FAQ & Admission Regulations

To apply for a master's programme, you must have completed a relevant bachelor's degree programme that fulfils the majority of the subject-related admission requirements.

We accept all qualifications that have already been successfully completed at a recognized university (in Germany or abroad) at the time of application. The following information is required for the application assessment, which must be verified by means of a transcript of records:

• Name of the recognized higher institution/ university
• Module title and description
• Credit details
• Proof of successful completion

It is not possible to make up for missing credits required to meet the subject-related admission requirements during the master’s programme.

Yes, we also accept successfully completed credits from other degree programmes on Bachelor's and Master's level, but no more than one-third of the required subject-specific admission criteria per subject area may be obtained externally – exceptions are subject areas with 6 ECTS; here, all 6 ECTS can be acquired externally. The majority must be demonstrated through courses from the bachelor's degree programme with which you are applying. 

Example: Of 15 ECTS from the subject areas of statistics and/or mathematics, a maximum of 5 ECTS may be obtained externally.

We accept all qualifications that have already been successfully completed at a recognized university (in Germany or abroad) at the time of application. The following information is required for the application assessment, which must be verified by means of a transcript of records:

• Name of the recognized higher institution/ university
• Module title and description
• Credit details
• Proof of successful completion

It is not possible to make up for missing credits required to meet the subject-related admission requirements during the master’s programme.

It is not possible to use the bachelor's thesis to fulfil the subject-related requirements. 

Aside from the official application process, we do not assess whether applicants meet the admission requirements and therefore do not review transcript of records. We will only process your application during the application period once all the necessary documents have been submitted in full.

Yes, you can apply even if you have not yet completed your bachelor's degree, provided that the following conditions are met:

Please note that you must have already fulfilled the respective subject-related requirements for the master's programmes to which you are applying by the time you submit your application.

Proof of the credits you have earned must be provided in the form of a document. We also require an average grade calculated by the university, which includes all credits already successfully completed.

For International Management (CEMS MIM) and Economic Research:

At least 70% of the credits to be earned (126 out of 180 ECTS / 147 out of 210 ECTS) must already have been earned. Any outstanding credits must be completed by 30 September. 

For Business Administration, Business Analytics & Econometrics, Economics, Information Systems, Health Economics, Sociology: Social and Economic Psychology, Sociology: Social Research:

At least 80% of the credits to be earned (144 out of 180 ECTS / 168 out of 210 ECTS) have already been completed. Any outstanding credits must be completed by 30 September.

Yes, if these achievements have been recognised by your home university for your bachelor's programme and included in your transcript of records. Exams that are not credited will not be considered.

If the examination results achieved during the semester abroad are to be used to fulfil the subject-specific admission requirements and the results are to be shown "en bloc" as "studies abroad", please upload the transcript of records of your semester abroad to the online application portal of the WiSo faculty.

If your degree programme does not have ECTS (European Credit Transfer System), your previous achievements will be converted by us. To do this, we compare your workload (credit points, semester hours, etc.) with our ECTS system:

1. We calculate your workload per semester based on the number of credit points (CP)/hours and the total number of semesters you need to complete.
   Example: 140 CP in 8 semesters = 140/8 = 17.5 CP/semester
    
2. We equate this result with our system (180 ECTS/6 semesters = 30 ECTS).
   Example: 30 ECTS/17.5 CP  -->  1.71 ECTS = 1CP
    
3. We translate your modules/courses into ECTS and check whether you meet the admission requirements.
   Example: Your module "Linear Algebra" with 3 CP thus corresponds to 5 ECTS: 3 CP * 1.71 = 5.13 ECTS

You do not need to convert your credit points yourself, this is done by the Master Admissions Office. Please note that you must apply via uni-assist if you have completed your bachelor's degree outside Germany. This also applies if you have received ECTS in your bachelor's programme.

