When To Apply For Winter Semester In Germany

Last Updated on July 28, 2023

Students seeking admission at German universities are encouraged to apply at least 2 months prior to the expiry of the deadline. Successful processing of the application requires submission of an application fee and a complete application that is supplemented with required documents.

German universities follow a two-semester system which includes winter semester and summer semester. Of both the semsters, the Wintersemester (winter semester) witnesses the maximum number of enrolments. It runs from October 1 to March 31, with lectures beginning on October 15 and spanning for 4 months.

The Sommersemester (summer semester) runs from April 1 to September 31, with lectures beginning on April 15 and continuing nearly 3 months. A very few of the German universities admit students in the summer semester.

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Winter 2019 Application Deadlines for Masters in Germany |

Application Deadlines for German Universities

Nearly 180 German universities accept applications via uni-assist. uni-assist is an organization that is associated with a broad spectrum of universities and helps them in handling the received applications. This allows applicants to easily connect to their University of choice. It offers admission to the prospective students by adhering to the dates specified below.

Nearly 180 German universities accept applications via uni-assist. uni-assist is an organization that is associated with a broad spectrum of universities and helps them in handling the received applications. This allows applicants to easily connect to their University of choice. It offers admission to the prospective students by adhering to the dates specified below.

Admission Schedule for Winter Semester
Start of the application processJune 1
Application deadlineJuly 15
Release of the letter of acceptance by the universityAugust/September
Notification of rejectionSeptember/October
Semester Begins inOctober
Admission Schedule for Summer Semester
Start of the application processDecember 1
Application deadlineJanuary 15
Release of the letter of acceptance by the universityFebruary/March
Notification of rejectionMarch/April
Semester Begins in theMarch/April

German Universities with Application Deadlines

Most of the German universities follow the admission schedules given above and admit students only in the winter semester. However, some universities have a different set of deadlines. Find out about the exact application dates for your chosen university here.

Study in Europe in 2020: When to apply? - Deadlines | Study.EU

InstitutionSummer SemesterWinter Semester
Application DatesNotification of ResultApplication DatesNotification of Result
Technische Universität München (TUM)November 1 to December 31Mid-FebruaryApril 1 to May 31Mid-August
Ludwig-Maximilians – Universität MünchenMid-January4-8 weeks after the deadlineMid-July4-8 weeks after the deadline
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität HeidelbergDecember 1 to January 154-8 weeks after the deadlineJune 1 to July 154-8 weeks after the deadline
Karlsruher Institut für TechnologieDecember 1 to January 154-8 weeks after the deadlineJune 1 to July 15End of August
University of BremenMay 31 to June 30Mid-August
Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinDecember 1 to 15 JanuaryMid-FebruaryJune 1 to July 15End of August
Freie Universität BerlinMay 31 to June 30Mid-July
Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule AachenMarch 1 to July 15Mid-FebruarySeptember 1 – January 15Mid-March
TU CologneMarch 31 to June 15Mid-June
Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin)December 1 – January 15First week of MarchMay 31 to June 30Mid-July
Technische Universität Hamburg (TUHH Hamburg)No summer semester for Master’s degree programs for international studentsMarch 314-8 weeks after the deadline
University of TübingenMay 15July 15
Universität FreiburgJune 1Last week of August
University of GöttingenMay 15Mid-August
University of HamburgDecember 1 to January 15Mid-FebruaryJune 1 to July 15End of August
Goethe University FrankfurtDecember 1 to January 15First week of MarchJune 1 to July 154-8 weeks after the deadline
Frankfurt University of Applied SciencesJune 1 to July 154-8 weeks after the deadline
Universität Stuttgart15 JanuaryMid-MarchJuly 15End of August
Technische Universität DarmstadtOctober 15 – January 15First week of MarchApril 15 – July 15End of August
Heidelberg UniversityJuly 15End of August
Technische Universität DresdenOctober 1 – November 30Last week of DecemberApril 1 – May 31Mid-July
Universität Erlangen-NürnbergApril 154-8 weeks after the deadline
Kempten University of Applied SciencesJune 30End of August
Universität KielApril 14-8 weeks after the deadline
Technical University of BraunschweigOctober 15 – December 30First week of JanuaryApril 154-8 weeks after the deadline
Technical University of ChemnitzJanuary 15 – March 15Mid-AprilSeptember 16 – July 15Last week of August
University of BonnJuly 15August 30
Leibniz University HannoverMay 31
University of KasselJuly 15Last week of August
Saarland UniversityMay 15Mid-August
University of Duisburg-EssenJanuary 15First week of MarchJuly 15Last week of August
Technical University KaiserslauternOctober 31January 1April 304-8 weeks after the deadline
University of HildesheimJune 30Last week of August
TU DortmundMay 154-8 weeks after the deadline
LMU MunichJune 1July 15
University of MünsterMay 31July 15
University of KonstanzMay 15July 15
Rhine Waal University of Applied SciencesJuly 15Last week of August
SRH University of HeidelbergJuly 15Last week of August
Ulm UniversityMay 15Mid-July

A few universities like the University of Mannheim have aligned their academic calendar with the international academic year. Instead of winter and summer semesters, their academic year is divided into the fall semester (August 1 to January 31) and spring semester (February 1 to July 31).

SemesterApplication PeriodAdmission Results for International StudentsSemester Begins in
Fall semesterMarch 15 – May 314-6 weeks after the application deadlineAugust
Spring semesterOctober 1 – November 154-6 weeks after the application deadlineFebruary
Germany Winter Semester | Study in Germany During Winter

Germany University Admission Requirements For International Students

Foreign students have to apply either to the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung, directly to the higher education institution, or to the University Application Service for International Students (uni-assist) – depending on which country they come from, what higher education entrance qualification they hold, and what subject they want to study.

The International Offices of the higher education institutions can help answer this question. They will tell you about the application process and which documents have to be submitted. The application form is available from your chosen higher education institution, from uni-assist or from the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (only in German).

You will need the following documents:

  • An officially certified copy of your higher education entrance qualification
  • An overview of your subjects and grades (with official translation)
  • Certified copies of your previous higher education certificates, if applicable
  • A passport photograph
  • A photocopy of your passport (name and photograph)
  • Certified copies of language certificates

Please note: Only officially certified copies and translations are accepted for the application process. Official certifications can be issued for example by the German embassy in your home country. Some higher education institutions also accept documents in English and French.

There is a fee for getting a document certified. The application itself also often costs money. The processing fee depends on where you apply. If you apply via uni-assist, an assessment of your certificates and preliminary review of your documents costs 75 EUR for your first choice of study and 30 EUR for each application to further courses of study in the same semester.

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