International student admissions

In order to be admitted as a student at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, you require a school-leaving certificate that serves as a university entrance qualification, for example:

• Abitur
• A-level
• Baccalauréat
• Matura

Your school leaving certificate must...

•  ...entitle you to study in your home country
•  ...be comparable to the German Abitur

School-leaving qualifications from some countries are not equivalent to the German Abitur. If this applies to your certificate, you must pass a so-called "Feststellungsprüfung" (FSP). This is an assessment of your suitability to study at a German university. In order to prepare for this examination and your studies in Germany, you usually have to take a one-year course at a "Studienkolleg". This requires a basic knowledge of the German language. Further information can be found on the websites of the individual Studienkollegs, for example in Nordhausen.

Good to know: You can check whether you can apply directly to a German university with your school-leaving certificate or whether you will need to fulfil additional requirements. The database for international educational qualifications "Anabin" will help you step by step.

In order to be able to study at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, you sometimes need to have done a pre-study work placement. The duration of this placement may vary depending on the degree course you intend to take. For more information, please check the specific website of the degree program you have chosen.

The University of Applied Sciences Erfurt currently only offers one English-taught degree program (the Master's in Sustainable Engineering of Infrastructure). For this degree program, you must prove that you have B2 English (according to CEFR). The following certificates are accepted:

• IELTS – Academic (Band 6.0)
• TOEFL (CBT > 213, IBT > 79, PBT > 550 points)
• Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, Grade C
• Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic) > 59 points on average

You need no German language certificates for the Master's in Sustainable Engineering of Infrastructure.

When applying for all other degree courses, you must be able to prove that you have sufficient German language skills. When you apply to us, you must be able to demonstrate that you have at least B1-level German. When you begin your studies, you must prove that you have C1-level German proficiency.

To demonstrate that you have reached C1 level in German, you are required to submit proof of one of the following:

• "Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang" (DSH), level 2 or higher
• "Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache" (TestDaF), in which you must have achieved at least level 4 in each part of the examination
• the Goethe-Institut's "Großes Sprachdiplom", "Kleines Sprachdiplom" or Central Advanced Level Examination (Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung)
• Abitur from a German school abroad
• "TELC Deutsch C1 Hochschule" (TELC German C1 University)
• "Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz - Zweite Stufe" (German Language Diploma of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany - Second Stage)

Please note: Language certificates from private language schools (e.g. Hartnackschule) are not recognized at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt.

If you already have qualifications from Germany (e.g. a Bachelor's degree), please apply via the online application portal of FH Erfurt.

Applying without a German qualification

If you have not yet obtained qualifications in Germany, please use the application portal Uni-Assist.

Once you have registered in Uni-Assist, you can apply by selecting our university "Fachhochschule Erfurt" and the degree program you would like to study. 

For your application you will need to upload the following documents:

• your school leaving certificate
• proof that you have passed any university entrance examinations if applicable
• proof of studies or your degree certificate if you have already studied at a university in your home country
• the transcript of subjects and grades from your prior university studies if you have already studied in your home country
• proof of German language skills acquired to date (at least level B1)
• for applicants from China, Vietnam, Mongolia and India: proof of the certificate of the Academic Evaluation Centre
• if applicable, proof of pre-study placements that you have already completed

After you have received notification of admission from Fachhochschule Erfurt, you will have to submit certified copies of your certificates when you enrol at our university.

Attention! Please note the following exceptions:

If you...

•  ...are studying as part of a cooperation or partnership agreement
•  ...are transferring from another German university to FH Erfurt
• ... are applying for a cooperative degree program  

... please use our extra application form for international applicants.

If you apply via Uni-Assist, you must expect to pay the following costs:

• 75 euros per application
• 30 euros for each additional degree course you apply for    

Refugees can use the Uni-Assist applications procedure free of charge. In order to obtain the necessary certificate, you must prove that you intend to study. Please contact the Welcome Project.

We have no application deadlines for international applicants. You can apply all year round via uni-assist.de, as you are often required to attend language courses or courses at a Studienkolleg before starting your studies, which can take time.

Please note that it can take about three months to process your application documents, so allow for this time when planning your visa application.

Some courses require a selection procedure because the number of applicants is greater than the number of places available. If the degree program of your choice has a so-called "Numerus Clausus", you need to have achieved a specific minimum grade average on your school leaving certificate. Eight percent of the places in courses with Numerus Clausus (restricted admissions) are reserved for international students.

Special note for applicants from the PR China, Mongolia and Vietnam

If you come from China, Mongolia or Vietnam, you must have your certificates examined by a so-called Akademische Prüfstelle (Academic Evaluation Centre).

Please contact the testing authorities directly for more information:

• Academic Evaluation Centre Beijing
• Academic Evaluation Centre Hanoi
• Academic Evaluation Centre Ulan Bator

Special note for applicants from Morocco

Only applications with at least "assez bien" (>60 %) on the Baccalauréat de´l Enseignement Secondaire will be accepted at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt. Graduates of a four-year course of study (holders of a "licence" or "maitrise") at a recognised university are excluded from this regulation.

Special note for applicants from Syria

If you do not yet have a B1 German certificate, you can submit a confirmation of enrolment for a language course up to B1 from a German language school.

Your qualifications will be checked by Uni-Assist. If they determine that your university entrance qualification is only partially comparable with the German entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences, you must take an entrance test which determines the aptitude of international applicants for admission to study at a university of applied sciences (the "Feststellungsprüfung") before starting your studies.

In this case, we will grant you conditional admission, subject to attending the Studienkolleg Nordhausen.

For more information and dates for the next Studienkolleg entrance test, click here:

https://www.hs-nordhausen.de/international/staatliches-studienkolleg/aufnahmetest/

Once you have passed the Feststellungsprüfung (FSP), please submit the certificate to the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt.

Please also apply via Uni-Assist if you are currently attending another Studienkolleg and would like to study at our university. You will then also receive conditional admission after the entrance test and should submit the certificate when you have passed the test.

We only offer degree programs that follow preparation in the T and W courses.

Here is an overview of all Studienkollegs in Germany:

https://www.studienkollegs.de/Kontaktdaten.html

Your qualifications will be checked by UniAssist. If they are already sufficient for admission to study here, you must present the required language certificate before starting your degree program:

• DSH certificate (DSH-2 or DSH-3)

• or TestDaF (at least 4 points in each part of the exam)

• or "TELC Deutsch C1 Hochschule"

If we grant you conditional admission subject to a language course, you need to attend a language school.

You will only be able to enrol at FH Erfurt after you have passed the DSH exam (DSH-2 or DSH-3), TestDaF (level 4 in all parts) or "TELC Deutsch C1 Hochschule"!

After submitting the certificate proving that you have passed the DSH or equivalent, we will review your application documents.

The Erfurter Zentrum für Sprachen und Integration (EZSI) offers preparatory German courses for university studies. http://ezsi.de/

Please send us proof of your Studienkolleg qualification or proof of language proficiency from the language course by post or email to internationalapplications@fh-erfurt.de. Your documents will be reviewed again and, if approved, you will be admitted to your chosen degree program.