Requirements

In order to study at KIT as an international student, a certain amount of prerequisites should be fulfilled:

  1. Partner Institution*
    You must be enrolled as a full-time student at any partner institution of KIT at the time of the application as well as during your stay in Karlsruhe.
  2. Selection
    You must have applied successfuly at Your home institution for an exchange place at  KIT, i.e. you must be nominated for a study place at KIT.
  3. Knowledge of German
    You should possess an adequate level of knowledge of the German language or try to obtain one before your stay at KIT because most of the lectures will be offered in German. Applicants for the fields of Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry and Biology must show evidence for at least B1-Level according to the Common European Language Framework of Reference for Languages. All Others should have knowledge assessed as the equivalent of at least A2-Level.

  

* Should you not be enrolled at a partner institution of KIT, but still aspire to a study stay here, there is still the opportunity to come as a Free Mover. For more information about the necessary requirements and the application process please check directly at our International Students Office.

 

Notes about Knowledge of German

You can check your level of German with a Test from Goethe-Institut.

Should your knowledge of the German language not yet fulfill the minimal requirements, please use the remaining time in your home country to learn the language! Among others, the online language courses from Duo can be of real help.

For a good start in your semester, all exchange students have the opportunity to take part in a three-week German language course before entering their studies. For this course, a placement test is to be taken after your arrival in Germany. Only this way you could be assigned the matching study level. This three-week course is not a replacement of the credentials of language proficiency necessary for your application. You can earn ECTS credits upon taking part in at least 80% of the classes and passing the exam at the end of the course.

Furthermore, you can visit the regular courses of the KIT language center Sprachenzentrums Karlsruhe  (different languages apart from German) or the Studienkolleg Karlsruhe (German courses parallel to your studies). These courses have a small application fee and take place during the whole semester.