Admission procedure
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Study programmes can have no admission restriction or can have restricted admission locally or throughout Germany. Application procedures for individual study programmes are based on this. In addition, you may have to go through a selection process or pass an aptitude test before you are admitted to the course. Information about this can also be found on university websites. Applications for a study programme are usually made using an online application form. In addition, certain documents must be submitted by post along with the application.
In addition to study programmes that have restricted admission locally and throughout Germany, there are also study programmes that have no admission restriction, i.e., for which you generally do not have to fulfil any other special requirements. In most cases, the Abitur, advanced technical college entrance qualification or certain professional qualifications are sufficient to be able to enrol. Enrolment takes place directly at the university. However, even in this case deadlines must be observed!
You don’t have to submit several applications for Bachelor’s study programmes that have no admission restriction because when you submit the corresponding admission requirements, such as the Abitur, you will be enrolled in the selected study programme.
The word “locally” means that the admission to a study programme is restricted at a certain university. In contrast, there are also study programmes that have restricted admission at all universities throughout Germany that offer such study programmes, e.g., Medicine or Pharmacy. Study programmes that have restricted admission locally are often also called NC courses. NC stands for numerus clausus, i.e., closed number.
It is possible to make several applications for study programmes that have restricted admission locally. If a study programme has restricted admission locally, it is imperative that you apply to the university on time.
Study programmes of Medicine, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry are so popular that they have restricted admission at all universities throughout Germany, i.e., they are subject to a numerus clausus. Application for and allocation of study places for these study programmes takes place centrally via the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung.
In the case of study programmes with a high and mostly specific share of practical study, it is often necessary to go through a selection procedure or pass an aptitude test before you can apply, enrol or even register for the respective study programme. This applies above all to study programmes at universities that offer a relevant range of courses, for example in Design, Art, Music, Drama, Sports Science or Dance.
