Faculty of Economics and Management

International Study Program

International degree holders are required to apply via uni-assist, and to download the application documents at this portal. This also applies to German citizens who have completed an international university entrance exam (including IB, A-Levels,...).

Uni-assist is responsible for reviewing the application documents and verifying the admission documents. For this pre-screening service, a fee will apply. Please be informed that your application will not be processed until the fee is received. Following, uni-assist passes the applications onto the Otto-von-Guericke University which will then send admission letters via email scan to successful candidates.

Further details: www.uni-assist.de/en/ and

http://www.ovgu.de/unimagdeburg/en/International/Incomings/Applicants/Full_Time+Studies.html

German degree holders apply directly at the university here

All official documents (including proof of language skills) must be submitted in the form of official certified copies (i.e. certification by the issuing institution, the German embassy, or a notary). If the original language is neither German nor English, sworn translations must also be submitted.

Applicants from the People's Republic of China, Mongolia, India and Vietnam must enclose the original certificate as issued by the academic evaluation center (Akademische Prüfstelle (APS) at the German embassy in Beijing (German only  ), Ulan Bator (German only  ) or Hanoi (German only  ). ect.

For more information regarding certified copies, please refer to the FAQ section of the uni-assist website here.

For the winter semester, the international application period generally begins by April 15 and ends 15 of June (IMME, ORBA) /July (check deadlines for each specific study program). For the summer semester, the application period usually begins on October 15th and ends December 15th.

International students are advised to apply as early as possible to ensure all documents are submitted properly and arrive on time, prior to the orientation week.

Please be patient while waiting for your admission. Constant emails and calls requesting admission letters slow the processing of application documents, which can cause problems with the visa application process. We appreciate your understanding.

No. The download is sufficient. Application documents will be check after arrival oon campus.

You can check the status of your application on your personal uni-assist / myovgu portal. Along with the application registration confirmation of receipt, students receive an application reference number from uni-assist which can be used to track your application here.

If all documents meet the university's requirements, the application will be forwarded. Thereafter, the final decision regarding admission will be made by the university.

Approximately 6 weeks after uni-assist forwards your application documents to the university, an admission notice will be issued and dispatched via  scanned copy via email.  Additionally, please be informed that uni-assist is not in charge of admission or admissions letters.

Important Note: Please be informed that for the IMME and ORBA study programs, we must rank all applicants after the deadline. Because of this, application letters will be sent out in August for the winter semester and in February for the summer semester.

Check your email account daily (including the spam folder) to make sure that you will receive the admission information in time!

The German education system aims to ensure equal opportunities and, therefore, tuition fees are subsidized by the German government for both German and international students. Please be aware, however, that in order to receive an international student visa you must prove that you are able to pay for living expenses.

To apply for a visa, you need:

• admission letter from the university and
• proof of sufficient funds for financing of your living expenses for one year (€12.000).

The study program application process may take 3- 12 weeks. Therefore, we recommend that you submit your application to the German embassy in your home country as early as possible.

Fees for international students:

• Uni-assist application fee: €75 (first choice) plus €30 (for any further programs)
• Health insurance: approx. €120 per month (February 2024)
• The university semester fee for all students: is approx. €277.50 (October 2024)

Yes, but only if you finished a full-time bachelor in Germany.

Overall, Uni-assist has 10 weeks to check and forward your application to the university. The university needs another 4-6 weeks for the academic requirement check. An admission notice will be issued to all students and dispatched via a scanned copy by email. We would like to ask our applicants for patience. Please check your spam folder. Admission letters will be sent out with the highest priority, and rejection notices will typically sent out before the semester starts.

If you are interested in DAAD scholarships, you must directly contact the DAAD. They are the most appropriate contact persons to answer your questions regarding the application procedure. Please visit the DAAD homepage for further details.

Please be informed that you must apply separately:

1. for the DAAD scholarship and
2. for our study program via uni-assist.

German skills (level B1 = 400h of German studies prior to your application) are required only for the Study College/Studienkolleg in case your university entrance diploma is not equal to the German entrance exam (Abitur).

Although there is no German language requirement for our study program, some German language skills will be extremely helpful during your stay in Magdeburg. We recommend a minimum level of A2/ B1.

Additionally, bachelor's students can learn German as part of their degree curriculum (second foreign language studies).

For further information see:
http://www.ovgu.de/unimagdeburg/en/International/Incomings/Applicants/Prerequisites.html

The TOEFL or IELTS test is one of the possibilities how to prove English knowledge for applicants of the  B.Sc. in International Business & Economics program. These tests are offered worldwide and recognized as English language proficiency tests. Please obtain more information from the TOEFL or IELTS websites.

The so-called "Institutional TOEFL" which is offered by several institutions of higher learning and whose results are only valid at the institution where the test is taken, cannot be accepted in place of TOEFL. Institutional TOEFL code of uni-assist - 2727.

Please be sure to complete the test of your English skills early enough, i.e. six to eight months before our study application deadline.

