Procedure
Table of contents
Online application
Click here for the online application
German applicants can find further information on the online application under Admissions Office and international applicants under International Office.
Here you can access the TU Dresden's study information system with an overview of the Bachelor's degree program in International Relations.
The application
You would like to apply for a place on the Bachelor's degree program in International Relations? Then please carefully read the information on the following page. It provides information on admission requirements and deadlines, contains important notes, information on the application process as well as links to the online application portal and further information.
We look forward to receiving your application!
General information
We carry out a two-stage selection process to allocate the 38 places for the Bachelor's degree program in International Relations. This is divided into a written application section and a selection interview as well as a written language test in English.
Admission to the course is possible in the winter semester only.
Written applications from German citizens must be submitted to the Admissions Office in due form and time. Applicants from EU and non-EU countries should apply via the uni-assist online portal. In addition to the online application (as the degree program is admission-restricted, the TUD Portal 1 applies), you must have sent all documents required for your application by post to the Admissions Office of TU Dresden or to uni-assist by the above-mentioned deadline. In the case of an application via uni-assist, the processing fee must also be received by the application deadline. To ensure that your application is processed promptly, please also upload your application documents online to the uni-assist application portal. Please also note the further information from the Admissions Office and the International Office.
Admission requirements
- general higher education entrance qualification, as evidenced by the Abitur certificate (for foreign applicants by a comparable certificate);
- foreign applicants additionally need to have very good German language skills, which must be proven by the German Language Test for University Admission (DSH: Level 2), the Test of German as a Foreign Language (TestDaF: 4x4) or a comparable certificate. Please note that the certificate of German language proficiency must be enclosed with the application and cannot be submitted later.
Application deadlines for the 2024/25 academic year
The application deadline is July 15 , 2024.
We ask all applicants who apply via the uni-assist applicant portal to submit the required application documents in full six weeks before the application deadline, as the preliminary review of the documents takes some time.
These application deadlines apply to all applicants.
Further information can be found on the pages of the Study Information System (SINS) and the other pages of the ZIS.
In addition, we also ask you to pay the processing fee to uni-assist by July 01, 2024.
Application via the uni-assist applicant portal is already possible from April 01, 2024.
German applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification can find information on the application process at: www.tu-dresden.de/studium/organisation/bewerbung_und_immatrikulation
The selection interviews will take place digitally from August 7 to 14, 2024. Please keep these dates free. Unfortunately, dates outside the specified period are not possible!
The English language test is expected to take place as an online test on August 06, 2024. There won't be an alternative date.
Important information about the application process
The written application
We look forward to receiving your application. Please remember that in the written selection process we can only assess your suitability for the degree program on the basis of the documents you submit. We would be pleased if you enabled us to get to know you well, which is why we ask for complete documents. In addition to the online application (as the degree program is admission-restricted, the TUD Portal 1 applies), the following documents must be sent to the Admissions Office or, for foreign applicants, to uni-assist:
- Curriculum vitae in tabular form, preferably with a photograph
- A one- to two-page description of your motivation for your application
- Copy of your most recent certificate: general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) or comparable higher education entrance qualification
- Proof of all acquired knowledge, internships, stays abroad, commitment within and outside of school, honorary positions, memberships, activities with an international focus, language skills, voluntary services, etc.
- Please complete the supplementary application form and enclose it with your application
- For foreign applicants: Proof of German language skills (e.g. DSH, TestDaF or comparable certificates; further information can be obtained from the International Office)
The written application of German citizens must be submitted to the Admissions Office in due form and time. Applicants from EU and non-EU countries should apply via the uni-assist online portal. In addition to the online application, you must have sent all documents required for your application by post to the Admissions Office of TU Dresden or to uni-assist by the above-mentioned deadline. In the case of an application via uni-assist, the processing fee must also have been received by the application deadline. Please note the new address of uni-assist: uni-assist (TU Dresden), Geneststr. 5, 10829 Berlin. In order to ensure that your application is processed promptly, please upload your application documents online to the uni-assist applicant portal in good time. Please also note the further information from the Admissions Office and the International Office).
