Application deadlines for German universities

In Germany, there are fixed application deadlines, which apply for almost all study courses at universities in the whole country. The dates are as follow:

15th July – winter semester

15th January – summer semester

However, there are some exceptions of this rule and we recommend you to contact the desired university and ask about it. In most cases, different deadlines apply for non-consecutive Master’s - distance learning, cooperative or research degrees.

What is “numerus clausus”?

At many German universities there are less open places for students than applicants. And the “Numerus clausus” (NC), which means “number closed”, is the admission selection principle. It is the average note of all your Bachelor’s grades. This means that at some university or study programme students who have a note below the NC could not be admitted. The NC varies a bit from one year to the other. The average NC for Master’s study was around 2.5 the last couple of years. However, we recommend you to send your documents even if your grade doesn't match the NC, because the NC might change the year you apply to your advantage. 

There are 2 different types of “numerus clausus” (NC):

• Central/Subject NC – admission restrictions apply nationwide.
• Local NC – admission restrictions apply to certain universities and study courses only.

Examples for a “subject NC” are courses like medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine, which are very popular in Germany and there is a nationwide NC. It is the most difficult to be admitted in them as the NC might be a note around 1.5.

A local NC means for example that a Master’s programme “Economics” at a specific university has a set NC.

Not all the study programmes are affected by the “numerus clausus” method – at some universities there are enough or more places than students. Check if that applies for your desired Master’s degree.

Where to send your application documents?

Once you are aware of your subject’s status, you can find information about where to send your application. This stage depends entirely on your nationality and there are 3 general cases:

• Applying for a Master’s course with central NC as a German, EU member country, Liechtenstein, Iceland or Norway student – in this case you should send your application to the “Trust for Admission to Higher Education” (Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung).
• Applying for a Master’s course with central NC as a student from another country (different from the first case) – you should check if your university is a member of uni-assist and send in your application there. If not, you can apply directly to the university.
• Applying for a Master’s course with local NC or no NC, regardless of your nationality – follow the same steps as in the second case. 

Application tips

• Look for your specific course at different universities in Germany. If you have more options, you will increase your chances, so don’t be afraid to send your application to more than one institute!
• If you are not keen on studying at a specific location, feel free to look for other opportunities. Major cities are not your only choice!
• Some students might withdraw their applications, miss the application date or even forget to send in the required documents. As a result, there will be several places free to be taken by students, who didn't have such great notes, but have followed strictly the application process.