Application and Admission Procedure for Master's Programmes
We are looking forward to your application!
1. Prepare your application
Please read carefully the description of your chosen degree programme and in particular the information on admission criteria, selection procedures and application documents -> see information on the application with each programme description.
→ Note for international applicants
If you have obtained your university degree outside Germany, you must submit additional documents. You will find a list of the requested documents in the programme descriptions under information on the application → application documents.
2. How to apply
Apply via our online portals. There is no need to submit paper documents.
You can apply for the Master's programme in International Management (CEMS MIM) and the Master's programme in Economic Research from the beginning of December via KLIPS. Students of the University of Cologne use their KLIPS account. External applicants please create a new account. Please read through our application notes.
For the Master's programmes in Business Administration, Economics, Health Economics, Information Systems, Political Science, Sociology and Social Research as well as for all Double Master's Programmes you can submit your application via the Master's Application Portal from the beginning of April.
Please apply as early as possible, as this gives you the opportunity to submit any missing or incorrect documents.
→ Note for international applicants
Applicants for the programmes International Management (CEMS MIM) and Economic Research apply additionally online via uni-assist. In sum, two applications must be submitted: via (1) KLIPS and via (2) uni-assist (online only).
Applicants for the programmes Business Administration, Economics, Health Economics, Information Systems, Political Science, Sociology and Social Research as well as for all Double Master's programmes apply additionally by post and online via uni-assist. In sum, two applications must be submitted: via (1) the Faculty's online portal and via (2) uni-assist (by post and online).
Please read all information in our FAQs (questions 3.1 to 3.14). Uni-assist recommends to apply at least 8 weeks before the application deadline, as missing or incorrect documents can still be submitted later.
3. Please note the different application deadlines
All application deadlines can be found in our Master-FAQs under question 2.4.
4. We review your application
No later than three weeks after submission, we will conduct a formal and a subject-related review of your application:
Formal review: Are all the documents submitted? Are all documents available in the correct form? Is the minimum grade achieved? Are the language criteria fulfilled? Have at least 70, respectively 80% of the programme already been successfully completed?
Subject-related review: Are the subject-relatated admission criteria fulfilled?
If documents are missing, we will inform you by e-mail.
4.1 You fulfill the admission criteria
You will receive an e-mail from us informing you that you meet the admission criteria for the desired course of study and will take part in the selection procedure.
→ Note for international applicants
We often check your subject-related admission criteria even if uni-assist has not yet checked your application. The confirmation that you meet the admission criteria and take part in the selection process is then of course subject to reservation until we receive a response from uni-assist and can be withdrawn if necessary. The PDF document contains the following information:
So far we have only reviewed your subject-related admission criteria as well as your language certificate(s). As we have not yet received an evaluation of your uni-assist application this decision of eligibility can still be reversed.
4.2 You do not fulfill the admission criteria
You will receive an e-mail from us informing you that you do not meet the admission criteria for the desired degree course and therefore will not take part in the selection procedure. The PDF document always contains your personal reason for being rejected. Please read it carefully.
→ Note for international applicants
If the documents you have submitted to uni-assist are the reason for rejection because they are incorrect or incomplete, please contact us. Depending on the date, there is a possibility that you can resubmit your documents - given that your subject-related review was positive.
5. Selection process
If the number of applicants meeting the admission criteria exceeds the number of places available for the programme, a selection procedure will be carried out to rank the applicants.
5.1 Interviews
After the application deadline, selection interviews will take place for some degree programmes. Please note that not all applicants who meet the admission criteria will be invited. The interviews are going to take place in:
International Management (CEMS MIM) - May
Economic Research - May
Double Master's Programmes Business Administration - at the beginning of June
Double Master's Programmes Demography and Social Inequality, Economics and Health Economics and Management: in the middle of June
5.2 Score formation
A personal score is determined for each applicant. You can find out how this score is calculated and how the study places are distributed among the applicants under the heading Selection Procedure in our FAQs or on this website.
6. Admissions Committee meets
The Admissions Committee meets and decides how many admissions are granted.
6.1 Admissions are being sent
At the beginning of June, admissions for the Master's programme in International Management (CEMS MIM) and for the Master's programme in Economic Research will be sent by e-mail; for all other programmes this is expected to take place at the end of July.
6.2 You have not received an admission
All applicants who are not admitted to their preference(s) will be informed by e-mail. Whether or not there will be a re-assignment of rejected places will only be decided after the end of the enrolment phase. We kindly ask you to refrain from making prior inquiries. Thank you very much.
We have put together all the information on our website you need about the documents you need for enrolment and how to enrol. Please assign yourself to an enrolment group, as the enrolment process varies.
8. Letters of rejection
Letters of rejection will be sent out at the beginning of November in all application preferences in which no admission was granted - even if applicants have been admitted.