
Application Procedure


Preliminary review documentation (VPD) for applications with international degrees

Diagram - External applications with an international (Bachelor’s) degree
The formal application procedure depends on the country in which the previous degree was obtained.
Applications with national degree: Students who completed their previous degree (usually a Bachelor) at the University of Cologne or at another German university apply exclusively via the university's internal campus management portal KLIPS 2.0.
The application probably starts:
- The application for all programmes start on 1. December.
In your own interest, please apply as soon as possible. An early admission will help you to start your studies in time.
Deadlines summer term 2024: 15 January 2024 for all Master's degree programmes and all applicant groups.
Students who have not completed their previous degree (usually a Bachelor) at a German university, but have a foreign degree, please also obtain information here: https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/international/study-in-cologne/international-applications/master-students-prospective
Applications with an international degree:
If you obtained your Bachelor's degree outside of Germany, please note the two-stage application procedure!
1. application for a preliminary review documentation (VPD) at uni-assist
Processing time is approx. 6 - 8 weeks. Please apply for the VPD as early as possible before the application deadline at the UzK. In order to participate in the application procedure for the summer term, the documents for the VDP examination should be submitted to uni-assist four or six weeks before the deadline of the application at the latest, for the summer term till beginning of December, for the winter term till beginning of June.
2. application via the application portal of the UzK Klips 2.0 probably :
- from 1 December 2023
In your own interest, please apply as soon as possible. An early admission will help you to start your studies in time.
Deadlines summer term 2024: 15 January 2024 for all Master's degree programmes and all applicant groups. Please keep checking the homepages for any changes that may occur at short notice!
Before the application
What are my application deadlines?
The next application period is:
For the summer term 2024 applications start for all English and German taught programmes:
1 December 2023;
Application will be possible for all applicants and all programmes till 15 January 2024
For your own interest apply as soon as possible!
Which Master's programmes do we offer?
The range of programmes offered by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities can be found in our list of Master's programmes.
There are six Master's programmes which are taught in English. There are one-subject Master's programmes in which you study one subject, and two-subject Master's programmes in which you either combine the chosen subject with another subject from the list of two-subject Master's programmes or choose two fields of study of the same subject. In addition, if you study a compound Master's programme, you can combine a subject from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities with a specified elective subject from our Faculty, the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, or the Faculty of Law.
In case of the two-subject Master's degree, one subject is chosen as the first, major subject (51 credit points to be earned plus master's thesis), the second as the minor subject (39 credit points to be earned, without master's thesis). If both subjects are assigned to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, enrollment will follow alphabetical order regardless of priority. If one subject is chosen from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and one from the Faculty of Human Sciences, the order of choice and enrollment is the same. However, a change is possible in the course of the Master's programme by application to the respective examination office.
Can I study Master's degree programmes taught completely in English?
We offer six Master's degree programmes which do not require proof of German language skills but can be studied entirely in English. As proof, an English C 1 certificate must be presented.
These study programmes are:
Afrikanistik und Ägyptologie from winter term onwards: African Studies and Egyptology, one- and two-subject Master)
Culture and Environment in Africa (one-subject Master, only winter terms)
Digital and Computational Archaeology (one-subject Master, only winter terms)
Linguistics (one-subject Master, students with German knowledge DSH 2 should choose the one-subject Master Linguistik with 13 profiles)
North American Studies (one-subject Master, cooperation with the university Bonn)
Social and Cultural Anthropology former Ethnologie (one- and two-subject Master)
To study one of the above mentioned programmes, you have to hand in a C 1 document: (otherwise: English is your mother tongue or the official language of your home country):
a. TOEFL, Internet-based Test (iBT): 95
b. IELTS-Test: 7
c. Cambridge English Qualifications: C1 Advanced (ehem. Cambridge English: Advanced, CAE)
d. telc-Zertifikat: C1
e. TOEIC: 490 (listening), 455 (reading), 200 (writing), 200 (speaking)
g. UNIcert: UNIcert III
If your Bachelor was taught entirely in English and you have a proof for this, this also is sufficient.
Please note:
* For the programme North American Studies a separate certification is mandatory.
