International applicants who are in possession of a university entrance certificate which they acquired abroad, but which does not authorize them to register directly at a German university, are required to undergo an assessment before commencing a degree. The Studienkolleg (preparatory course) prepares you for this.
International applicants who have not acquired a university entrance certificate abroad are not permitted to register on the preparatory course at Studienkolleg.
You cannot apply directly for a place on the Studienkolleg. Applications must be submitted via the University at which you hope to subsequently study.
The deadline for applications for the next summer semester is 15 January; the deadline for the next winter semester is 15 July.
You will need to submit the following documents when you apply to the International Office (by post):
Note for repeat applications: If you failed to pass the entrance examination for the preparatory course and wish to reapply, you must re-submit evidence of having recently completed an intensive German course (within 12 months of the end of the closing date for applications) to at least C1 level.
If the University accepts your application (acceptance onto a degree program), the University will send you a written invitation to complete an entrance examination for a preparatory course at Studienkolleg München. You will need to submit this letter when you apply for a visa. The entrance examinations (German and Mathematics tests, or just German if you're attending a course G) for the preparatory courses are held in September and February at Studienkolleg in Munich. Due to high demand and a limited number of places on the preparatory course, all applicants are required to sit the entrance examination.
If you pass the entrance examination for the preparatory course, you can register for one of the following courses, depending on the subject you wish to study, and register at one of the two universities in Munich. In order to do so, you must present a valid visa (category D, reason for residency: study) before the deadline.
The courses last for one year (2 semesters). They comprise 32-36 lessons per week. Attendance is compulsory.
You will be required to prepare oral and written work for the lessons on a regular basis. In each subject, you will be required to sit two exams each semester (one exam for subjects which are only taught two hours per week). You can only move on to the second semester once you have passed the exams in the first semester. You can only retake each semester once. Students may be excluded from repeating a semester.
If you do not attend the classes regularly, or you fail a semester the second time around, you will be expelled. In such cases, you will not be permitted to attend another preparatory course or study at a university in Germany.
At the end of the second semester of the preparatory course, you will be required to complete an assessment. In exceptional cases, you may be permitted to complete the assessment at the end of the first semester. Once you have passed the assessment, you may apply to any German university (or college of higher education) to study any of the subjects assigned to your respective course. However, if you wish to study a subject with numerus clausus admission restrictions or other selection criteria, a place cannot be guaranteed even once you have passed the assessment.
The Munich preparatory course is free of charge. Students will be required to pay for their own books and materials (approx. 50 euros per semester). The semester fee for university registration is payable as soon as you register at the University. Health insurance cover is mandatory (but we do not need a proof for registration).
For more information, please see the website for the Munich preparatory course: Studienkolleg München.