1. University entrance qualification (HZB) for applicants with German nationality

• The general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) allows you to study any degree course.
• The subject-related higher education entrance qualification allows you to study certain degree courses. Possible disciplines of study are usually shown on the certificate.
• The International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB-Diploma) is generelly recognised if the requirements based on the decision of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs are fulfilled.
• Applicants who have already successfully completed a degree in Germany are allowed to study any degree course.
• Holders of certain qualifications for professional advanced education (e.g. master craftsman qualification) are allowed to study all undergraduate courses after consultation with TU Dresden.
• Those with a vocational qualification with a completed apprenticeship and at least three years professional experience can take an entrance examination  at TU Dresden. Upon successful completion and after consultation, they are allowed to study at TU Dresden only in the course for which they applied.
• Those with a vocational qualification (must have a training qualification) have the university entrance qualification after studying for 2 semesters at a state or state-approved university at which they render a proof of performance for the purpose of study in the same or corresponding subject at all universities in accordance with Section 1 Para 1 Saxon University Freedom Act (SächsHSFG).
• Attention: The advanced technical college certificate (also known as the Fachabitur) is not a subject-related higher education entrance qualification and therefore does not allow you to study at an academic institution in the Free State of Saxony.  In Saxony the advanced technical college certificate only allows you to study at a university of applied sciences.
   

  2. University entrance qualification (HZB) for applicants with foreign nationality

• Proof of university entrance qualifications is made with a secondary school leaving certificate (with university entrance examination or already completed periods of study where applicable). The certificate must be equivalent to the German ‘Abitur’ according to the evaluation guidelines of the Central Office of International Education.
• The International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB-Diploma) is generelly recognised if the requirements based on the decision of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs are fulfilled.
• Higher education that has already been completed in Germany entitles further study.

To be admitted to study in higher education, proof of practical training or work may be requested if the course requires it. In artistic or linguistics-related courses or subjects, proof of a successfully passed aptitude test may be required. Requirements and specific application deadlines are usually found in the respective study regulations and from the related eligibility requirements regulations. You will find which requirements apply to the relevant course in the Study Information System (SINS). In the following  overview, the eligibility requirements for undergraduate courses are summarised in a list.

For NC courses, a specific selection process/ranking is necessary for admission. Intake capacities can be determined by the Saxon Admission Numbers Regulation each year for courses or subjects with high levels of applicants. These courses are referred to as numerus clausus (NC) courses. The allocation of available places is made in accordance with the Saxon Allocation Procedure Regulation. In some courses, the faculty can set more selection criteria beyond its own selection regulations. You will find information about which courses are determined with a NC and which documents must be submitted within which deadlines for the current application year from around May on the courses pages in the Study Information System (SINS) and from our > overview of the specific selection procedure in undergraduate courses. More information on the selection process and thresholds from previous years can be found on our NC page.

If you did not acquire your university entrance qualification at a German institution, proof of your German knowledge will be required (also applies to applicants with German citizenship), unless you are applying for a master’s course that is taught in English. (Other conditions also apply to students within the ERASMUS exchange programme. You will find information about this here.)

Sufficient knowledge of German can usually be proven with the following examinations or certificates:

• German language examination for university admission (DSH) with an overall score of at least DSH 2
• “German as a foreign language for applicants” test (TestDaF) with an overall score of at least TestDaF 4 in all parts of the exam
• A pass in the German examination within the framework of the assessment test (FSP)
• “German language diploma from the Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the German Federal States - level II” (DSD level 2/level C1)
• A C2 grade in the Goethe Institute’s test at home or abroad
• “Small German Language Diploma” or “Big German Language Diploma” awarded by the Goethe Institute on behalf of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. This was replaced with Goethe - Certificate C2 (Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom) in 01.01.2012. Certificates issued until 31.12.2011 are only valid for DSH Test.
• Telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule

You will find more information about the required language skills and the options to acquire these skills here.

Admission for studying at TU Dresden for applicants with a foreign university qualification/educational qualification is given in accordance with the assessment guidelines of the Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the German Federal States (KMK).

This means that if you have a foreign university entrance qualification (also applies to the International Baccalaureate (IB) obtained at an international school in Germany), you must have your certificate approved for application purposes in Germany and have an average grade calculated. The Work and Service Office for International Applicants carries out this task for TU Dresden (uni assist). All German or international applicants with a foreign qualification must initially apply via uni assist. Your certificates will be checked and evaluated by uni assist in connection with your application. If the certificate is sufficient for university admission and your documents are complete, your application data will be forwarded to TU Dresden. A second application using the TU Dresden application portal is therefore unnecessary.

You will find the most important information about the respective country-specific requirements in the DAAD admission database, which was compiled based on the KMK’s assessment guidelines. Another information option is the Anabin database from the Central Office of International Education (ZAB). This database is also based on the KMK assessment guidelines. Here you will find detailed information about country-specific requirements and further information about the assessment of universities and degrees.

Please note: uni assist check your documents with regard to the respective application at TU Dresden. You will not receive an official notice of recognition that can be used for other application purposes. In that case you will have to contact an accreditation office.

Applicants for Medicine or Dentistry who have previously studied said subjects and want to apply for enrolment in a higher semester: Recognition of previous courses for credit from foreign institutions is done by the respective Landesprüfungsamt (LPA). For more information, please contact the Medical Faculty of TU Dresden directly.

Information about the application process

Find the right application portal

Please note that admission can be refused even in the event of a sufficient university entrance qualification or with a letter of admission to an NC course if there are grounds for refusal in accordance with the Saxon University Freedom Act (SächsHSFG):

“An applicant can be refused admission to a course if the applicant

• does not meet the entry requirement to study according to § 17,
• if the course is subject to restricted admission and the applicant is not admitted,
• does not prove that the applicant has health insurance or is exempt from the health insurance obligation,
• does not prove that the applicant has met the statutory obligations in connection with admission with regards to paying fees or contributions,
• is already enrolled at another German university and a parallel degree is not appropriate for the study objective,
• has not passed the required examination for completion of the selected course of study,
• has not produced the performance record in the selected course of study or a course with the same specialised orientation as prescribed in the examination regulations,
• has already passed the course’s final examination.

An applicant can be refused admission particularly if the applicant

• does not comply with the rules of procedure valid for admission,
• is under legal supervision in accordance with the regulations of the German Civil Code,
• cannot enrol for certain semesters,
• does not have proof of the required language skills,
• suffers from an illness that could seriously endanger the health of other students or compromise the course; a public health certificate may be required for verification purposes,
• has been legally sentenced to imprisonment for at least one year for an intentionally committed offence, if the sentence is still subject to indefinite information and/or if studies are in danger of being jeopardised or interrupted depending on the type of offence.