A Studienkolleg is a place not only to refresh your knowledge and prepare for university, but also a place where you get to know other international students and take your first steps to discover German culture.
First of all, what is actually Studienkolleg, and why do some of us have to visit it?
If you are coming from outside of European Union, it might be that your school-leaving certificate is not recognised as university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung) for studies in Germany. For this reason, you have to visit first the Studienkolleg (preparatory course).
You choose a course based on what you want to study. For example, I wanted to study Biology, so I have applied for M course (for medical, biological, or pharmaceutical programs). Additionally, there are other courses such as
- W course (for business and economics programs and social science courses of study)
- G course (for the humanities or German studies programs)
- T course (for mathematical-scientific or technical courses of study)
In order to be accepted to Studienkolleg, you have to take an entrance exam (Aufnahmeprüfung). Typically, this test assesses your German language proficiency. For certain courses (W and T), it may also include a mathematics examination. The language of instruction at Studienkolleg is German, which is why you are required to take this exam.
Preparation at Studienkolleg usually takes two semesters. It is also possible to shorten it to one semester if you will show an excellent performance. However, if overall results are not satisfactory, each semester can be repeated only once. At the end of programme there is an assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung). Successfully passing the assessment test means that now you have access to studies throughout Germany at all universities or universities of applied sciences.
My personal experience.
In 2018, I came to Munich to attend Studienkolleg. Initially, I thought that attending Studienkolleg was a waste of time. In the beginning everything seemed familiar from what I had already learned in my home country.
However, after some time, I realized that the time spent in Studienkolleg was a valuable opportunity, especially for learning scientific terminology in the German language. Consequently, this knowledge was very helpful when I started my bachelor’s in biology.
Additionally, I had the opportunity to explore other cities during holidays and decide about where I wanted to live and study after completing Studienkolleg.
Above all, I could make new friends from diverse backgrounds and explore German culture and traditions with them.
Lastly, something interesting to note is that I could be exempted from the German exam in the assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung), not the Aufnahmetest! Because I had a TestDaF certificate with the overall level of C1.
And also, students, who wanted to study subjects other than medicine and dentistry didn’t have to take Latin language classes at Studienkolleg.
If you have ever visited Studienkolleg or are currently attending, what kind of facts you want to share with other international students? Write in the comments! 🙂
Hello! I'd like to move to Germany next year and I'd like to know a few things about studienkolleg. For example: If I attend the Studienkolleg in Mainz could I go or apply to the University in Stuttgart? Besides, I'd like to know if there is Studienkollegs (T-Kurs) and Universtity for free in Stuttgart. My main goal is to go to Stuttgart to work with Automotive Industry in the future. Thank you Best regards, Matheus
Hi Matheus, Thank you for your inquiry, here is some information about visiting a Studienkolleg: Good German language skills are required, as German is spoken in all courses. To gain admission to a foundation course, you must first pass an entrance examination. Participation in the course is usually free of charge. Foundation courses take one year to complete and end with the “Feststellungsprüfung” (university qualification assessment examination). On our website, you can find more information on foundation courses 👉 https://www.study-in-germany.de/en/plan-your-studies/requirements/prep-foundation-courses/. And you will find a lot of information as well as locations of “Studienkollegs” at: http://www.studienkollegs.de/home.html. If you have some more specific questions, you can contact us by email using our contact form 👉 https://www.study-in-germany.de/en/get-in-touch/contact/. Best wishes, Your Study in Germany-Team 👋🇩🇪
I want to know at what stage the DAAD intervenes for the student and how?
Hi, and thank you for your inquiry. However, we are a bit at a loss: what situation is this? Could you give us a little more context? If you have any further or specific questions, you can contact us by email using our contact form 👉 https://www.study-in-germany.de/en/get-in-touch/contact/. Best wishes, Your Study in Germany-Team 👋🇩🇪