How German universities select applicants (2027): admission process and how to succeed

How the application process works

Depending on your country, qualification and subject, you apply directly to the university, through uni-assist or through the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung, the DAAD explains. Check on each programme’s page which route it uses.

uni-assist evaluates certificates for its member universities. After a positive evaluation it forwards your application, and the university decides on admission. Its fee is 75 euros for your first course of study and 30 euros for each further one in the same semester. Some universities ask for a VPD, a uni-assist evaluation you upload to the university yourself. uni-assist says a VPD usually takes 4 to 6 weeks, and recommends applying at least 8 weeks before the deadline, so you can still send missing documents.

For many public universities, the DAAD names 15 July as the end of the application period for the winter semester and 15 January for the summer semester. Private universities set their own dates; see our 2027 deadline calendar for private universities.

Sources: DAAD: Application process; uni-assist: Pay and submit; uni-assist: VPD; uni-assist: FAQs, get information.

Stage 1: the eligibility check

Before anyone compares applicants, the university checks whether you meet the formal requirements set in the programme’s regulations. Without them you cannot be admitted, however strong the rest of your application is.

A recognised degree in the right subject

TUM checks that your bachelor’s degree comes from an accredited institution. RWTH Aachen asks for a first degree that is “both quantitatively and qualitatively equivalent” to the background the programme requires, as described in its exam regulations. Most RWTH master’s programmes build on a matching bachelor’s: its own example is that a philosophy graduate is not eligible for a master’s in mechanical engineering.

Enough credits, in the right subjects

Credit rules differ by programme. Mannheim’s M.Sc. Economics accepts a bachelor’s of at least 180 ECTS credits or three years. Applicants from neighbouring fields need at least 60 credits in economics, finance, mathematics or statistics, plus introductory modules in macroeconomics, microeconomics and econometrics. Rhine-Waal’s Economics and Finance M.Sc. admits 180-credit applicants only conditionally, with a learning agreement for 30 more credits; 210 credits give unconditional admission.

A minimum grade

Both of those programmes ask for a final grade of 2.5 or better on the German scale. How your grade is converted is explained in the next section.

An accepted English test

Minimum scores vary widely, and so do the rules on which tests count. TUM accepts only the TOEFL test date score, not MyBest, and does not accept TOEFL ITP. RWTH Aachen also refuses MyBest scores and accepts only results the test provider can verify.

Official documents

The DAAD says only officially certified copies and translations are accepted, for example certified by the German embassy in your home country. uni-assist works digitally: you upload scans of official certificates, meaning ones with the issuer’s signature and stamp, a note that they were issued automatically, or a verification code, plus a translation into German or English.

Sources: TUM: Admission procedures; RWTH Aachen: Admission requirements for master's programs; RWTH Aachen: International master applicants; RWTH Aachen: Language requirements; DAAD International Programmes: Master of Science in Economics, University of Mannheim; DAAD International Programmes: Economics and Finance MSc, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences; DAAD: Application process; uni-assist: Uploading documents; uni-assist: Educational certificates and translations.

How your grade is converted

German universities convert foreign grades with the “modified Bavarian formula” from a resolution of the Kultusministerkonferenz, the conference of Germany’s education ministers:

German grade = 1 + 3 × (best possible grade − your grade) ÷ (best possible grade − lowest pass grade)

The result runs from 1.0 (best) to 4.0 (lowest pass). It is set to one decimal place and not rounded. TUM’s online converter uses this formula, but says its results are for reference only: the official conversion follows each programme’s regulations.

Sources: Kultusministerkonferenz: Festsetzung der Gesamtnote bei ausländischen Hochschulzugangszeugnissen (modified Bavarian formula), 12 September 2013; TUM: Grade conversion for grades earned outside Germany.

Stage 2: how universities choose

Meeting the requirements gets you into the pool. How universities then choose depends on the programme.

Points for grades and documents: TUM

Master’s programmes at TUM use a two-stage aptitude assessment. In the first stage, your bachelor’s grades and written documents are scored with a point system. Depending on your points, you are admitted straight away, rejected, or invited to a 20-minute interview, which checks whether you can complete the programme. Some engineering and management programmes use a written test or an essay assessment instead. For some programmes, applicants whose degree comes from a country outside the Lisbon Recognition Convention take an online test in the first stage; the programme page says whether this applies.

Weighted criteria: Hertie School

The Hertie School publishes its weighting for the Master of Public Policy: personal suitability 40% (CV, professional and international experience, civic engagement), academic excellence 40% (grades, academic background, language skills) and motivation 20% (why public policy, why Hertie, and how coherent your application is).