* The requirement for the programme African Studies and Egyptology is English B 2
Also important: If your Highschool certificate certifies English B2/C1 this is not sufficent. You may hand it in for the application but have to do one of the above mentioned tests within the first semester.
What level of German do I need to apply for a Master's degree programme?
For all Master's programmes taught in German, you must provide evidence of very good German language skills, at least at the DSH-2 level, if you are not a native German speaker Alternatively,we also accept one of these language certificates:
TestDaF TDN 4 in all examination sections.
DSH 2*
German language diploma, level II of the KMK (DSD II)
Telc C1 University
Telc C2
Goethe-Institut C2 Certificate
ÖSD C2
Feststellungsprüfung (FSP) with German as a subject
Under certain circumstances, some international school-leaving certificates, e.g. from German-speaking regions, are also considered equivalent. Please use the contactform of the International Office to find out..
If you do not have such a language certificate, you can possibly take part in the German course offered by the International Office before starting your studies. This refers only for study prgrammes without restriction. In order to take part in this German course, you need a good knowledge of the German language (completed B2 level) with one of the following certificates:
TestDaF TDN 3 in all examination sections.
DSH 1*
Telc B2
Goethe-Institut B2 certificate
ÖSD B 2
The submitted language certificate must have been acquired within the last two years.
Can I apply although I have not yet completed my Bachelor's degree?
Yes, you can apply even if you have not yet completed your Bachelor's degree.
To be able to apply, you have to prove that you have completed at least 80% of all achievements, i.e. usually 144 credit points of your Bachelor's degree.
As exception from the rule, if you have not yet achieved 80% of the credits for programmes without restricted admission, you can provide the missing credits at a later date (80% not later than August, 25 if applying for the winter term and March, 10 if applying for the summer term). However, this is only the case if these subsequently submitted achievements have been achieved by the original application date! Please contact the Master's Admissions Office. This exception is not possible for subjects with restricted admission.
Please keep in mind that if you have not completed your studies at the time of application, the achievements of the BA studies must be completed by the end of the application term without exception. The bachelor thesis must also have been submitted by March, 31 for the summer term application and by September, 30 for the winter term application.
Please check the updates to see if there are any corona-related changes.
⇒ For internal applicants (graduation at the UzK) for the winter term 2023/24: Please note that the Bachelor Examination Office may set a registration deadline for the Bachelor thesis. Please note the notifications of the Bachelor Examination Office.
Can I start my Master's programme both in summer and winter term?
(Almost) all study programmes without restriction of our faculty are offered both in summer and winter term.
(Almost) all admission-restricted programmes (see below: "Which subjects are admission-restricted?") of our faculty are offered exclusively in winter term.
Exceptions: The programme Culture and Environment in Africa and the new programme Digital and Computational Archaeology, which are both taught in English and are both without restriction, are offered exclusively in winter term. The admission-restricted programme Theorien und Praktiken professionellen Schreibens is offered in summer and winter term. In addition, the single-subject Geschichte with specification in Alte Geschichte, Mittelalterliche Geschichte and Neuere Geschichte is offered in summer and winter term.
The subjects of the Faculty of Human Sciences, which in some cases you can combine with a subject of our Faculty, start exclusively in winter term each year.
Which subjects can I combine in a two-subject Master's programme?
In the two-subject Master's programmes, you can combine almost all subjects of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. In addition, individual subjects from other faculties can be combined with our degree programmes. You can find the combination table here.
The combination of a compound Master with another Master subject of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities as a two-subject Master is not possible.
When choosing a two-subject Master's programme, a second subject must be chosen in any case.
The following subject combinations are excluded:
African Studies and Egyptology with Antike Sprachen und Kulturen, Ägyptologie
Antike Sprachen und Kulturen, Historisch-Vergleichende-Sprachwissenschaft) and Lingustik
Antike Sprachen und Kulturen (Alte Geschichte) und Geschichte
Intermedia (Faculty of Human Sciences) can be combined at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities exclusively with the two-subject Master's degree in Medienkulturwissenschaft
Romanistik with different languages alway is a one-subject Master (eg. Romanistik, Italian and Romanistik, Spanish always is Romanistik as a one-subject Master)
What else do I have to consider when applying for a two-subject Master's degree?
When applying for a two-subject Master's degree, you have to choose a second subject for which the admission requirements must also be fulfilled.
