In principle, the general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) entitles you to study any programme at any higher education institution in Germany. You may also need to fulfil additional entry requirements to be admitted onto a higher education programme. The student advice centre at each institution can tell you what these requirements are.
The subject-specific higher education entrance qualification entitles you to study particular subjects. These subjects are usually shown on your school report card.
In principle, the entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences entitles you to study any subject at any university of applied sciences, or equivalent subjects at other higher education institutions. However, there are exceptions to these rules. In Hesse and Lower Saxony, for example, the entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences usually also entitles you to study for a bachelor’s degree at a university. Further information about different entry options can be obtained from the student advice centre at each university.
Your school report card will indicate whether your school-leaving qualification is an entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences. If this certification is not shown on your report, please contact your school directly.
The term “Fachabitur” is often used in everyday speech in German, although a qualification with this name does not actually exist. The term is also used to describe different higher education entrance qualifications: some people use “Fachabitur” to refer to the subject-specific higher education entrance qualification, while others use it to mean the entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences. Therefore, if the “Fachabitur” is mentioned, you should always check whether it refers to the subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or the entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences. If you are unsure, you should contact the institution’s student advisory service to ask which higher education entrance qualification is required for your chosen programme.
If you are not sure whether your academic or professional qualifications are sufficient for admission to your chosen programme, please contact the general student advisory services at the higher education institutions or the relevant Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs in each federal state:
