Application and admission for international prospective students to the degree programe (full degree)
This information applies to prospective international students who do not hold German citizenship and do not have a German higher education entrance qualification and who wish to pursue a full course of study.
International prospective students with a German university entrance qualification as well as prospective students with the so-called "European Abitur" and German prospective students with a university entrance qualification acquired abroad can find further information ► here.
Prospective international students who wish to study as a guest student (not a degree from the University of Rostock) can find further information ► here.
Step 1: University admission
First of all, the university entrance qualification must be checked. This means that it must be clarified whether the school or university degree acquired abroad entitles you to take up studies at the University of Rostock. You can find this out yourself in advance via the Infoportal zu ausländischen Bildungsabschlüssen (anabin). You can access anabin ► here.
Step 2: Proof of German language skills
Depending on the degree programme you are aiming for, German language skills at a certain level of the Common European Framework of Reference (GER) are required. If you would like to study at the University of Rostock, you must have the following level, depending on the degree programme.
What do the GER levels mean
Can understand the main points when clear standard language is used and when dealing with familiar matters from work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations encountered when travelling in the language area. Can deal with most situations encountered when travelling in the language area. Can produce simple and coherent text on familiar topics and areas of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and give brief reasons or explanations for plans and opinions.
Can understand the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their field of specialisation. Can communicate so spontaneously and fluently that a normal conversation with native speakers is quite possible without major effort on either side. Can express themselves clearly and in detail on a wide range of topics, explaining a viewpoint on a topical issue and giving the advantages and disadvantages of different options.
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, including implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without having to search for clearly identifiable words. Can use the language effectively and flexibly in social and professional life or in training and study. Can express him/herself clearly, in a structured and detailed way on complex subjects, making appropriate use of various means of linking texts.
Can understand with ease virtually everything they read or hear. Can summarise information from a variety of written and spoken sources, giving reasons and explanations in a coherent presentation. Can express themselves spontaneously, very fluently and accurately, making clear finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
For which degree programmes do I have to prove which level?
The majority of degree programmes require German language skills at level C1 of the GER, some degree programmes require B2. Here you will find an ► Overview the required language skills of all degree programmes.
If the validity is not explicitly stated on the certificate, the language certificate is generally valid for a maximum of two years.
Human Medicine (State Examination) | C1-Level |
Dentistry (state examination) | C1 level |
Protestant theology (Magister) | C1 level |
[Translate to English:] * With 1-Fach Bachelor the combination with another subject is not possible. | |
Agricultural Sciences | B2-Level German |
Vocational Education | B2-Level German |
Biomedical Engineering | C1-Level German |
Biosciences | B2-Level German |
Chemistry | B2-Level German |
Electrical Engineering | B2-Level German |
Good Governance - Economy, Society, Law | C1-level German |
Computer Science | B2-Level German |
Information Technology | B2-Level German |
Mechanical Engineering | C1-Level German |
Mathematics | C1-Level German |
Mechatronics | C1-level German |
Medical Biotechnology | C1-Level German |
Medical Information Technology | B2-level German |
Physics | C1-level German |
Social Sciences | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Environmental Engineering | B2-Level German |
Business Informatics | B2-Level German |
Business Mathematics | C1-Level German |
Industrial Engineering | C1-Level German |
Business Education | C1-Level German |
Economics | B2-Level German |
Ancient History | C1-Level German |
English/American Studies | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Educational Science | C1-level German |
French Language, Literature and Culture | C1-level German + B1-level French |
German language and literature | C1-level German |
History | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Greek Studies | C1-level German |
Classical Archaeology | C1-level German |
Communication and Media Studies | C1-level German |
Latin Studies | C1-level German + Latinum |
Philosophy | C1-level German |
Political Science | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Religion in Context | C1-level German |
Sociology | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Spanish Language, Literature and Culture | C1-level German + B1-level Spanish |
Prehistory and Early History | C1-level German |
Classical Studies | C1-level German + Latinum or Graecum |
Aquaculture | B2-level German + B2-level English |
Vocational Education | C1-level German |
Educational Science | C1-level German |
Biomedical Engineering | C1-level German |
Bristol and American Transcultural Studies | C1-level German + C1-level English |
Chemistry | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Computational Science and Engineering - English language | English: Toefl 71% or IELTS 6,5 |
Demography | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Service Management | C1-level German |
Electrical Engineering - English language | TOEFL IBT with at least 90 points or IELTS with at least 6.5 points |
Electrical Engineering | B2-level German |
Functional Plant Sciences | B2-level German + B2-level English |
History | C1-level German + B2-level English + B2-level of another modern foreign language |
German studies | C1-level German |
Good Governance - Shaping the Law | C1-level German |
Computer Science | B2-level German or B2-level English |
Information Technology | B2-Level German |
Integrative Zoology | B2-level German + B2-level English |
Mechanical Engineering | C1-level German |
Mathematics | C1-level German |
Mechatronics | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Medical Biotechnology | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Marine Biology |
C1-Level German + B2-Level English |
Microbiology and Biochemistry |
B2-level German + B2-level English |
Farm Animal Science | B2-Level German + B2-Level English |
Plant Production and Environment | B2-Level German + B2-Level English |
Philosophy of the Social | C1-level German |
Physics of Life, Light and Matter | B2-level English |
Physics | B2-level German |
Political Science with focus on Area Studies | C1-level German + B2-level English + B1-level French, Spanish or Swedish |
Naval and Marine Engineering | C1-level German |
Sociology | C1-level German |
Environmental Engineering | German B2 level + English B2 level |
Prehistory and Early History | C1-level German |
Visual Computing | B2-level German |
Economics | C1-level German |
Business Information Systems | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Industrial Engineering | C1-level German |
Business Mathematics | C1-level German |
Business Education | C1-level German |
Ancient history | C1-level German + Latinum or Graecum |
Educational Science | C1-level German |
British and American Transcultural Studies | C1-level German + C1-level English |
German Studies | C1-Level German |
History | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Greek Studies | C1-level German |
Classical Archaeology | C1-level German |
Communication and Media Studies | C1-level German |
Latin Studies | C1-level German + Latinum |
Philosophy of the Social | C1-level German |
Prehistory and Early History | C1-level German + B2-level English |
Comparative Romance Studies - French | C1-level German + B2-level French + A2-level Spanish or Italian or basic knowledge of Portuguese or Latin |
Comparative Romance Studies - Spanish | C1-level German + B2-level Spanish + A2-level French or Italian or basic knowledge of Portuguese or Latin |
Work-Economics-Technology | LA Reg, Gym | C1-Level |
Biology | LA Reg, Gym, SP | C1-level |
Chemistry | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
German | LA Reg, Gym, SP | C1-level |
English | LA Reg, Gym, SP | C1-level |
Protestant Theology | LA Reg, Gym, SP | C1-level |
French | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
History | LA Reg, Gym, SP | C1-level |
Greek | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
Primary school education | LA G, SP | C1 level |
Computer science | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
Italian | LA Gym | C1 level |
Latin | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
Mathematics | LA Reg, Gym, SP | C1-level |
Music | LA Reg, Gym, SP - HMT | C1-level |
Philosophy | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
Physics with astronomy | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
Special education | LA SP | C1-level |
Social sciences | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
Spanish | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
Sport | LA Reg, Gym | C1-level |
Which courses or tests lead to which level?
This examination is conducted at individual universities (not at the University of Rostock) and at Studienkollegs, but it is not the same as the so-called "Feststellungsprüfung" of the Studienkollegs. Special preparatory courses for the DSH are offered at these institutions, but also by private providers. If you pass the DSH, you will receive a certificate of German language proficiency in three levels (DSH-1, DSH-2, DSH-3), with DSH-3 being the best possible result. A clear allocation of the DSH levels to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (GER) is NOT possible. At the University of Rostock, the DSH levels are recognised as follows:
DSH-1 = B2 level of the GER
DSH-2 = C1 level of the GER
DSH-3 = C2 level of the GER
The TestDaF is a central, standardised test for German as a foreign language. It is administered simultaneously in so-called test centres in many countries around the world and centrally assessed at the TestDaF Institute in Hagen. TestDaF is therefore only a form of examination and not a course offering. Before registering for the examination, candidates should have already completed at least 700 to 1000 hours of German lessons. You can find more information at www.testdaf.de.
The Language Centre of the University of Rostock holds the licence as a test centre for TestDaF, i.e. it is authorised to conduct this examination.
Approximately six weeks after the examination, participants receive a certificate of language proficiency differentiated according to the categories Reading Comprehension, Listening Comprehension, Verbal Expression and Oral Expression. Each of the categories is assessed with a TestDaF level (TDN) from TDN 3 to TDN 5, with TDN 5 being the highest level to be achieved.
At the University of Rostock, the TestDaF levels are recognised as follows:
If you have completed the TestDaF in all four examination parts with at least TDN 3, the certificate is valid as proof of language proficiency for admission to the degree programmes at the University of Rostock that require German language skills at the B2 level of the GER
If you have completed the TestDaF in all four examination parts with a total score of at least 16 (4 x 4), the certificate is valid as proof of language proficiency for admission to the degree programmes at the University of Rostock that require German language proficiency at the C1 level of the GER.
The "Deutsche Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz" ("Deutsches Sprachdiplom") is more than just an examination but an entire language acquisition programme embedded in the school curriculum. Learning German in the school curriculum means having the subject German as a foreign language in the timetable on an equal footing with subjects such as biology or mathematics.
You can find more information
► here.
The DSD examination can be taken at two levels (DSD I and DSD II):
DSD I
In the DSD I examination, the sub-skills listening comprehension, reading comprehension, written and oral communication are tested at GER levels A2 and B1. The examination is thus located on the threshold from elementary to independent language use.
If a student reaches the B1 level of the GER in each of the four sub-skills, he or she receives the German Language Diploma - First Level (DSD I) and thus the linguistic proof for admission to a preparatory course in Germany.If the student's linguistic competences in one or more sub-skills are still below B1 but already at the A2 level, he or she receives the German Language Diploma A2. This diploma is not associated with any entrance qualifications.
DSD II
In the DSD II examination, the sub-skills listening comprehension, reading comprehension, written and oral communication are tested at the GER levels B2 and C1. The examination is thus located on the threshold from independent to competent language use.
If a student achieves at least the B2 level of the GER in each of the four sub-competences, he or she receives the German Language Diploma of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany - Second Level (DSD II). The DSD II is considered proof of the language part of the university entrance qualification for studies in Germany - regardless of which GER level is required in the respective course of study.
The Goethe-Institut examinations have a high profile worldwide and the associated certificates are regarded as proof of qualification by employers and further education institutions in many countries.
The Goethe-Institut German examinations correspond to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (GER): from the A1 level of the GER for beginners to the C2 level of the GER for the highest linguistic level.
All Goethe-Institut examinations can also be taken by external candidates if they have the appropriate language level. Attending a preparatory course is nevertheless recommended. Classroom and distance learning courses are offered for this purpose, but also a combination of both.
"telc C1 or telc B2 Certificate".
The examination is aimed at adults who wish to study at a German-speaking university and tests university-related German language skills at an academic level for study and work. The telc test is suitable as a language certificate for students who wish to study in Germany and need proof of their German language skills for this purpose, for students who need to prove their German language skills in their home country, for academics who are planning a stay at a university in Germany and want to check their language level, for all those who need to prove their German language skills for academic professions, for students who come to Germany to study through European Union programmes and want to obtain a qualified language certificate at the end of their stay.
Telc C1 or B2 is offered at adult education centres, among others: See www.vhs.de
Preparation Courses
1st and 2nd step with the assessment test
International prospective students whose school or other previous education does not equal a German higher education entrance qualification have the opportunity to attend a Studienkolleg (preparatory course). Here, the necessary prerequisites for successful study are taught.
In addition to German courses, the participants of a Studienkolleg also take subject-specific courses depending on the intended field of study. The Studienkolleg ends with the so-called "Feststellungsprüfung" (assessment test), which consists of a language and a subject-related part. Those who pass the assessment test no longer have to provide separate proof of language proficiency.
There is no Studienkolleg at the University of Rostock; the nearest Studienkollegs are:
► Studienkolleg der Universität Hamburg
► Studienkolleg der Hochschule Wismar
The Studienkolleg of Wismar University of Applied Sciences offers the W-course and the T-course, which prepares students for business, social science courses and technical courses at universities.
General information on Studienkollegs can be found at ► www.studienkollegs.de
Courses in Rostock
"Study in Germany" is an association of Rostock academics that supports international study applicants. In particular, the association offers language courses. ► www.study-in-germany-info.de
Step 3: Application
Application channels depending on the intended degree programme
Once the questions regarding university admission and German language skills have been clarified, you can apply. Depending on which degree programme you would like to take, there are different ways to apply.
Step 4: Enrollment
If your application is successful, you will receive an admission letter (Zulassungsbescheid) and you can enrol in the chosen degree programme (Immatrikulation). The deadlines for your enrolment and which documents must be submitted with the enrolment application will be communicated to you in the notification of admission or can be found on the reverse side of the enrolment application.
Please use the enrolment application form for enrolment:
Immatrikulationsantrag deutsch
For the English-language degree programmes, you can also use the English-language application:
Application for enrollment englisch
Please do not staple or clip the documents and submit them in the minimum size A5.
Confirmation of receipt of documents will only be issued if a stamped and addressed postcard prepared as confirmation of receipt is enclosed.
The submitted documents will be destroyed after processing. Therefore, in your own interest, do not attach any original documents to your documents, but only officially certified copies.
Info-Service
No question shall be dropped
The Info-Service is the central contact point for prospective and current students found in the Student Service Center of the University of Rostock. If you are looking for advice, please contact here first. Often the question can already be clarified with a short information. If necessary, specialized contact persons will be referred to.
Phone Consultations: Monday till Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Phone: +49 381 498-1230
Office hours: Monday till Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Friday 09 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Mail: studiumuni-rostockde
Chat: here