Ready to start your degree?
To enrol on a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme, you need a qualification entitling you to enter higher education. This is stipulated by the Higher Education Act of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. Any one of the following qualifications is sufficient:
- the general university entrance qualification
- the university of applied sciences entrance qualification
- subject-specific university entrance qualification
A vocational qualification is also sufficient for a Bachelor’s degree programme. Depending on the course, further entry requirements may apply.
To enrol on a Master’s degree programme, in addition to a university entrance qualification, you will need a first professional qualification. This is usually a Bachelor’s degree or another professional qualification, such as a completed diploma programme. Your qualification must be relevant to the subject area of your chosen Master’s degree programme. You can find the exact requirements on the page for the relevant Master’s programme.
Below, we explain the various university entrance qualifications and their admission requirements.
The three stages of higher education
There are three types of university entrance qualification that entitle you to study for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree: the general university entrance qualification, the subject-specific university entrance qualification and the university of applied sciences entrance qualification.
With the general university entrance qualification, you can study any subject at universities of applied sciences and universities.
A subject-specific university entrance qualification only entitles you to study in certain departments or degree programmes. These must correspond to the subjects listed on your school certificate. You will also need to have completed a relevant pre-study work placement.
The Fachhochschulreife consists of two parts: an academic component and practical training, usually in the form of a completed vocational qualification. This generally enables you to study any subject at Worms University of Applied Sciences.
If your practical training does not correspond to your chosen field of study, you will also need to complete a relevant work placement. The duration of this is determined by the relevant department.
You can also obtain an equivalent qualification at grammar schools, vocational colleges or evening grammar schools. Specific regulations for these cases can be found below under ‘Special cases regarding the University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification’.
Special cases regarding the University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification
In the following cases, special rules apply to obtaining the University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification.
Are you interested in a dual study programme? If so, the academic part of the Fachhochschulreife may be sufficient for you, even if you do not yet have the required practical experience. This special provision applies in accordance with Section 25(3) of the StPVLVO in conjunction with Section 20(3), fifth sentence, of the HochSchG.
You can find the general requirements for the Fachhochschulreife under ‘Fachhochschulreife’.
Please feel free to contact us to find out whether this provision applies to you.
To qualify for the Fachhochschulreife, you must provide evidence of one year’s practical training in a relevant field, such as a work placement or vocational training.
If your work placement has not yet been completed at the time of application, proof that you are currently undertaking it and will have completed it by the start of the academic term is sufficient. See the note at the bottom of this page for further details.
The general entry requirements for the Fachhochschulreife can be found under ‘Fachhochschulreife’.
If you obtained your qualification for entry to universities of applied sciences at the Baden-Württemberg Vocational College, you must also meet one of the following requirements for Rhineland-Palatinate:
- completed vocational training outside the Baden-Württemberg Vocational College
- six months’ full-time practical work following your studies at the Baden-Württemberg Vocational College, for example employment, a work placement, military service or a voluntary social year (FSJ)
If this practical experience has not yet been completed at the time of application, proof that you will have completed it by the end of the application deadline is sufficient.
The general requirements for the Fachhochschulreife can be found under ‘Fachhochschulreife’.
Professional qualifications
Even without a university entrance qualification, you can start a bachelor’s degree programme if you have a vocational qualification.
Even if you do not hold a university of applied sciences entrance qualification, you can still apply as a professionally qualified candidate.
You must have completed vocational training with an average mark of at least 2.5. This is calculated based on your examination certificate and vocational school certificate.
You can find an overview of all the entry requirements for vocationally qualified applicants here.
Foreign educational qualifications
If you obtained your qualification abroad or in the former GDR, additional verification steps apply.
Your eligibility to study is determined in accordance with the decisions of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs. First, uni-assist will carry out a preliminary assessment of your school reports. You must submit the preliminary assessment document to us together with your application.
We will then decide whether your qualification for university admission is equivalent to a German qualification. If this is the case, you can start your studies straight away.
If your qualification for university admission is not equivalent to a German qualification, you must first sit the assessment test at a Studienkolleg. You can obtain further information from the Studienkolleg in Kaiserslautern.
For an initial assessment of how your qualification is classified within the German education system, please use Anabin or the DAAD’s admissions database. To do this, please specify your country of origin or the country in which you obtained your Abitur.
You can find an overview of all the requirements for applicants with foreign qualifications here.
Your eligibility for higher education is determined by the resolution of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of 10 May 1990 (Official Gazette, page 381) and the notice issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture on 25 June 1991 (Joint Official Gazette, page 24).
Important information
If part of your university entrance qualification is still missing
If part of an examination or part of your practical work is still missing from your application, this is sufficient for the time being. Please provide us with a certificate within the application deadline to demonstrate that you will have obtained your full university entrance qualification by the start of lectures. This is stipulated in Section 25(3) of the StPVLVO.
If you are applying for the summer semester, § 27(4) in conjunction with § 24(3), second sentence, of the StPVLVO also applies.
If you have any queries regarding this regulation, please contact us in good time. We will be happy to advise you.
Subject-specific entry requirements
Some degree programmes require subject-specific entry requirements in addition to the general entry requirements listed on this page. These may include, for example, foreign language proficiency at a certain level, a work placement or a questionnaire.
If you are interested in a dual study programme, you will generally also need a signed training or work placement contract with one of the university’s partner companies.
A complete list of all subject-specific entry requirements would go beyond the scope of this page. You should therefore check the page for your chosen degree programme to see whether any additional requirements apply.