The applications received are usually evaluated within 2 weeks of the application deadline. The relevant provisions and criteria for the selection procedure can also be found in the Regulations on the Implementation of the Selection Procedure for the Allocation of Study Places in the Bachelor's degree program "International Relations" by the Center for International Studies (ZIS) (German only)
A very good knowledge of English is required - a corresponding test will take place in the 2nd part of the selection procedure; if you choose French or Spanish as your second language, you must also have knowledge of the respective language - approximately at Abitur level (B2); if you choose Russian as your second language, no previous knowledge is expected.
The selection interview
Based on the evaluation of the written documents, the selection committee will normally invite 80 - 110 applicants to a selection interview. These interviews will take place from August 7 to 14, 2024 in a digital form.
In addition to the presentation of personal motivation for the application, the subject of the interview is the examination of solid general knowledge with an international focus, special questions on the political systems of other countries or on current topics.
The language test
The mandatory language test in English will take place on August 6, 2024 as an online test. An alternative date is unfortunately not possible! A very good knowledge of English (level C1 according to CEFR) is required.
In order to be able to take the language test without any problems, you should at least have a tablet or laptop/PC and Adobe Acrobat Reader. A cell phone is not sufficient. You will receive more detailed information with the invitation to the selection interview.
There is no separate language test in Spanish or French for applicants who wish to complete their compulsory language training with us. However, a placement test is offered, which can be taken from home on a voluntary basis. Applicants can thus check for themselves whether they are up to the requirements of the subject-related language training. Applicants who choose Russian for their compulsory language training do not have to take a language test in this language, as no basic knowledge is required.
If you have proof of your language skills, please enclose it with your documents. You will, however, not be at a disadvantage if you are unable to provide proof!
FAQ
No, an A-level average of 1.0 is by no means a necessary requirement for a successful application.
Although the Abitur average is by far the most important individual criterion, the fact that numerous other criteria are also taken into account in the written part of the procedure means that, depending on the respective annual field of applicants, there is always the possibility of being invited to the selection interviews with a (very) good Abitur and gaining one of the coveted study places. Conversely, depending on the respective field of applicants, an Abitur average of 1.0 in no way guarantees an invitation to the selection interview, let alone a successful application overall.
In accordance with the admission requirements of the Center for International Studies, other criteria are decisive in addition to the Abitur average, such as commitment within and outside of school with an international focus, foreign language skills and the motivation of the applicant. Please note that you must provide proof of the information you have provided.
Detailed information on the selection procedure can be found here.
The selection procedure for the International Relations Bachelor’s degree program is not a classic NC (numerus clausus) procedure, since other selection criteria are important in addition to the average grade in the Abitur (please refer to the selection regulations for more information). However, the average grade in the Abitur is relatively the most important of all the criteria.
The NC of 1.0 shown in the table of NC thresholds for undergraduate degree programs published on the website of the Admissions Office does not mean that an average grade of 1.0 is a necessary prerequisite for an application.
However, a few places are also allocated outside of the selection procedure via the legally defined "quotas". An Abitur average of 1.0 is only required for the maximum of three study places awarded according to a quota based on the Abitur performance. As the number of applicants with such an average regularly exceeds the number of study places allocated via the quota, applicants who are selected via the quota will automatically go through the regular selection procedure.
Detailed information on the selection procedure can be found here.
Applicants are selected in a two-stage selection process based on the applicant's aptitude and motivation for the International Relations Bachelor's degree program.
In the first stage, applicants are pre-selected based on the documents submitted in writing. Decisive for the selection are the average grade of the Abitur and additional qualifications that provide information about the applicant's suitability. These include activities with an international focus, practical work experience, foreign language skills, social and socio-political commitment both inside and outside of school, voluntary work, stays abroad, voluntary service (e.g. FSJ), etc. Please remember to provide proof of all details.
