To apply for a Master's degree, you need a Bachelor's degree programme in a relevant subject.

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

Yes, we also accept credits from Master's degree programmes. The same rules apply as for question 1.1.

Yes, this is possible. The credits of the bachelor's thesis can be credited to a maximum of half for the subject in which it was written (e.g. 12 ECTS bachelor thesis --> max. 6 ECTS can be credited towards the subject-related admission criteria). The bachelor’s thesis must have already been submitted by the application deadline. Please upload your transcript of records together with the front page and the outline of your bachelor's thesis confirmed by the first examiner in KLIPS in the section Transcript of records.

Yes, you can apply even if you have not completed your Bachelor's degree programme under the following conditions:

For International Management (CEMS MIM) and Economic Research:

At least 70% of the credit points to be earned must have been completed and the outstanding credits must be taken by 30 September at the latest. Proof of the credit points earned must be provided in the form of a document. We also require an average grade calculated by the university, which includes all successfully completed credits.

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

At least 80% of the credit points to be acquired must have been earned and the outstanding achievements must be completed by 30 September at the latest. Proof of the credit points earned must be provided in the form of a document. We also require an average grade calculated by the university, which includes all successfully completed credits.

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 university (or a university within the scope of German Basic Law), please 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.

Please submit a transcript of records on which all grades of the entire degree programme are listed. If the degree programme has not yet been completed, we require a proof issued by the university of the average grade of all credit points achieved.

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, 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 can apply for up to three different Master's programmes.

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.

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 you reach the minimum grade or score in more than one programme you have applied for, you receive an admission for each of them.
If you decline a study place offer in the main selection process and reach the minimum grade or score in the move-up procedure (via.waiting list) for one of the other programmes you have applied for, you receive further admission for each of them.

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

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.

Letters of rejection can only be sent out after all move-up procedures (via waiting list) and enrolment procedures for all the university study programmes have ended (beginning of November). You can, however, request information on the status of your application before this date. Furthermore, letters of rejection are send out in response to all applications for study programmes where admission was not granted, even if admission was granted in a different application.

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.