Frequently asked questions

The Central Student Counseling Service provides information, among other things, on a more general level about the structure, contents, subfields and areas of specialization of all subjects of study at the respective university and about study conditions, assistance and support services for students and prospective students.

Furthermore, the Central Student Counseling Service is a good first point of contact for all questions regarding the application for a study place.

The subject counseling service for the individual subjects will advise you in detail about the respective subject, the requirements, the exact contents, the timetable, the organization of studies and examinations, and will help you with your individual specialization in your studies.

The focus is primarily on your interests, abilities and preferences. Discussions with parents and teachers, but also with "professional" counseling institutions such as student advisors, specialized student advisors and the career counseling service of the Federal Labor Agency can also help.

The universities also offer a wide range of support services, such as information events in schools and at the university, workshops on study orientation, try-out days, and much more. Here, even before taking up a degree course, you can gain an insight into the universities, studies in general, as well as the content and topics that subjects of study deal with. Online tests such as the self-exploration tool of the Federal Labor Agency or the degree program database at www.hochschulkompass.de also provide important ideas.

Yes, you can find all information about the dual study program and a list of our cooperation partners here.

You will need:

1. A university entrance qualification (scholastic and practical parts of the University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification, the General University Entrance Qualification, the subject-related University Entrance Qualification or an entrance qualification that is recognized as equivalent)
2. A subject-related internship (depending on the degree program)

If you acquired your higher education entrance qualification abroad, you can receive more information from the InternationalOffice.

There are school-leaving qualifications for which only the scholastic part of the Fachhochschulreife (FHR) is initially obtained. In this case, it is noted in your certificate which practical part is required for the full acquisition of the FHR. The completion of a relevant six-month internship must be recognized and confirmed by the school issuing the scholastic part. In the case of a one-year guided internship, this must be confirmed by the internship company on a form.

A vocational education and training of at least 2 years can also be considered as the practical part.

The certificate of the scholastic and practical parts of the University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification, the General University Entrance Qualification or the Subject-related University Entrance Qualification must be presented at the time of enrollment.

Prospective students without a higher education entrance qualification are given the opportunity to obtain a vocational qualification. The vocational qualification as proof of the ability to study takes the place of the general university entrance qualification, the subject-specific university entrance qualification or the university of applied sciences entrance qualification. More information about the access as a vocationally qualified person at the TH OWL can be found on our website.

For some degree programs, you need a subject-related basic internship as an admission requirement before starting your studies. In the further course of studies, a subsequent internship is often required, the so-called subject-related internship. The internship required to obtain the full University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification (Fachhochschulreife) must not be confused with the subject-related internship.

However, if the activities are comparable, the practical part of the Fachhochschulreife can be recognized for the subject-related internship.

Information on the required content can be found on the website of the respective department.

The type and scope of the internship depend on the degree program desired. A maximum of 8 weeks of internship is required. A distinction is made between basic internship before the degree program and subject-related internship (deadlines during the semester, depending on the degree program).

If you have completed the activities required for the degree program in the vocational education and training program, they will be fully recognized as a subject-related internship.

If you have fulfilled the activities of the required internship in the commenced vocational education and training program and prove it with a certificate, it will be recognized depending on the duration of the activities within the discontinued vocational education and training program.

If you have completed the activities of the required internship, the duration is appropriate and you can prove this with a certificate, it will be recognized.

The internship certificate on company letterhead with signature must include the activities required and completed for the degree program and the entire time period as well as your personal address information.

If the degree program you wish to enroll in requires an internship prior to the start of your studies, this must be completed in its entirety by the start of the courses. You cannot complete the basic internship during your studies. For enrollment, if you are still in the internship at this time, a preliminary confirmation from the company is required (time period/activities).

Bring a preliminary certificate/contract noting the contents of the internship and the time period with you when enrolling.

Please note that you must have completed the internship by the start of the courses.

The staff of the Enrollment Office will decide on the recognition of internships if they are unequivocal. In uncertain cases, you can have the internship recognized by the chairperson of the examination board of the department.

You can divide the internship into several periods. The internship can also be completed part-time, but it must count towards the number of weeks in full-time (min. 35 hrs.) that must be completed. An internship period of at least 3 weeks is recommended.

The company is responsible for accident insurance.