Tests, essays and interviews: business schools

Private business schools add their own steps. ESMT says it looks for analytical rigour, an international outlook, the potential for career growth, and collegiality under pressure. It calls GMAT scores below 600 or GRE scores below 304 not competitive. WHU interviews assess motivation, reasoning, creativity and self-reflection. Both WHU and ESMT accept at most about two years of work experience after your bachelor’s.

Sources: TUM: Admission procedures; Hertie School: Master of Public Policy admissions; ESMT Berlin: Master in Global Management admissions; WHU: Master in Management application and admissions; Frankfurt School: Master in Management; Hertie School: MPP FAQs; Constructor University: FAQ – Graduate study. Fees last verified 7 November 2026.

Why applications fail

• Late or incomplete documents. RWTH Aachen says late or incomplete applications cannot be considered.
• A subject that does not match. A degree in a different field, or too few credits in the core subjects, ends the application at stage 1.
• The wrong English test. A TOEFL ITP or MyBest score at TUM, or a Duolingo result at WHU, does not count. At RWTH Aachen, an English-taught degree from most countries does not replace a test.
• Documents that are not official. uni-assist accepts only scans of official certificates. Translations must come from a sworn or court-admitted translator, or from a department of the issuing institution that is authorised to translate.
• A generic motivation letter. Constructor University asks applicants not to use ChatGPT for the motivation letter, because it could affect the admission decision.
• Trusting the wrong contacts. DAAD India warns that some agencies falsely claim to represent German universities. The German Consulate General in Mumbai says no local agent or student counsellor can influence visa appointments.

Sources: RWTH Aachen: International master applicants; TUM: Language certificates; WHU: Master in Management application and admissions; uni-assist: Educational certificates and translations; Constructor University: Application information for graduate programmes; DAAD India: Beware of misleading agencies; German Consulate General Mumbai: Beware of fraud.

How to make your application stronger

1. Read the programme’s regulations, not only its marketing page. The required subjects, credits and minimum grade are set there.
2. Map your modules to the requirements. List your courses with their credits next to each required subject area, so gaps show early.
3. Convert your grade yourself with the formula above, and apply where you meet the minimum with some margin.
4. Take an accepted English test early, in a single sitting, and check that the format is accepted by every programme on your list.
5. Write the motivation letter for one programme. Hertie weighs motivation for the subject, for the school and the coherence of your application. Constructor asks why you chose it, why you should be admitted and what makes you a strong candidate.
6. Ask a professor or employer for a reference in good time. ESMT requires one, and Constructor asks for letters for some programmes.
7. Prepare for the interview. WHU’s recorded video interview includes a five-minute presentation without slides. ESMT’s interview tests interpersonal communication skills and how you perform under pressure.
8. Apply early. Early rounds leave time for missing documents, for APS if your degree is Indian, and for the visa. Check that a private university is state-recognised first, with our three-step check.

Sources: RWTH Aachen: Admission requirements for master's programs; Kultusministerkonferenz: Festsetzung der Gesamtnote bei ausländischen Hochschulzugangszeugnissen (modified Bavarian formula); Hertie School: Master of Public Policy admissions; Constructor University: Application information for graduate programmes; ESMT Berlin: Master in Global Management admissions; WHU: Master in Management application and admissions.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and method

We read every source below on 7 November 2026: the DAAD, uni-assist, the Kultusministerkonferenz, the universities’ own admission pages, DAAD programme entries, DAAD India and the German Consulate General in Mumbai. A second, independent check compared each statement with the original wording. Requirements differ by programme and change, so confirm them on your programme’s page before you apply. We review this guide at least every three months.

This guide relies only on official sources and does not rank or recommend individual universities.

• DAAD: Application process
• uni-assist: Pay and submit
• uni-assist: VPD
• uni-assist: Uploading documents
• uni-assist: Educational certificates and translations
• uni-assist: FAQs, get information
• Kultusministerkonferenz: Festsetzung der Gesamtnote bei ausländischen Hochschulzugangszeugnissen (modified Bavarian formula) (12 September 2013)
• TUM: Grade conversion for grades earned outside Germany
• TUM: Admission procedures
• TUM: Language certificates
• RWTH Aachen: Admission requirements for master's programs
• RWTH Aachen: International master applicants
• RWTH Aachen: Language requirements
• DAAD International Programmes: Master of Science in Economics, University of Mannheim
• DAAD International Programmes: Economics and Finance MSc, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences
• WHU: Master in Management application and admissions
• ESMT Berlin: Master in Global Management admissions
• Frankfurt School: Master in Management
• Hertie School: Master of Public Policy admissions
• Hertie School: MPP FAQs
• Constructor University: Application information for graduate programmes
• Constructor University: FAQ – Graduate study
• DAAD India: Beware of misleading agencies
• German Consulate General Mumbai: Beware of fraud