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 issue can be resolved by attending a Studienkolleg and completing the "Feststellungsprüfung" (university qualification exam). If you successfully complete the exam, you can then study subjects in a specific subject area.
Are you unsure if you need to complete a Studienkolleg (preparatory course) first? Use our "Check: university admission" tool 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 will find more information under Bachelor & Staatsexamen.
I don’t know
If you are not sure whether you can start studies directly, we will determine while processing your application whether you are qualified to study in Germany or first need to attend a Studienkolleg. You should look into additional criteria now.
Language proficiency
The language of instruction in Studienkollegs is German, so you generally need to show adequate proficiency in German to be admitted to a Studienkolleg. This also applies, even if you wish to then study for a bachelor's degree with English as the language of instruction.
Further criteria
As well as an appropriate educational background and sufficient language proficiency, there are further criteria for admission to a Studienkolleg. The admission criteria are set by the individual universities and Studienkollegs.
These criteria may include formal application requirements, such as specific deadlines and translations of documents.
Get 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 every subject (Focus course). You will find the courses curently on offer at studienkollegs.de.
The language requirements and accepted language certificates can 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 will usually receive your evaluation result within four to six weeks. Apply as early as possible, ideally at least eight weeks before the end of the application deadline. This ensures that we can inform you in time if any documents are missing.
uni-assist is not automatically responsible for all applications to a uni-assist university. In some cases, uni-assist handles applications for university courses, but not applications for the Studienkolleg, for example.
