HTWK Leipzig welcomes applications from international students. The application procedure differs for
↓ degree students and
↓ non-degree students
Please note: Since nearly all courses at HTWK Leipzig are taught in German (except for the International Management Bachelor's Programme, 50% in English), degree and non-degree students need to demonstrate a good command of written and spoken German prior to admission.
This application information is for international applicants and German applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification who strive to graduate with a degree from HTWK Leipzig.
If you would like to study for one or two semesters at HTWK Leipzig, please check the information for ↓ non-degree students below.
General admission requirements
Please note: Since nearly all courses at HTWK Leipzig are taught in German (except for the International Management Bachelor's Programme, 50% in English), degree and non-degree students need to demonstrate a good command of written and spoken German prior to admission.
- University entrance qualification: To be eligible for admission to a Bachelor’s degree programme as an international first-year student at HTWK Leipzig (or any other German university for that matter), you need to have the equivalent of a German Hochschulzugangsberechtigung. This long word refers to the school-leaving certificate that is recognised as a higher education entrance qualification. In Germany, this certificate is commonly known as the Abitur. Applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification that is not equivalent to the German "Abitur" have to take the qualification assessment examination in Germany, called "Prüfung zur Feststellung der Eignung ausländischer Studienbewerber für die Aufnahme eines Studiums an Hochschulen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland" (Feststellungsprüfung abbr. FSP). Preparations for the exam take place at the Studienkolleg and require getting a good grade in the placement test. The placement test is held in February and August at Studienkolleg of Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz. You have to apply for the placement test via uni-assist e.V.
- German skills: International applicants will have to give proof of their German skills prior to starting their studies. We accept the following certificates:
- Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (TestDaF) (at least level 4 in each sub-test) or
- Goethe-Zertifikat: „C2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom“ or
- Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz (DSD II) or
- "telc Zertifikat C1 Hochschule"
- Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH), at least level 2
Applications with B1 or B2 will result in a conditional admission and an invitation to the placement test at Hochschule Zittau. If you do well in the placement test you can learn German for free there (the class lasts six months) and you must pass the DSH exam at the end of the class (at least level 2) in order to apply directly at HTWK Leipzig. The placement test is held in February and August at Studienkolleg of Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz. You have to apply for the placement test via uni-assist e.V.
If you do not pass the placement test you can also take a C1 class in a language school of your choice and come back to us once you have the C1 certificate.
from non-EU countries
If there are more applicants per study programme than there are available places, it results in a numerus clausus (NC). Here you can see the development of the NC values for non-EU countries during the last years at HTWK Leipzig (content in German only). Only students whose school-leaving certificate grade equaled or was better than the grade displayed in the table were granted admission.
The NC value for students from non-EU countries differs from the value for students from EU countries (including Germany) - but only for bachelor degrees. Concerning master degrees all countries are treated equally.
from EU countries (including Germany)
If there are more applicants per study programme than there are available places, it results in a numerus clausus (NC). Here you can see the development of the NC values for EU countries during the last years at HTWK Leipzig (content in German only). Only students whose school-leaving certificate grade equaled or was better than the grade displayed in the table were granted admission.
The NC value for students from EU countries (including Germany) differs from the value for students from non-EU countries - but only for bachelor degrees. Concerning master degrees all countries are treated equally.
Application process with uni-assist
If you fulfil the requirements and you have a foreign university entrance qualification, please apply online via uni-assist.
Uni-assist will review your application (school and language certificates) to determine whether you meet the general requirements for admission at HTWK Leipzig. They will also convert your grades to the German grading system. Having your application documents reviewed by uni-assist is subject to a charge. But having your application documents reviewed once, you can apply at different universities that cooperate with uni-assist. You can find more information about the universities, charges, deadlines and the procedure on the uni-assist website.
We recommend the information portal Study in Germany for orientation and preparation purposes.
This application procedure applies to citizens from EU states as well (including Austria and Switzerland) and concerns all degree programmes at HTWK Leipzig.
