Higher Education Entrance Qualification

A higher education entrance qualification (“Hochschulzugangsberechtigung”, or HZB for short) is a certificate of education required for studying at a university or university of applied sciences in Germany. International applicants seeking admission to a university in Germany need a higher education entrance qualification just as prospective German students do.

How do I know whether I have a higher education entrance qualification that is valid in Germany and, if so, which one?

If you would like to study at the University of Bayreuth, you will have to provide proof of a valid higher education entrance qualification (HZB). Unfortunately, it is not currently possible for us to offer preliminary evaluations of higher education entrance qualifications. However, you can research in advance to find out whether your higher education entrance qualification is recognized in Germany and if so, what kind of HZB you have.

Reliable information can be found via anabin, the official database of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (Kultusministerkonferenz - KMK). Go to the tab "Schulabschlüsse mit Hochschulzugang" and then to "Suchen", select your country and then click on your secondary school or higher education entrance qualification (This database is currently only available in German).

For information on the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB Diploma), please select "International Baccalaureate" from the country list for school-leaving qualifications in anabin and read the information in the agreement carefully. An English version can be found on the IBO website.

Further guidance is provided by the DAAD admissions database, which contains information on the assessment of degrees from numerous countries of origin in German and English, as well as the university admissions check from uni-assist. If you have any queries about the results in anabin, you are of course welcome to contact us. The point of contact for this is the Incoming Degree Team.

Please understand that we can only check your school and university certificates once you have submitted an application to the University of Bayreuth with the required documents. It is not possible for us to check your certificates prior to submission of your application.

What role does my higher education entrance qualification in combination with my nationality play in my study application process?

Eligibility for a degree programme is determined by your school leaving certificate, the type of school you attended or the degree programme you successfully completed. In addition, the relevant language requirements must be met.

There are different types of entrance qualification that permit admission to the University of Bayreuth. A distinction is made according to nationality and type of degree.

German nationals

German nationals with a foreign higher education entrance qualification Hide

This category includes all applicants who have acquired their higher education entrance qualification outside the regular German education system (foreign school-leaving certificates, including the International Baccalauréate (IB) or Feststellungsprüfung from the German preparatory college - “Studienkolleg”). The same deadline regulations apply to you as to those with a German higher education entrance qualification, but you must submit appropriate proof of German language proficiency as well as all the evidence required to determine your higher education entrance qualification before admission. The application process in this case is the same as for other EU nationals. There are no application deadlines for degree programmes with unrestricted admission. For all other degree programmes, refer to the specific admission requirements.

How do I get a place in a degree programme?
You will find the application process that applies to you on the page of the respective degree programme in the programme finder under "Enrolment/Application with EU nationality".

German nationals with German higher education entrance qualification Hide

There are no application deadlines for degree programmes with open admissions. For all other degree programmes, refer to the specific admission requirements. It is not necessary to have your HZB reviewed before admission (no documents need to be uploaded) and no proof of German language skills need to be submitted.

How do I get a place on a degree programme?
You can find the application process that applies to you on the page of the respective degree programme in the programme finder under "Enrolment/Application with German nationality".

Nationals of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals with a foreign higher education entrance qualification Hide

The same deadline regulations apply to you as to applicants with a German higher education entrance qualification: No application deadlines apply to degree programmes with unrestricted admission For all other degree programmes, refer to the specific admission requirements. However, for all German-language degree programmes, you must submit appropriate proof of German language proficiency before admission, as well as all proof required to determine your higher education entrance qualification.

How do I get a place in a degree programme?
You can find the application process that applies to you on the page of the respective degree programme in the programme finder under "Enrolment/Application with EU nationality".

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals with a German university entrance qualification (Bildungsinländer)Hide

If you are a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland and are a so-called “Bildungsinländer” the same deadlines and regulations, apply to you as to German citizens with a German higher education entrance qualification. This might be the case, for example, if you have acquired either your higher education entrance qualification or your master's entrance qualification in the German educational system (usually German Abitur or German bachelor's degree).

There are no application deadlines for degree programmes with unrestricted access. For all other degree programmes, refer to the specific admission requirements.

How do I get a place in a degree programme?
You can find the application process that applies to you on the page of the respective degree programme in the programme finder under "Enrolment/Application with German nationality".

Please note that graduates with foreign school-leaving certificates, including the International Baccalauréate (IB) or the Feststellungsprüfung from the German preparatory college - “Studienkolleg”, are not “Bildungsinländer”. You can find the application process that applies to you on the page of the respective degree programme in the programme finder under "Application with non-EU nationality".

International applicants (with citizenship other than EU, EEA or Switzerland)

International applicants (non-EU/EEA/Switzerland) with foreign higher education entrance qualification Hide

If you have a citizenship other than EU, the EEA or Switzerland and you have acquired your higher education entrance qualification outside the regular German education system (foreign school-leaving qualifications, including IB or “Feststellungsprüfung” from “Studienkolleg”) separate application deadlines apply to you. You must submit all the necessary application documents as well as sufficient proof of language proficiency within the application period for international applicants.

How do I get a place in a degree programme?
You can find the application process that applies to you on the page of the respective degree programme in the programme finder under "Application with non-EU nationality".

International applicants (non-EU/EEA/Switzerland) with German higher education entrance qualification (Bildungsinländer)Hide

If you have acquired your higher education entrance qualification or your master's entrance qualification in the German education system (usually German Abitur or German bachelor's degree), i.e. if you are a so-called “Bildungsinländer”, the same deadlines and regulations apply to you as to German nationals with a German higher education entrance qualification. There are no application deadlines for degree programmes with unrestricted admission. For all other degree programmes, refer to the specific admission requirements.

How do I get a place in a degree programme?
You can find the application process that applies to you on the page of the respective degree programme in the programme finder under "Enrolment/Application with German nationality".

Please note that graduates with foreign school-leaving certificates, including the International Baccalauréate (IB) or the Feststellungsprüfung from the German preparatory college - “Studienkolleg”, are not “Bildungsinländer”. You can find the application process that applies to you on the page of the respective degree programme in the programme finder under "Application with non-EU nationality".