FAQ - Before the application

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 be submitted by March, 31 for the summer term application and by September, 30 for the winter term application.

⇒ For internal applicants (graduation at the UzK) for the winter term 2024/25: 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.

To top of page

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.

To top of page

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 C1 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. The language certificate has to be uploaded until the deadline latest.

To top of page

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), English B 2 required!

Culture and Environment in Africa (one-subject Master, only winter terms), minimum grade 2,5

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), minimum grade 2,5

Social and Cultural Anthropology former Ethnologie (one- and two-subject Master), form winterterm 24/25 onwards: minimum grade 2,5, English B 2

To top of page

What level of English do I need to have for the English-language degree programmes?

To study one of the above mentioned programmes, you have to hand in a B 2 document for the programmes African Studies and Social and Cultural Anthropology and a C 1 document for Digital and Comultational Archaeology, Linguistics and North Amercian Studies. (otherwise: English is your mother tongue or the official language of your home country):

B2:

a. TOEFL, Internet-based Test (iBT): 72

b. IELTS-Test: 5.5

c. Cambridge English Qualifications: B2 First (ehem. Cambridge English: First, FCE)

d. telc-Zertifikat: B2

e. TOEIC: 400 (listening), 385 (reading) / 150 (writing), 160 (speaking)

f. Pearson PTE Academic: PTE Academic: 59

g. UNIcert: UNIcert II

C 1:

a. TOEFL, Internet-based Test (iBT): 95

b. IELTS-Test: 7

c. Cambridge English Qualifications: C1 Advanced (former Cambridge English: Advanced, CAE)

d. telc-Zertifikat: C1

e. TOEIC: 490 (listening), 455 (reading), 200 (writing), 200 (speaking)

g. UNIcert: UNIcert III

h. a school-leaving certificate proving that you are a native speaker

Please note that a German Abitur certificate with B2/C 1 is not sufficient for the C 1 level!

If your Bachelor was taught entirely in English and you have a proof for this, this also is sufficient.

Please note:

If you can prove that your Bachelor's degree programme was taught exclusively in English, this will also suffice as proof for your application and enrolment. In these cases, however, explicit proof of C 1 proficiency must be provided by means of one of the above-mentioned tests (or also by the faculty's internal DAAD language test) in the course of the first semester. This proof should be submitted by 15 January for applications for the summer semester and by 15 July for applications for the winter semester. If such a certificate is not handed in within the first semester you will be de-registered!

To top of page

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.

To top of page

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, Egyptology

Antike Sprachen und Kulturen, Historisch-Vergleichende-Sprachwissenschaft and Lingustik

Antike Sprachen und Kulturen (Alte Geschichte) andGeschichte

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

To top of page

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

To top of page

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.

To top of page

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.

To top of page

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?").

To top of page

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)

To top of page

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

To top of page

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.

To top of page

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

- Sylvia Strick M.A., sylvia.strick@uni-koeln.de office hours: Thursdays, 10.00 - 12.00 noon , please register at scheduler (students without an smail account, please register in advance via email). Office hours can be via zoom or face-to-face.

- Azra Mislimi, amislimi@uni-koeln.de

For email inquiries, please contact only one of the email addresses above, otherwise there will be an overlap in processing

To top of page