Application Process and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about our International Bachelor Programs
This page provides information about the admission requirements, the selection process, and the application timeline. The admission office will not reply to questions and inquiries if the corresponding answer is included on this page. Our FAQs also explain everything you need to know if you are interested in studying Computer Science or Cybersecurity at Saarland University at the Saarland Informatics Campus in Saarbrücken.
Please note: The application procedure regulations have been modified compared with previous application rounds!
Please take sufficient time to read the full details about the regulations carefully.
Admission Requirements
This is a competitive program that has a limited number of seats. To be considered for admission, you must provide a University Entrance Qualification (UEQ) and choose one of the application tracks listed and detailed below.
The University Entrance Qualification
The central component of your application is a University Entrance Qualification enabling direct access to study programs at German universities (UEQ). Without a UEQ, it is legally impossible to enroll. What constitutes a recognizable direct UEQ depends on various aspects (please see the Appendix below). We cannot assess whether your documents constitute a UEQ before you apply. We can only check your application documents after you submit your complete application. We will ignore any mail that asks us for an assessment of documents prior to an application.
Please note that all your qualification documents (in particular certificates, examination results, and transcripts relating to your university entrance qualification) must be submitted with a certified translation by a sworn translator, unless they are already issued in English, German, or French.
Application Tracks
In addition to the UEQ, you need to provide additional qualifications. You can do this in one of the following tracks:
- You provide documentation of having successfully participated in a prestigious science/informatics/mathematics olympiad, and results from an English test.
(Please refer to the Appendix for the requirements for the English test and the olympiads we accept.) → Olympiad Track - You provide the results of an aptitude test and an English test (please refer to the Appendix for the requirements for the English test and the aptitude tests we accept.).
In addition, you take part in an interview which is conducted via video conference. → Aptitude Track
Note that you cannot apply for more than one track. After you submit your application, you can no longer change between tracks.
Selection Criteria
After all documents you provided have been carefully examined, your UEQ grade will be combined with your track results into a score that gives you a position in a ranking of all participants. We admit the best N applicants from this ranking to the study program, where N depends on the number of available seats in the program.
Timeline
The program starts in the winter term in mid-October. The application portal usually opens in December of the previous year. Our final application deadline is July 15. However, if you want early feedback on your application (early accept), you can apply to one of the earlier “preliminary review deadlines”: January 15 or April 15. See the next section for details.
After the final deadline, we review all applications within four weeks. Final decisions about acceptance/rejections are communicated before August 31. The decision notification will include a formal confirmation letter. In case of acceptance, you will need this letter to enroll at the university. Please do not request status updates prior to this date.
Preliminary Review Deadlines
To provide timely feedback, we have two preliminary review deadlines (PRDs) on January 15, and April 15.
Only if you have all required proofs and additional qualification documents, you may submit an application to one (and only one) of the PRDs before the final deadline (July 15). The upcoming PRD will be the one you submitted to.
All applications submitted to a review deadline will be reviewed within eight weeks after this deadline.
Application Tracks Schedule 2027
Depending on the application track you choose and the documents you submit, one of the following will happen:
Olympiad Track
Admission requirements and Time Schedule 2027
Application Deadlines: PRD January 15, PRD April 15, final deadline July 15
Application documents:
- University Entrance Qualification (UEQ) enabling for direct access to study programs at German universities.
- Documentation of having successfully participated in a recognized science/informatics/mathematics olympiad (Olympiad certificates).
- Results from an English test.
Admission criteria:
- Your documents constitute a valid UEQ for the intended study subject, and you provide Olympiad certificates that meet our standards.
- Your UEQ grade and the results of the English test place you in the top group.
Admission Timeline 2027:
- PRD January 15 -> notification until March 5
- PRD April 15 -> notification until May 24
- Final Deadline July 15 -> notification until August 20
If you have not received notification of early admission by the above-mentioned dates after the PRD/final deadline for which you applied, your application will remain active until the final deadline on July 15. After the final deadline, we will include you in the final ranking list of all applicants, and you will get a notification by August 31. However, it has been our experience that applicants who have applied for a PRD and have not been admitted to that PRD have little chance of being admitted at all, given the limited number of places we have.
If your documents do not constitute a valid UEQ and/or your submitted proof of additional qualifications does not or not sufficiently meet the specified requirements, you will receive a notification after the final deadline that your application has been rejected for formal reasons.
Aptitude Track
Admission requirements and Time Schedule 2027
Application Deadlines: PRD January 15, PRD April 15, final deadline July 15
Application documents:
- University Entrance Qualification (UEQ) enabling for direct access to study programs at German universities.
- Results of an aptitude test.
- Results from an English test.
Admission criteria:
- Your documents constitute a valid UEQ for the intended study subject.
- The grade of your UEQ and the results of your aptitude test place you in the top of a preselection group.
- Invitation to an interview, which will take place via video conference (the exact dates are listed under Admission Timeline 2027; see the next section).
- The results of this interview, the grade of your UEQ, the results of your aptitude test, and the result of the English test place you in the final top group.
Admission Timeline 2027:
PRD January 15:
- Invitation to an interview via video conference: February 5.
