'Admission to a university after the Studienkolleg: What the FSP Offers
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The Studienkolleg prepares international applicants for study at a German university if their high school diploma does not grant direct access to higher education in Germany. After successfully passing the Feststellungsprüfung (FSP), you can apply for a bachelor’s degree program or a program leading to the Staatsexamen, but only within a suitable field of study and in accordance with the specific university’s regulations.
What Do the Studienkolleg and FSP Offer?
The Studienkolleg bridges the gap between an applicant’s secondary education and the German Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, that is, the right to enroll in a university. The program typically lasts two semesters and concludes with the Feststellungsprüfung.
Passing the FSP does not guarantee automatic admission. It confirms academic eligibility for a specific group of majors; applicants then go through the standard admissions process: submitting documents, proving language proficiency, waiting for their grade point average to be calculated, and meeting any additional program requirements.
What fields of study are available?
You choose a Studienkolleg course not based on the name of the college itself, but on your future field of study. It is the FSP track that determines which programs you will be eligible to apply for later on.
| Field of Study | Programs for which it is typically suitable |
|---|---|
| M-Course | medicine, pharmacy, biology, biochemistry, veterinary medicine, certain fields of psychology and sports science |
| T-Course | engineering, mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, architecture, technical and natural science programs |
| W-Course | economics, management, business, social sciences, some law and public administration programs |
| G-Kurs | humanities, German studies, history, philosophy, cultural studies, art history |
| S-Kurs | language and philology programs |
For Hochschulen für angewandte Wissenschaften (universities of applied sciences), similar options are available: the TI-Kurs for technical and engineering programs, the WW-Kurs for economics, the GD-Kurs for creative fields, and the SW-Kurs for social sciences.
Is it necessary to complete a specific Studienkolleg?
In most cases, what matters more than the prestige of the Studienkolleg is whether your FSP is recognized and whether its focus aligns with your chosen field of study. German universities do not have a universal rule requiring that you must complete the Studienkolleg at a specific university in order to be admitted to that university.
But there are some nuances:
- Some Studienkollegs prepare students exclusively for universities or exclusively for universities of applied sciences;
- Certain private programs or those affiliated with a specific university may offer limited access;
- Competitive fields of study, particularly medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy, are evaluated according to separate rules, and simply completing the Studienkolleg is not sufficient;
- Requirements for the same field of study may vary from one university to another.
Before applying, check not only the Studienkolleg’s website but also the page for your chosen program: the sections on Zulassung, internationale Bewerber, Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, and Anerkennung der Feststellungsprüfung.
How Your Field of Study Influences Your Choice of Major
After the FSP, you apply for programs related to your Schwerpunktkurs. For example, the T-Kurs naturally leads to engineering, computer science, and the natural sciences, while the W-Kurs leads to economics and socio-economic fields.
Sometimes the boundaries are not clear-cut. Psychology at one university may be closer to the M-Kurs, while at another it may be closer to the G- or W-track. Bioengineering may be admitted after the M-Kurs or T-Kurs, depending on the curriculum. Therefore, you cannot rely solely on the general table: the requirements of the specific program remain decisive.
Is it possible to change your field of study?
The scenario depends on when you realized you wanted to switch to a different major.
If you are still enrolled in a Studienkolleg, first contact the administration and the International Office. It is sometimes possible to transfer to a different Schwerpunktkurs, but this depends on available spots, deadlines, your results, and the specific rules of your Studienkolleg.
If you have already passed the FSP, your options are usually as follows:
- Apply to a related program if the university considers your course of study suitable.
- Find a university that accepts a different Studienkolleg track for the same major.
- Take the Ergänzungsprüfung (supplementary exam) if the university or Studienkolleg allows this option for the missing subject area.
The Ergänzungsprüfung should not be viewed as a mere formality. The selection of subjects and the admission requirements are determined locally, so be sure to request written confirmation in advance from the Studienkolleg or the university’s admissions office.
How to Apply After the FSP
The procedure usually goes like this:
- Obtain your Zeugnis der Feststellungsprüfung and check which field of study is listed on it.
- Make a list of programs that match your course of study.
- Check the language of instruction, the minimum proficiency level in German or English, and the format of the language proficiency certificate.
- Check the application process: directly through the university, through uni-assist, or through a separate system for programs with a special admissions process.
- Check how the university calculates your grade point average: often, both high school grades and the FSP result are taken into account.
- Compare application deadlines. For international applicants, these deadlines are often earlier than for students with a German Abitur.
- If your major is in question for your program, ask the admissions committee before submitting your application.
Common Mistakes
Don’t choose a Studienkolleg based solely on the city or the university’s name. First, check whether the Studienkolleg offers the Schwerpunktkurs you need and where it actually grants admission.
Do not assume that the FSP automatically guarantees a spot. For programs with a Numerus Clausus, admission is determined by grades, quotas, deadlines, and additional criteria.
Do not assume that the requirements of one university apply to all others. In Germany, admissions are regulated at the level of the specific university and program, so the same major may require different preparatory courses.
FAQ
Can you apply to universities throughout Germany after completing any Studienkolleg?
Generally, passing the Feststellungsprüfung grants access to study in Germany within the relevant field of study. However, before applying, you should check whether a specific Studienkolleg program is restricted to a certain type of university, federal state, or partner university.
Which is more important: the Studienkolleg or the FSP score?
For admission, a recognized FSP, a suitable field of study, and a competitive score are more important. The name “Studienkolleg” alone does not usually substitute for high grades and meeting the program’s requirements.
Is it possible to enroll in a technical program after completing the M-Kurs?
Sometimes, yes, if the program is related and the university accepts such a background. For clearly technical fields, a T-Kurs or TI-Kurs is often required, so you should confirm this with the specific university.
What should I do if I chose the wrong course?
First, check whether there are related programs that accept your Schwerpunktkurs. If not, inquire about the possibility of transferring during your studies or taking an Ergänzungsprüfung after the FSP. Do not apply blindly: a rejection due to an unsuitable field of study usually cannot be remedied with a simple explanatory letter.
