The University of Cologne is located in the beautiful city of Cologne, Germany. The university was established in 1991 and is one of the oldest universities in Germany. With an enrollment of over 48, 841 students, the University of Cologne is one of the prestigious universities in Germany with a national rank of 12 by QS World.

The University of Cologne is divided into six faculties and offers around 102 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the fields of Political Science, Economics, Health Economics, Marketing, International Management, Neurosciences to Biochemistry, Sociology, and Social Research.

  • The University of Cologne conducts a qualifying examination known as the TestAS. Students need to clear this exam if they seek admission at the University of Cologne.
  • The University of Cologne offers undergraduate programs in the German language only, therefore students are required to have at least DSH Level-2 German Language proficiency.
  • The applications can be being accepted in Summer and Winter Intake Sessions.
  • The University of Cologne doesn’t’ charge any application fee.

Highlights

Application Portal Online -Portal
Application Fee Nil
International Application Deadline August 20 (Winter Semester)
Programs Offered Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees
Enrollment 48, 841
Academic Calendar Semester-based
Intake Session Summer and Winter
Financial Aid Available
International Admission Help Desk Contact Form

University of Cologne Admission Deadlines

Students should prepare all their application related documents 3-4 months prior to the start of their course. The university takes a longer time to process all international applications, therefore, it is advised to students to prepare all their documents and VISA in advance to avoid the last-minute hassle.

The deadlines are as follows:

Semester Deadline
Summer Application Apply by January 15
Winter Application Apply by August 20

University of Cologne International Students Admissions

The University of Cologne is one of the largest universities in Germany. The University holds an eminent position in the area of strategy development for its future prospects as well as teacher education. The criteria for the selection of international students interested in studying bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs are different from the domestic applicants.

Application Portal: Application Portals vary with one’s qualifications. Non - EU applicants with direct (non-direct) university entrance qualification - Apply here ( Apply here)

Application Fees: N/A

Admission Requirement: The admission prerequisites for international applicants from the European Union and Non-European Union for admission at University of Cologne are as mentioned below:

  • Completed Application
  • Certified Copies of Transcripts
    • University Entrance Qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung)
    • Bachelor’s Degree in the relevant field (Graduate Admissions)
    • Marksheets of all the examinations undertaken.
    • Credential Evaluations in accordance with Center For Foreign Educational Affairs at the Secretary of the Conference of the Ministers for Cultural and Educational Affairs.
    • Accompanied by a German/English translation if required.
  • English and German Language Proficiency
  • TestAS results
  • An original printed copy of Individual APS certificate, for applicants from China and Vietnam only
  • Certified copies of school reports, for International Baccalaureate holders only
  • Students should have sufficient knowledge about the courses undertaken.
  • Certain Master’s Degrees requires:
    • Letter of Motivation
    • Personal Statement
  • CV
  • Copy of Passport
  • Certificate of finances
  • Health Certificate

Test score for Proficiency in the German Language

Applicants must have German Language Proficiency for the programs taught in German. All bachelor’s programs are taught in German. All the full-time student applicants whose native spoken language is not German need to show proficiency in the language in terms of reading, writing as well as comprehending. The requirements can be fulfilled by any of the following certified proofs:

  • Certificate DHS-2
  • TestDaf Certificate with the minimum qualification of C1-C2 level or TDN 4
  • Deutsches Sprachdiplom Certificate
  • Goethe Institut C2 certificate
  • OSD C2 level
  • C2 certificate
  • Tele C2 level
  • FSP or Feststellungsprüfung Certificate

Test score for Proficiency in English for International Students

Applicants for the programs being taught in the English language whose first language is not English must demonstrate their abilities in the language wherein they must be proficient in reading, writing, and comprehending the language. The tests with their minimum requirements are:

Test Minimum required score
Cambridge At least B-grade in CAE, at least B-grade or better in BED, CPE
IELTS 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component
TOEFL Internet-based: 100; with at least 70 in each counterpart

Country specific requirements for admission at University of Cologne

Here are the country-specific requirements for some countries if one wants to take admission at the University of Cologne:

Country Undergraduate Requirements Graduate Requirements
India High School Certificate (HSC) with minimum of 60%. A 3-year bachelor’s degree with 60% or above.
Bangladesh High School Certificate (HSC) with minimum of 60%. A 4-year bachelor’s degree with 50% or above
Nepal Higher Secondary Education Certificate with 70% or above. A bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 60%.
Thailand High School Certificate (HSC) with a minimum of 60%. A bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale).
Indonesia Certificate of Graduation from Academic/Islamic Secondary School with an overall grade of 7 or above. A bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale).

Visa Requirements for International Students

International applicants can apply for a student visa to study in Germany right after an application letter is issued.