- Interviews: between March 2 and March 5.
- Notification: March 5.
PRD April 15:
- Invitation to an interview via video conference: May 13.
- Interviews: between May 18 and August 21.
- Notification: May 24.
Final Deadline July 15:
- Invitation to an interview via video conference: August 11.
- Interviews: between August 16 and August 20.
- Notification: August 20.
If you have not received notification of early admission by the above-mentioned dates after the PRD/final deadline for which you applied, your application will remain active until the final deadline on July 15. After the final deadline, we will include you in the final ranking list of all applicants and you will get a notification until August 31. However, it has been our experience that applicants who have applied for a PRD and have not been admitted to that PRD have little chance of being admitted at all, given the limited number of places we have.
If your documents do not constitute a valid UEQ and/or your submitted proof of additional qualifications does not or not sufficiently meet the specified requirements, you will receive a notification after the final deadline that your application has been rejected for formal reasons.
Information about interview:
- Interview dates are fixed and cannot be changed. You cannot postpone your interview to a later round. If you do not appear for the interview on the date you are invited, you will be rejected automatically.
- Please note that we cannot disclose further information about the nature of the interview except that it will be based on standard high school mathematics (in all international curricula) and basic problem-solving skills, so do not email us about the syllabus or the contents of these.
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University Entrance Qualification
The decisive source for this is the ANABIN database issued by the German federal government. Anabin classifies foreign school-leaving diplomas as either to be equivalent to a German university entrance qualification or specifies additional requirements. Unfortunately, anabin is available in German only. Below, you find instructions on how to use anabin to check if your diploma is eligible.
- Visit the ANABIN website and select your country.
- You’re presented with a list of all certificates that are relevant for admission in German universities.
- Select your certificate, and a window opens that shows the eligibility with this certificate:
- The relevant statement here is “Direkter Zugang (für alle Fächer)” or “Direkter Zugang (fachorientiert) zu allen Hochschulen”. This means that your certificate in principle equals a German university entrance qualification. “für alle Fächer” means that your UEQ is not limited to any subject, whereas “fachorientiert” means that your UEQ is limited to certain subjects. Any other statement there means that additional restrictions apply that you can translate using an online translation service.
Olympiad Requirements
- Participation and a medal in the International Olympiad in Mathematics (IMO).
- Medal at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), Physics (IPhO) or Chemistry (IChO).
- Medal at the European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI).
- Medal at a standard Mathematics Olympiad during the last two years of school or during university, that is beyond the country level, such as the Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad (APMO).
- Medal at a standard Informatics Olympiad during the last two years of school or during university, that is beyond the country level, such as the Baltic Olympiad in Informatics (BOI) or the Central European Olympiad in Informatics (CEOI).
- Participation in the Inter-collegiate Programming Competition (ICPC) beyond the country level.
Note that we cannot make any exceptions to this list.
Language Requirements
You need to provide proof of English language proficiency for the Olympiad and Aptitude track unless your are a native speaker. We accept the following English tests:
- IELTS Academic Test
- TOEFL iBT Test
- TOEFL Essential
- Cambridge Certificate
- Pearson Test of English academic (PTE academic)
You are considered a native speaker if you obtained your high-school diploma in one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, USA. We cannot make any exceptions from this rule.
Accepted Aptitude Tests
- SAT Standard Test (evidence-based reading/writing, maths) is sufficient. The essay is not required.
- TestAS
- TestAS digital
- ACT
- Gaokao
- JEE Advanced
- Suneung
Your test must not be older than 2 years. There are no minimum requirements on your score because we fill our seats by a ranking of all applicants. The programs are highly competitive. Successful applications in past iterations came from the 95th percentile, which corresponds to SAT scores of 1400+.
FAQ: Application, Admission, Qualification, Interview, Timing
Your documents do not need to be legally certified or apostilled; simple digital copies would be sufficient. However, if the certificates or transcripts are not already issued in German, English, or French, an official translation must also be attached to the respective original language version.
Official means that the translation must be done by a sworn translator. In addition, the sworn translator must attach a declaration on the last page of the translation stating that the translation is a faithful and complete translation of the original document. This declaration must be signed and stamped by the translator.
All documents have to be uploaded prior to this deadline. If your documents arrive after this deadline, we encourage you to apply for the next winter semester.
There is no specific cut-off point for test results, as they also vary per application year. Furthermore, the number of admitted students is capped, whereas we cannot foresee the number of applications. We rank candidates according to their test results and thereby give preference to better test results.
Required qualifications are limited to the ones listed on our website.
Yes. You can also apply for both.
No, this is not sufficient.
It depends. Please refer to the ANABIN database for that. Note that we can only check this after you have applied, and not before. Please also do not inquire about this because we can only assess the documents after you have applied.
No, application via our online form is mandatory. We cannot accept applications via e-mail or any hard-copy applications.
No, not all foreign secondary school qualifications are automatically recognized as German university entrance qualification. Please check the ANABIN database for more specific information. Also look under the section “University Entrance Qualification”.
There is no NC (numerus clausus); however, since the programs have a limited number of seats, admittance is based on a ranking of the applicants.
