Master’s in Germany: check your academic fit

Start with the degree you already have

A promising master's title is only the start of a shortlist. Your next question is whether your previous studies meet that programme's entry rules. uni-assist says master's applicants generally need a recognised qualification equivalent to a German bachelor's, usually in a related subject. Recognition and academic fit are separate checks: an accepted university degree may still lack the subject preparation a particular department requires.

Record your awarding institution, degree title, normal duration, completed credits and graduation status. Keep qualification country separate from citizenship. Use the programme's current admission regulations alongside its summary page; a general statement that the university accepts international students does not establish your eligibility.

Understand what consecutive means

A consecutive master's commonly develops knowledge gained in a bachelor's. It does not necessarily require an identical degree title. TUM explains that some of its consecutive programmes accept graduates from several disciplines if they possess the necessary foundations. Your mechanical-engineering degree might therefore fit one interdisciplinary programme but miss essential content for another.

Continuing-education master's programmes form a different route. TUM generally expects at least one year of professional experience for these and charges special tuition. Read the actual experience and fee rules before treating an MBA or professional master's as interchangeable with an ordinary consecutive degree.

Read credits as evidence of learning

ECTS expresses learning outcomes and the workload associated with them; the European Commission equates 60 ECTS with a full academic year. A programme's total-credit requirement and its subject-credit requirements answer different questions. A long degree can still contain too little mathematics, laboratory work or research for a specialist master's.

If your transcript uses another credit system, retain its original values. Collect the university's explanation of credits, workload and course content, then follow the receiving department's conversion instructions. Do not multiply every credit by a number found in another applicant's spreadsheet or count classroom hours as the whole learning workload.

A concrete example: TU Berlin Computer Science

TU Berlin's published Computer Science M.Sc. requirements illustrate why a degree name alone is insufficient. Its first degree must be in computer science or a closely related field, with the following academic components.

• 36 credits in computer-science fundamentals, split into 12 theoretical, 12 computer engineering or information technology, and 12 methodological-practical credits.
• 18 credits in mathematics, plus at least 30 further computer-science credits.
• The bachelor's thesis cannot supply those 30 further credits.

Build a subject map before paying application fees

Create one row for each required subject area. Beside it, list the relevant module code, original course title, passed credits, syllabus page and any uncertainty. A module called Computing II reveals little on its own; an official description of its topics and assessment gives the evaluator something concrete to compare.

Keep proposed matches conservative. Do not silently count the same module twice or assume a certificate course substitutes for a missing university subject. Ask whether partial module allocation, outside learning or additional coursework can be considered under the programme's rules. A short, specific question with the relevant syllabus is more useful than sending a CV and asking whether your profile is good.

Check language level and accepted proof separately

English-taught programmes can set different entry levels: TU Berlin's Computer Science M.Sc. lists B2 English, while Bonn's Computer Science M.Sc. lists C1. These are programme examples checked on 29 September 2026, not a single national English requirement.

Next check how to prove that level. Record accepted test versions, minimum scores and subscores where specified, validity rules, and the evidence deadline. uni-assist notes that previous study in the relevant language is only sometimes accepted, often with country restrictions. A medium-of-instruction letter establishes how you studied; the receiving programme decides whether that evidence satisfies its admission requirement.

Handle grades and an unfinished degree accurately

Use the programme's minimum-grade rule and selection procedure as written. Prepare the official grading system for the award, rather than converting your percentage or GPA yourself and presenting the result as official. uni-assist asks for complete transcripts and the institution's degree-level grading information.

If you are still studying, check whether preliminary applications are allowed for your qualification category, how much study must be completed, and when the final degree must follow. Permission to apply before graduation does not automatically postpone every subject-credit or language requirement. Keep planned modules separate from modules already passed.

Choose the submission route after establishing fit

The university must specify whether your category applies directly, through uni-assist, or by obtaining a VPD and then applying in its own portal. uni-assist does not handle every programme at every member university. In the VPD route, the assessment document must be used in a separate university application; it is not an admission offer.

Keep your academic-fit worksheet beside the submission checklist. It should show the exact intake, outstanding evidence, relevant deadlines and where each item goes. Use the linked VPD and APS guides for those procedures, instead of allowing administrative progress to substitute for checking the department's requirements.

Make a shortlist you can defend

Classify programmes as a documented match, a possible match needing clarification, or a mismatch under the published rules. Prioritise the first group and resolve specific uncertainties in the second. For 2027 entry, reopen the new regulations and call when available: this guide verifies the examples above as of 29 September 2026, not every university's future intake or deadline.

Official sources

Check the current programme call before submitting. The links below were used to prepare this guide; a prior-cycle call does not confirm the deadline for your intended intake.

1. uni-assist — master's entry and programme-specific criteria ↗www.uni-assist.de
2. Hochschulkompass — institution-specific admission arrangements ↗www.hochschulkompass.de
3. TUM — consecutive and continuing-education master's programmes ↗www.tum.de
4. European Commission — what ECTS credits represent ↗education.ec.europa.eu
5. Hochschulkompass — recognition and credit decisions ↗www.hochschulkompass.de
6. TU Berlin — Computer Science M.Sc. subject and language requirements ↗www.tu.berlin
7. University of Bonn — Computer Science M.Sc. requirements ↗www.uni-bonn.de
8. uni-assist — language certificates and evidence ↗www.uni-assist.de
9. uni-assist — accepted language evidence depends on the university ↗www.uni-assist.de
10. uni-assist — complete academic records and official grading systems ↗www.uni-assist.de
11. uni-assist — VPD and the separate university application ↗www.uni-assist.de

Continue your research

• Your Germany application, step by step
• APS and dMAT: the India-specific checks
• uni-assist and VPD: finish the right application