In order to study a master's degree at the University of Cologne, you need a general qualification for university entrance. You will receive this with the successful completion of your bachelor's degree. If access to your studies is granted by the Fachabitur, your studies must be completed or your certificate must be available at the time of enrolment. Submission of your bachelor's degree by the end of the same year does not therefore apply to applicants with a Fachhochschule matriculation certificate, as only the bachelor's degree from the Fachhochschule qualify you to general higher education entrance qualification, which entitles you to visit the university. Please also note: A provisional certificate that all examinations have been taken is not sufficient; the official bachelor's certificate must be submitted.

If, at the time of application, you have already completed a Master's degree at a German university indicate "second degree" as the form of study in your application.

Please note: Admission to the master’s programme shall be refused if you have already obtained the degree of "Master of Science" or "Master of Arts" in the study programme you are applying for. 

This also applies if you have failed a mandatory examination specified by the examination regulations in the relevant master’s programme or any programmes with substantial similarities in content at a university within the scope of German Basic Law.  In such cases, please contact the Master’s Admissions Committee before applying. You can do so by emailing us. We will forward this to the relevant members of the Admissions Committee.

A transcript of records listing all grades for the entire course of study must be submitted. If the course of study has not yet been completed, we require a certificate issued by the university showing the average grade of all credits passed to date.

• If the transcript of records was issued by the foreign university, a VPD is required (see point 3 "Application via Uni-Assist").
• If the transcript of records was issued by the German university with a grade according to the German grading system, no VPD is required.

• The subject-related admission criteria were not met
• The language admission criteria were not met
• The minimum grade was not achieved
• The application is incomplete (wrong or missing documents)
• The application is based on a Master's degree
• No valid VPD document(only for applications with a non-German Bachelor's degree):
  • VPD document not issued for the University of Cologne.
  • Only the registration for VPD evaluation has been submitted.
  • Only the examination report was submitted.

You may apply for up to three different master’s programmes. It is not possible to delete applications once they have been submitted.

After the application deadline, selection interviews will be held for some degree programmes. Please note that not all applicants who meet the admission criteria will be invited. The selection interviews are expected to take place at the following times:

• International Management (CEMS MIM) - May
• Economic Research - April
• Double Master's Programmes Business Administration - early to mid-June
• Double Master's Programmes Demography and Social Inequality, Economics and Health Economics and Management - mid to late June

Should your application require special treatment for personal reasons, you can submit a so-called hardship case application. In this case, there must be particularly serious personal reasons why it is unreasonable to wait even one semester for admission to study, even if strict standards are applied. The applicants are then immediately admitted to the course of study. The admission requirements must nevertheless be fulfilled, but the selection procedure does not take place in this case. Please submit your hardship case application via

Please submit your hardship case application via KLIPS in the section Further Information and upload all necessary documents in your application account.

Uni-assist e.V., the working service point for international student applications, is an institution supported by more than 180 universities in Germany for the preliminary examination of international student applications. It checks foreign degrees and converts the final grade into the German grading system. Only after this check can it be assessed whether a foreign degree meets the requirements.

Request a preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist. This VPD must be issued for the University of Cologne.

You can have your documents checked by uni-assist all year.The VPD is not tied to an application semester. Processing will only begin after receipt of all documents and payment of the fee. Experience shows that the processing time is about eight weeks. Please make sure to request the VPD at uni-assist well in advance of the application deadline in KLIPS. After you have received the VPD document, create an online application in KLIPS.

In our application notes, we have gathered all documents which must be submitted to uni-assist.

Please contact uni-assist directly and inform us as well via e-mail.

Yes, the APS certificate is required if you have studied in China, Vietnam or India.

International Management (CEMS MIM):

According to German higher education law "Ordinance on the Allocation of Study Places in North Rhine-Westphalia" (Verordnung über die Vergabe von Studienplätzen in Nordrhein-Westfalen) 20 % of the available study places are reserved to applicants who are non-EU/EEA citizens and do not hold an EU/EEA university entrance qualification or an EU/EEA bachelor's degree (EEA: Members of the Agreement on the European Economic Area are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway).

