Refugees

To be able to study at our university, your educational qualifications must entitle you to study at a university in Germany. You can check whether your foreign qualifications are recognised for German universities:

• using the anabin database
• on the uni-assist application portal.

‘Direct’ higher education entrance qualification (HZB)

• A general ‘direct’ higher education entrance qualification (known in German as a Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, or HZB) entitles the holder to study any course of study.
• A subject-specific ‘direct’ higher education entrance qualification entitles the holder to study certain courses of study.

‘Indirect’ higher education entrance qualification (HZB)

If you hold an ‘indirect’ higher education entrance qualification, this does not directly entitle you to study. In order to study at our university, you must have attended a subject-related preparatory language course at a Studienkolleg. This preparatory course lasts two semesters and ends with an assessment test known as the Feststellungsprüfung (FSP).

• Information on preparatory courses at the Studienkolleg Sachsen

University Degree

If you already hold a recognised university degree, you also have a direct higher education entrance qualification and additionally meet the requirements for a master’s degree.

• Please go to the Master’s programmes page for more information on further admission requirements for postgraduate degrees.

For a degree programme taught in German, you must demonstrate proficiency in German equivalent to the “German Language Exam for Admission to Higher Education” at level 2 (Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang, DSH-2) or an equivalent recognised in the Framework Regulations for German Language Examinations for Studies at German Universities (see §2 and §8, section 2). This must be proven by providing a recognised language certificate.

• Information about language requirements for bachelor’s, State Examination and Diplom programmes
• Information about language requirements for master’s programmes

If you only have an ‘indirect’ higher education entrance qualification (HZB) and have to complete a course at the Studienkolleg first, then your proficiency in German must be equivalent to B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

• Information about language requirements for the Studienkolleg

You do not need a specific residence permit to study. It is only necessary to fulfil the study requirements.

If some or all of the applicant’s documents are missing due to the circumstances of when they fled their home country, then we base our decisions on the resolution of the Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder) of 3 December 2015. This resolution allows for the burden of proof to be relaxed. It is thus possible to waive the applicant’s requirement to provide official documents, provided there is indirect evidence that the applicant has acquired the necessary higher education entrance qualification.

uni-assist will contact you if your documents are incomplete. You will receive a self-assessment form to provide information about your missing certificates. uni-assist will check the plausibility of this information. An individual decision will then be made on your formal and academic suitability.

Before applying, we recommend that you come to our International Centre for a personal consultation during office hours.

You might be able to receive state support for your studies under Germany’s Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG). To find out whether you are entitled to BAföG during your studies, please contact the BAföG counsellors at the Studentenwerk Leipzig. Guidance can also be found on their website for international students. Information on general financing options for your studies is available from the Studentenwerk Leipzig’s social counselling service.

You can submit your BAföG application one year in advance before starting your studies. Please make sure you take care of your basic financial security early on. It can take several months to process BAföG applications.

More information about BAföG is available on the website run by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

You can also apply for a scholarship. There are many different foundations that provide financial and non-material support to refugees during their studies.