If your educational entrance qualification is recognized in Germany but you are not allowed to attend foundation course “Studienkolleg” to make your qualification eligible to study at the German universities, you have another choice which is to attend  a preparatory course.

To check if you need to attend the foundation course “Studienkolleg” or preparatory course, we recommend you to use these following database links for admission requirements https://anabin.kmk.org/anabin.html  , https://www.uni-assist.de or you can directly contact the desired university.

Example:

If you will apply for a Master’s or Ph.D. program, you are not allowed to attend foundation course “Studienkolleg”, also in some cases if you apply for a Bachelor’s degree. Alternatively, you can take a preparatory course.

• What is a Preparatory Course?

Preparatory Course: is a specific German language preparation course offered by some public educational institutions as well as by some private schools which concludes with one of German language exams such as DSH (in German called “Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang”), TestDaF (in German called “Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache”), C2 level, certificate from the Goethe-Institut, etc.

It takes one to two semesters of preparation depending on your starting level of the German language. You can also apply directly for the DSH or TestDaF exams without attending German language classes.

• What is the aim of Preparatory Course?

German language proficiency is part of the admission requirements. The admission requirements vary from university to university and from subject study to subject study. Therefore, you have to fulfill the required language level that you have to prove sufficient German language proficiency, for example with a DSH or TestDaF certificate or a certificate from the Goethe-Institut.

Preparatory course prepares international students with the language skills needed for studying at the German universities. It prepares them specifically for their degree programs/subject studies.

After attending the preparatory course you have to pass an exam with required grade (e.g. TestDaF with note 4, DSH with points over 80, etc.) that makes you eligible for your subject study.

• Is there an entrance exam for the Preparatory Course?

There is no entrance exam for the preparatory course, but as an international student strives to participate in preparatory course you must prove a certain level of German language proficiency to be able to participate in a preparatory course. B1 or B2 level is required in most cases to apply for preparatory course.

Then you generally also need to prove a certain level of German language proficiency.

• Where I can attend the Preparatory Course and how much does it cost?

Many public universities offer such courses independently, in this case, no need for fees. However, you still need to pay the student semester contribution that is approximately between 150 to 350 Euro. Some universities charge between 400 to 1200 euro fees for the whole course including studying materials and exam fees.

Alternatively, you can attend this course at a private language school, it will cost you above 400 euro monthly.