After having taken the test, please send the official TOEFL score report (score sheet) directly to uni-assist. Deadline: June/July 15th.

Please be informed that you may use the uni-assist TOEFL number or the one from the University, but we don't recommend this procedure. There will be no control over receiving the score report in time from the TOEFL test center. It happens on a regular basis that the test center is not sending out the test results. In that case, you are responsible and we can't admit you. Ask for a hard copy and send a verified copy to uni-assist with your application package.

Please check out this link for English proof options and find the information aboput the required language level on the study program website.
No waiver available. All possible options included, even for native speakers recognized by our school.

Applicants must provide the complete application package by June/July 15th at 23:59 sharp.

Incomplete application packages after the deadline will be dismissed by follwing a strict policy.

If a student does not receive their undergraduate degree/ school diploma prior to the application deadline we would kindly ask you to apply for the next semester.

The university may send you to the Study College (Studienkolleg) if your high school exit qualification is not equal to the German high school diploma/Abitur. In this case, however, you must prove ca. 400h of German language classes (level B1).

At the Study College, located in Halle/Saale for the state of Saxony-Anhalt, you will obtain educational preparation for your chosen major. At the end of your study there, you must successfully pass the university entrance examination (Feststellungsprüfung). Please be informed that the language of instruction at the Study College is German, whereas the language of instruction in our study program is English. Please provide proof of your German skills with your application to the IBE study program if you are interested in visiting the Study College.

Looking for more information about the Study College? Please follow this link:
http://www.ovgu.de/unimagdeburg/en/International/Incomings/Applicants/Prerequisites.html

All necessary information can be found at:
http://www.ovgu.de/unimagdeburg/en/International/Incomings/Applicants/Prerequisites.html

Another option to fulfill the admission requirements for German universities is 1 or 2 study years in a relevant subject at a home university.

Our faculty does not require entrance tests/examinations. This applies to both the bachelor's and master's programs.

International Baccalaureate

Students holding an International Baccalaureate are required to prove a high level of performance in the six core subjects. The submitted IB materials must document the continuous, uninterrupted accomplishment of those six subjects over the last four years of schooling.

We can recognize the IB Diploma (in Germany) for the study program in “International Business and Economics” under the following conditions:

The successful completion of 12 years of a full-time school program, plus the completion of:

- 2 language subjects on level A or B (at least one foreign language on the advanced level)
- 1 subject in science (biology, chemistry, physics)
- mathematics
- 1 subject in human science (history, geography, economics) and
- 1 additional subject (art, music, theatre, film, Latin, Greek, applied chemistry, computer science, philosophy, psychology, business, organization, etc.).

At least one of the following subjects must be completed on a higher level: math, biology, chemistry or physics. Six subjects must be graded with at least 4, and the minimum of the receiving credit points is 24.

First, you must apply for the bachelor study program and ask for admission to a higher study term (cross the square on the right on the application form). Although you may apply for admission to a higher study term, we cannot guarantee that this will be granted and that your previous courses can be accredited.

With respect to the accreditation of your courses, we would like to recommend that you review the module handbook (available at: http://www.isp.ovgu.de/Documents+.html) for the IBE bachelor program in order to gain an overview of the contents of the modules taught in the undergraduate program. This will help you evaluate whether any of the courses may be eligible for accreditation. You should consider not only the contents of the respective modules but also the quantity, i.e. the number of credit points. As a rule, one credit point is equivalent to 30 hours of studying.

The actual accreditation needs to be applied for via the Examination Office.

We recommend that all international applications begin their studies at our faculty from the first semester, due to different cultures and teaching methods. Otherwise, we recommend that you complete the bachelor study program at your current university and apply for the master's program at our faculty.

 If you are an international student who gained a bachelor's degree in Germany you have to apply directly at the university (OVGU online application). Forner OVGU students - use the previous student ID numer (Matrikelnummer).

All current application requirements and documents are available on our website under the respective degree program.
Please have a look at our application checklists website for the study program you are interested in. Generally speaking, applicants with an international undergraduate degree need to apply via uni-assist. In addition to that, Otto-von-Guericke University requires:

• previous academic degree in a recognized relevant subject
  (proving modules in economics/ business/ quantitative methods)
• proof of English skills (find all recognized options on our homepage)
• letter of motivation
• completed “Relevance of undergraduate studies” form (no assistance available)

All these documents are mandatory for a successful application.

We do not consider prior received working experience for admission. Your eligibility as a prospective student is based on the relevance and grades of your undergraduate degree, the proof of your English skills, and the letter of motivation.

Our study programs do not contain an internship in their program structures. However, we would like to encourage you to complete at least one internship during your studies, even if it is on a voluntary basis and you do not receive credits for it.

As an international student applying to one of our English-speaking study programs, German skills are not an official admission requirement.
However, we strongly recommend having basic knowledge (A2- B1 or higher) of the German language in order to complete daily tasks and to be able to solve administrative duties for studying or doing an internship in Germany.