A high school student internship from lower secondary school (Sekundarstufe I) will not be credited.

If you have completed the activities required for the degree program when acquiring the practical part of the FHR, it will be recognized.

Suitable vocational education and training will also be recognized.

Corresponding activities in the German Armed Forces, in the Federal Volunteer Service and in the Voluntary Social Year that fit the desired degree program will be examined and possibly recognized by the chairperson of the examination board of the department.

• Applicants holding a German Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Abitur/Fachabitur) apply for the 1. subject semester (Bachelor) of open admission degree programs online via our Homepage or for admission-restricted degree programs via www.hochschulstart.de.
• Applicants holding a German Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Abitur/Fachabitur) apply with our application form for a higher subject semester (Bachelor and Master). For more information, see „Special requirements for university transfer students and higher subject semesters“.
• Applicants holding a German University Entrance Qualification apply online via our Homepage for a dual-degree program. You will find more information here.

Information on the application deadlines for our Bachelor's degree programs can be found under Dates and Deadlines. An overview of the deadlines for Master's degree programs can be found on the Application for a Master's Degree Program page.

For degree programs with restricted admission, only a certain number of study places are available. Since the winter semester 2021/2022, there are new rules for the allocation of study places.

Note: The waiting period is the time that elapses between the acquisition of the university entrance qualification and the start of the first degree program. As long as you are not enrolled at a German university, what you do in the meantime is irrelevant. You accumulate the waiting time automatically and do not have to register or apply for it anywhere.

No, study places are not allocated according to the order in which applications are received. You can apply as long as the application portal is open. So please do not apply until you have your final certificate and thus your grade point average.

Since the winter semester 2021/2022, the procedure of the OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts improves the grade by 0.2 points per waiting semester. A maximum of 7 waiting semesters will be credited.

Applicants holding a German university entrance qualification for an

• open admission Bachelor´s degree program will receive an admission as pdf-file at the end of the application and information via e-mail. The admission is accessible in the account.
• admission-restricted Bachelor´s degree program will receive an admission letter upon the completion of the admission procedure if you fullfill the NC / waiting period. Applicants via hochschulstart.de will also receive their admission letter in the applicant portal after accepting an offer of admission.

If not all study places have been allocated, a move-up procedure will take place. You will receive the information about the admission by e-mail. You do not have to apply again for this.

No, we do not maintain waiting lists for selection in the waiting period quota, on which you could "slide up". Old applications are deleted at the end of an allocation process. You must therefore reapply each semester.

The lottery procedure is a special form of random assignment of study places. The university only conducts the lottery procedure when the legally prescribed allocation procedures (main and move-up procedures) have been conducted and study places are still unoccupied. The lottery procedure also includes study places that have become vacant again due to a withdrawal from enrollment.

Those who have not previously applied for a degree program may also participate in the lottery procedure.

After a successful application, you will receive a confirmation of a study place by e-mail with the request to submit the documents listed there. The required documents must be submitted exclusively online within a specified period. No postal documents will be requested or accepted.

To enroll, you must prove that you have statutory health insurance. If you are insured via a private health insurance company, you must have the health insurance company confirm that you are exempt from compulsory insurance. From December 1, 2021, proof of statutory health insurance will be provided fully electronically via the so-called "student reporting procedure". This means that in the future it will no longer be necessary to submit paper certificates to the university. When enrolling at the OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, please contact a statutory health insurance company of your choice and request a digital registration certificate for the OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Due to legal requirements, data transfer between universities and health insurance companies must take place fully electronically in the future. This is done with the help of the "Student Reporting Procedure SMV". Within the procedure, data that is subject to reporting requirements is exchanged between universities and health insurance companies: Health insurance companies report, for example, insurance status, changes of health insurance company and information on outstanding contributions. The universities send information on the start and end of studies of the insured students. At the OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the changeover to the electronic procedure will take place on December 1, 2021.

If you have a German university entrance qualification and creditable achievements that make a placement in at least the 2nd semester possible, then you can apply for a higher semester directly at the OWL University of Applied Sciences. Further information can be found on our website for students changing subjects and locations.

After enrolling, find out how you can have your previously passed examinations credited. You can consult the chairperson of the examination board of the department in advance.

Detailed information can be found on the pages for second auditors/guest students.