Quick answer
Important
1. What you need to start
The baseline is a completed Bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent first degree, recognised for the purpose. Beyond that baseline, everything is set by the individual programme, and this is the single most important thing to understand about German Master’s admissions.
There is no central body deciding whether you qualify. A programme in Aachen and an apparently identical one in Leipzig can have different minimum grades, different credit requirements and different views on whether your subject is close enough. Being rejected by one says very little about the next.
Each university and programme sets its own admission requirements
2. Consecutive, non-consecutive and continuing programmes
German Master’s programmes fall into categories that affect both admission and cost, and the labels are not obvious from outside.
| Type | What it means | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Konsekutiv | Follows directly on from a related Bachelor’s | Usually free at public universities; subject fit matters most |
| Nicht-konsekutiv | Does not require a closely related Bachelor’s | More open on subject, may weigh experience; fees more likely |
| Weiterbildend | Continuing education, aimed at people already working | Normally requires work experience and charges fees |
An MBA is typically weiterbildend: expect professional experience requirements and substantial fees.
3. Subject fit, grades and ECTS credits
Three things are assessed, and applicants tend to focus on the wrong one. Grade is the obvious criterion; subject fit and credit coverage reject more applications.
Subject fit
Programmes state which Bachelor’s subjects they accept, sometimes narrowly. A computer science Master’s may require a specific number of credits in mathematics and theoretical computer science, and an applicant with a strong degree in a related but different field can fail on that alone.
Where you are close but not exact, some programmes admit conditionally and require you to make up specific modules. That is worth asking about directly, because it is often not advertised.
Grades and conversion
German grades run from 1.0, the best, to 4.0, the lowest pass. Foreign grades are converted, frequently using a formula that maps your result against the pass mark and maximum of your own system rather than treating percentages as directly comparable.
The consequence is that a percentage that looks modest in one system can convert to a strong German grade, and vice versa. Do not assume your grade is too low before it has been converted.
ECTS credits
A German Bachelor’s is usually 180 or 210 ECTS credits. Programmes may require a minimum total, and a three-year Bachelor’s from a system that awards fewer credits can fall short. Where it does, options include a bridging module set, or a programme with a lower requirement.
The German words you will see
- ECTS
- European Credit Transfer System. A workload measure: a full academic year is normally 60 credits.
- Konsekutiv
- A Master’s that builds directly on a related Bachelor’s degree.
- Modulhandbuch
- The module handbook listing every course in a programme. Read it: it tells you what the degree actually contains.
- Zulassungsordnung
- The programme’s binding admission regulations. The authoritative statement of what is required.
4. Language requirements
Germany’s English-taught Master’s provision is genuinely extensive, particularly in engineering, computer science, economics and the natural sciences, and much of it is at public universities charging no tuition.
English-taught programmes normally require IELTS or TOEFL at a score the programme sets. Some waive it if your Bachelor’s was taught in English; many do not, and a waiver claimed rather than confirmed is a rejected application.
German-taught programmes require a recognised academic German certificate at roughly C1. Some programmes are formally bilingual, which in practice usually means you need both.
Useful resource
DAAD’s database of international degree programmes, with the language, fees and deadlines listed per programme.
DAAD · not a government authority
5. APS: an extra step for some countries
Applicants who studied in certain countries must obtain an APS certificate before they can apply or receive a visa. It is a document check confirming that your degree and transcripts are genuine, sometimes including an interview.
Which countries are covered has changed over time, and the procedure differs between them. Because it takes weeks to months, it has to be started early: an APS requirement discovered late is one of the more common reasons applicants miss an intake entirely.
Official source
The federal body responsible for assessing foreign qualifications, and where the APS procedure is documented.
Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB)
Important
6. Finding programmes and applying
Applications go through uni-assist for many universities and directly for others. Master’s deadlines are frequently earlier than Bachelor’s ones, and competitive programmes sometimes close in the autumn for the following winter.
Check whether you need an APS certificate
If you do, start it immediately. Everything else waits on it.
Search programmes on Hochschulkompass
The authoritative directory of German programmes. Cross-check against the DAAD database for English-taught options.
Read each programme’s admission regulations
Check subject fit, minimum grade, required ECTS and the language certificate. Note that each may differ from the university’s general rules.
Prepare the documents
Transcript with module list, degree certificate, language certificate, CV, and usually a motivation letter written for that specific programme. Certified translations take time.
Apply through the right channel
uni-assist or direct, as the programme specifies. uni-assist charges a fee per application and needs several weeks to process documents.
Enrol, then apply for the visa
The admission letter is what the visa application rests on. Book the appointment as soon as you have it.
7. Costs, funding and the blocked account
Consecutive Master’s programmes at public universities are generally free of tuition, with the semester contribution and the two state exceptions applying as at Bachelor’s level. Non-consecutive and continuing programmes are more likely to charge, and private institutions always do.
For the visa you need to show you can support yourself, normally through a blocked account. Scholarships from DAAD or other funders can substitute for part or all of that proof.
Blocked account (Sperrkonto) for a student visa
11.904 €
for 12 months
Applies from 1 January 2026
For commencing university studies in 2026. Provider and account fees are additional and do not count towards the required balance. Recheck with the responsible mission before transferring money.
Last verified 21 August 2026 · Make it in Germany (opens in a new tab)
Indicative monthly living costs for a student
€900 to €1,200 per month
Depends heavily on the city. Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg sit at the top of the range; smaller university towns sit well below it.
Last verified 14 August 2026 · DAAD (opens in a new tab)
Useful resource
Funding for Master’s study by subject and country of origin, including DAAD’s own programmes and others.
DAAD · not a government authority
8. Working during and after the Master’s
The student work allowance applies as it does to undergraduates. Research assistant and student assistant posts at the university are the most compatible with a Master’s workload, and a working student position in industry can lead directly to a graduate job.
After graduating, the post-study job-seeking permit applies, and a German Master’s puts you in a strong position: the EU Blue Card threshold is lower for graduates within three years of qualifying, which makes the first job after the degree easier to structure.
- Post-study residence permit to seek qualified employment
- EU Blue Card, with a reduced salary threshold for recent graduates
- Doctoral study, which is generally free of tuition and often paid as a research position
- Permanent residence after a qualifying period of employment, with study time counting partially
9. Frequently asked questions
Consecutive Master’s programmes at public universities generally charge no tuition, only the semester contribution, with Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria as exceptions for non-EU students. Non-consecutive and continuing programmes, including most MBAs, do charge, as do private institutions.
It is set by each programme, not nationally. Your foreign grade is converted into the German 1.0 to 4.0 scale, often by a formula comparing your result against your own system’s pass mark and maximum, so a percentage that looks modest can convert well. Do not assume you fall short before conversion.
Consecutive programmes usually require a related subject and may specify minimum credits in particular areas. Non-consecutive programmes are more flexible. Where you are close, some programmes admit conditionally with bridging modules, which is worth asking the international office about directly.
Many programmes set a minimum, and a three-year Bachelor’s awarding fewer credits can fall short. Options include bridging modules or programmes with a lower requirement. Check the admission regulations for each programme.
A certificate confirming your academic documents are genuine, required for applicants who studied in certain countries. Which countries are covered has changed over time, so check your own case early. It takes weeks to months and sits on the critical path for both admission and the visa.
Yes, and Germany has one of the widest selections in continental Europe, much of it tuition-free at public universities. You will normally need IELTS or TOEFL at the score the programme specifies.
Often earlier than Bachelor’s deadlines, and competitive programmes can close in the autumn for the following winter semester. Check each programme individually and allow several weeks for uni-assist processing.
Yes. There is a post-study residence permit for seeking qualified work, and graduates within three years of qualifying benefit from a lower EU Blue Card salary threshold, which makes the first job easier to arrange.
Official information
Rules and amounts change. Always verify current requirements using official sources.
Hochschulkompass — degree programme search, opens in a new tab
German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) · not a government authority
The authoritative directory of German universities and their current Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral programmes.
International Programmes database, opens in a new tab
DAAD · not a government authority
Searchable database of English-taught degree programmes at German universities, with fees and deadlines per programme.
uni-assist, opens in a new tab
uni-assist e.V. · not a government authority
Processes international applications for many German universities, including document checks and forwarding.
Certificate evaluation and APS, opens in a new tab
Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB)
The federal body that evaluates foreign qualifications. The APS certificate procedure applies to applicants from certain countries.
Scholarship database, opens in a new tab
DAAD · not a government authority
Searchable scholarship database covering DAAD and other funding programmes by degree and country.
Visa for studying, opens in a new tab
Make it in Germany
Official requirements for a student visa and student residence permit.
Related guides
Amounts and legal requirements can change. We verify this information against official sources and show when each figure was last checked, but always confirm important requirements with the responsible authority before you apply.
Einfach Germany is an independent information platform and is not affiliated with the German government.