Studying at our University requires proficiency in the German language. During your application process international prospective students will be asked to furnish relevant proof that they have it. Admission on the condition that the required language skills will be submitted at a later date is not possible. However, it is possible to take a language course at the university. When you have reached the required language level, you can then apply for a German-language study program.
The teaching language of the Bachelor’s programs and of most Master’s programs at the University of Stuttgart is German. Therefore, a good knowledge of the German language is absolutely necessary for successful studies. The University of Stuttgart requires proof of German language proficiency from all study applicants. Sufficient German language skills must be proven at the time of application. Therefore, it is important to start learning German while you are still in your country of origin.
The following examinations and certificates are accepted as proof of German language proficiency:
- Test of German as a foreign language [de] (TestDaF 4x4) for foreign applicants with a result of TestDaF level 4 or better in all four parts of the test
- Goethe Certificate C1 or C2 (Großes deutsches Sprachdiplom/GDS) from the Goethe Institute
- Großes or Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom or High School examination (Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP)) from the Goethe Institute (old version until 01.01.2012)
- German Language Diploma (Deutsches Sprachdiplom) from the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs - Level II (DSD II)
- Passing the German section of an assessment test at a preparatory college (“Examination to determine the aptitude of foreign applicants for admission to a course of study at universities in the Federal Republic of Germany”) (Studienkolleg)
- Starting from the summer semester 2025: “telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule” exam
- Starting from the summer semester 2025: German language examination for university admission for foreign applicants (DSH) with an overall result of DSH-2 or above
- Starting from the summer semester 2025: Certificate of the Austrian Language Diploma C2 (Österreichische Sprachdiplom C2) (ÖSD C2)
- German Language Test II (Deutsche Sprachprüfung II) from the Munich Language and Interpreting Institute
- A degree of which the courses were instructed in the German language (Bachelor's, Master's, Diplom)
You can read the corresponding University of Stuttgart statutes on proof of sufficient German language skills for the admission of foreign applicants [de] in the official announcements.
Further information and addresses of the test centers: Test German as Foreign Language (TestDaF)
Applicants that can furnish one of the following certifications are exempt from the language test requirement:
- German language attestation in the French Diplôme du Baccalauréat (= high school diploma) earned after attending the bilingual German-French branch of a secondary school
- US Advanced Placement Exam (AP Exam) in the German Language
- School leaving certificate in upper level secondary education of the German-speaking Community of the Kingdom of Belgium
- Secondary school leaving certificates from the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg
- Diplomas from secondary schools in the Autonomous Province Bozen-South Tyrol (Italy) where German is the language of instruction
- School leaving certificate from the German language international section of the Liceo Gimnasiale “Luigi Galvani“ in Bologna, Italy
- Bilingual German-Irish secondary school leaving certificate from the St. Kilian German School in Dublin, Ireland
Other potential exemptions are decided case-by-case upon application by candidate students to the head of the German department in the Language Center of the University of Stuttgart.
You can apply for exemption if you meet one of the following criteria:
- You spent a significant amount of time at German-speaking schools while obtaining your education in Germany or abroad
- You can demonstrate that you acquired German as your first or second language (e.g., South Tyrol, German-speaking minorities)
For studying a German-taught program at the University of Stuttgart, you have to fulfil certain German language requirements. If you do not fulfil the required language proficiency at the time of the application you may apply for our German language courses:
- Depending on the level of existing knowledge, the University’s language courses last from between 3 weeks (TestDaf-Training [de]) to two semesters (basic and intermediate course)
- A basic knowledge of German is required to qualify for admission to a preparatory German language course.
- The language course starts off with a placement test that determines assignment to the basic or intermediate level. On completing the language course, you can take the TestDaF exam in the Intercultural Instruction Department. If you successfully pass the TestDaF exam (TestDaF 4x4), then you have reached the required language level for study programs that are taught in German. With this qualification, you may then apply to study at the University of Stuttgart.
- The semester courses comprise approximately 480-500 teaching units per semester and cost 3 EUR per teaching unit
Contact
Application, Admission, Enrollment
- Further information
- Your points of contact for application, admission and enrollment on Bachelor's and Master's study programs.