Information on application and enrollment for international students
Decision matrix for online enrollment or application
When applying and enrolling at the KU, please be sure to follow our general application guidelines for German prospective students and students from Germany, as well as the additional information for international students.
To ensure you are automatically directed to the correct application portal for your desired degree program, please answer the questions by selecting options from the drop-down menus in the decision matrix below.
Please note:
- If you hold both German AND foreign citizenship, please always select German citizenship.
- Regarding selection of the university entrance qualification: For applications to an undergraduate degree program, the university entrance qualification refers to the Abitur/school leaving certificate; for applications to a Master's degree program, it refers to the first qualifying university degree. If you have an Abitur, please note the following: A German Abitur may also have been earned at a German school abroad (e.g., DIA/German International Abitur).
- Please also keep in mind that the United Kingdom is no longer a member of the EU.
Application vs. enrollment
For most degree programs without admission restrictions at the KU, you can enroll directly without a formal application, provided you have a German university entrance qualification. In the following cases, an application is generally required to help you get closer to your desired degree program:
1. For all degree programs with limited enrollment
2. For all subjects with limited enrollment,
3. for all Master's degree programs, and
4. for all applications with an international university entrance qualification, since the admission requirements for degree programs without admission restrictions must also be verified for these applicants.
Additional regulations for international study applicants
For international applicants (and for German citizens who hold an international university entrance qualification or Master’s entrance qualification), certain specific requirements and conditions apply. In addition, all general regulations regarding application and enrollment at KU apply.
With an international university entrance qualification, you may apply only for the first semester of your desired program. Enrolling directly in a higher semester is not possible.
PLEASE NOTE: Prospective students with an international university entrance qualification must always submit an application for their desired degree program. This also applies to degree programs without admission restrictions. You can find the respective application deadline here.
Preliminary review for non-EU foreign nationals
For some of our degree programs, the preliminary review of application documents from international applicants is conducted by the service provider uni-assist e.V.
Uni-assist reviews the documents you submit (e.g., university entrance qualification or first professional degree, also known as Master’s entrance qualification, minimum grade, etc.) for compliance with formal requirements and forwards your application to the KU upon successful preliminary review.
The decision matrix above, with its drop-down menus, will help you determine whether you need to apply for your desired degree program through uni-assist or the KU application portal.
Advice & contact
Do you have questions about the application or enrollment process, the degree programs, or the KU in general? Feel free to ask our KUala Bot or contact our Student Advisory Service team — we’re here to help!
If you are an applicant with an international university entrance qualification and have questions about a degree program, financing your studies, or scholarships, please contact the KU International Office or send an email to welcome@ku.de.
