International prospective students Studienkolleg and Feststellungsprüfung
Who needs to attend a Studienkolleg?
Like German applicants, international applicants need a qualification for university studies, known as a university entrance qualification. If the foreign educational qualification is recognized as equivalent to the German university entrance qualification (Abitur), direct application to courses of study is possible. If the foreign educational qualification is recognized as only partially comparable to the German university entrance qualification, applicants must first successfully complete an assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung) at a Studienkolleg before the start of a study program.
For further information on the recognition and evaluation of foreign educational qualifications, please refer to the anabin information portal or the DAAD website.
The assessment test at the Studienkolleg
At the Studienkolleg, students are specifically prepared for the assessment test which is required for admission to a degree course at a German university. After completing the Studienkolleg, the assessment test is taken. Together with the foreign educational qualification, it constitutes the subject-specific university entrance qualification for admission to a degree course at a German university. A failed assessment test can only be repeated once at the same Studienkolleg. Changing from one Studienkolleg to another is generally not possible.
The Studienkolleg can be completed either at a university of applied sciences or at a university. Studienkollegs at universities of applied sciences prepare students for studies at universities of applied sciences. Usually, an assessment test taken there does not qualify the student to study at a university.
The Studienkolleg Heidelberg
The Studienkolleg at Heidelberg University offers two-semester, subject-specific preparatory courses for the assessment test required for university studies.
You can find an overview of the core courses offered on the Studienkolleg website.
Application for the courses at the Studienkolleg
In the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, which includes Heidelberg, applications for the preparatory courses for the assessment test are not submitted directly to the Studienkolleg, but to the Baden-Württemberg university at which the subsequent degree course is to be undertaken.
The information on the application procedure provided below is intended for international prospective students who wish to apply for admission to the Studienkolleg and then pursue their degree course at Heidelberg University after successfully passing the assessment test.
Prospective students with German citizenship or dual German citizenship can find information on applying to the Studienkolleg here:
Applications are submitted through the online portal heiCO and require registration on the platform as well as the upload of all necessary documents. You can find which documents are required under the link “Application documents”.
Please select “Studienkolleg” as your field of study and the desired subject-specific preparatory course, which will prepare you for your intended future degree course. An overview of the undergraduate subjects offered at Heidelberg University, leading to a Bachelor’s degree or state examination, can be found under the link “All subjects.” The assignment of Studienkolleg courses to the respective degree courses can be found in the corresponding overview below.
Please note: If you intend to study a two-subject degree course with a percentage structure of 50:50 or 75:25, or if you are aiming for a teaching degree, the assessment test must be suitable for all the subjects you plan to study.
Application periods:
- 1 May to 30 June for the following winter semester
- 1 November to 15 December for the following summer semester
Application documents received by Heidelberg University after the application deadline cannot be considered in the selection and admission process.
Once your application has been properly completed and submitted on time, your academic documents will be reviewed and assessed. Only students with good German language skills (level B2+ of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) are admitted to the Studienkolleg. Applicants who have been admitted to the Studienkolleg at Heidelberg University must take a compulsory entrance examination (German language test). The date will be provided together with the admission notice for the Studienkolleg. Passing the entrance examination is a prerequisite for admission to the Studienkolleg. Exemption from the entrance examination for the Studienkolleg at Heidelberg University is not possible.
Supplementary examination at the Studienkolleg
International applicants who want to start their studies in a degree programme that their completed assessment test to determine the eligibility of foreign applicants for studies at institutions of higher education in Germany does not make them eligible for may be admitted to a supplementary examination.