College of preparatory studies
A college of preparatory studies provides targeted preparation courses for international student applicants and prepares students for scientific study at a German university. If you have graduated from secondary school and are entitled to study at a university in your home country but your matriculation is not recognised in Germany as a university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, HZB), you must attend a college of preparatory studies in Germany prior to starting your studies. You can check in the Anabin database (http://anabin.kmk.org/ ) whether you have to attend a college of preparatory studies or if you have a direct university entrance qualification.
Education in the college of preparatory studies
In a college of preparatory studies students are prepared specifically for studies in their discipline in a two-semester course. Usually 4 or 5 types of course are offered: a G course for liberal arts courses, a W course for economic courses, an M course for medical courses, a T course for technical courses and an S course for language and literature courses. Your future study area is critical for the choice of your course. In all courses German is a mandatory subject and is the teaching language for all discipline subjects. You will also learn the skills and abilities, known as key qualifications, that will enable you to succeed in your specialist study. This includes working with text sources, writing argumentative and analytical texts as well as preparing simple seminar presentations, presenting work results and structured note-taking during lectures.
Entry requirements
The college of preparatory studies does not offer German lessons for beginners. Students must already have good German language skills (level B1+ to B2, see Common European Framework of Reference) prior to entering the college of preparatory studies. For the T courses, good mathematical skills are also required. At some colleges of preparatory studies, English language skills are also required. The necessary entry requirements are usually verified by means of an entry examination for which private institutes provide special preparation courses.
Completion
At the end of your studies you will complete an examination (assessment examination) which will determine whether you have knowledge at the matriculation level for the discipline subjects relevant for your course. In the subject German you must demonstrate that you have language skills to level B2+ to C1 depending on the course type. If you have passed the assessment examination, you then apply directly to our university to study.