This application procedure does not apply to international applicants:
- with a German university entrance qualification (Abitur)
- within non-degree exchange programmes of HTWK Leipzig
- within non-degree cooperation programmes of HTWK Leipzig
Submission of applications via uni-assist
Winter semester:
- 01.04. to 15.06. for people with B1 or B2 (Studienkolleg | German course (DSH)), via uni-assist
- 01.04. to 15.07. for people with C1 via uni-assist
- 01.04. to 15.07. for people with C1 and VPD from uni-assist, via HTWK application portal
Summer semester:
- 01.11. to 15.12. for people with B1 or B2 (Studienkolleg | German course (DSH)), via uni-assist
- 01.11. to 15.01. for people with C1 via uni-assist
- 01.12. to 15.01. for people with C1 and VPD from uni-assist, via HTWK application portal
Next entrance tests for Studienkolleg | Deutschkurs (DSH) in Zittau: 27.08.2024
Next aptitude test for Architecture (Bachelor) will be held online: 01.06.2024 - 15.06.2024
Next aptitude test for Architecture (Master) will be held online: 01.05.2024 - 15.06.2024
Support for your application with uni-assist e.V.
Mako and Mariia offer support for your application with uni-assist e.V. Please prepare your application documents so we have a complete overview and can help you as best as possible: welcome (at) htwk-leipzig.de
Application documents
If you are applying to HTWK Leipzig as a degree-seeking student, you need to submit online the following documents to uni-assist:
- Application Form for Admission to Studies for Foreign Applicants: You can use the online application service of uni-assist to fill out this form on your computer and save it permanently on your hard drive for future use/reference. Uni-assist offers important additional country-specific information about requirements for several countries on this page.
- School and university leaving certificates: Please send all documents attesting to the qualifications entered on your application form. To be eligible for admission as a first-year student, you will need to submit the equivalent of a German university entrance qualification (see the section on General Admission Requirements for further information). Depending on your school-leaving certificate, you may also need documentation confirming years of university study. For admission to one of HTWK Leipzig’s Master’s programmes, you will need a Bachelor’s degree certificate and a transcript of records for all study years.
- Language certificates (see the section on General Admission Requirements for further information)
- Curriculum vitae
- Passport copy: Submit a photocopy of your current passport (the page showing your photo, name and nationality).
Translations need to be carried out by a state-registered, sworn translator. For further information, please refer to the uni-assist website.
Entry and stay requirements
Students from states of the European Union that have special arrangements with Germany are exempt from visa obligations.
Students from Andorra, Australia, Brazil, El Salvador, Great Britain, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, South Korea and the USA can apply for a residence permit after having arrived in Germany.
Students from other countries will need a valid passport with a visa or a permit of residence for study purposes.
A tourist visa is not sufficient and cannot be changed to a visa for study purposes.
General information
Please note: Since nearly all courses at HTWK Leipzig are taught in German (except for the International Management Bachelor Programme, 50% in English), degree and non-degree students need to demonstrate a good command of written and spoken German prior to admission.
HTWK Leipzig welcomes applications from international students who wish to study with us for a semester or two as visiting or exchange students from one of our partner universities abroad.
As a visiting or exchange student, you may take any course you are academically qualified to take. However, as some courses are offered on a space-available basis, we cannot guarantee that any specific course will be available. You will meet regular HTWK Leipzig students in most of your courses and have unlimited access to all of the university’s facilities.
In order to be eligible for non-degree studies at HTWK Leipzig, you must be enrolled in a degree-seeking undergraduate or postgraduate programme at your home university and have completed at least one full year of university credit by the time of enrolment. A Bachelor’s degree is required for taking courses at the Master's level.
If you strive to graduate with a degree from HTWK Leipzig, please check the information for ↑ degree-seeking students above.
Application process
Exchange students from our partner universities, who wish to study at HTWK Leipzig for one or two semesters, need to be nominated by the International Office of their home university for exchange studies at HTWK Leipzig. After receipt of the nomination, we will send the students information about the online application procedure and a link to our Mobility-Online application form. The students have to fill in the application form and register in our Mobility-Online database. Please see the guidelines for an application with Mobility-Online.
Letter of acceptance
Please note that we will only accept full applications. After we receive the applications, we will forward them to the Departmental International Coordinator at the respective faculty. After acceptance, exchange students receive an official letter of acceptance and additional information about housing and their study period in Leipzig.