Full-Time Studies
International prospective students can apply online for undergraduate programmes (Bachelor’s, state examination) directly in the application portal during the application period. The entire range of courses offered by the University of Freiburg and the application deadlines can be found in the degree programme finder. Applications are submitted by uploading documents. Please apply in the application portal and follow the instructions provided by the programme. The application portal is open from 1 June for the winter semester and from 1 December for the summer semester. A list of the required application documents can be found at the bottom of this page under ‘Checklists for applications’.
The University of Freiburg offers free access to VisaFlow.
VisaFlow is a web app designed to make it easier for international students to move to Germany and enroll at the University of Freiburg. The app provides detailed step-by-step instructions throughout the entire relocation process, helps users navigate the sometimes complex bureaucratic procedures, and ensures that no deadlines are missed. Free access can be activated with the code “UNIFREIBURG25.”
Application information
University entrance qualification refers to the level of general education required for enrolment at a university or other higher education institution in Germany. International applicants to undergraduate degree programmes (bachelor or state examination) at universities in Germany need to provide evidence that they possess the necessary qualification for higher education entrance just like German applicants. In Germany this qualification is generally the Abitur. A secondary school-leaving certificate earned in a European Union member state is generally accepted as university entrance qualification in Germany.
There are different types of higher education entrance in Germany, depending on the school-leaving certificate you have earned. Basically, three different types of higher education entrance can be distinguished:
- Direct higher education entrance: International applicants whose secondary school-leaving certificate is equivalent to the German Abitur may apply directly for admission to a full degree programme in Germany. As a rule, this is also true of applicants who have already earned an initial degree (e.g., bachelor) from an accredited higher education institution abroad.
- Direct subject-restricted higher education entrance: As a rule, international applicants whose secondary school-leaving certificate is recognized but does not qualify them for general higher education entrance but only for specific subjects or vocational areas may only select subjects from those areas (e.g., only humanities or only natural sciences). They may also apply directly for admission to a degree programme in any of those subjects. It is possible to have the restriction to specific subjects removed by passing the Delta Examination at the University of Mannheim. A passing score on the Delta Examination qualifies the applicant for admission to all bachelor’s programmes at the University of Freiburg. The Delta Examination is held each year in May.
- Indirect higher education entrance: International applicants whose school-leaving certificate is not equivalent to the German Abitur may still have the opportunity to compensate for this. As a rule, there are two paths to indirect higher education entrance:
- In addition to a secondary school-leaving certificate, the applicant must provide evidence of having attended an accredited higher education institution abroad. The necessary length of this period of study abroad depends on the type of the applicant’s school-leaving certificate.
- In addition to a secondary school-leaving certificate, the applicant must take a one-year preparatory course at a Studienkolleg in Germany and pass the Assessment Examination (see below under ‘Studienkolleg’ for more details).
Both of these paths lead to subject-restricted higher education entrance qualification in Germany. The subject restriction depends on the subject the applicant studied abroad or their core course at the Studienkolleg.
The basis for assessing international school-leaving certificates and degrees is the database of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (Anabin), which is administered by the Central Office for Foreign Education Systems (ZAB). International applicants can check for themselves on this database whether their school-leaving certificate or degree earned abroad is recognized in Germany.
For information on the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB Diploma), please enter ‘International Baccalaureate’ in the ‘Länder’ (country) search field under ‘Schulabschlüsse mit Hochschulzugang’ (school-leaving certificates with higher education entrance) on anabin and read through the information in the agreement carefully. The agreement that was valid at the time you entered the programme applies.
Please note that we cannot assess your school-leaving certificate or degree until you have submitted your application to the University of Freiburg along with all necessary supporting documents. It is not possible to have your educational records assessed before applying.
You will need very good German language skills for a successful course of study in a bachelor’s or state examination programme. Except for the Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the language of instruction in all undergraduate degree programmes is German.
Some master’s programmes have other language requirements, which may be found in the respective admission regulations or selection statutes. Please inform yourself directly on the list of master’s programmes.
To enrol in an undergraduate degree programme (bachelor or state examination) at the University of Freiburg, you need to submit one of the following language certificates:
- Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang – DSH (German Language Examination for University Entrance) with a proficiency level of DSH 2 or 3. This examination is held at the Language Teaching Centre of the University of Freiburg and includes a written and an oral part.
- Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache – TestDaF (Test of German as a Foreign Language) with a proficiency level of 4 or 5 (TDN 4 or 5) on all four parts.
- Goethe Certificate C2
- Deutsches Sprachdiplom (German Language Diploma) of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) – level II (DSD II) with 4xC1 or 3xC1 and 1xB2
- telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule
- German-language secondary school-leaving certificate (e.g., Abitur, Matura, etc.)
- More exceptions are described here, on pages 5 and 6.
If you apply for admission to a degree programme with restricted admission, you must submit the following language certificates with your application:
- Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang – DSH (German Language Examination for University Entrance) with a proficiency level of DSH 2 or 3. This examination is held at the Language Teaching Centre of the University of Freiburg and includes a written and an oral part.
- Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache – TestDaF (Test of German as a Foreign Language) with a proficiency level of 4 or 5 (TDN 4 or 5) on all four parts.
- Goethe Certificate C2
- Deutsches Sprachdiplom (German Language Diploma) of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) – level II (DSD II) with 4xC1 or 3xC1 and 1xB2
- telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule
- German-language secondary school-leaving certificate (e.g., Abitur, Matura, etc.)
- More exceptions are described here, on pages 5 and 6.
If you apply for admission to a degree programme with open admission and do not yet have one of these language certificates, then you must submit one of the following certificates with your application:
- DSH 1 or
- TestDaF with a proficiency level of at least 3 on all parts or
- confirmation of participation in a C1 course or
- evidence of German language skills at the level of C1 (Common European Framework of Reference).
You must submit one of the C1 language certificates listed above by the time you enrol.
If you apply for a place in the subjects Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy, you must submit one of the C1 language certificates listed above along with your application for admission.
The subjects listed below have additional prerequisites for admission, such as evidence of language skills in other languages, a passing grade on an entrance examination, or a selection interview. Please visit the page of the particular degree programme for details on the individual prerequisites. You can also find out on the page whether the subject has open or restricted admission.
These additional prerequisites apply to applicants from EU and EEA member states as well as to (non-EU) international applicants.
- Ancient Civilization Studies (Bachelor of Arts – major)
- English (polyvalent dual-major bachelor’s programme with a secondary-school teaching degree option – major)*
- English and American Studies (Bachelor of Arts – major)*
- English and American Studies (Bachelor of Arts – minor)*
- FrancoMedia (Bachelor of Arts – major)
- French (polyvalent dual-major bachelor’s programme with a secondary-school teaching degree option – major)
- German Studies from a German–French Perspective (Bachelor of Arts – major)
- Greek (polyvalent dual-major bachelor’s programme with a secondary-school teaching degree option – major)
- IberoCultura (Bachelor of Arts – major)
- Italian (polyvalent dual-major bachelor’s programme with a secondary-school teaching degree option – major)
- Classical Philology (Bachelor of Arts – major)
- Classical Philology (Bachelor of Arts – minor)
- Latin (polyvalent dual-major bachelor’s programme with a secondary-school teaching degree option – major)
- Midwifery Science (Bachelor of Science)
- Nursing Science (Bachelor of Science)
- Regio Chimica (Bachelor of Science)
- Romance Languages and Literatures (Bachelor of Arts – major)
- Spanish (polyvalent dual-major bachelor’s programme with a secondary-school teaching degree option – major)
- Physical Education (polyvalent dual-major bachelor’s programme with a secondary-school teaching degree option – major)*
- Sport Science – Exercise and Health (Bachelor of Science)*
* Please note that you have to register for the entrance examinations / selection interviews yourself in these subjects and that you will not receive a separate invitation.
In many degree programmes, the number of applicants is greater than the number of available places. These degree programmes have restricted admission (numerus clausus). In degree programmes with admission restrictions, places for (non-EU) international applicants are allocated according to a quota (8% in all degree programmes with admission restrictions and 5% in the subjects Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy).
To find out which subjects have admission restrictions, please consult the degree programme list in the degree programme finder.
