Uni-Tübingen

General information on the application process

Procedure of the application process

Applications for our first degree programmes with local admission restriction can only be submitted via the online application portal. For applications for a study program without restricted admission, you do not have to "apply", but can enroll directly via the Alma portal.

A total of 6 applications for admission (including unrestricted admission applications) can be made, of which up to 3 can be restricted admission applications (except for the second degree). Applications can be made either for the first academic semester and/or the higher academic semester. In the higher academic semester you can also apply for the same degree programme in different academic semesters (if credits can be recognised).

Example for the first semester of study:

  • an application for the Bachelor of Education (subject combination English and French + Education Sciences): counts as one application with admission restriction (since English has an admission restriction)
  • an application for the Bachelor in Chemistry: counts as one application without admission restriction
  • an application for the State Examination in Law: counts as one application with restricted admission

For the person interested in studying with the above-mentioned applications for admission, an additional application with admission restriction in combination with up to two further applications for admission to study programmes without admission restriction would be possible. Otherwise, in the example case, it would also be possible to submit up to three additional applications for unrestricted admissions.

You enter your personal data in the online application portal. When applying for the first academic semester, the following documents must be uploaded to the portal:

  • Certificate of general (allgemeine Hochschulreife) or subject-related (fachgebundene Hochschulreife) higher education entrance qualification or recognition of the foreign school leaving and the relevant documents (translations if necessary)
  • Documents for the selection procedure(s).

Once you have completed and submitted your application online via alma and uploaded your documents, there is no need to send documents via post. If you need to submit additional documents later on (but within the application deadline!), please send them by e-mail to: studierendensekretariatspam prevention@verwaltung.uni-tuebingen.de and specify your applicant number, the subject you are applying for and the applying semester. The complete application must be received online via alma by the end of the application deadline. As soon as you submit your online application including all uploaded documents via alma, the application is considered received.

Any special applications must be received by the student administration by post within the relevant deadline (in addition to the online application).

Special applications: Only after receipt of the signed application and the complete application documents by post (in addition to the online application), the application is considered received.

The application address for special applications is noted on the respective document “application for admission”.

Important note: In order to be able to inform yourself later on about the status of the procedure in the portal, you must remember your access data for the online portal.

Explanation of the terms "application/admission" and "enrollment"

Application and admission

For admission-restricted* undergraduate degree programs (e.g. Bachelor, State Examination, Bachelor of Education), you first apply. This is done by means of a so-called "application for admission". If you receive an admission letter, you can enroll/matriculate with us within the period stated on the admission letter. If you are already enrolled with us, you can "transfer" with the admission notice. Whether or not you are eligible for admission depends on your grades and, if applicable, on other achievements that improve your grades, as well as on your fellow applicants. The available places will be filled in the main procedure and, if necessary, in the subsequent move-up procedure. 

For undergraduate programs without admission restrictions (referring to a number of available study places), you also need to submit an "application for admission" if you are not already enrolled with us. If you can prove that you have a valid university entrance qualification and, if applicable, the necessary language skills for the desired course of study, you will be automatically admitted within a maximum of three days, so that you can enroll in the shortest possible time. Your application is independent of your fellow applicants, as the number of places on this course is not limited. 
 

Prior to the application process, you will find all important information on our website, starting here.

International applicants should inform themselves about possible deviating procedures here.

* admission-restricted means that only a certain number of study places are available. You can see whether your desired study program has an admission restriction in the directory of study programs.

Enrollment

"Enrollment" means the process of becoming a student member of the university. 
You can only enroll in admission-restricted undergraduate degree programs if you have received a letter of admission for them. 
As an applicant with German citizenship, you can enroll in undergraduate programs without admission restrictions without a letter of admission. 
You can find all information about enrollment here. 

Award criteria for the 1st academic semester

The allocation of study places for the 1st academic semester is as follows:

After the deduction of the preliminary quotas (hardship cases, quota of foreigners, quota second degree) the available study places will be allocated:

  • 90 % according to the result of the selection procedure

and

  • 10 % according to waiting time .

Selection procedure

The selection procedures are regulated in a corresponding selection statute for each subject.

The selection criteria are available as information on our website.

Some faculties have posted additional explanations of the selection procedure on their own websites. Here  you will find a list of the faculties.

Preferential admission / preferential treatment in admission

If an admission cannot be accepted, applicants can be selected beforehand in posterior award procedures if the legal requirements (§ 30 Act on the University Admission of the Land of Baden-Württemberg [Hochschulzulassungsverordnung HZVO]) are met. The reasons for a preferantial admission are:

  • completion of a voluntary service
  • care or nursing of a child under 18 (until up to 3 years)
  • care or nursing of a relative (until up to 3 years)

Preferential treatment in admission must be requested no later than the second award procedure taking place after the service has ended.

You have to submit:

  • a current certificate about the length of your service:
    • If the service has already been completed at the time of application, we require a certificate of completion of the service (and not only the start).
    • If the service has not been fully completed at the time of application, the certificate must not be older than December (if applying for the summer semester) or June (if applying for the winter semester).
  • medical certificates or proofs (e.g., birth certificates) attesting to the care or custody of the child or relative
  • previous letter of admission granted before or after the start of the service

Particularities for German applicants with foreign educational qualification documents

Further information can be found on the page Application for German citizens with foreign university entrance qualifications

Choice of major and minor subjects (degree programmes / degree programme components)

Applicants for degree programmes leading to a teaching degree (Lehramt) or bachelor's degree are advised to enquire about the permissible subject combinations in time. An overview of the possible combinations can also be found in our course catalogue. You can also contact the Tübingen School of Education (TüSE).

Procedure for subsequent admissions

If you are rejected due to a lack of study places, you will automatically take part in any subsequent admissions that may take place. Exception: nationwide restricted subjects in the first subject related semester (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy).

If you are no longer interested in the study place, we urgently ask you, in the interest of other applicants, to withdraw your application online in the portal, so that others can move up.

Admission procedure for the first academic semester

Letters of admission as well as letters of rejection are usually available online from the beginning of August for the Winter Semester and from the beginning of February for the Summer Semester. The notifications of admission are only provided online.

We ask for your understanding that it is not possible to obtain information on the status of the procedure in advance.