Information for Foreign Students and
Doctoral Candidates
Admission and Applications
Overview
- Application for Admission to Study
- Foreign Academic Records
- German knowledge
- Applications for advanced placement
- Subject-specific aptitude
- Participation in the Assessment Test
- Application to change Studienkollegs
- Admission test for the Studienkolleg
- Submission of application materials
- Admission and notification of decisions
Application for Admission to Study
Application for Admission to Study
All German universities use the same standardised application form which can be requested from the International Relations Office or may be downloaded here.
Please make sure that your application form is complete and that the information you give is correct.
Your application must be accompanied by the following documents:
an officially certified photocopy of the secondary school certificate and an officially certified German, English or French translation of the certificate
an officially certified photocopy and translation of the results of the higher education admission test if it takes place in your home country or is required for admission to a course of study in Germany; or an officially certified photocopy and translation of proof of enrolment at a university in your home country
if applicable, an officially certified photocopy and translation of college or university degree courses previously completed in your home country
certificates proving your German language competence (see also German Language Competence)
a passport photo
applicants from China also enclose a certificate of the "Akademische Prüfstelle" of the German Embassy in China.
The admission application and the required attachments are to be delivered after completion in full and on time to the International Relations Office either in person or by post. Should the application be incomplete or arrive late, the right to have the application considered will be lost.
The application deadlines for each summer semester end on the 15th of January, for each winter semester on the 15th of July of the same year. (The deadline is for receipt of the application at the University of Potsdam. Postmarks do not count.) Applications sent by electronic mail will not be accepted.
Application must be directed toward a course of study which the educational record in the home country makes possible, and which is offered at the University of Potsdam. An application only for the Studienkolleg or for the German course will not be accepted.
In conformity with the application for a study subject, there follows appropriate to the foreign academic record assignment either to an institution for preparation for study, permission to take the German language examination for admission to higher education for foreign applicants (DSH), or acceptance to begin university studies immediately.
Foreign academic records
Foreign academic records shall be divided into two groups according to German decisions:
Academic records that enable immediate entry to higher education:
This is the case when a school diploma or degree can be presented that is equivalent to the German Abitur, or when a certain number of semesters (according to the regulations of the Culture Ministers Conference) have been completed in the home country. Beyond the academic record, a certificate demonstrating successful completion of the "German language examination for admission to higher education for foreign applicants" (DSH) must be presented. The examination may take place in two ways:
Take the DSH as non-student (previous demonstration of intermediate knowledge in the form of a certificate from a recognised language school)
Take the DSH after a preparatory German course at the University of Potsdam.
In compliance with governmental regulations, prospective students who have successfully completed the examination may enrol only in one subject of study or choose from a group of subjects, or they choose one subject from all the subjects that are offered.
Academic records that do not enable immediate entry to higher education:
Immediate entry to higher education is not possible if the secondary school degree obtained in the home country is not equivalent to a German Abitur, even if the degree normally permits higher education study in the home country. In this case student applicants who have very good results in the placement test have the possibility to attend the Studienkolleg at the University of Potsdam and at the end to take the "assessment examination."
Applications for advanced placement
Applications for advanced placement
To determine the possibility of having coursework done in the home country be recognised and thereby be placed at an advanced level of study, a corresponding application must be presented. This application for recognition of completed study and examinations and for advanced placement must be provided to the International Relations Office. Notarised copies of the original grade or mark reports of the studies in the home country must be included. Since higher education systems vary greatly by country, this recognition of previously completed study is not always possible.
The corresponding application is available in the International Relations Office or from the Examination Department. Please be aware that the processing of the application can take a long time (up to several months).
Subject-specific aptitude
Application to take the subject-specific aptitude examination
Such an application may be presented if you have a degree equivalent to the German Realschulabschluß, have completed an apprenticeship, have several years of work experience and are at least 24 years old. Ask for further advice from the International Relations Office.
Application to take the German language examination for admission to higher education for foreign applicants (DSH) for those who are not enrolled at the University of Potsdam
The University allows non-students to take the DSH before the beginning of the following semester. The examination takes place in the first half of March or September. (ÆSchedule)
The usual application form and attachments are required.
If the requested subject of study is offered at the University of Potsdam in the following semester, as a rule, timely and complete applications to take the exam will be accepted. (There may be exceptions for restricted-access subjects.)
There is no automatic legal right to take part in this external examination.
Permission to take the exam will not be granted if the application does not include either a certificate from the Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung of the Goethe Institute, a certificate for Intermediate German I from a recognised private German language school, or an equivalent certificate. Proof of participation in a course (even a DSH-course at another German university) is insufficient.
Participation in the Assessment Test
Applicants with a high German language competence and subject knowledge may take the assessment test without prior attendance of the preparatory course (Studienkolleg).
Applications for the external assessment test will have to be submitted to the International Relations Office (Akademisches Auslandsamt - AAA) by March 1 or September 1.
In addition to the usual application documents your application should include the following form:
"Application for participation in the external assessment test at the Studienkolleg of the University of Potsdam"
Your application will be reviewed by the International Relations Office and then forwarded to the Studienkolleg. The Studienkolleg will then send you a letter of invitation which will contain information on the assessment test and on the subjects to be tested.
Decisions on admission to the external assessment test are taken by the Board of Examiners of the Studienkolleg in May and November of the same year. Participation in the external assessment test is not guaranteed by law.
Application to change Studienkollegs
Transfer to the Studienkolleg of the University of Potsdam is an exception and will only be permitted if the request is well-founded.
Admission test for the Studienkolleg
Application for an exemption from the admission test for the Studienkolleg A complete application must be received by the International Relations Office on time. There is no special application form for an exemption from the admission test to attend the Studienkolleg. Instead, the request should be accompanied by one of the following certificates:
Kleines or Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom from the Kultusministerkonferenz,
Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung of the Goethe Institute,
German language examination for admission to higher education for foreign applicants (DSH)
The Studienkolleg shall decide upon the exemption from the admission test.
Submission of application materials
Submission of application materials
Citizens of the European Union and foreigners educated in Germany:
No matter in which country of the European Union the permission to study in an institution of higher education was received, all EU-students must fulfil the same conditions for admission as all German prospective students. For study programmes with nationally established restrictions on admission, applications and all supporting materials must be received by the Zentralen Vergabestelle für Studienplätze (ZVS) by the 15th of January or 15th of July (firm deadline):
Zentrale Vergabestelle für Studienplätze
Sonnenstraße 171,
44128 Dortmund.
For study programmes with restricted admission set by the University, applications should be sent to the International Relations Office of the University of Potsdam.
All other prospective foreign students apply directly to the International Relations Office of the University of Potsdam.
Universität Potsdam
Akademisches Auslandsamt
Am Neuen Palais 10
14469 Potsdam.
Admission and notification of decisions
Processing of applications for admission and notification of decisions
Applications for the following semester will be accepted beginning in April or October. If a self-addressed answer card with adequate postage is included, it will be mailed to you as confirmation of receipt.
Applications for admission are generally processed beginning in May or November. If it is clear from the application that the applicant is still abroad, these applications will be given priority for early processing. If the application is approved, the applicant will receive an applicant confirmation Bewerber-Bestätigung, BBZ to present to the German Embassy to request a student visa.
If it is unclear whether the schools attended or academic record reports are officially recognised, the processing of the application can take several months.
Notification of admission decisions
for admission test for the Studienkolleg: sent in mid-June or mid-December
for admission test to the German course: sent in mid-August or mid-February
for the German Language Exam (DSH): sent in mid-August or mid-February
for admission to study: sent at the beginning of September or March |
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