As an outward-looking institution, we welcome all prospective students to our university. We offer a wide range of courses as well as special services for refugees. Our International Centre will advise you on all questions concerning study requirements, application and beginning your studies.

Open day for prospective international and refugee students on 3 May 2024, 1 – 5 pm: 

Are you interested in studying in Leipzig? You are welcome to attend the "Information day for prospective international and refugee students" and find out about all topics related to starting your studies and financing or take the opportunity to talk to students.

enlarge the image: zwei Studierende stehen sich unterhaltend am Fahrstuhl des Geisteswissenschaftlichen Zentrums
Students at our university’s Geisteswissenschaftliches Zentrum. Photo: Christian Hüller

Requirements for Studying

All applicants must meet certain requirements in order to study at our university.

To be able to study at our university, your educational qualifications must entitle you to study at a university in Germany. You can check whether your foreign qualifications are recognised for German universities:

‘Direct’ higher education entrance qualification (HZB)

  • A general ‘direct’ higher education entrance qualification (known in German as a Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, or HZB) entitles the holder to study any course of study.
  • A subject-specific ‘direct’ higher education entrance qualification entitles the holder to study certain courses of study.

‘Indirect’ higher education entrance qualification (HZB)

If you hold an ‘indirect’ higher education entrance qualification, this does not directly entitle you to study. In order to study at our university, you must have attended a subject-related preparatory language course at a Studienkolleg. This preparatory course lasts two semesters and ends with an assessment test known as the Feststellungsprüfung (FSP).

University Degree

If you already hold a recognised university degree, you also have a direct higher education entrance qualification and additionally meet the requirements for a master’s degree.

  • Please go to the Master’s programmes page for more information on further admission requirements for postgraduate degrees.

Without a higher education entrance qualification (HZB), it is not possible to study at our university or take courses at the Studienkolleg. 

For a degree programme taught in German, you must demonstrate proficiency in German equivalent to the “German Language Exam for Admission to Higher Education” at level 2 (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang, DSH-2) or an equivalent recognised in the Framework Regulations for German Language Examinations for Studies at German Universities (see §2 and §8, section 2). This must be proven by providing a recognised language certificate.

If you only have an ‘indirect’ higher education entrance qualification (HZB) and have to complete a course at the Studienkolleg first, then your proficiency in German must be equivalent to B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Please note that some courses are offered in English, while some others require additional foreign language skills. The language requirements for each programme are specified in our course database.

You do not need a specific residence permit to study. It is only necessary to fulfil the study requirements.

German Courses to Prepare for Studying

If there will be new study-preparatory German courses offered in 2024, information will be published on this website.

Preparing for Studies at the Studienkolleg

The Studienkolleg Sachsen at Leipzig University offers courses for subject-specific and linguistic preparation for studying at our university. The Studienkolleg page contains information about requirements and application periods.

The German courses and other courses for refugees at the Studienkolleg are supported by the INTEGRA programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Saxon State Ministry of Science and the Arts (SMWK).

Information on Applying as a Refugee

Please use the uni-assist portal if you wish to apply at our university for the German language course, the Studienkolleg, undergraduate study (bachelor’s, Diplom and State Examination courses) or a master’s programme. uni-assist is a centralised service for universities which, among other things, will check your higher education entrance qualification.

If some or all of the applicant’s documents are missing due to the circumstances of when they fled their home country, then we base our decisions on the resolution of the Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder) of 3 December 2015. This resolution allows for the burden of proof to be relaxed. It is thus possible to waive the applicant’s requirement to provide official documents, provided there is indirect evidence that the applicant has acquired the necessary higher education entrance qualification.

uni-assist will contact you if your documents are incomplete. You will receive a self-assessment form to provide information about your missing certificates. uni-assist will check the plausibility of this information. An individual decision will then be made on your formal and academic suitability.

Before applying, we recommend that you come to our International Centre for a personal consultation during office hours.

In certain circumstances, you can apply for state support for your studies under Germany’s Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG). To find out whether you are entitled to BAföG whilst studying, please contact the BAföG counsellors at the Studentenwerk Leipzig. Guidance can also be found on their website for international students. Information on general financing options for your studies is available from the Studentenwerk Leipzig’s social counselling service.

You can submit your BAföG application one year in advance before commencing your studies. Please make sure you take care of your basic financial security early on. It can take several months to process BAföG applications.

More information about BAföG is available on the website run by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

You can also apply for a scholarship. There are many different foundations that provide financial and non-material support to refugees during their studies.

Participation in preparatory German courses is not supported by BAföG. In many cases, participants are still looked after by the Jobcenter and they continue to receive benefits. If you have any questions, please contact your Jobcenter supervisor directly.

Further information

  • If you are currently unable to take up full-time studies, you might want to register as a Gasthörer, or auditor.
    Learn more
  • Information about further support for refugees at our university is available on the page of the Commissioner for Refugees.
    Learn more
  • With the help of Kiron Open Higher Education, you can take online courses on five different subjects.
    Learn more
  • Graduates who acquired their degree abroad and wish to enter a profession must have their degree checked and accredited by the relevant authorities. Our university does not offer this service. An online tool is available to help you find the right accreditation body and information about the accreditation process.
    Learn more
  • "Chance for Science" is a platform that facilitates access to academia as well as contact with colleagues doing research in Germany for refugee scientists.
    Learn More

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