor's degree programmes in all fields of study with the exception of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, food chemistry, law and theology. The corresponding Master's degree programmes will be offered in the academic year 2008/09. (http://www.uni-erlangen.org/studying/degree_programmes)
Whereas the new Bachelor/Master programmes will be taught mostly in German, our university is also offering International Master Programmes where the language of instruction is mainly English, although the number of classes or lectures conducted in English will differ depending on the particular subject studied. Graduates with a Bachelor's degree can apply directly for these courses.
- Advanced Materials and Processes (M.Sc.)
- Advanced Optical Technologies (M.Sc.)
- Computational Engineering (M.Sc.)
- Chemical and Bio-Engineering (M.Sc.)
- International Business (M..A.)
- International Information Systems (M.Sc.)
- Physical Activity and Health (M.A.)
- Systems of Information and Multimedia Technology (M.Sc.)
( www.uni-erlangen.org/international/degree_programmes/english/ )
There is also a degree programme leading to a Master of Laws (L.L.M.) for law graduates from institutions outside Germany . This programme requires, however, a very good command of German.
In addition to the above-mentioned courses our university offers PhD programmes (Doctoral Programmes) in all subjects. These are research-based courses, and it is possible to write the dissertation in English, for example. Thus PhD students do not automatically have to pass the DSH German proficiency test and can conduct their research in English. International degrees may be recognised as fulfilling the requirements for registering as a doctoral candidate. The required degree will normally be a Master's. If you hold a Bachelor's degree you cannot register for a doctorate directly but will have to complete a Master's in the standard degree course first. In the fields where the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg offers international degree programmes, holders of an appropriate Bachelor's degree can enroll directly for a Master's course.
It is important that international students interested in undertaking a doctorate in Germany realise that in most fields there is no structured programme of study. There are, however, some exceptions to this rule, the so-called "Graduiertenkollegs" (Research Training Groups) and the "Doktorandenkollegs" (International Doctorate Programmes or Graduate Schools ) which offer structured and research-focused doctoral studies and intensive individual supervision. Where there is no such programme, academic achievement is assessed solely on the basis of a written dissertation which is supervised by a professor (the so-called apprentice model). This supervisor is known in German as a ' Doktorvater' or ' Doktormutter' .