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Study and Doctoral programmes

Foreign applicants who wish to enrol with University of Siegen need to be eligible for admission, just like German applicants. They must hold a secondary school certificate, university entrance exam from their home country or have carried out sufficient years of study in their home country.

The application procedure depends on your nationality and the study programme chosen. Due to the high demand for certain programmes, the admission requirements may vary and some programmes have restrictions on admission. To be considered for master’s degree programmes, candidates must comply with the formal admission requirements as well as demonstrate specific knowledge.

During the admission process, you will learn whether admission restrictions apply and specific knowledge is required at University of Siegen for the programme of your choice (see study programmes).

Learn more:

• Foreign students who acquired their university entrance qualification in Germany (educational Germans)

  Foreign applicants who have passed Abitur or a comparable university entrance qualification in Germany or at a German school abroad are named ”educational Germans“. Educational Germans must comply with the same admission requirements and deadlines as German applicants, but they are looked after by International Office. For Bachelor programmes with admission restrictions, please apply for admission through the online portal. For programmes with unlimited admission, you may want to enrol in person at the International Office during the “Open Enrolment” period. For information about programmes which require a technical college certificate, click here (temporary not available).

• Foreign students who acquired their university entrance qualification abroad (educational foreigners)

  Applicants who are EU nationals or nationals of the European Economic Area (EWR nationals) are regarded as equivalent to German applicants for the purposes of admission. For programmes with admission restrictions, please apply through the online portal. For programmes with unlimited admission, please apply for admission in writing to the International Office by the deadline given. Non EU nationals may only apply in writing to the International Office. Information regarding the recognition of school leaving certificates, qualifications or graduations can be found on the website of the ”Information system regarding the recognition of foreign diplomas” or in the admissions database of German Academic Exchange Service > Study in Germany > If the International Office states that your university entrance qualification is equivalent to German Abitur, you may enter university directly, i.e., you do not have to enrol for preparatory classes and may apply directly for admission. If your diplomas do not qualify for direct university entrance, you may have to attend a preparatory class first. University of Siegen does not offer this type of class. To learn more, please visit the website of preparatory courses in Germany (www. studienkollegs.de).

  Documents to be filed with your application:

  • Application form
  • Certified copies of your university entrance qualification and university report cards, together with a German or English translation (prepared by a sworn translator)
  • Certified copy of the certificate of knowledge of the German language, together with a German or English translation (prepared by a sworn translator)
  • Certificate of nationality (passport copy)
  • CV in tabular form
  • If you are changing university: a clearance certificate from your former university

  For your application, please note: Only complete applications which have been filed within the application period will be accepted. You must complete all the fields on the application form truthfully and you must sign the original application. You must provide certified copies of all the certificates. If the original certificate or document is not issued in either German or English, you must also provide a certified translation of the document in German or English. Please do not send original documents. University of Siegen does not assume any liability for any unsolicited original certificates you send. Please quote on the application form a postal address where you can be sure you will receive mail at any point in time without delay. If your name is different from the registered name of the address you give, please complete the c/o field on the application and quote the registered name. If your correspondence address changes before you receive a response for your application, please immediately inform us of the new address in writing (letter, fax or e-mail).

  Proficiency in German (except for English study programmes): DSH exams level 2 or 3 (German language exam for foreign students wishing to enter university) or equivalent diploma. For linguistics or media programmes, DSH exam level 3 or equivalent is recommended.
  
  For more information about exams in German as a Foreign Language, please visit DAAD’s website (German Academic Exchange Service).

  Applicants from PR China, Mongolia and Vietnam must apply for a certificate of the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS), which should be filed together with their application documents. You will not be admitted without the APS certificate. For more information, please consult your nearest German embassy or consulate.

• How to apply as a foreign applicant (checklist)

  1. Select your programme: You should choose a study programme. For more information on programmes and degrees, please visit Study programmes.