Visa Application Documents:

  • Valid Passport
  • Proof of Financial Support
    • Amount Deposited in German blocked bank account.
  • German Resident Permit.
  • Academic Qualifications and Language Proficiency
  • Acceptance Letter from the university
  • Health Insurance
  • Visa Application Processing Fee

University of Cologne Undergraduate Admissions

University of Cologne offers over 100 specialized degree programs in German across more than 300 courses. The University of Cologne offers undergraduate degrees in German only, therefore students are required to clear German language proficiency exams to be eligible to study at the university.

General requirements:

  • Complete Application
  • University Entrance Qualification
  • Official High School Transcripts
  • German-language proficiency (at least at the level of DSH-2)
  • TestAS certificate
  • CV
  • Statement of Finance
  • Valid Passport
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Personal statement
  • Interview
  • Portfolio- as per the program.

University of Cologne Graduate Admissions

It offers Master’s and Doctoral degrees. The medium of instructions for some programs is English.

Application Portal: Uni-Assist Portal

Application Fee: N/A

Admission Requirements: The program-specific admission requirements are tabulated below:

Course Application Deadline Minimum ECTS Credit Requirements Minimum GPA in UG Coursework Language Proficiency Required
Master of Business Administration August 20 48 credits in Business Administration; 18 credits in Economics; 15 in Statistics &/or Mathematics 2.7 German & English
International Management (CEMS MIM) March 31 48 in Business/Administration & Economics with a minimum of 18 ECTS credits in Economics; 10 in Statistics &/or Mathematics 2.5 English and 2nd CEMS Language with a minimum B2 level in native or other languages
Master Economics August 20 40 in Mathematics 48 in Business, Administration & Economics or Social Science with a minimum of 18 ECTS credits in Economics and 15 in Statistics &/or Mathematics 2.7 English
Master Economics Research July 15 48 in Mathematics/Statistics and 20 in Economics OR 48 in Economics and at least18 in Statistics/Mathematics 2.5 English
Master Health Economics August 20 60 in Health Economics or in the field Business, Administration & Economics; 15 in Medicine; 18 in the field of Methods in Health Economics 2.7 German and English
Master Economics System August 20 20 in Information System; 30 in Business, Administration & Economics;30 in Informatics/Mathematics/Statistics or in all 2.7 German and English
Master in Political Science August 20 36 in Political Science; 9 in Methodology & Empirical Social Research 2.7 English

Applicants must go through the program-specific admission requirements for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees before making an application. International applicants must apply for a visa as soon as possible. Admission decisions will be communicated via email. Students will receive login details for the University’s KLIPS 2.0 online application portal to the same email address as mentioned in the application. The application status and admission decision will also be indicated in the KLIPS 2.0 account.

FAQs

Q1. What are the requirements for admission?

A1. The admission criteria consist of

  • subject-related admission requirements
  • language requirements
  • minimum grade (except for Information Systems and Business Education)

Q2. What average grade do I need in my bachelor's degree to apply?

A2. You can find the respective minimum grade on the websites of the master’s Information on the application --> admission requirements.

Q3. I do not yet have a bachelor’s degree; can I still apply?

A3. The subject-specific admission requirements must be fulfilled at the time of application and shown as passed on your transcript of records. If you wish to use your bachelor's thesis to fulfill the 80 or 70% criterion, it must be submitted and proven to have been passed.

Q4. Can I apply without knowledge of German?

A4. Without knowledge of German you can apply for the following English-language master's programs:

  • International Management (CEMS MIM)
  • Economics
  • Economic Research
  • Sociology and Social Research
  • Political Science

Q5. Are my school English skills sufficient as proof of English for the admission requirements?

A5. For some degree programs, your knowledge of school English is sufficient for your application.

Q6. Will where can I have my documents translated and officially certified?

A6. Please inform yourself about this on the uni-assist website.

Q7. How long does it take for uni-assist to process my application?

A7. After receipt of the documents by post and payment of the handling fee, processing will take up to six to eight weeks.

Q8. What is the application fee for applying to the master’s programs?

A8. The university doesn’t charge any application fee.

Q9. Is there a re-assignment of rejected places?

A9. A re-assignment process will only be carried out if there are places available after the main selection process.

Q10. How can I contact the University of Cologne?

A10. The university can be contacted at:

Phone: +49-(0)221/470-1661

Address: Albertus-Magnus-Platz, 50923 Köln, Germany

Website: www.portal.uni-koeln.de/12379.html?&L=1

Q11. My studies have no ECTS, what now?

A11. If your degree program doesn't have ECTS (European Credit Transfer System), your prior accomplishments would be converted by the university. For this, they examine your workload (semester hours, credit points, etc.) by their ECTS system.

You don't need to change your credit scores yourself; this is prepared by the Master Admissions Office.

Q12. My university does not provide course descriptions. What should I do?

A12 They need the course descriptions to be able to assign your courses to the corresponding subject fields. If your university doesn't give these, please do upload a PDF document where you define this informally. If they yet need the module specifications when reviewing your application, they will communicate with you via email.