Building on Academic Experience

Applicants for a Higher Program-Related Semester

Transfer students from other universities who wish to continue their degree at the University of Bonn must apply for admission to a higher program-related semester if the degree program has admission restrictions. The same is true for students who wish to resume their studies after interrupting their degree and for students who wish to enter a degree program at a higher semester after being enrolled in a different program. No application is necessary for degree programs without admission restrictions.

Important Notice for applicants based on their vocational training and experience 

Transfer applicants from other universities who originally qualified for university admission based on their vocational training and experience must first apply for having their university entrance qualification reviewed by the Student Registry. The deadlines are July 1 for the winter semester and January 1 for the summer semester.

How do I apply for admission to a higher program-related semester?

For many degree programs at the University of Bonn, admission restrictions not only apply to admission to the first program-related semester but also to other or all higher program-related semesters. In these cases, candidates must apply for admission. There are two scenarios for entering a higher program-related semester: You may transfer to Bonn from a different university but in the same program, or you may switch from one degree program to another degree program.

The application for admission to a higher program-related semester is only available online and is the same for all applicants.

If you want to be admitted to a degree program without admission restrictions, the only document you need is the credit transfer notification of the examination authority concerned. Exeption: Students for Stateexamination Law who wants to enroll for the 5th Semester (or higher) need an academic progress report. 

Please note that in most academic disciplines, admission for the summer semester is only possible for students in even semesters (2nd, 4th, etc.) and admission for the winter semester is only possible for students in odd semesters (3rd, 5th, etc.).

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01.

Restricted admission?

Whether or not admission restrictions also apply to higher program-related semesters in a given degree program is determined in August for the upcoming academic year.

Click here for an overview of programs with restricted admission (only German)

02.

Recognition of study achievements

To be able to apply for admission to a higher program-related semester, you first need to have your prior achievements recognized by the examination authority in charge of the program.

If were enrolled outside Germany candidates for Medizin, Dentistry and Pharmacy need an Evaluation Certificate by one of the State Examination Offices.

03.

Application deadlines

The following application deadlines apply:

Summer semester:
Beginning of February - March 15

Winter semester: 
Beginning of August - September 15

Transfer students from other universities and students who wish to resume their studies after taking leave only need to provide a current certificate of enrollment; a credit transfer notification is not required. Students from other academic disciplines who wish to enroll first need to consult with the examination office.


Changing universities

The following applies if you are currently enrolled at a different German university or at a university in an EU member state and wish to continue the same degree program at the University of Bonn. This is typically the case with programs in medicine and dentistry.

For all other degree programs, the decision whether it is in fact the same program is made by the relevant examination authority to which you submit your request to be placed in a higher program-related semester before applying.

Required documents

If you were already enrolled in the requested degree program at a German university, please enclose an academic progress report from your university and the credit transfer notification from the relevant examination authority at the University of Bonn (only in the case of a Bachelor Program). The academic progress report must include the name of the degree program and the number of program-related semesters.

A certificate of good standing issued by the previous university and prove of your passed examinations is only required for applicants in medicine (preclinical phase) and dentistry. This requirement only applies to candidates changing universities or resuming their studies within Germany.

If you have previously been enrolled in a model or reform course of study in medicine at a university in Germany, a certificate of equivalence from the previous university must be submitted.

Exception: If you study medicine or dentistry in an EU member state, you must submit both a credit transfer notification and a certificate of enrollment. The certificate of enrollment must be in English or translated into German.


Changing degree programs

Another option is to switch degree programs and be admitted to a higher program-related semester in the new degree program if you have already earned credits equivalent to at least one program-related semester that can be transferred toward the new degree program. To make the necessary request for placement in a higher program-related semester, contact the relevant examination authority at the University of Bonn or the State Examination Office before applying for admission.

Required documents

If you were previously enrolled in a different degree program or at a university outside Germany, please enclose the credit transfer notification of the relevant University of Bonn examination authority with your application!

If you are currently enrolled in Germany, please also submit an academic progress report issued by your current university. The report must include the number of program-related semesters.

If you were enrolled at a foreign university, we also need a certificate of enrollment. The certificate of enrollment must be in English or translated into German.

Application

The application deadlines for transfer admission to higher program-related semesters are available under application deadlines.


Contact information

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More information

Transferring to another academic discipline or university

You are considering a transfer to another academic discipline or university but are unsure what needs to be taken into account and how to best proceed? On this page, you will find extensive information on transferring to another academic discipline or university. Please contact the Central Study Advisory and Counseling Service if you have any questions or need support.

Switching to Another Subject or Degree Program

If you wish to change your subject for the next semester, switch to a completely different degree program or add a degree program to your existing studies.

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