Recognition

Recognition procedures are facilitated by the use of the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). It enables the quantification of study and examination achievements abroad. The credit points reflect the expected student workload and are allocated to modules or courses.

Together with the responsible contact person at your home university, you select a partner university and decide which courses to attend there and which credits to take. Your achievements are measured in credit points per academic year. If you fulfil the requirements during your studies abroad, recognition of your achievements is not a problem.

In the ‘Transcript of Records’, the academic achievements made by the students are presented in an easily understandable but comprehensive form. Not only are ECTS points awarded for successfully completed modules or courses, but grades and ECTS grades are also assigned to the completed coursework. This gives the universities a qualitative and quantitative overview of the academic achievements completed abroad.

If you have completed your entire degree abroad, you should clarify whether the degree you have obtained is recognised in Germany.

The ‘Diploma Supplement’ exists to improve the transparency of university degrees and thus the international competitive opportunities of university graduates. This is a document, usually written in English, which is attached to the university degree. It contains information about the person, the qualification (level and content of the degree programme), the results achieved and information about the national higher education system. The ‘Diploma Supplement’ is intended to facilitate the assessment and categorisation of academic qualifications for both study and professional purposes. You will also receive the ‘Diploma Supplement’ if you complete your degree in Germany.

If you would like to continue studying in Germany on the basis of a university degree that you have obtained abroad (e.g. Master's programme or doctorate), the respective university (usually the faculty or department) is responsible for recognition. The first point of contact for this is the International Office of the university to which you wish to apply.

You may use an academic degree or equivalent title obtained abroad in Germany in accordance with the relevant state law. The Ministries of Culture and Science of the federal states can only provide information on the legal situation in their state and on the status of implementation of relevant resolutions of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the states.

Documentation on degrees and titles from foreign universities can be found on ‘anabin - the information portal for the recognition of foreign educational qualifications’, published by the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Regulated professions: Regulated means that the practice of a profession is linked to the recognition of professional qualifications. These are governed by federal or state regulations. In the case of qualifications acquired abroad, recognition is a prerequisite for access to the profession or for practising the profession and for using the professional title (e.g. doctor, psychotherapist, lawyer, teacher at state schools or engineer). All regulated professions are listed on the website of the EU Commission (https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/regprof/home). You can find more information on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications at www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de.

Non-regulated professions: In the case of non-regulated professions, access to the profession or the practice of the profession is not linked to specific state requirements, i.e. the profession can be practised without state authorisation. In this case, you can generally apply for a job on the German labour market or become self-employed with a foreign qualification without recognition. It is then up to potential employers or clients to decide whether the university degree will be accepted.

Certificate assessment: Holders of a foreign higher education qualification that does not lead to a regulated profession have the option of having their higher education qualification assessed by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). A degree assessment can be useful, as employers can use this certificate to better assess the qualifications of applicants. The website www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de provides further information. The certificate assessment is intended to facilitate access to the German labour market. A fee is charged for issuing this certificate. Further information can be found at www.kmk.org > Topics > Recognition of foreign qualifications.