No, this is not possible.
There is no need to attend a preparatory school or similar. If you are admitted, you can directly start your studies.
The students can use a work placement or internship in industry (maximum of 6 credits) for the ungraded section of mandatory elective courses.
No. The ranking data is internal information.
Yes.
We recommend that students be in Saarbrücken about one week before the lectures start. You should join the welcome events, and you need a few days for formal steps at the university, town hall, etc.
If you want to prepare for the interview, the best you can do is to recap your mathematical skills at high school level. We can not go into detail which particular topics will be subject to discussion in the interviews.
Unfortunately, no. German law requires that all required documents (such as a high school diploma) be submitted by the application deadline; intermediate certificates and/or grades cannot be accepted.
You may be notified earlier. Note that it does not increase your chances of being accepted.
FAQ: Our Programs
No, you do not require any knowledge of German. Our courses are entirely taught in English, and our staff is used to working with international students and staff on an everyday basis on campus. We are providing the best conditions to make you feel welcome at Saarland University. Additionally, we are providing German courses for beginners and more advanced students in case you are interested in improving your every-day language skills.
No, you don’t need to have programming skills. We’ll teach you all you need to know during your course!
There are two lectures in maths (MFI 1 & 2). However, mathematical reasoning will be required in many other lectures and seminars.
The German program has a minor subject that is taught in German only.
Since there is only a limited number of seats available, it is possible to switch from one study course to the other only at the beginning of a new semester and only after you have submitted a new application. Therefore, you should in any case consider carefully from the beginning which course is the right one for you.
So, for example, if you start with Computer Science and realize that you want to switch to Cybersecurity, either apply to the next higher semester by the deadline for the following semester or reapply during your current semester for the first semester in the upcoming winter semester.
If you change to the next higher semester, a large part of your credits (e.g. all the above-mentioned courses) can be transferred to the other study program. So, in case of properly completed achievements, you will receive a credit transfer certificate from the examination office, which you must present in the course of your application for admission to the higher semester.
However, whether an application and thus switching programs will be successful ultimately depends on the number of available seats and the respective applicant situation. This also applies to a renewed application to the first semester of the respective other degree program.
In principle, this is possible, but requires a detailed evaluation in each individual case. As soon as you are enrolled, you can apply for a transfer, and we will check your documents individually.
Unfortunately, no.
Lectures are usually given on site and in person. In some cases, online or hybrid teaching is offered, but this up to the decision of the individual lecturer.
In October, the main induction events will take place for students on the international Bachelor’s degree programme in Computer Science and the international Bachelor’s degree programme in Cybersecurity within the Department of Computer Science. During these events, you’ll learn everything you need to know about your new university, its structure, the support services available and the range of courses on offer, as well as how to find your way around Saarbrücken and – if you’ve just arrived from abroad – you’ll receive some tips to help you settle in quickly in Germany. You can find the timetables on this website: https://saarland-informatics-campus.de/en/semesterinfo/
The International Office also organises a Welcome Week for international students. We strongly recommend that you take part in Welcome Week at the start of October. There you will receive lots of helpful information about your stay in Germany.
We have 15 seats/year in each program.
Every BSc student can apply for the Honors Program. Note however, that it is very competitive and only the best 5% of students get in.
FAQ: General Life at University
A German language course program is an integral part of our international BSc study programs.
FAQ: Accommodation
Students in Saarbrücken should factor in to have about 900 EUR in living expenses per month, though this figure will vary individually. This figure includes fixed costs such as the obligatory health insurance and the rent for an apartment. The health insurance is 115 EUR per month and covers all necessary procedures. The rent adds up to about 350-450 EUR per month, which is significantly less than in Munich, Aachen, Berlin, or Karlsruhe. If you aren’t already living in Germany, you can contact the Welcome Center, that provides assistance: Accomodation in Saarland
FAQ: Fees
The academic study programs offered at Saarland University are state-funded. Therefore, no tuition fees are charged for all Bachelor’s and consecutive Master’s programs. Instead, students pay an administrative fee, which includes a pass for public transportation and further benefits (no housing!): https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/study/organisation/fees.html
There is no tuition fee at Saarland University. The administrative fee for all students can you find here: https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/study/organisation/fees.html
FAQ: Uni-Assist
Uni-Assist is a service to check a priori if your high-school diploma qualifies as a German University Entrance Qualification. We can do such a check only after you applied.
No VPD from uni-assist is required for first-semester applications to the both English-taught programmes of B. Sc. Computer Science (English) an B. Sc. Cybersecurity (English). The university staff will check the university entrance qualification documents themselves and also convert the grades into the German grading system.
FAQ: Studienkolleg / VSI MINT
VSI MINT is a study program taught in German. It is targeted at international students whose high school diploma does not qualify as a German University Entrance Qualification and who wish to gain access to Saarland University’s Bachelor Plus MINT study program.
We apply the same admission criteria to all students. By graduating from VSI MINT, you acquire subject-specific German university entrance qualification. However, the international BSc programs for Computer Science and Cybersecurity require additional qualifications that you have to provide. Please check the relevant section on admission requirements.