Further information

Prospective students who, due to flight or as a result of political discrimination, have a residence status according to Appendix 1 of the Resolution of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK) from 3 December 2015 and who are unable to provide a higher education entrance qualification because they no longer possess the relevant certificates, may alternativelyprovideproof by taking a placement test. This examination takes place directly at the University of Vechta. It is a subject-specific examination (depending on the degree programme pursued).

The complete documents for the application for admission to the placement test must be submitted by 15 February of the intended year of beginning studies. The examination will then take place around mid-June.

Alternatively, refugees who are unable to provide certificates of their higher education entrance qualification due to flight can obtain the entrance qualification for a chosen field of study at the Studienkolleg by taking an Aufnahmetest (entrance test) and a Feststellungsprüfung (assessment test) at the Niedersächsisches Studienkolleg (preparatory course). In addition, applicants who pass the entrance test with above-average results can directly receive the higher education entrance qualification to a degree programme with free admission.

A prerequisite for all of these procedures is an examination of the requirements with regard to right of residence and a plausibility check of the educational background.

Even if you have the certificates, but only as a non-certified copy, a plausibility check of the educational background and, depending on the documents available, possibly an examination (entrance test at the Studienkolleg or placement test at the University of Vechta) will be necessary.

The described procedures are based on the corresponding KMK Resolution from 3 December 2015: “Hochschulzugang und Hochschulzulassung für Studienbewerberinnen bzw. Studienbewerber, die fluchtbedingt den Nachweis der im Heimatland erworbenen Hochschulzugangsberechtigung nicht erbringen können” (Access and Admission to Institutions of Higher Education for Applicants who are Unable to Provide Evidence of a Higher Education Entrance Qualification Obtained in their Home Country on Account of their Flight).

Please contact us in good time before applying, because these procedures take some time.

Please note: Further information for Ukrainians can be found here.

The University of Vechta offers an alternative to attending the Studienkolleg Hannover to refugees whowish to study at the University of Vechta and who, due to their foreign secondary school certificate, do not have a direct higher education entrance qualification, but do have an entrance qualification to the Studienkolleg.

Prospective students with refugee status who have been admitted to the Studienkolleg can receive an admission to the placement test according to § 10 of the General Examination Regulations. If this placement test is passed, the prospective student can apply or enrol for the degree programme in which the test was taken.

The prerequisite for admission to the placement test is the prior successful completion of (introductory) modules of the desired degree programme, which are determined by the subject-specific academic advisor and the prospective student. The prospective students attend these modules as auditors. Therefore, when selecting the modules, they have to observe the restrictions as per the specifications on academic feasibility of modules and on examinations in auditing studies.

In addition, they should attend a German course (preparation for TestDaF) at the University of Vechta, in case they cannot yet provide the language certificate required for studying.

Prospective students can usually start this procedure in the winter semester. If they successfully complete the module exams and the placement test, they can submit an application to or enrol at the University of Vechta for the following winter semester.

Prerequisites are a refugee status (regardless of the status of the asylum procedure), a secondary school certificate that entitles the holder to attend Studienkolleg and German language skills at level B2.

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Dr. Katrin Schumacher in due time before starting the procedure.

Refugees participating in the programme of the “Kiron Open Higher Education GmbH”, who are interested in studying at the University of Vechta, can and have to apply like all prospective students.

Based on the courses offered by Kiron, the following related degree programmes offered at the University of Vechta might be suitable:

• Social Work (Bachelor or Master)
• Social Service Management (Bachelor or Master)
• Business and Ethics: Social Business (in the Bachelor Combined Studies)
• Social Sciences (in the Bachelor Combined Studies)
• Political Science (in the Bachelor Combined Studies)

The complete range of programmes can be found here.

You can apply for recognition of coursework or credits achieved in the Kiron programme.

For modules offered by universities, you have to submit a request for transfer of credits. Information on this request can be found here.

If you have completed modules not offered by a university, you can request recognition of skills acquired outside of higher education for these modules. Information on this request and the contact details of Maria Goldberg can be found here.

 Dr. Katrin Schumacher will be happy to answer your questions.