Public universities in Germany offer high-quality education with low or no tuition fees. A master's degree is a direct route to a career in Germany and to long-term residence.

uni-assist and the preliminary review documentation

Many universities accept applications from international students through the uni-assist service. It checks your certificates, converts your grade average to the German system and issues a preliminary review documentation (Vorprüfungsdokumentation, VPD).

Converting grades with the “Bavarian formula”

Germany uses a reversed grading scale: 1.0 is excellent, 4.0 is sufficient (a pass) and 5.0 is a fail. For programmes with restricted admission (numerus clausus), your bachelor's grade converted using the official formula is decisive.

Choosing the language of instruction

There are many international master's programmes taught entirely in English, for which an IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL certificate is usually enough. For programmes taught in German you generally need C1 level, for example TestDaF with 4 in all sections, DSH-2 or telc C1 Hochschule.

Student visa and residence permit under Section 16b AufenthG

Once you have your letter of admission (Zulassungsbescheid), you apply for a student visa. Alongside your studies, you may work up to 140 full days or 280 half days per calendar year.

What to check

  • Submit your documents to uni-assist at least six to eight weeks before the university's deadline.
  • Have your bachelor's degree and transcript translated by a sworn translator.
  • Take IELTS, TOEFL or TestDaF and reach the required score.
  • Open a blocked account for students once you have been admitted.

Example situation

An economics graduate applies through uni-assist to three English-taught programmes in Bonn, Mannheim and Frankfurt, receives an offer from the University of Bonn and gets the student visa within four weeks.

Next step

A German master's degree gives you up to 18 months to look for a job, and graduates of German universities can obtain a permanent settlement permit after just two years of qualified employment.

Official information on this topic

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This article was prepared with the help of AI. The example illustrates the approach and does not describe a client case.