In the second stage, the personal selection interview, the applicant's analytical thinking skills and strong knowledge of current developments in international relations will be assessed. In addition, the applicant's communication skills and motivation are decisive. A very good knowledge of English and a good knowledge of another language (French or Spanish) are required. If Russian is chosen as a second language, no previous knowledge is expected.
In addition to the online application, the following documents must be sent to the Admissions Office or to uni-assist in the case of foreign applicants:
- University entrance qualification (Abitur certificate or equivalent)
- Curriculum vitae in tabular form, preferably with a photograph
- Brief description of motivation for the application as well as relevant previous knowledge and interests (1 to max. 2 pages, typed)
- Proof of additional criteria (single copy), e.g., additional foreign language skills, stays abroad, memberships, etc.
- Supplementary application form
- For foreign applicants: Proof of German language skills
Important notes:
- German Bachelor applicants please note the information on page 2 of the confirmation of receipt of your online application.
Please send your complete application documents to the following address:
for German applicants - Enrollment Office:
TUD Dresden University of Technology Admissions Office Studiengang Internationale Beziehungen 01062 Dresden
Homepage of the Admissions Office
for foreign applicants who have a degree from a German college or university, are seeking a change of subject or are re-applying - International Office:
TUD Dresden University of Technology International Office Studiengang Internationale Beziehungen 01062 Dresden
Until 2009, 36 places were available each year for the new Bachelor's degree program and 30 places for the new Master's degree program (from 2008).
From 2010 to 2020, 36 places were available for both programs.
Since 2022, 35 places have been available for the Bachelor's and 30 places for the Master's degree program.
All applicants should apply online.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to postpone the selection interviews for the Bachelor's degree program in International Relations.
If you are only able to attend an interview on a certain date within the period of our selection interviews due to a stay abroad (e.g. FSJ/voluntary service) or internship, please make this clear in a separate letter with a short note and a corresponding explanation in your application. Although we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your preferred date, we will try to take it into account.
In principle, all successful applicants begin in the winter semester, but can have previously obtained academic performances recognized upon application to the Examination Board. The decisive factor here is the structural equivalence of the proven performances. Examination performances are equivalent if their content, scope and level of requirements correspond to (or exceed) those of the International Relations Bachelor’s degree program at TUD Dresden. The Examination Board decides on the recognition of credits in individual cases.
Students can only be admitted to the degree program as lateral entrants in a higher semester if
a) a place has become available in this semester and
b) the previously obtained academic performances are fully equivalent to those of a student in the semester in question.
The requirement for placement in the desired semester must be confirmed by the Center for International Studies.
As part of the selection process, a very good English proficiency is required. You do not have to present a language certificate or similar; an English test is usually held on the day of the selection interview. However, if you have a certificate (such as CAE or TOEFL), you do not - as things stand at present - have to take part in the English test of the selection procedure, although you can take it on a voluntary basis and thus possibly leave an even stronger impression of your English language skills.
In principle, applicants should have at least a good knowledge of a second modern foreign language (in addition to English). With regard to the foreign language training in French and Spanish integrated into the program, you should have a good general proficiency in one of these two languages, i.e., have good grammar and communication skills on non-subject-specific topics, orally and in writing. Subject-specific language lessons in French and Spanish begin in the first semester. Russian, on the other hand, can also be chosen as a second foreign language without prior knowledge.
Foreign students should have a very good German proficiency, which must be proven by the “Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang “(DSH: Level 2), the “Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache” (TestDaF: 4x4) or an equivalent certificate. Please note that the certificate of German language proficiency must be enclosed with the application and cannot be submitted later.
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by fax: +49-(0)351- 463 3 7793
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Consultation hours of the program consultant (prior registration at the secretary's office necessary):
© ZIS/João Budney
Dipl.-Pol. Stefan Robel
Managing Director, Academic Advisor and Alumni Commissioner
Send encrypted mail via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).