How to apply?

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The following deadlines apply:

• 15 June for entry in the following winter semester (October - March)
• 15 December for entry in the following summer semester (April - September)

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.

Downloads for non-degree applicants

• Information for Exchange Students 2024/2025
• HTWK language certificate
• Information regarding health insurance
• Guidelines for the application with Mobility-Online