German Course B1/B2
Preparatory Intensive Course German as a Foreign Language
Participants
The intensive course has been designed for international applicants with or without refugee background whose secondary school leaving certificate is recognized as a Higher Education Entrance Qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung – HZB) in Germany.
Course Description
In the intensive course German B1/B2, participants will develop university-specific language skills which will enable them to efficiently prepare for a degree program at a German university. Classroom teaching will be supplemented by self-study components including digitally assisted language learning.
Participants will complete three language levels within one semester. After successful completion of the intensive course, participants may be admitted to the German Course C1 with DSH exam, provided that funding is granted.
Course levels
| German course B1.1 - B2.1 | prerequisite: minimum level A2.2 |
| OR | |
| German course B1.2 (consolidation) - B2.2 | prerequisite: level B1.1 or B1.2 |
The course levels will be determined on the basis of the results of the selection procedure.
Due to its university-specific orientation, the German course B1/B2 is also interesting for applications who have already completed level B1 in an integration course.
Classes
Summer Semester 2025 - Course Dates
Course start: April 1, 2025
- daily classes, 24 hours of instruction per week
- combination of classroom days in Cologne and digital classes via an online conferencing tool (Zoom)
- self-study periods in the afternoon and during weekends (if necessary)
- additional e-learning units (ILU, Speexx)
- additional workshops in the afternoon
Costs
Course places for international applicants with or without refugee status are funded by the Ministry for Culture and Science of NRW (Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes NRW) through the funding program NRWege ins Studium, provided that funding is granted.
Therefore, you do not have to pay any participation fees for the course.
The following costs are to be paid by the participants themselves:
- handling fees for the processing and evaluation of your application via uni-assist (approx. €75)
- semester fee at TH Köln (winter semester 2024/25: €303.30). You will receive a payment notification for the semester fee once you have enrolled at TH Köln.
(Please note: Refugees have the possibility to register as auditing student ("Gasthörer*in"). Please contact Dr. Mirjam Berg for further information.) - maintenance and living costs
Requirements
You are interested in applying for the German Course B1/B2 and taking part in the selection process? Make sure you meet the following requirements:
1. Higher Education Entrance Qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung – HZB) recognized in Germany
Before you apply, you can find out for yourself whether your school leaving certificate from your home country - the university entrance qualification (HZB) - is recognized in Germany. Please click here for further information.
2. German language level A2
You do not have to include a German language certificate in your uni-assist application. Your level of German will be assessed during the selection procedure.
3. Willingness to actively engage in all class activities
(including classroom teaching, workshops, additional e-learning units with ILU and Speexx and self-study periods)
Application Process
Applications can be submitted
- for the winter semester from the beginning of April to the beginning of July
- for the summer semester from mid October to the beginning of January.
(Subject to change.)
The current deadlines for each semester will be published on this page.
Applying early will increase your chances of getting a place on the course.
Please read the following information on the application process before submitting your application. Click on the plus sign (+) to see more information about each step.
Step 1: Submission of application documents to uni-assist
Summer Semester 2025 - Application period: January 10, 2025
Applications received after the end of the application period cannot be accepted. Please apply in time with all the relevant documents.
The application must be submitted to uni-assist.
Applications can be submitted for the winter semester from the beginning of April to the beginning of July and for the summer semester from mid October to the beginning of January. (Subject to change.)
Applying early will increase your chances of getting a place on the course.
Please click here for detailed information on the uni-assist application process and an overview of the required application documents.
How can I find the preparatory German languages courses on uni-assist?
1) Go to https://my.uni-assist.de/studiengaenge
2) Under "Search criteria" please enter the search term "Deutschkurs".
3) Please select the semester, the university and the federal state. Leave the "Type of degree" field empty.
4) The two preparatory German courses will now appear in the search results. Click on "select" to choose the course you would like to apply for.
If you have a refugee background, please mention this in your uni-assist application. You can find a list of residence titles confirming the refugee background here.
Step 2: Review of your application by uni-assist
uni-assist will check your application documents.
About four to six weeks after your application, uni-assist will inform you via e-mail whether your application documents are complete. If documents are missing, you can submit them until the end of the application period.
If your application meets the requirements of the language course, uni-assist will forward it electronically to TH Köln.
Please note: Transmission of your application documents by uni-assist does not guarantee admission. The decision as to whether you will be admitted to the German course B1/B2 is made by TH Köln.
Step 3: Participation in the selection procedure
Summer Semester 2025: Selection Procedure
dates to be announced
Once your documents have been checked by uni-assist, you will receive an invitation to the selection procedure.
The selection procedure consists of a placement test and a personal interview.
An online selection procedure will be offered for applicants who are not yet in Germany.
Step 4: Admission procedure at TH Köln
The number of places in the German course B1/B2 is limited.
TH Köln follows the guidelines of the Ministry for Culture and Science of NRW (Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes NRW) in the context of the NRWege ins Studium program.
The program is also open to prospective students without refugee background (up to 49% of the funded course places).
Course places are allocated based upon the following criteria:
- date of successful transmission of the application documents from uni-assist to TH Köln
- successful participation in the selection process
- quota for the two target groups described above
It is therefore possible that, despite a successful application and a successful selection procedure, we may not be able to offer you a place.
Step 5: Enrollment at TH Köln
In order to accept the course place, please follow the instructions in your letter of admission and upload the required documents within the enrollment deadline.
There is no entitlement to admission to the German course B1/B2. Please note that all dates are subject to change.