  2. Complete your application form: Depending on your nationality and your chosen programme, you can apply online or in writing to International Office of the University of Siegen.

  3. Application deadline: You should apply by the application deadline. University of Siegen requires you to file your application by the closing date at the latest.

  4. Handling: International Office…

     1. checks whether you meet all requirements for your chosen programme,

     2. identifies whether you hold a university entrance qualification, whether you will need to demonstrate that you have passed the DSH exam or whether you have to pass an additional assessment test and
        
        

     3. sends you notification of admission or rejection. International Office does not provide any information about the status of your application prior to sending this notification. Notification of admission or rejection is only sent at the beginning of the admission process for the semester concerned.

  5. Proficiency in German: When you apply for your core study programme, you must submit certified proof that you have passed the DSH exam or equivalent.

  6. Enrolment: When you receive a notification of admission, you can enrol for your core study area. Please be sure to observe the enrolment deadline indicated on your admission notification.

• Doctoral programmes for foreign students

  Foreign applicants for doctoral programmes: Pursuing a doctoral programme in Germany means undertaking independent research work with the support of a professor. Usually a doctoral programme takes three to five years. The research results are presented by the student in the form of a written thesis, called a dissertation. In addition to the written thesis, the award of a doctorate requires an oral examination (rigorosum or disputation). When pursuing your doctoral programme, you usually focus on your own scientific work rather than attending any courses.

  Requirements: For you to be admitted onto a doctoral programme, you must hold a scientific degree (e.g., Master’s, Magister, State Examination). Foreign degrees may be accepted as an entrance qualification for doctoral programmes. The decision regarding whether your degree will be accepted for admittance onto a doctoral programme is taken by the examination board of the faculty in charge. Usually the doctoral thesis is written in German. On request, individual faculties may be prepared to accept other languages as well, for instance English.

  Thesis supervisor: Each doctoral candidate must have a scientific supervisor. The supervisor is a scientist who is prepared to provide a topic for your doctoral thesis or to accept a topic suggested by you and who will support you during your research work. In order for you to find a thesis supervisor, you must first verify whether your research focus is available at University of Siegen. If this is the case, please contact a professor of the appropriate faculty at University of Siegen. Your enquiry should include all your certificates, subjects as well as marks awarded (a certified copy, together with a certified German translation, unless the certificates are in English or German), your complete curriculum vitae as well as a description of your research project. A list of the professors including areas of expertise at University of Siegen can be found in the staff directory of University of Siegen (LSF Portal) and can also be obtained from the various faculties.

  Examination board: The supervisor puts forward candidates to the examination board of the faculty concerned, who decide on the admission of a doctoral candidate to the doctoral programme. For the addresses of examination boards, please click here (temporary not available in English).

  Enrolment for a doctoral programme at the International Office: When you have been accepted by your supervisor, you are generally eligible for enrolling onto the doctoral programme. To enrol, you are required to file your doctoral programme entrance certificate in the original version and as a copy. In addition, you must present a passport, submit a photograph as well as a health insurance certificate from a state or private health insurance company. There is no particular deadline which you need to observe. For exceptions, please contact your faculty and supervisor.

• Participants in preparatory courses for DSH classes (basic/intermediate levels)

  Proficiency in German is required for admission to the programme. However, students may acquire the required proficiency at University of Siegen in specific German as a Foreign Language classes. If you wish to attend a German class at University of Siegen, please specify this on your application form. You will then be registered for the selection procedure. If you have been admitted and have enrolled in a German class, you will have student status at University of Siegen. Courses include 20 class-hours per week. As a rule of thumb, students generally pass the B1 level exam after having attended a basic level class for one semester. They can then attend an intermediate level class which will culminate in a DSH exam. Exams may be repeated twice. Placement in a basic or intermediate class will be determined at the start of DSH preparatory courses. 350 Euros tuition fees are charged per semester additionally to semester fees.