Admission requirements
Generally speaking, admission to a study program at Hochschule Fresenius is based on your previous education and qualifications. Take a look at the requirements for the study program you wish to join. If in doubt, please don’t hesitate to contact our study advice team!
Admission requirements for Bachelor’s study programs
To be admitted to a Bachelor’s study program at Hochschule Fresenius, you are required to have a university entrance qualification (German “Hochschulzugangsberechtigung”). This qualification can be provided in one of the following ways:
With a general university entrance qualification, you’re eligible to study at all higher education institutions and in all German federal states.
As educational systems differ around the world, we will need to check whether your school-leaving certificate specifically qualifies you to study in Germany. Hochschule Fresenius is headquartered in Idstein, which means it is subject to the Hessian Higher Education Act and the Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts will need to officially approve your qualifications.
If you have an international school-leaving certificate that does not specifically entitle you to study at a university in Germany, you can take the university qualification examination (German “Feststellungsprüfung“). This is also available at Hochschule Fresenius. At Studienkolleg NRW, we offer focus courses to prepare you for the “Feststellungsprüfung“. You can also apply for these preparatory courses and the subsequent Bachelor’s program through our Pre-Bachelor. More information about Studienkolleg NRW is available here.
When holding this certificate, you’re eligible to study at a university of applied sciences or in a two-cycle study program at a university in the federal states identified in the certificate.
A “Fachgebundene Hochschulreife” makes you eligible to study the corresponding subject in the federal states identified in the certificate.
A master craftsman certificate or a vocational qualification in accordance with the act on access to higher education institutions in the state of Hesse for people with professional qualifications (either completion of professional advance training of at least 400 hours; a technical college, vocational, or administrative academy qualification)
or
a “Mittlere Reife” school-leaving degree, successful completion of a state-recognized commercial apprenticeship (at least 3 years) with grade 2.5 or higher, plus a written agreement with Hochschule Fresenius stating that you’ll attain at least 18 credit points in your first semester or 30 credit points in your first year of studying
or
successful completion of a state-recognized commercial apprenticeship (at least 2 years) with subsequent professional experience lasting at least two years as well as a special university admission assessment.
International applicants who have a secondary school leaving diploma and qualify to enter a bachelor program in their home country but do not meet the German higher education entrance qualification, are entitled to take the Hochschule Fresenius entrance examination. This test is free of charge and consists of a 120-minute written online test and a 30-minute oral test. If you pass the test, you will have direct access to our undergraduate study programs. The tasks and questions assess your methodological, specialist, analytical, and communicative skills, which are necessary for successfully completing your studies.
Please note that if you have taken the TestAS, SAT, ACT, ITB or Gaokao you may be exempt from taking the Hochschule Fresenius entrance examination, provided that your score is satisfactory.
If you have taken any of the above-mentioned tests, you are welcome to send us your score report.
Admission requirements for Master’s study programs
Each Master’s study program has its own admission requirements. In general, you can start a Master’s program if you have attained a first professional degree, e.g. a Bachelor’s degree.
If you have completed vocational training in a specific field and have several years of professional experience, you might be able to take an aptitude test and begin your Master’s program without a Bachelor’s degree. If you want to know more about this option, please contact our Study Advice Service.
In some Master’s programs, we require that you have completed your Bachelor’s degree in certain subject areas, or that you have certain professional training or experience.
Please check your Master’s program info page, to read the detailed admission requirements.
Language skills
If you decide to join an English-language study program, you do not need to speak German. However, we encourage you to start learning German before arriving in Germany to make your life easier.
For our English-language study programs, you will need to prove language skills equivalent to Level B2 (e.g., TOEFL iBT with at least 70 points or IELTS with at least 6.0). For more information on the proof of English language proficiency, please have a look at the Infosheet below:
If you wish to enroll in a German-language study program, and you are not a native speaker or have not completed your schooling in a German-speaking country, you will need to prove language skills equivalent to Level B2.
If you are unsure whether your certificate entitles you to study at Hochschule Fresenius, please feel free to make an appointment, and we will check your admission eligibility.
Any questions concerning your qualifications?
Are you unsure whether your certificate entitles you to study at Hochschule Fresenius? Please feel free to make an individual consultation appointment with our international admissions team, and we will check your admission eligibility.