You have the following choices:
1. you choose two subjects at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
You choose both programmes of the list. The chosen order is irrelevant here, in the further application process and at the enrollment only the alphabetical order plays a role. After enrollment, you determine which is your major and which is the minor subject by your course enrollments.
2. you want to choose one subject at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and one subject at the Faculty of Human Sciences (possible only for winter terms)
In this case, you already determine the major and minor subject when you make your choice. Admission and enrollment take place accordingly. If, during the course of your Master's studies, you find out that you would like to change the order, you can do so without any problems by applying to the relevant examination office.
Further application formalities can be found in the next two questions/answers.
3. You want to choose two subjects at the Faculty of Human Sciences (only for winter terms)
The application is also done via KLIPS. Please inform yourself according to the guidelines on the website of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Can I also apply for a second subject at another faculty in the two-subject Master's programme?
There are some subjects, which you can find in the list of Master's subjects as well as in the combination table, that can be chosen as a second subject in the two-subject Master's programme.
These include, for example, Geographie from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Musikvermittlung and individual courses in Erziehungswissenschaft from the Faculty of Human Sciences, as well as Intermedia as a special case in the exclusive combination with the two-subject Master's degree in Medienkulturwissenschaft.
When applying in combination with the Faculty of Human Sciences, the sequence of subjects ("major" and "minor" subject) must be determined directly. Subjects of the Faculty of Humanities are only offered in the winter semester.
Subjects of the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Law can only be combined within the programmes of the compound Masters.
How can I apply for subjects from two faculties in the two-subject Master's programme?
Each faculty has its own admission committee.
If you choose
- Geographie as second subject, the application will be processed via our application portal in KLIPS 2.0. Further processing will be done by the admissions committee of the Faculty of Humanities.
- a subject of the Faculty of Humanities :
-- The application to the subjects of the Faculty of Humanities is also done via the KLIPS application portal, the responsibility here is shared by the respective admission committee. However, you will receive a joint admission notice and can only enroll if you have received admission for both study programs.
-- Study programmes of the Faculty of Human Sciences only start in winter terms.
For which Master’s degree programme do I fulfill the requirements with my BA degree?
The Master's programmes of our faculty are consecutive. The decision whether your previous studies give you access to a Master's programme at our faculty is made by the admissions committee.
A list of all admission requirements can befound here.
The admission regulations of the individual subjects provide more detailed information.
In the case of subjects with restricted admission (see "Which subjects have restricted admission?"), a Numerus Clausus procedure is carried out after the admission requirements have been checked (see "How is the ranking for subjects with restricted admission carried out?").
Which subjects are admission-restricted?
- one-subject Master Medienkulturwissenschaft (German), only winter terms
- two-subject Master Medienkulturwissenschaft (German), only winter terms
- Compound master's degree Medienkulturwissenschaft with electives Medieninformatik, Medienmanagement und Medienökonomie, Medienrecht, only winter terms
- One-subject Master Theorien und Praktiken professionellen Schreibens (summer and winter term)
What does 'minimum grade' mean?
You can only study some subjects if you have achieved a certain overall grade of your Bachelor's degree. In this case, the (possibly preliminary) overall grade of the degree has to be submitted with your application. Uni-assist converts the grade of your home-country within the preliminary review documentation.
The minimum grade is not the same as an admission restriction. The programs with restricted admission all require both a minimum grade and have an admission restriction. If the minimum grade is not achieved, one cannot participate in the Numerus clausus procedure. However, achieving minimum grade does not mean that one will be admitted.
Additionally, there are a lot of non-admission-restricted subjects which also require a minimum grade like Deutsche Sprache und Literatur, English Studies and others. Please inform yourself in the admission regulations. It is not possible to get an admission if the required minimum grade is not achieved.
Can I apply for more than one programme?
It is possible to apply for more than one programme. However, you should only apply for the programmes you believe to have met the requirements for.
An admission is only possible for programmes or combinations of programmes for which an application has been submitted by the deadline.
If you are applying for admission-restricted subjects, it is definitely advisable to apply for several programmes in order to increase your chances of obtaining a Master's study place.
Whom can I contact for further questions?
For further questions, please contact the Master's Admissions Office, Philosophikum, first floor (room 0.028 in the Examinations Office). Best: contact us via e-mail. Office hours can be arranged in telephone calls, personal meetings and zoom-meetings.
- masterzulassung-philfak@uni-koeln.de
- Dr. Barbara Court, barbara.court@uni-koeln.de; consultation hours: currently no consultation hours. Normally in her office: Tuesdays, 10.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m.
- Sylvia Strick M.A., sylvia.strick@uni-koeln.de, zoom office hours: Thursdays, 10.00 - 12.00 noon , please register at scheduler (students without an smail account, please register in advance via email). Personal office houers also can be arranged.
For email inquiries, please contact only one of the email addresses above, otherwise there will be an overlap in processing.
Application Procedure
I have a national degree: How do I apply?
1. online application via KLIPS 2.0
2. as a rule, the "consecutive master's program" must be marked with a cross. Only if you have already completed a Master's degree elsewhere, you have to select "second degree".
3. upload the documents requested there.
4. a postal dispatch is not necessary - the documents will be checked later in case of admission before or, if applicable, after enrollment.
For the individual application steps of the online application you can find help here.
Note during registration:
Currently enrolled students: Please log into KLIPS 2.0 with your existing student account and then create a new application.
If you have already applied online via KLIPS 2.0 at the University of Cologne but have not enrolled in a degree programme, you already have an applicant account. Please log in to KLIPS 2.0 with the access data you had at that time. If you do not remember your access data, please send a request with the subject ‘Reactivation’ via the contact form and wait for a response.
Former students: If you were enrolled at the University of Cologne at an earlier time, please send a request with the subject ‘Reactivation’ via the contact form and wait for a response.
Please note possible changes, which are continuously updated here!
I have an international degree. How do I apply?
Please follow these steps:
I. As a general rule, your foreign Bachelor's degree (both from the EU/EEA and from a non-EU country) must be recognized in Germany. This is usually the case if you earned your foreign Bachelor's degree at a state-recognized university abroad.
Information on whether your foreign Bachelor's degree is generally recognized in Germany or how your foreign university is evaluated in Germany can be found at anabin.
You can also use the university check of uni assist e.V.
II. please note the two steps of the application procedure:
1. for all Master's programs you need a pre-assessment documentation (VPD) for the application. To get the VPD, you apply at uni-assist e.V. This is the the working service point for international student applications. Uni-assist evaluates Master's applications of applicants who have obtained a foreign university degree for many German universities, also for the University of Cologne.
You have to apply for the VPD directly at uni-assist in addition to an online application at the UzK. The VPD for applications for Master's programmes indicates whether you meet the formal requirements for a Master's programme at the UzK. For the VPD it is not necessary to name the chosen Master's programme. After your documents have been checked at uni-assist and you have received the result (VPD), you create an online application in the UzK application portal Klips 2.0.
2. You apply online through KLIPS 2.0. This application is mandatory in addition to the VPD received from uni-assist.
First you register at KLIPS 2.0. Then you will be guided through the application procedure. For the individual steps of the online application you will find help here.
As a rule, the "consecutive Master's program" must be marked. Only if you have already completed a Master's degree elsewhere, you have to select "second degree".
Second, you upload the requested documents.
It is not necessary to send your documents by post - in case of admission, the documents will be checked before, during or, if applicable, after enrollment.
Please note possible changes of the websites during the whole application and enrollment process!
Which documents do I need?
The following documents are required for all Master's degree programmes. Without uploading these documents, the application cannot be sent (be careful to meet the deadline!):
* School leaving certificate (or equivalent university entrance qualification)
* Transcript of Records (presentation of the course of studies) in ECTS credits/credit points (CP). The transcript should be certified or contain a verification code for applicants with national and international certificates. If the previous study programme has not yet been completed at the time of application, at least 80% (usually 144 LP) of all achievements must have been proven (exceptions: see submission of documents).
⇒ internal students who are thus completing or have completed their Bachelor's degree at the University of Cologne must also upload the transcript, but it does not have to be certified.
⇒ students with an international degree: submission of the VPD issued by uni-assist. Also, the documents must be uploaded in original language and in certified translation. Proof of German language skills must be submitted for students who do not have German as their native language.
* Proof of the languages required for the language in which the programme is taught: English proficiency C 1 for the programmes which are taught in English (initially, B 2 may be sufficient to complete the application, but C 1 is mandatory for enrollment!) and for international applicants German proficiency at the DSH 2 level or at the language level that entitles them to participate in the German course.
Documents you also need to uploaded, but can upload later until the deadline of the application:
If you do not upload these documents at all, the chances of admission may be reduced:
If you have already finished your Bachelor’s degree: the Bachelor's certificate, if not, a preliminary overall grade must be shown on the transcript.
Besides the language in which the programme is taught (German or English), some further language certificates may be required. You will find these in the admission regulations. You will also have to upload these.
Antike Sprachen und Kulturen: most profiles of this study programme require knowledge of Latin or Greek
Chinastudien and Regionalstudien China: HSK 5 or equivalent
Komparatistik: one foreign language B 2 and one A 2
Regionalstudien Lateinamerika: Spanish or Portugese C 1
Romanistik: French, Italian, Spanish or Portugese C 1
For some Master programmes you have to give further information or upload an additional document:
For Archäologie please name the profile you want to choose
For Culture and Environment in Africa you need to upload a motivation letter, a CV and a recommendation letter.
For Linguistik/Linguistics please hand in the topic of your Bachelor thesis and – if you already have decided – the profile you want to choose (only for Linguistik)
For Theorien und Praktiken professionellen Schreibens you need to hand in an essay (3000-5000 signs, written in German, it may be a literary or journalistic text), which will be graded for the Numerus Clausus (please check here).
Furthermore, it is helpful if you named the topic of your Bachelor thesis.
How do I hand in the documents?
When applying online through KLIPS, you will be asked for the documents you need for the respective study programme. Please upload them. For external applicants, the transcript of records must be certified or contain a verification code.
For the application, you do not have to mail documents.
If you get an admission and enroll at the university, the uploaded documents will be checked for authenticity before or after the enrollment. For that, you have to hand in the certified documents.
Please note the future updates of the homepage.
Having obtained my Bachelor's degree at the University of Cologne, do I also have to upload all documents?
Yes, also having obtained your Bachelor's degree at the University of Cologne, you have to upload all required documents as part of your application, including the Abitur/school leaving certificate, even if you had already submitted it during your BA enrollment and registration. However, unlike the other applicant groups, the trancript does not have to be certified, you can download it from your own KLIPS account. The verification is done by the Master's Admissions Office. Incomplete applications are excluded from the procedure.
Most of the language requirements of most Master's degree programmes are part of the Bachelor's degree, so that then you do not have to upload the transcript as evidence for the language twice. Only the language proof English C 1 for study programme North American Studies requires an explicit proof, the study is not sufficient as a proof.
The programming language for the programme Informationsverarbeitung, if shown on the transcript, has not to be uploaded again.
How do I handle foreign language documents?
If the requested documents are in English, you do not have to hand in a translation. Documents, which are neither in German or English, must be uploaded in the original language and in translation.
Do I have to mail my documents in hard copies?
For the application, you do not have to mail your documents in hard copies. But please keep in mind, that applications not made online via KLIPS 2.0 by the deadline with an upload of all required documents will not be accepted.
⇒ For external applicants with a national degree, the uploaded documents will be checked for authenticity after you have got an admission and want to enroll. This is done by mailing the certified copies to the Master Admissions Office.
⇒ If you are an internal applicant, you do not have to mail any documents, neither for the application nor for the enrollment. Only the Abitur/school leaving certificate - in case you were not enrolled permanetnly at the UzK - has to be submitted to the Registrar's Office in case of a re-enrollment, if applicable.
⇒ For international applicants, the International Office will check the documents after admission and during enrollment. You will be informed about this in due course.
Can I submit documents later?
You can only submit the application via KLIPS when you have uploaded all mandatory documents. These documents cannot be changed or submitted later through KLIPS. If you need to complete or change a document for an urgent reason, you can contact us by e-mail (masterzulassung-philfak@uni-koeln.de) till July, 31 (deadline of the application) and send us the corresponding document. It is not guarenteed, that we will accept this change or later submission. To inform yourself which documents are mandatory, see above under "What documents do I need?"
In the case of admission-free subjects, it is also possible, if you have not yet achieved 80% of your credit points, to send proof of the 144 LP directly to the Master's Admissions Office at a later date (no later than 25.8. if applying for the winter term and 10.3. if applying for the summer term). Such a late submission is only possible if the credit points were achieved before the application deadline but were not registered on your transcript. In such a case, please send us these renewed document by e-mail.
In exceptional cases, the language certificates required by the admission regulations can also be submitted at a later date e.g. when an examination is not scheduled earlier. Please clarify this with the Master Admissions Office. Language certificates corresponding to the language of study cannot be submitted later.
Can I hand in my Bachelor's diploma later?
If you do not have your Bachelor's certificate at the time of application, you can submitt it by July, 15 for the summer term and by January, 15 for the winter term. But please keep in mind, that all exams have to be completed before the start of the Master's semester (if applying for the winter term, by September, 30 at the latest; if applying for the summer semester, by March, 31 at the latest). The assessments can also take place at a later date, but must be within the above-mentioned deadline for submitting the Bachor diploma.
⇒ internal applicants (graduation at the UzK): Please note that the Bachelor Examination Office may not accept any application for the Bachelor thesis at short notice before the end of the respective term. Since you have to hand in the thesis by the end of the semester, please inform yourself at the website: Bachelorprüfungsamtes/der Anmeldung zur Bachelorarbeit!
Do I need additional languages?
The admission regulations mention the language requirements you must submit for application. These are mandatory for the application.
In addition, almost all degree programmes require further language requirements that do not have to be presented for the application, but you should acquire them in the first 1-2 semesters of your Master's programme. You have to submit proof of these when you register for your Master's thesis (usually in the fourth semester). For a list of these language requirements, please refer to the module handbooks of your degree programmes, ask the collegues of your institutes or see here Tabelle.
After the application
How can I follow up the status of my application?
After you have submitted your application, you will see in your applicant's account the application status in the field of "application submitted" as "received electronically". This may be different for each application you have made. Subsequently, your documents will be reviewed by the Master's Admissions Office. You can follow up these first steps in the applicant account. . You can only follow the first step; whether the the documents are complete. You cannot follow the further - formal or subject-related - checks whether you are accepted or not.
You will only be informed about the further steps by the admission or rejection.
Please do not inquire in the meantime. Answering your inquiry costs us time that we could better use for the ongoing processing of applications. Thank you!
When will I be informed if I am admitted?
After reviewing your application, the admission committees will inform the Student Registration office (national degrees) and the International Office (international degrees) about the result. From there you will receive an email with further information. On your KLIPS account you will then also see which documents you have to submitt for the enrollment. You can expect the results concerning your application for the summer semester from the beginning of February for subjects with open admission, from the middle of August for the coming winter semester, from the middle of March for subjects with restricted admission, and from the end of August for the coming winter semester.
Please check your email inbox during this time (if necessary also for spam messages). After an admission, the study place must be accepted via KLIPS within a few days. If this does not happen, you cannot enroll!
Please do not inquire in the meantime. Answering your inquiry costs us time that we could better use for the ongoing processing of applications. Thank you!
How will I be informed?
You will be informed by mail. Please make sure that your email address is correct and that you have access to your email account during the whole application process. For subjects with restricted admissions, admissions notifications may be sent with very short enrollment deadlines.
Notifications can be sent from the end of January for the summerterm for subjects with no admission restrictions, from mid-August for the upcoming winterterm, from mid-March for the summerterm for subjects with admission restrictions, and from the end of August for the upcoming winterterm. Please do not inquire in the meantime. Answering your inquiry costs us time that we could better use for the ongoing processing of applications. Thank you!
Please check your email inbox during this time (if necessary also for spam messages) permanently. After an admission, the study place must (if you want to enroll for a programme with restricted admission) be accepted within a few days. If this is not done, no enrollment is possible.
How is the ranking done for subjects with restricted admission?
The ranking in the subjects with restricted admission is compiled according to § 4 of the respective admission regulations.
For all subjects with restricted admission, the (preliminary) overall grade of the Bachelor's degree is the only or co-deciding factor.
For the subjects :
- 2-subject Master's degree in Medienkulturwissenschaft and the
- Medienwissenschaft with all three compulsory elective subjects
the admission is exclusevily based on the (preliminary) overall grade.
* For the 1-subject Master's degree Cultural and Intellectual History between East and West, the (preliminary) overall grade of the previous degree is calculated with 51% and the evaluation of the (Skype) interview with 49%.
* For the 1-subject master's degree Geschichte-Public History, 51% of the (preliminary) overall grade and 49% of the (preliminary) subject grade in history of the previous degree are calculated.
* For the 1-subject Master's degree in Medienkulturwissenschaft 51% of the total (preliminary) grade and 49% of the number of relevant credit points of the previous degree are calculated.
* For the 1-subject master's degree Theorien und Praktiken Professionellen Schreibens, 51% of the total (preliminary) grade of the previous degree and 49% of the writing sample graded by reviewers is calculated. The writing sample must be graded at least satisfactory to gain admission.
In addition, there are quotas that must be considered in the rankin. These include the quota for applicants with international degrees from third countries, applicants who have completed a service, top athletes, students with special problems (Härtefall) and for students who want to do a second Master`s degree (Zweitstudium, if you have already completed a Master's degree in full). Waiting periods are not taken into account for the application to the Master's programmes.
, Härtefälle und für ein Zweitstudium (falls Sie bereits einen Master vollständig abgeschlossen haben). Bitte informieren Sie sich zu diesen Quoten hier. Wartezeiten werden für die Bewerbung zum Masterstudium nicht berücksichtigt.
If I did not get an admission in a programme with restricted admission, is there a succession procedure?
If you have met the requirements for an admission, but were not accepted in an programme with restricted admission due to the ranking, you take part in a succession procedure. First, you will receive a provisional rejection letter. If students who were offered a study place do not enroll and places are left free, there will be a second procedure in which you will have another chance. The criteria for the ranking remain unchanged, and any grades submitted later will not be taken into account. Normally, these succession procedures take place in mid-March or mid-September. Only when all places in a restricted-admission programme have been filled by registered students will those who finally did not receive a place in the ranking receive a final rejection for the current term. A new application is possible for the term in which the chosen study programme is offered again.
How high was the numerus clausus last term? restricted subjects
The results of the admission procedure for the subjects Medienwissenschaft in the one and two-subject Master's programme, the joint Master's program in Medienwissenschaft, and Theorien und Praktiken professionellen Schreibens of the last terms can be found here.
In addition to the number of places for the individual programmes information is provided on the number of points or the overall grade with which admission was granted in the main procedure, as well as on any possible succession procedures.
Who can help me with my questions concerning my application?
Questions concerning the VPD (Vorprüfung der Dokumente, preliminary document review) please look at the website and turn to uni-assist.
Technichal problems with the Klips account/registraion: please turn to the Klips support: (http://klips2-support.uni-koeln.de)
Questions on the application itself, the admission or denial, please turn to the Master's admissions office (http://phil-fak.uni-koeln.de/32485.html )
If your first degree is national, the enrollment takes place at the Studierendensekretariat: ( https://verwaltung.uni-koeln.de/studsek/content/ ).
With international degrees, questions on the enrollement and first steps, once you are enrolled, please turn to the International Office
Enrolment
External applicants with a German (Bachelor’s) degree
If you receive an admission to a Master's programme in the selection process, you will be informed via e-mail. You will then receive further relevant information in your KLIPS account.
If you have obtained your Bachelor's degree in Germany - but not at the UzK - please register at the Student Application and Registration Office.
You will find all relevant information on these pages.
Please also be sure to adhere to the deadlines listed there.
Please note that if you did not have a Bachelor's degree certificate at the time of application, you must submit it to the Master's Admissions Office and not to the Student Application and Registration Office. Please mail an officially certified copy to the Master's Admissions Office by December 31, 2021. Please enclose a stamped, addressed envelope and we will send your document back to you. If language certificates are required, please proceed the same way.
Please send an officially certified copy of your high school diploma to the Student Application and Registration Office.
After your admission, you will also receive a welcome letter from the Master's Admissions Office, in which you will receive important information about the start of your studies and a zoom link to a general first-semester consultation. You may also receive e-mails from representatives of your chosen degree program.
External applicants with an international (Bachelor’s) degree
If you have obtained your Bachelor's or Diploma degree abroad and have been admitted to a place in your KLIPS account, you can download the admission letter. You will continue to be informed by the International Office regarding your enrollment. After your admission, you will also receive a welcome letter from the Master's Admission Office, which will provide you with important information about the start of your studies and a zoom link to a general first-semester consultation. You may also receive further emails from subject representatives of your chosen degree program.
Please note the following:
Enrollment takes place at the International Office of the University of Cologne.
In order to enroll, you must
- pay the semester fee in full within the enrollment deadline indicated on your admission letter
- upload your photo for your electronic student ID (UCCard) in the KLIPS 2.0 system and
- submit the documents necessary for a legally valid enrollment.
The documents must be received by the International Office of the University of Cologne by the deadline for enrollment (upload).
In your KLIPS 2.0 applicant account you will see which documents you need to upload for enrollment in KLIPS 2.0.
After a successful enrollment, we will mail you your student ID card (UCCard). Please make sure to enter a valid German postal address in KLIPS 2.0.
Postal address:
University of Cologne
International Office, Admissions Team
Albertus-Magnus-Platz
50923 Cologne
Internal applicants with a Bachelor's degree at the University of Cologne
If you receive an admission to a Master's programme in the selection process, you will be informed via e-mail. You will then receive further relevant information in your KLIPS account.
If you have obtained your Bachelor's degree at the UzK, you will re-register at the Student Application and Registration Office.
You will find all relevant information on these pages.
Please also be sure to adhere to the deadlines listed there. Please also note special conditions if your degree was awarded a fairly long time ago and you have been taken off the university register in the meantime!
As an internal applicant, you do not have to submit your Bachelor's degree certificate to the Master's Admissions Office or to the Student Application and Registration Office; we will check your degree and whether the re-registration block has been lifted internally. If you are required to submit language certificates that were not available at the time of application, please mail a certified copy of these certificates to the Master's Admissions Office.
If you have been taken off the university register in the meantime, please send an officially certified copy of your high school diploma to the Student Application and Registration Office.
After your admission, you will also receive a welcome letter from the Office of Master Admissions, in which you will receive important information about the start of your studies and a zoom link to a general first-semester consultation. You may also receive e-mails from representatives of your chosen degree program.
Will there also be the possibility of double/parallel enrolment for the winter semester in the case of incomplete Bachelor's degree exams?
There will be no double/parallel enrolment in the winter semester 2021/22.
What does conditional enrollment mean?
If, at the time of enrollment, you still needed credits, the Bachelor's degree certificate or language certificates that are considered admission requirements were not yet available, you will be enrolled conditionally.
This conditional enrollment does not affect your first master's semester. However, a re-registration block will be entered for the following semester. This reservation will be lifted once you have completed the required credits and submitted them to us.
If you have graduated in Germany, externally:
- please send officially certified copies of your transcript and, if applicable, simple copies of your language certificates to the Master's Admissions Office
- please send an officially certified copy of your high school diploma to the Student Application and Registration Office.
If you graduated outside of Germany:
- please send officially certified copies of your transcript and, if applicable, simple copies of your language certificates to the Master's Admissions Office.
- please send any other documents that may have been requested to the International Office.
If you have graduated from the University of Cologne - Faculty of Arts and Humanities:
- it is not necessary to submit your Bachelor's degree certificate afterwards; we will check this internally
- if language certificates have to be submitted later, please submit them to the Master's Admissions Office.
- only if you graduated in previous semesters and were already taken off the university register, special regulations apply. Then you also need to submit the high-school diploma to the Student Application and Registration Office
I have received admission to a degree program, but I am still waiting for further notifications
If you have been admitted to an open-admission programme but are still waiting for a decision on another programme, you can wait until the end of the enrolment period - 30 September - to make a binding enrolment. However, it is also possible to accept the place, enrol and change at a later date (30 September at the latest).
If you have been admitted to a restricted-admission degree programme but are still waiting for (a) further notification(s), you must accept the study place in KLIPS and enrol by the enrolment deadline specified there. Otherwise, this place will be forfeited. If you subsequently receive a place on a degree programme that you prefer, a subsequent transfer is possible without any problems.
If you are admitted to a two-subject Master's programme, enrolment is only possible if you are also admitted to the second subject.