Studying in Kassel

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Are you interested in studying at the University of Kassel and have obtained your degree outside of Germany? Then you are in the right place! We will guide you through the process step by step.

Can I study?

"Study in Germany" Blog

On the "Study in Germany" blog of the Federal Ministry of Research and Education, international students report on their experiences of studying in Germany. Get a first impression through the personal stories and photos.

"Study in Germany" Blog: Weiter zum Blog

Step by step guide

The requirements

  1. 1.Degree

    Will my degree be recognised?

    If you would like to study with us, you will need a recognised school leaving certificate or, in the case of a master's degree, a university degree. Your nationality does not matter - your degree only has to be comparable to a German qualification.

  2. 2.Knowledge of German

    • How good does my knowledge of German have to be? The University of Kassel accepts the following German language certificates: Proof of German language skills
    • How good does my knowledge of English have to be? You can find out the required level in the admission requirements. The University of Kassel accepts the following English language certificates: Language certificates for a foreign language

    Depending on your university course, the language of instruction may be German, English or even  German and English. You have to prove your language skills by means of a language certificate when applying for a place at a university.

    My German language skills are inadequate. What can I do?

    Once you can prove that you have attended 600 or more hours of German lessons or have passed the B1 level exams, you can apply for a preparatory language course. This will prepare you for the DSH exam. You can take the exam once you have completed at least 1,000 hours of German lessons or have passed level C1 – this is possible at the University of Kassel too. Further information is available here: DSH examination at the University of Kassel.

  3. 3.Further requirements

    • l will find out about other admission requirements on the application and admission site of each program.

      For the link to the program's website please go to All study programs

Before applying

  1. 1.Accommodation

    • What else should I know? What else do I need to do?

    Accommodation

    Looking for a place to study in  Germany does not come with any accommodation, i.e. you have to look for a room/accommodation at a very early stage.

     

  2. 2.Funding

    Source: German Student Union, Service Center for Intercultural Competence

    Funding

    Tuition fees (semester fees), insurance, accommodation, living expenses, fees -  studying is quite an expensive business.

    Helpful links:

    DAAD - Studium planen: Ausbildungs- und Lebenshaltungskosten

    DAAD Stipendiendatenbank

  3. 3.Visa

    • lnformation on the subject of visas is available here: Welcome Centre - Visum
    • Important: Make an appointment in good time at the embassy/foreigners' registration office of the city of Kassel.

     

  4. 4.Health insurance

    Health insurance is compulsory for everybody in Germany. You can find more information here: Health insurance

  5. 5.Studying with a family

    You can discover more about studying with young children here:

    Further links:

    Kassel Student Services Organisation – Children

    Family Welcome and Dual Career Service

    Kinderbetreuung Stadt Kassel

If you are not yet a student at the University of Kassel or another university in Germany, but have obtained a suitable school leaving certificate or a first professional bachelor's degree abroad, you must apply via the central assessment office in Berlin, uni-assist.

The procedure is described on the uni-assist website. Please have a look at the pages already. The deadlines and the specific application requirements of a study program can be found on the respective program website.

uni-assist website

Detailed application information of the English-language Master's programs

    Journey and arrival

    Arrive early. We recommend that you arrive in Kassel before April 1 for summer semester admissions and before October 1 for winter semester admissions.

    1. 1.Travel and ar­rival

      Before arriving:

       After arriving:

      • Where will I arrive?
      • Where can I go shopping at weekends/on public holidays?
      • Moving into a flat/room. Where do I pick up my key?
      • I need to register with the citizens’ office in the town with a notice of confirmation from my landlord (Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung). 

      • I need to open a bank account.

      • I need to find out about emergency numbers/hospitals.

      Arrive early. We recommend that you arrive in Kassel before 1 April if you are starting your course in the summer semester and before 1 October if you are starting your course in the winter semester

      Starter package (including bed linen)

      In order to make your first few days in Kassel a little more relaxed, the Student Services Organisation can provide different versions of a starter package; you can purchase it locally or in advance when booking your room. Bed linen, a duvet and pillow, cooking utensils and dishes are all available - we make sure that you have all the right equipment at a reasonable price right from the start.

      Rental contract and confirmation by the landlord

      When you move in, you will receive your rental contract and a notice of confirmation from your landlord, which you must present when you register at the citizens’ office. Ideally, you should print this notice of confirmation and have the landlord sign it when you move in.

      Bank account

      You need an account with a German bank to pay bills or your rent. Once you have opened an account (also known as a current account), you will receive an EC card. You can also use it to make cashless payments in most shops and withdraw money from ATMs. If you work in Germany, your salary will also be paid into your German bank account.

      To ensure that you get off to a good start, find out where you can get help if you have an accident or become ill – which will hopefully not happen. https://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/international/nach-kassel-kommen/welcome-centre/leben-in-deutschland/gesundheit3/

    2. 2.Enrollment

      • I open the website of the application portal "eCampus":

      Enroll now

      • I log in again to the application portal "eCampus" with my user name and password. 
      • I click on the menu item "My studies" and then on "Application for studies".
      • I fill out the "Application for enrollment" form, uploading my portrait photo and entering my health insurance information.
      • I find out how to provide my proof of health insurance: http://www.uni-kassel.de/go/versicherung
      • I complete the enrolment digitally and have my semester fee calculated.
      • My application and application subject status are now set to "Applied for enrolment".

      The Student Secretary’s Office needs some time to complete your registration. You will then receive notification of enrolment in digital form with further information about transferring the semester fees and paying for the CampusCard and the introductory events.

      You can enrol before or after you arrive. However, enrolment can only be fully completed once you have an address in Germany and have proof of health insurance.

    3. 3.Semester fees

      • I need to transfer the semester fees in good time.
      • If I transfer the fees from abroad, I must  take the processing charges into account.

      Students are charged semester fees each semester (covering administration fees, the Student Services Organisation, the semester ticket, the General Students’ Committee or AStA). You can discover the exact amount, payment deadlines and formalities related to the semester fees here: Semester fees

      You should make sure that you transfer the semester fees to the University of Kassel’s account within 14 days of receiving your notification of admission. Otherwise, your enrolment will be cancelled and your place will be given to another prospective student.

      Since bank transfers from abroad are subject to fees, you should transfer the semester fees after receiving your visa.

    4. 4.university ac­count

      • I will receive my CampusCard once the University of Kassel has received my semester fees.
      • I will receive my university account.

      The CampusCard is your student ID for the entire duration of your studies. It is also your semester ticket and has other functions: it acts as your library card, culture ticket, payment card in refectories, copy card, etc. More information is available here:  CampusCard

      Once you have successfully enrolled, you will receive a university account. It is already set up; you just need to activate it. Your university account is your main access point to online services:

      • your e-mail account
      • access to the eCampus {including HIS-POS, Moodie, etc.)
      • access to the university Wi-Fi network
      • for registering at PC workstations in the computer pool rooms.

      Information from the IT Service Centre (ITS) (CampusCard, e-mail system, wlan, university network, software...)

    5. 5.In the first few days

      • I need to apply for a residence permit.

      • I need to register for the courses.

      You can obtain more information about applying for and extending your residence permit at the visa information department (Student Secretary’s Office) for international students and prospective students