Liberal Arts and Sciences Application Guideline 2018 –

Non-EU Citizens (without German higher education entrance qualification “Abitur”)

Applying at a university can be challenging. This guideline summarizes the Selection Regulations (“Auswahl-
satzung”) for the Liberal Arts and Sciences program (LAS) at University College Freiburg (UCF) and will steer
you through the application process. It also provides links to further information and to the relevant forms. If
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questions arise, please contact the university’s International Admissions and Services Department (IAS). IAS
is responsible for processing all non-EU applications and for the recognition thereof:
International Admissions and Services
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.studium.uni-freiburg.de/en/counseling/ias

The application and admissions process has the following steps:

3. Selection
1. Application 2. Recognition 4. Admissions
Based on grades, letter
You send in your Check for completeness Letter of acceptance or
of motivation, other
application documents and vailidity rejection
achievements

Please note: If you are a non-EU citizen and have a German “Abitur”, you are considered as a so-called
“Bildungsinländer” and must apply via the application process for EU citizens.

1. Application

The application process for the LAS program starts at the University of Freiburg’s Student Service
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ter where you will be guided through the procedure of filling out the application form. In the application pro-
cess, choose the aspired degree “Liberal Arts and Sciences” in the drop-down menu. For an overview of the
application requirements and for further information, please check the information that IAS provides here. The
completed application form has to be sent by surface mail together with the following documents (please note
that further documents, e.g. letters of recommendation, will not be considered):

 Officially certified copy of your higher education entrance qualification. Documents in lan-
guages other than German, English, or French have to be translated by a sworn translator or ap-
proved by a German Embassy or Consulate.
− The recognition and conversion of non-German higher education entrance qualifications fol-
lows regulations set out on the anabin higher education entrance qualification database. As it
is only available in German, please consult the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
database for more information in English.
− Information on the recognition of the International Baccalaureate (IB) in Germany can be
found on the IBO website.

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Please note that IAS cannot assess certificates, transcripts, or grades before applications are formally submitted.
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The Student Portal provides information on the “Studienkolleg” (in German). This program is intended for international applicants whose
higher education entrance qualification is not recognized as equivalent to the German Abitur. Please check “yes” only if your higher
education entrance qualification is not equivalent to the German Abitur and if you would seriously consider attending the German-taught
Studienkolleg – requiring a minimum of B2 German on the CEFR scale – for a year before starting your LAS studies in Freiburg.

LAS Application Guideline 2018 – Non-EU Citizens (April 27, 2018)

  Proof of English proficiency at B2 level or above according to the Common European Framework 2
of Reference for Languages (CEFR). We accept the following records as proof of B2 proficiency:
− For applicants with a German Abitur: 8 years of English at the Gymnasium or English as an
examination subject (“Prüfungsfach”) in the final Abitur.
− TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge ESOL on the CEFR scale:
TOEFL iBT IELTS Cambridge ESOL
B2 CEFR 72-94 5.5-6.5 First Certificate in English (FCE)
Certificates must not be older than two years at the time of the application deadline. Copies of
certificates must be officially certified.
TOEFL certificates must be submitted via Educational Testing Service (ETS); UCF’s TOEFL
institution/DI Code at ETS is DI B580.
− English language higher education entrance qualification (e.g. British A-levels or an IB)
− Native English speakers with according citizenship do not need to provide proof of English.
 A letter of motivation (in English, max. 1,000 words) that outlines your motivation for studying LAS
at the University of Freiburg. On our website, we provide recommendations on the letter of motivation.
 Your Curriculum Vitae (in English).
 If applicable, documents or attestations for voluntary services, internships, and/or time spent abroad.
 For matriculation at the University of Freiburg, you must provide proof of having completed a Study-
orientation-test. The LAS Online Study-Choice Assistant (OSA) is such a test. As it is also an inter-
active tool that provides insights into the LAS program, we highly recommend that you do it before
applying and then hand in the certificate of participation with your application.

Application deadline is July 15. This is the date by which your application must be received by the Univer-
sity (not a postmark date). Please send your complete application including all documents listed above to:

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Service Center Studium
International Admissions and Services
79085 Freiburg
Germany

2. Recognition

The recognition of your application comprises two parts: (1) verification if your application is complete,
(2) recognition and conversion of non-German higher education entrance qualifications. Applications that are
incomplete and/or do not fulfill the requirements listed above are not considered for the selection process.

3. Selection

LAS is a selective program, and not all applicants will be admitted. The selection process focuses on
your academic achievements, i.e. the final grade of your higher education entrance qualification. Non-
German higher education entrance qualifications are converted according to the regulations set out on the
anabin higher education entrance qualification database. As this database is only available in German, please
consult the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) database for more information in English. We rec-
ommend that applicants consult these databases concerning eligibility to enter a higher education program in
Germany before submitting their applications. For legal reasons and in contrast to applicants from the EU
(including Germany), a selection interview is not part of the application and admissions process for non-EU
applicants.

LAS Application Guideline 2018 – Non-EU Citizens (April 27, 2018)

4. Admissions 3

Acceptance and Matriculation

The University’s Student Services Center sends out the official letters of acceptance or rejection by surface
mail approximately mid-August; letters of acceptance include further information concerning matriculation at
the University of Freiburg. It is therefore essential that you, in your application, provide an address where you
can be reached. Once you are matriculated, UCF will provide you with information for starting LAS. In the
Welcome Week, starting October 8, 2018, we will then introduce you to the LAS program, to each other, the
city and University of Freiburg.

Deferred Admissions
Postponing your LAS admission for a year is not possible for non-EU citizens.

Timeline

The following timeline includes the key dates of the application and admissions process for non-EU citizens:

July 15: mid-Aug.: early Sept.: Oct. 8: Oct. 14:

Application Acceptance / LAS Information Welcome Matriculation
Deadline Rejection Package Week Deadline

With the exception of the stated deadlines, these dates are subject to change. Neither UCF nor the Student
Services Center can provide information on the status of your application before the specified dates.

LAS Application Guideline 2018 – Non-EU Citizens (April 27, 2018)