Application for bachelor-level studies
For applicants with a German higher education entrance qualification and German citizens with international educational certificates
This page provides you with information about applying for first degree programmes - those leading to a bachelor’s degree or the first state examination in law.
The described application process applies to you if you have completed your higher education entrance qualification (e.g. “Abitur”) in Germany and are intending to apply for the first semester.
Information for German citizens with international educational certificates
The application process
This overview will guide you through the application process step-by-step. Use the content overview at the beginning of the page to jump to the questions you are most interested in.
What do I need to know before I apply?
Information and support
Admission requirements
Application periods
What exceptions are there for special groups of applicants?
I would like to improve my chances for admission by submitting a request for special consideration (personal hardship, top athlete, elected official, waiting period, period of service).
What do I need to take into consideration when I apply?
How do I apply?
How many study programmes may I apply for?
What happens after I have applied?
How can I check my application status?
When will I be admitted to the University of Konstanz?
How does the selection process for admission-restricted study programmes work?
What can I do if I have not been admitted?
Information and support
Contact our Central Student Advisory Service with all your questions while you are deciding whether and what to study.
Please contact the person responsible for processing your application at the Division of Student Affairs and Teaching with any questions about admission requirements, requests for special consideration or the general application process.
The University of Konstanz is a family-friendly university. Information and advice for prospective students with children can be found on the websites of our Family Affairs Division.
Application periods
- for all study programmes with admission restrictions: until 15 July (winter semester) or until 15 January (summer semester)
- for all study programmes without admission restrictions: until 15 September (winter semester) or until 15 March (summer semester)
Applications received after these dates will not be considered!
If you apply to a study programme with several partial study programmes (e.g. secondary education) where one programme has admission restrictions, you will need to apply by the deadline for study programmes with admission restrictions.
We will inform you about when you can apply online.
I would like to improve my chances for admission by submitting a request for special consideration.
By submitting a request for special consideration, you can improve your chances of being accepted to a restricted admission study programme.
You may make a request for special consideration only for applications to the first semester of a restricted admission study programme.
How to make a requests for special consideration:
How do I apply?
Go through the online application and upload the required application documents in ZEuS.
Exception: If you would like to apply for a study programme with restricted admission, please first register for the “Dialogorientiertes Serviceverfahren” (dialogue-oriented service procedure (DoSV)) with hochschulstart.de. Afterwards, you can submit your application via the University of Konstanz’s ZEuS portal (central enrolment and student portal). To find out which study programmes require the DoSV, please visit this website.
How many study programmes may I apply for?
You can apply for admission to up to three study programmes, irrespective of how you filed your application (directly via online application or indirectly via Hochschulstart). Please note that only one of these three study programmes must be without admission restrictions.
Exception: If you are applying for admission to second degree studies or a bachelor's programme for working professionals, you may only apply for admission to one study programme and submit only one application for admission.
How can I check my application status?
You will receive a confirmation email once your online application has been submitted. You will also be informed via email as soon as your paper application has arrived in the mail and if any changes to your application's status are made.
Additionally, you can go to the “My application” section of the ZEuS application portal to check your current status as well as whether your application materials have arrived.
If you apply to the bachelor’s programmes in Psychology, Biological Sciences or Law (first state examination in Law), you can check your application’s status using the Hochschulstart.de portal.
When will I be admitted to the University of Konstanz?
If you applied for a study programme without admission restrictions
If you fulfil the admission requirements, you will be admitted to the programme. The university will send you a letter requesting that you officially accept the offer of admission. This process usually involves paying the fees for the first semester of study and submitting any remaining missing documents. The university will then enrol you.
You will also find information about registration in your letter of admission.
You can enrol by registering via ZEuS and then requesting enrolment. Afterwards, you will need to pay the enrolment fees and submit any missing documents (e.g. proof of student health insurance), as described in the letter of admission. To confirm your official enrolment, please log into ZEuS. At the beginning of the semester, you can pick up your student ID card at the SSZ.
If you applied for a study programme with admission restrictions
If you fulfil the admission requirements, you will then take part in the university’s internal selection process. The university will send you a letter of admission if you are selected. You will need to officially accept the offer of admission within a certain period of time (usually 9 to 14 calendar days). This process usually involves paying the enrolment fees for the first semester of study and submitting any remaining missing documents. If payment is late or has not been received by the deadline, your offer of admission will be rescinded. After accepting the offer of admission, you will be enrolled by the university.
Further information about enrolment is included in the letter of admission.
You can enrol by registering via ZEuS and then requesting enrolment. Afterwards, you will need to pay the enrolment fees and submit any missing documents (e.g. proof of student health insurance), as described in the letter of admission. To confirm your official enrolment, please log into ZEuS. At the beginning of the semester, you can pick up your student ID card at the SSZ.
How does the selection process for the admission-restricted study programmes work?
In study programmes with admission restrictions, there is a limit to the number of students. If the numbers of applicants is larger than the available space, then a selection process will take place.
Step 1: Selection of special applicant groups
For the total amount of space available in a study programme:
- 8% (at least one placement) is reserved for international students that are not equal to German applicants (“not EU/EEA internationals)
- 5% (at least one placement) is reserved for persons experiencing personal hardship
- 2% (at least one placement) is reserved for second degree applicants
- 1% (at least one placement) is reserved for top athletes or elected officials
If there are more applicants than space available, a selection process will take place. The higher education entrance qualification grade point average is the primary selection criteria. Remaining placements will be assigned via steps 2 and 3.
Step 2: Selection based on public service period
Applicants who did not previously accept a study placement because they were completing a period of service will be selected before other applicants when they re-apply for the same study programme after completing the service.
Step 3: Selection based on qualification and waiting period
Of the remaining space available in a study programme, 90% will be awarded based on qualification for study and 10% based on waiting time.
When selecting students based on qualification, the higher education entrance qualification grade point average as well as previous vocational training, practical experience, extracurricular achievements and volunteer service are taken into consideration.
The assessed criteria are weighted. The final points total will decide your placement on the qualification ranking list.
What can I do if I have not been admitted?
Waiting list admission process
If you were not admitted to a study programme with admissions restrictions, you will then take part in the waiting list admission process. This process passes along offers of admission that were rejected to applicants in the waiting list. In some cases, several rounds of waiting list admissions are necessary to completely fill a study programme. If waiting list admissions have been completed and positions are still available in a study programme, applicants will be selected at random (“Losverfahren”).