If your certificates are formally not sufficient to study directly in Germany, in certain cases there is the possibility to attend the Studienkolleg (preparatory college) in Germany to obtain a university entrance qualification.
You can find information about university entrance opportunities with your certificates in the anabin database.
The Studienkolleg (preparatory college) serves as preparation for your chosen degree programme. It usually lasts two semesters and is concluded with the Feststellungsprüfung (final exam of the Studienkolleg). If you pass the final exam, you will receive the Feststellungszeugnis (final certificate of the Studienkolleg). Together with your previous educational certificates from your home country, the Feststellungszeugnis constitutes your university entrance qualification. The Feststellungszeugnis, thus, confirms that you meet the formal and linguistic requirements for studying in Germany.
The application for the Studienkolleg always takes place via the university at which you would like to study after having completed the Studienkolleg. Please keep in mind that TU Braunschweig can only register you for the admission procedure at the Lower Saxony Studienkolleg in Hannover.
Admission procedure
Before beginning with your studies at the Studienkolleg, you must take an entrance exam. Please note that TU Braunschweig will only register you for the admission procedure at the Studienkolleg. The Studienkolleg Hannover decides whether you will be invited to take the entrance exam.
The admission procedure takes place in two stages. After you have applied at TU Braunschweig and have received the information that you have been registered at the Studienkolleg, you send your German certificate to the Studienkolleg Hannover. On the basis of the certificates submitted, the Studienkolleg compiles a ranking list, which is used to decide who will take part in the entrance exam. The invitations to the entrance exam are sent directly by the Studienkolleg Hannover.
If you are invited to the entrance exam, you will take the entrance exam according to your chosen core course. This core course enables you to study your chosen degree programme after having completed the Studienkolleg. Depending on your previous education, you may only be able to complete certain core courses at the Studienkolleg.
Information about exam dates and sample tests can be found on the website of the Lower Saxony Studienkolleg in Hanover.
Core Courses
The Studienkolleg offers the following core courses to prepare students for their studies:
- T-course for technical, mathematical and scientific degree programmes (except biology)
- M-course for medical and biological degree programmes
- W-course for business and social science degree programmes
- G/S course for humanities and language-related degree programmes
The core course you must take depends on your previous education and your chosen degree programme you want to study after having completed the Studienkolleg.
After the preparatory year, you will take the final exam (Feststellungsprüfung) in one of the above-mentioned core courses. With this final exam (Feststellungsprüfung) you have a subject-specific university entrance qualification and you can study all degree programmes that correspond to the core course you have completed.
How do I apply for the Studienkolleg?
You can apply for the Studienkolleg directly via our application portal.
To the application portal
Applicants for the Studienkolleg have to select "Studienkolleg" as their degree in the application system. You can then select the degree programme you would like to study after the Studienkolleg under "Course of study ". Please note that it is not possible to apply for the 2-subjects bachelor for the Studienkolleg. If you would like to study a 2-subject bachelor’s programme after the Studienkolleg, please select a closely related degree programme. If you would like to take the G/S core course at the Studienkolleg, please select the Educational Sciences programme.
Application deadlines
- Application for the winter semester (beginning in October): 15 April – 31 May
- Application for the summer semester (beginning in April): 15 October – 30 November
Language requirements
Applicants for the Studienkolleg must proof at least level B1 of German language proficiency at the time of application. The Studienkolleg Hannover will make a preliminary selection of applicants who will be admitted to the entrance exam on the basis of the German language certificates submitted. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you apply with a German level higher than B1, as there is little chance that you will be admitted by the Studienkolleg to the entrance exam with a B1 certificate.
Only the following certificates will be accepted:
Onset, TestDaf, DSH, DSD I, DSD II, Telc, Telc Hochschule, Goethe certificates, ÖSD certificates, Unicert, IB German, IIK Göttingen, certificates from TU Clausthal and certificates from TU Braunschweig