WHO IS UNI-ASSIST AND WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE?
uni-assist is a membership corporation, which all state-approved German universities can join. The core task of uni-assist is the evaluation of international school/ university certificates. uni-assist examines if the submitted school/ university certificates are equivalent to German school/ university degrees, i.e. whether they qualify in principle for admission to university studies in Germany. Additionally, German universities can entrust uni-assist with the evaluation of further criteria which are subject to preliminary examination. In the event of a positive examination result, uni-assist forwards the application electronically to the university. Alternatively, uni-assist offers the so-called VPD procedure uni-assist issues a certificate ("Vorpruefungsdokumentation/ VPD) with which one can apply directly to the university. In either case, the universities themselves decide on the matter of admission.
Since uni-assist does not receive any state funding, the preliminary examination of the international school/ university certificates is against payment. Generally, the applicants bear the costs incurred for the preliminary examination of their educational certificates. The German universities can opt to pay the fee, and some universites make use of that option, particularly when it comes to applications for master degree programmes.
uni-assist takes over the preliminary review of international university applications:
uni-assist documents all data relevant to the application;
uni-assist determines whether the foreign certificates correspond with the criteria set down by the culture ministers' conference (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZaB)) and in principle suffice for admission to university in Germany;
uni-assist calculates the German equivalent of the foreign final degree grade;
uni-assist evaluates language competencies and other requirements specific to the course of study commensurate with the criteria set down by the universities;
uni-assist electronically forwards all applications meeting the general admission requirements to the universities. The universities then integrate the data into their admission procedure and further process them.
uni-assist is open to all German universities
uni-assist represents universities from all sixteen German federal states. uni-assist also processes an increasing number of Master's degree applications for many of its member universities and in some of these cases the applications from both international and German applicants. Roughly half of all students studying in Germany are enrolled at uni-assist member universities.
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If you like, you can also download a Membership Form here.