Preparatory college (Studienkolleg)

Please check first whether you already hold the university entrance qualification required to study in Germany or whether you must complete a year of preparation at a Studienkolleg.

You can use DAADExternal link or anabinExternal link databases to check whether your foreign educational qualifications are valid in Germany.

If you are eligible for direct admission to university, you do not have to attend a Studienkolleg. If you still lack the required German skills (DSH-2), please read more about our DSH preparatory course.

Applicants for the Studienkolleg must provide evidence of a B1External link level of German, e.g.

• Certificate B1 (Goethe Institute, telc, ÖSD, certificates from recognized language institutes) or
• TestDaF with at least 4 x 3.

If you would like to prepare for a study programme with restricted admission at a Studienkolleg, you need a secondary education diploma from your home country with a minimum grade equivalent to a 1.5 in the German grading system.

If you meet the requirements to attend the Thuringian Studienkolleg in Nordhausen, you can take the acceptance testExternal link. This will be a German and/or mathematics test. If you pass the test and are among the top 120 applicants, you will be accepted for the Studienkolleg.

1. Scan all documents listed below as pdfs and save them under specified file names.
2. Have all documents ready at hand, because you will have to insert data from them in the online application.

• University entrance qualification:
  • a certified copy of your original school leaving certificate and university entrance examination (if taken) with a translation (into German or English)
  • Moroccan applicants: evidence of the Baccalauréat de l'Enseignement Secondaire with a result of at least "assez bien"
• Prior study programme:
  • a certified copy of your original degree certificate or times of study with a sworn translation (into German or English)
  • a certified copy of the original transcript of records for your degree with a sworn translation (into German or English)
• Knowledge of the German language:
  • a certified copy of evidence of your German language proficiency (please see our information on language requirements)
• a CV (in tabular form)
• Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese applicants: the original version of the APS certificate issued by the Akademische Prüfstelle as proof your academic achievements

Please note
Underage applicants and underage students (who have not yet reached the age of 18 when starting their education at the preparatory college) please ask the preparatory college in Nordhausen whether general consent from the legal guardian (parents) is necessary.

Definition: certified copy

In Germany, all public bodies bearing an official seal can officially certify documents. This includes municipal administrations, district offices, and minor administrative authorities (e.g. local mayors, town administration, local registration offices etc.); it also includes courts and notaries. Official certifications can also be provided by the culture department of the embassy of the country that issues a certificate.

Outside Germany, the following authorities are authorized to issue official certifications: the Diplomatic Missions of the Federal Republic of Germany and the authorities and notaries authorized to issue official certifications in their respective countries. The original stamp and signature of the certifying person must be provided.

Definition: sworn translation

Certificates must always be translated by an official body, e.g. the issuing institution or a sworn translator. Attestations made by non-certified translators will not be accepted.

• Application period for the summer semester: 1 October to 30 November
• Application period for the winter semester: 1 April to 31 May

1. Please choose your future study programmepdf, 271 kb · de at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and learn more about your focus coursepdf, 96 kb · de at the Studienkolleg as preparation for your studies.
2. Register at the online application portalExternal link. Save your login and password. This enables you to use the online platform later without having to re-register. 
3. Complete the online application and upload all required documents. Our online application is paperless. Please do not send us any application and/or documents in paperform. More information are available in our manual for applicantspdf, 1 mb · de. 
4. You will be able to check the status of your application in the application portal by entering your username and password. Make sure you regularly check your emails for updates regarding your application.
5. You will receive the decision on an offer of admission or a rejection by email after a processing time of approx. 14 days.
6. After receiving conditional admission, please do not apply for enrolment at the University of Jena and do not use the "Apply for enrolment" button in the application portal. 
7. After receiving your admission letter, apply for a visa for entering Germany and taking part in the Preparatory College in Nordhausen. You may check whether you need a visa hereExternal link.
8. Take part in the acceptance test at the Thuringian Studienkolleg in Nordhausen. Once you have passed the acceptance test and been offered a place, you will be enrolled there.Please find all details about the test and enrolment on the website of the StudienkollegExternal link.

Here you can find the application portal for the Studienkolleg.External link

We strongly recommend that you apply for a roomExternal link at the student services organization Studierendenwerk Thüringen at the same time as you apply for the Studienkolleg. Note that you need to apply for a room in Nordhausen (deadline: 15 July for the winter semester / 15 January for the summer semester), because the Studienkolleg is located on the campus of the Hochschule Nordhausen - University of Applied Sciences. Finding accommodation on the private housing market is much more difficult.

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