No, check the program structure and compare and contrast prior to applying. The four offered master's programs are quite different from each other, and you as an applicant should be sure of what you will study. in order to pursue your career goals subsequent to the completion of your studies. While changing your study program is in general possible, it is very, very cumbersome, and admission requirements vary from program to program.

Yes, as an international student who wants to apply to a German-taught master’s program, you will need to prove your German skills. You can find the respective requirements for the offered programs here or on the website of the specific program you are interested in.

You need to submit the required German certificate as a certified copy via uni-assist by the following deadlines:

For the winter semester:                   15^th of July
For the summer semester:               15^th of January

Please note, that Otto-von-Guericke University only considers completed applications that have been submitted to uni-assist before the deadline. If you have not acquired the necessary language skills until the deadline is reached please apply for the next semester.

Yes, it is possible to apply for an additional master’s program at Otto-von Guericke University. We kindly ask you to make sure to include your bachelor’s and master’s degrees within your application to uni-assist. Please be informed that you have to fill out the mandatory application form “Relevance of Undergraduate Studies”.

Otto von Guericke University charges an additional administration fee (500 per semester) for students who have already gained a master’s degree in Germany.

Statistical and mathematical modules (for managers and economists) are considered quantitative.
Quantitative modules are significant for your academic success due to the fact that all of our bachelor's and master’s programs are based on mathematical and statistical knowledge. In addition to that, applicants for one of our master’s programs need to prove a certain minimum amount of prior acquired quantitative modules.
We would like to give you some examples of quantitative modules.

• Mathematical Methods I
• Introduction to Probability and Statistics
• Statistical Methods
• Econometrics
• Quantitative Research Methods etc.

If you cannot prove the required modules (economics, management, quantitative) to illustrate that you received a previous degree in a relevant subject you can not be granted admission to our master's program. Please apply for our bachelor's or look for another study program or school.

We help our new fellows settle down in Magdeburg and get used to the study program at our faculty.

You are interested in this voluntary/ friendship program? Please read more about the SIMP-SON program here.

Please study the following links:

uni-assist

OVGU

DAAD

Please be informed about the application procedure for NC study programs (IMME and ORBA):
1. As an international degree holder you applied via uni-assist and your application has been forwarded to us.
2. OVGU has to check your application for fulfilling the admission requirements (like quantitative methods in economics and management, and all taken economics and management courses, as too English skills, etc.).
3. If you fulfill the admission requirements, your application will go into the ranking list of the desired study program. For the ranking list, we are taking into account the GPA of your previous degree ( the GPA converted by the officially approved German scale - so-called: Bayerische formel) and the letter of motivation.
4. The admission letters will be sent out from the end of January/July.

International degree holders, which do not fulfill the admission requirements will not be taken into a ranking list and will receive a rejection email immediately.

We will inform you as soon as we can. There is no need to write us and ask for the status of your application.
Good luck!

Dear applicant,

Please be informed that the following procedure applies for NC study program applications (IMME and ORBA):

1. As an international degree holder, you applied via uni-assist and your application has been forwarded to us.

2. OVGU must check your application to ensure it fulfills the admission requirements (i.e. quantitative methods in economics and management, successful completion of all economics and management courses, English skills, etc.).

3. If you fulfill the admission requirements, your application will be added to the ranking list of your desired study program. For the ranking list, we take into account the GPA from your previous degree (which will be converted by the official German scale “Bayrische Formel”) and your letter of motivation. The GPA and the letter of motivation will be graded and will receive a combined score (the maximum score is 100 points).

ORBA students are taken to the ranking list only, if they succesfully passed the interview, to which they will be invited, if the academic requirements are fullfilled. The Interview will take place in July/August.

4. At the end of January (WS) or July (SS), admission letters will be sent to the highest-ranking applicants. Because the number of available seats varies per semester, we cannot say how many students will be admitted or provide a desired combined score.

5. All other applicants will remain on a waiting list for the IMME/ORBA study program.

Therefore, if an applicant who received an admission letter is not willing to enroll in our university, the place will be given to the next applicant on the waiting list. This process can last until the end of March. In the event that you do not receive an official rejection from our university, there is still a chance. This is especially relevant for applicants with a GPA close to 2.0 and very high motivation to study in our program.

We acknowledge that international students need to apply for student visas, however, we are required by law to follow the aforementioned procedure.

International degree holders who do not fulfill the admission requirements will not be added to the ranking list and will receive a rejection email immediately.

We appreciate your understanding and wish you all the best through the selection process. Hopefully, we will see you in our faculty soon.

Good luck!

The NC refers to a benchmark that is set each semester for students to be granted admission.
For example, a study program has 30 available places but 100 students apply for the program. A university will rank the applications with respect to their academic standing and the first 30 students will be granted admission. The average grade of the last admitted student will then be set as NC.
Please note that a study program that does not have an NC will grant admission to every student who fulfills the study requirements.

We regret to inform you that we are not offering any preparatory courses for master's students if they are not fulfilling the admission requirements as modules in quantitative methods, economics, and management. For these students, we can just suggest looking for another school.