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Differences in admissions processes

Before you apply for a course of study with us, you should know about the different admissions processes. They are not all the same.  They primarily differ between programs that are restricted and those that are unrestricted ("open programs"). This difference also has an effect on the respective application deadlines.

Unrestricted admission programs

If you apply for an unrestricted program, you will receive a university place. You must fulfill all admission requirements and meet the application deadlines. One admission requirement is that your certificate entitles you to study. The verification of special knowledge and skills may also be required. You can find more information on the website for the respective program.

Restricted admission

If there are not enough university places for all those interested in a particularly popular program, it is restricted by a "Numerus Clausus" (also called NC): only the applicants with the best prerequisites will receive a university place. In the case of NC programs, the most important criterion for assigning university places is the university entrance qualification grade with which you apply.

Differentiation is made between nationwide NC programs, which are restricted admission at all German universities, and local NC programs, which are only restricted admission at certain universities.

Nationwide NC programs

The University of Marburg offers programs in Medicine, Dental Medicine and Pharmacy, which are restricted admission nationwide – that is, at all state universities in Germany. Applications for these programs for the first semester from Germans and foreign applicants who are legally on an equal admission level as Germans are processed centrally through the Foundation for University Admissions. You can read who is equivalent to Germans in this sense at www.hochschulstart.de.

If you should not be equivalent to Germans upon the assigning of university places, then uni-assist is responsible for your application.

Locally restricted admission programs

Programs that are in particularly high demand at the Philipps University Marburg are also restricted admission with an NC. Anyone who has a foreign university entrance qualification must apply via uni-assist for these programs.

Individual locally restricted admission undergraduate programs (Biomedical Science (B.Sc.) and Psychology (B.Sc.) in the winter semester 2022/23) participate in dialog-oriented service initiatives (DoSV). In this case, you must also register at www.hochschulstart.de, in addition to applying through uni-assist.  

Eligibility assessment process for master programs

In some master programs, a so-called eligibility assessment process decides whether one may be admitted to the desired program. On the one hand, your university degree (e.g. bachelor degree) qualifies you for the desired program; on the other hand, suitability in these cases must be verified by additional, specific knowledge or skills. Additional selection criteria can include, for example: special foreign language skills, particularly good skills in specialized areas of study in the previous (bachelor) program, internships and others. They can be determined either based on submitted application documents or in selection interviews.

Learn in advance whether additional criteria are required for the program to which you would like to apply, and what they may be.