Application of professionally qualified persons
To study at TH OWL, you must provide proof of a general university entrance qualification, a subject-specific university entrance qualification, or a higher education entrance qualification. If you do not have one of these or an equivalent high school diploma, there are still ways for you, as a professionally qualified individual, to begin a degree program at TH OWL (in accordance with Section 49 (4) of the Higher Education Act of North Rhine-Westphalia (HZG NRW) in conjunction with the Vocational Training Higher Education Admission Ordinance (BBHZG-VO)).
For degree programs with restricted admission (NC programs), TH OWL reserves 4% of its enrollment slots for professionally qualified applicants in Groups 1 and 2. These slots are allocated through the nationwide selection process (DoSV).
There are three groups of professionally qualified applicants with different eligibility requirements:
Master Craftsmen or Those with Equivalent Qualifications
Admission Based on Professional Advancement Training, Section 2 of the BBHZG Regulation
If you have completed a master craftsman’s degree, a technician’s degree, or an equivalent advanced vocational training program, you may generally enroll in any field of study in unrestricted admission degree programs, provided you meet all other admission requirements (e.g., basic internships). It is also possible to transfer to another university to pursue the same or a related degree program.
If you fall into this applicant group, you can submit an application via the KIS portal during the regular application and enrollment periods.
Required documents: Proof of completion of a master craftsman, technician, or equivalent advanced vocational training program, including your final grade.
Subject-specific Applicants
Admission Based on Relevant Vocational Training and Work Experience, § 3 BBHZG-VO
If you have completed at least two years of vocational training, subsequently gained at least three years of professional experience in that field, and wish to begin a degree program in a related field, you fall into the category of applicants with subject-specific professional experience.
If you fall into this category, you may submit an application via the KIS portal during the regular application and enrollment periods.
Required documents: Proof of completed vocational training; proof of at least 3 years of professional experience.
Other Professionally Qualified Individuals
Admission Based on an Entrance Examination or a Trial Study Period § 4 BBHZG-VO
If you have completed at least two years of vocational training and subsequently gained at least three years of professional experience in any occupation, you fall into the category of “other professionally qualified applicants.”
The following are considered equivalent to professional activity: taking primary and independent responsibility for managing a household; raising a minor child as defined in § 25(5) of the BAföG; caring for relatives as defined in § 16(5) of Book X of the Social Code (SGB X); as well as voluntary military service, Federal Voluntary Service, a voluntary social or ecological year, or work as a development aid worker.
If you fall into this category of applicants, you have the following options:
Sections 6 and 7 of the BBHZG Regulation
The entrance examination is designed to determine whether applicants meet the academic and methodological requirements for the intended degree program. The examination covers general and subject-specific knowledge. Further information on the process and procedures can be found in the Regulations for Conducting the Entrance Examination.
The entrance examination consists of the following parts:
- German, English, and mathematics (for all universities in North Rhine-Westphalia, these examinations are administered centrally at the Technical University of Cologne). Sample examinations and solutions are available on the website of the State Rectors’ Conference of the Universities of Applied Sciences in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The program-specific exam section (held at TH OWL).
Participants receive a certificate stating the intended degree program and their average grade. Failed exam sections may be retaken.
Passing the entrance exam entitles you to:
- Enrollment in the first semester of the respective degree program at the university where you took the examination.
- Participation in the selection process, if the intended degree program has restricted admission (NC program), based on the average grade from the entrance exam.
Registration for the entrance exam:
Send the completed registration form, along with proof of your vocational training and your three years of professional experience, to immatrikulationsamt@th-owl.de by April 1.
§ 5 BBHZG-VO
A trial period of study is permitted only in unrestricted admission degree programs and must last at least 2 semesters. During this time, students must earn at least 20 credit points per trial semester in order to continue their studies in that subject afterward.
It is possible to transfer to another institution to pursue the same or a related (with unrestricted admission) degree program.
Application for a Trial Study Program
Send the completed form, along with proof of your vocational training and your three years of professional experience, to immatrikulationsamt@th-owl.dewithin the regular application and enrollment deadlines.