Applicants who are EU/EEA citizens or hold an EU/EEA university entrance qualification or an EU/EEA bachelor's degree belong to the 80 % quota.

All other degree programmes:

According to German higher education law "Ordinance on the Allocation of Study Places in North Rhine-Westphalia" (Verordnung über die Vergabe von Studienplätzen in Nordrhein-Westfalen) 7 % of the available study places are reserved to applicants who are non-EU/EEA citizens and do not hold an EU/EEA university entrance qualification or an EU/EEA bachelor's degree (EEA: Members of the Agreement on the European Economic Area are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway).

Applicants who are EU/EEA citizens or hold an EU/EEA university entrance qualification or an EU/EEA bachelor's degree belong to the 93 % quota.

If the transcript of records has been issued with German grades, includes all achievements of the complete degree programme and an average grade of all achievements, you do not need to submit a VPD. The VPD is required if the transcript of records is not from a German university and does not include German grades.

In this case, a decision is made by drawing lots.

The notification of admission will only be sent to you by e-mail:

Please make sure that you will have access to your e-mail account during this period.

Yes, if the score or grade thresholds have been achieved in several degree programmes, a place will be offered for each of these degree programmes.

If a place is declined in the main procedure and the score or grade thresholds are achieved in the move-up procedure for other degree programmes, another place will be offered for each of these degree programmes.

Admission must first be accepted within 7 days via KLIPS.  The documents required for enrolment must then be uploaded to KLIPS.  All important information can be found in the KLIPS self-service view.

The following is required for enrolment:

•  Transfer the semester fee

•  Upload the necessary enrollment documents (visible in KLIPS self-service view)

You can track the status of your enrolment at any time via KLIPS. If you have any questions about your enrolment, please contact the Student Secretariat or the International Office. The relevant office can be found on your letter of admission.

You can check your rank in KLIPS at the latest from the day on which the admission notices are also sent out. Please log in there to do so.

We will publish the admission results on this website (see Admission Results on the page of each Master's programme).

You will receive detailed information on this with the letters of admission and on the websites of the Student Application and Registration Office or the International Office.

A move-up procedure (via waiting list) will only be carried out if there are places available after the main selection process. This means that a decision about allocating free places in a move-up procedure can only be made after the enrolment phase has ended.

An allocation of rejected places only takes place if there are not enough places available for all applicants with the same score/ grade. All applicants on the waiting list automatically take part in the allocation of rejected places. No further registration is required.

Rejection letters may only be sent out after all move-up procedures and all enrolment procedures have been completed at the beginning of October. Rejection letters will be sent out for all unsuccessful applications in which no admission was granted – even if applicants have been admitted.

If you have applied with a bachelor's degree that has not yet been completed, you must present your certificate until 31 March the following year at the latest. Exception: If you do not have a general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur), you will in any case need your bachelor's certificate in order to enrol, as only this entitles you to enrol at a university (see question 1.4). If the bachelor's certificate is not available on the day of enrolment, admission to the master's programme is subject to the following proviso: If this proof is not provided or not provided in time, the admission becomes invalid. Examinations already taken up to this point in time (e.g. midterm) are then no longer valid and expire.

Pending examinations must be completed by 30 September (e.g. submission of bachelor thesis). This also applies to the defence of a bachelor thesis or to the rewriting of failed examinations! Grading can also take place later.

Only the Student Application and Registration Office or the International Office are responsible for enrolment. You can find out who is responsible for you on the letterhead of your admission letter, which you can download in the KLIPS Self-Service view.

The following three admission regulations govern the application and admission process. Only the German versions are legally binding.

1. Admission regulation for the Master's programmes in 

• International Management
• Economic Research

2.  Admission regulation for the Master's programmes in 

• Business Administration
• Business Analytics & Econometrics
• Economics
• Information Systems
• Sociology: Social Research
• Sociology: Social and Economic Psychology

3. Admission regulation for the Master's programme in

• Health Economics