Admission Requirements
In order to be admitted to study at the University of Osnabrück, applicants must have a secondary school diploma equivalent to the German Abitur (Educational Requirements). For direct admission very good German language proficiency is required as well . The applicant’s German language skills must already be at a high level at the time of application. Certain programs of study may also require a knowledge of other languages. We would like to draw your attention to the uni-assist database INOBIS which provides information about studies in Germany. Educational Requirements Secondary school diploma > Some foreign secondary school diplomas are also recognized in Germany and are therefore considered equal to a German Abitur. For students from some countries, a combination of a secondary school diploma and transcripts proving that the student has completed one or two years of college-level education are required in order to be admitted to a German university. If you want to know if your diploma is recognized in Germany, check the INOBIS or anabin website (in German). Language Requirements – German-language proficiency The DSH examination is divided into three different levels: DSH 1, DSH 2, DSH 3. Unfortunately, the University of Osnabrück itself does not offer any preparatory German-language courses for potential students. This means that in order to be admitted to the University of Osnabrück, applicants must provide proof of the required language skills along with their application. If you have not taken the DSH, or you do not have any other equivalent test results, you can still apply if you take the Goethe-Certificate B2. We will also accept written confirmation that you have completed over 1200 hours of advanced-level German instruction. Your proof of language skills may not be older than approx. one year. In certain cases, you do not have to take the DSH or TestDaF if: Certain programs of study may also require proficiency in other languages!
Applicants from Vietnam, China and Mongolia should note that they have to follow some special regulations.
Basically, all students, both foreign and German, must have proof that they are qualified to attend university. International students applying within Germany must have a secondary school diploma that qualifies them to study at a university in their home country. If you are only qualified to study certain subjects in your home country, then you will only be allowed to study those subjects in Germany, too. In this case, your degree is called a subject-restricted diploma (fachgebundene Hochschulreife).
As a rule, if you have completed a university degree in your own country, you are permitted to study any subject at the University of Osnabrück.
Grade point average > For some study programs only a limited number of study places is available, so your grade point average is a crucial factor for admission to these study programs.
Is your secondary school diploma not equivalent to a German Abitur? > Secondary school diplomas from many countries are not recognized in Germany. You can find out if your diploma is acceptable by checking the INOBIS or anabin website (in German). Applicants from these countries can, under certain conditions, take an assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung). Passing this test will allow you to study only certain subjects. Normally, an applicant can take an assessment test after taking a one-year preparatory course (Studienkolleg) in Germany.
If you apply for a preparatory course (Studienkolleg) in Osnabrück, you will need a grade point average of at least 3.0, calculated according to the German grade point system. Please note that there are no preparatory courses in Osnabrück. Applicants will be sent to preparatory courses in Hanover or Halle/Sachsen-Anhalt.
In order to study at the University of Osnabrück, you will need to have very good German language skills. Language skills are tested through the DSH test (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang) or the TestDaF (Deutsch als Fremdsprache). As a rule, you can take the DSH in Germany, or the Test-DaF in your home country. We advice taking TestDaF at home. There are various Test-DaF centres all over the world.
Which DSH-level rsp. which TestDaF-level is required to study courses at the University of Osnabrück can been found in our overviews for undergraduate courses and graduate courses >>
If your application is successful, you will be admitted to the University – but only if you pass the DSH. In this case, we will notify you when you must take the DSH. Examination dates are before the beginning of a semester.
PLEASE NOTE: An application with the Goethe-Certificate B2 is only possible with an application for a winter semester, as the DSH exam at our university is only offered in September.
The following documents will free you from the obligation to take the DSH or TestDaF:
