What can I study at the Ohm?

At the Ohm, we offer a wide range of interesting bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes in the fields of engineering sciences, social sciences, health, business, and design. In general, bachelor’s programmes last seven semesters, while master’s courses take three.

Click here for an overview and some brief information on the individual programmes.

Most degree programmes are taught in German. Information on programmes taught in English can be found on this page.

Good reasons to study at the Ohm.

What language skills do I need?

To study a programme taught in German at the Ohm you will need a certificate demonstrating very good B2-level language skills. You can find language requirements for a specific degree programme on the respective degree programme website, which you can find on this page. You can still apply for a study place in a bachelor’s degree programme even if you do not yet have the language certificate at the time of application. You will need to present the certificate upon enrolment at the latest. The language certificates listed in this PDF are accepted by our university for admission to bachelor’s degree programmes. Information about which certificates are required for admission to a specific master's degree programme is available on the respective degree programme website under the tab “Approval”.

It is possible to attend a preparatory language course at the Ohm. The Language Center offers DSH Preparatory Courses involving 20 lecture hours per week at levels B2 and C1. However, you cannot begin your studies and attend a DSH course at the same time. You have two opportunities each year to take the DSH examination at the Ohm (February and July). For more information on course times, costs, advice, and registration, please visit the Language Center webpages. We recommend that you register early.

Information about the language requirements for our English-language programmes can be found on the specific programme’s profile.

Bachelor’s degree programmes

If you want to enrol in a bachelor's degree programme in Germany, you will need a university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung - HZB). A HZB confirms that your education has qualified you to study at a German university. Usually, this is your secondary school leaving certificate. But depending on where you went to secondary school, there may be additional requirements (like coursework) or entrance examinations.

Not all foreign school-leaving certificates are equivalent to a German HZB. All foreign academic credentials must be recognised by the Ohm as a university entrance qualification.

There are two ways to request recognition of your foreign academic credentials:

• During the application period (2 May - 15 September): Upload your credentials as part of the application process in the Ohm’s online application portal, StudyOhm. No separate request is required.
• During the rest of the year (1 October - 30 April): Submit a request for recognition of foreign academic credentials with all required documents. The form for this request will be published here on the website in September.

If you would like to get a general idea of your qualifications are enough for the programme you’re interested in, you can check the anabin database (only available in German) or the DAAD’s database on admission requirements (in German and English).

Information about how foreign academic credentials are recognised at the Ohm and what documents you need to submit.

Master’s degree programmes

To apply for admission to a master’s programme, you will usually need to present a qualification equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. The requirements for each master’s programme are defined in the respective study and examination regulations (page in German). If you are applying for a master’s programme, you do not need to apply separately for recognition of your certificates and diplomas.

What types of admission restrictions are there?

There are three types of admission procedures:

• Open admission: For some degree programmes, there are no admission restrictions. If you have gained a university entrance qualification and a language certificate to meet the language requirements, you can apply for these programmes and enrol during the enrolment period.
• Numerus Clausus: Admission to some degree programmes is restricted to prospective students who have achieved a minimum GPA. This means that a minimum grade average in the university entrance qualification (HZB) is required to gain a place. Your GPA will be determined according to the German grading system when you apply online (as soon as all documents have been uploaded).Information on the admissions process and numerus clausus can be found on our website.
• Preliminary test: Some degree programmes also require very specific suitability or aptitude in addition to the university entrance qualification (HZB). To determine whether you are suitable, you must either take a preliminary test (e.g. architecture) or submit a portfolio of samples of your work (e.g. design). More information about this can be found on the Faculty of Design web pages.

Some degree programmes also require students to complete a 6 to 12-week pre-study internship before they can enrol. More information about the pre-study internship

Is there tuition at the Ohm?

Yes, tuition is charged for students who are from countries outside of the EEA

• who do not have a university entrance qualification from the German education system
• who do not have a bachelor’s degree (at least 6 semesters of study) from a German university

who are enrolling at the Ohm in the winter semester 2025/2026 or later.

Tuition fees enable us to further improve the student experience and general conditions for students, for example in developing curriculums, expanding counseling and support offers, and improving infrastructure.

More information about tuition is available on this website.

The tuition fees do not include the regular “Studierendenwerkbeitrag” (Student Services fee) that must be paid each semester by all Ohm students.

How do I apply for admission to a bachelor’s programme?

Most undergraduate programmes at the Ohm can only be started in winter semester (October). Exceptions to this rule are the bachelor’s programmes in Mechanical Engineering (German-language) and Design. Students may begin these programmes in summer semester as well (March).

Applying and enrolling online in the StudyOhm application portal.

• For the winter semester: beginning 2 May each year.
• For summer semester: beginning 15 November each year.

If you wish to apply for a NC-restricted bachelor’s degree programme as a first-year student, the application is processed during the course of the dialogue-oriented service procedure in conjunction with hochschulstart.de. Online applications with all required documents must be submitted to the Ohm by 15 July.

Detailed information about the application process is available on this page.

How do I apply for admission to a master’s programme?

To apply for admission to a master’s programme, you will usually need to present a qualification equivalent to a bachelor’s degree.

The application deadlines for each master’s programme is published on the respective degree programme website.

You can find information about the admission requirements and selection process for each respective programme on the programme websites. The requirements for each master’s programme are defined in the respective study and examination regulations (page in German). These regulations are the basis for the respective examination board’s admission decisions. Be sure to upload all required documents for admission in your online application.

For admission to some master’s programmes, you must have a minimum final grade (or GPA) for your bachelor’s degree. More detailed information is available on the individual degree programme website.

This site describes the application process.

Application checklist: Are you well prepared?

Before you start your application, check the following points once more:

• Is this the right application period for your degree programme?
• For bachelor’s programmes: Have you applied for recognition of your academic credentials (certificates/diplomas/transcripts)?
• Do you have the necessary language proficiency certificate or do you have a date for your exam?
• Do you know the specific admissions requirements (numerus clausus [limited spaces], pre-study internship, preliminary test, etc.)?

If you were not able to answer “Yes” to all of the questions above, please return to the information in the accordion above.