Academic requirements for international applicants
Usually, the country and education system where you attained your academic qualifications will determine which application method you need to use to apply for a place of study at the University of Passau. Your nationality is only relevant to your application in a small number of scenarios. For example, if you apply for a programme with restrictions applying to student numbers (so-called "numerus clausus" programmes), there are designated quotas for international applicants.
How to apply: an interactive guide
The application procedure depends on your intended degree programme and on your academic background and qualifications. Please answer the questions below, then follow the link to get specific information on the application process and what documents to include in your application.
If you have an Austrian or a German university entrance qualification (e. g. an Austrian Matura or a German Abitur), then the Univerity of Passau will accept your application or enrolment directly.
If you have an Austrian university entrance qualification and you wish to apply to a degree programme with restrictions on student numbers (zulassungsbeschränkte Studiengänge), then you must submit the end-of-year results of your final year of school alongside your school graduation certificate. Depending on your certificate, this may be required for converting your grades into the German system. To find out whether access to a degree programme is restricted or not, please check the degree programme's web page.
Financial support for your studies
Please check with the appropriate authorities in your home country whether you can get financial support while studying in Germany. You may be able to access a Mobility Scholarship (Mobilitätsstipendium). In certain circumstances, you might be eligible for support through the German BAföG scheme. To find out about the conditions under which you might be eligible, and for all relevant information, please consult the Office for Education and Training Assistance (Amt für Ausbildungsförderung).
Additional information for teacher training programme applicants
If you are thinking about enrolling on a teacher training programme in Bavaria, with a view to potentially taking up a teaching position in Austria in the future, please first consult the relevant government departments in Austria. You will have to find out to what extent German teacher training qualifications are recognised there.
When applying for a teaching position in Bavaria, you will not be disadvantaged compared to German nationals, provided you completed your entire teacher training in Bavaria (passing the first and the second state teaching examinations).
If you have a foreign school leaving qualification, its recognition in Germany depends on the education system in your home country and on the course content that is taught there.
You can use uni-assist's university admission check tool to find out whether your school leaving qualification is recognised in Germany, and what level of access to a German university education it is likely to bestow on you. There are many different possible outcomes. Here are some common examples - but the list is not comprehensive:
- direct general admission: this is recognised as equivalent to a German general university entrance qualification, which enables you to apply to any undergraduate degree programme of your choice.
- direct subject-restricted admission: this is recognised as equivalent to a German subject-specific university entrance qualification. With this type of qualification you can only enrol on specific degree programmes. If you want to study a different degree programme with this type of qualification, you will first have to obtain an indirect university entrance qualification for the programme of your choice - for example, by attending a preparatory course at a Studienkolleg.
- admission to a preparatory course/the assessment examination: this result means that your school leaving qualification is not recognised as a university entrance qualification in Germany. However, with this qualification, you can join a preparatory course at a Studienkolleg and, after passing the necessary exams, obtain a university entrance qualification.
How are my academic grades translated into the German grade system?
If you'd like to know how your academic results are translated into the German system of academic grades, you can use the calculation tool below. If your native system doesn't use numbers for academic grades, but, for example, letters, then you must first turn the grades into numbers.
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The above tool uses the formula decided upon by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs. It is known as 'modifizierte bayerische Formel' (modified Bavarian formula).
Please note: academic grading systems vary significantly between countries. The calculation tool has been created for your convenience. Its results are not legally binding, but a guideline for general information purposes only.
If you are an international applicant with a German university entrance qualification, this makes you a 'Bildungsinländer' (educationally native person). You can apply directly to the University of Passau for a place of study.
Five percent of the places of study on access-restricted degree programmes are set aside for international (non-EU) students. This is referred to as the Ausländerquote (foreign students' quota).
EU citizens are treated equal to German applicants. The foreign students' quota does not apply to them.
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