In the case of degree programmes with admissions restrictions, you may submit a maximum of three applications each for admission to undergraduate programmes, higher subject-specific semesters, and master’s programmes. This restriction does not apply to applications for admission to degree programmes without admission restrictions (open admissions).
Please also include confirmation with your application for admission that you have participated in a student orientation procedure. A student orientation procedure is a self-test that does not have any influence on the success of your application. It provides orientation for prospective students and helps them to find the right subject.
The information sheet below provides details of the study orientation procedures recognised at the University of Freiburg.
For international applications, we recommend the Test for Academic Studies (read more below about TestAS). You can also use the University of Freiburg’s Online Study-Choice Assistants (OSA) to find the right subject for you.
Applying to the Studienkolleg
International and German applicants whose higher education entrance qualification is not equivalent to the German Abitur can take the ‘Examination to Assess the Aptitude of University Applicants with Foreign University Entrance Qualifications’ (‘Assessment Examination’ for short) if this is recommended by the ZAB or the Regional Council. They receive the opportunity to prepare for their course of study in a one-year preparatory course at the Studienkolleg in Heidelberg. It is not possible to register directly for admission to the Studienkolleg in Heidelberg. Please apply on the University of Freiburg’s online Application Portal for the degree ‘Assessment Examination’ from 1 Juni to 15 July for the winter semester or from 1 December to 15 January for the summer semester. The subject ‘Studienkolleg’ and the 1st subject-specific semester will be selected automatically. In a second step, you have to upload your language certificate, your higher education entrance qualification, your letter of motivation, and your curriculum vitae at the appropriate points. Then you have to select the desired course at the Studienkolleg and name your future degree programme at the University of Freiburg. The courses at the Studienkolleg and the individual degree programmes at the University of Freiburg are linked on the online Application Portal.
Please note that it is not possible to apply for admission to a higher subject-specific semester when applying to the Studienkolleg.
Language requirements for applying:
- DSH 1
- TestDaF 3 or 4
- Goethe Certificate C1
- Sprachdiplom (Language Diploma) of the KMK – level II (DSD II) with a score of 4xB2
- telc German B2 University (telc B2 “Beruf” is not accepted!)
- Confirmation of participation in a C1 language course
Click here for more information on the Studienkolleg:
Have you already attended a Studienkolleg and taken the Assessment Examination?
- We accept Assessment Examinations from all Studienkollegs that are part of the Consortium of German Studienkollegs.
- Assessment examinations from other Studienkollegs are only accepted by the University of Freiburg in certain individual cases.
- Assessment examinations from Studienkollegs affiliated with universities of applied sciences lead to qualification to study at a university of applied science and can therefore not be accepted by the University of Freiburg.
- Please upload both your school educational records and your Assessment Examination when you apply.
TestAS scores are only taken into account in the selection process for the degree programmes Medicine and Dentistry. For all other subjects, TestAS scores can be uploaded with your application instead of the student orientation test but have no influence on the allocation of places.
Click here to find out when and how you can take TestAS:
Important information:
- Taking TestAS is voluntary at the University of Freiburg! You can also decide for yourself whether or not to submit your score to the University of Freiburg.
- The University of Freiburg recommends not participating in a language screening (onDaF, online placement test for German as a foreign language) if you only wish to apply for a place in a degree programme at the University of Freiburg.
- The test does not take the place of language certificates or higher education entrance qualification, which are prerequisites for admission to studies at the University of Freiburg.
- Applicants for admission to master’s programmes, short-term studies (free movers, exchange students), and doctoral programmes do not need to take TestAS.
If you have already studied at a university abroad or at another German university, you can request to have any credits you earned there transferred to the University of Freiburg. Credits can be transferred on the following conditions:
- The credits must have been earned within the context of an accredited degree programme at an accredited university abroad or at another German university.
- The credits must have been earned in the same or a related subject and must be part of the curriculum of your new degree programme at the University of Freiburg.
- The periods of study in which you earned the credits must not be a prerequisite for higher education entrance in Germany (see above under ‘Higher education entrance qualification – indirect higher education entrance qualification’)
Credit transfers are evaluated and approved by the department or examination office responsible for your degree programme.
Our leaflet explains what official certification needs to look like to be accepted when you’re applying for a place in a degree programme.