Frequently Asked Questions: Application to Higher Course Semesters

Please refer to the RWTH Info on Applying for Higher Course Semesters to find out whether the course of study or subject also has restricted admission in a higher course semester.

Please note when submitting your application that you can apply for a maximum of one restricted admission higher course semester per course of study or subject.

We differentiate between three groups during the application process:

1. Höherstufung - moving up to a higher course semester
2. Ortswechsel - transfer students remaining in the same course of study
3. Quereinstieg - transfer students with new course of study

In the RWTHonline Application Wizard select the category for which you fulfill the prerequisites. The groups are ranked, meaning all applicants in the "Höherstufung" group will be allocated a study placement, then the "Ortswechsler" and then the "Quereinsteiger."

Students, who want to move up to a higher course semester, must submit the corresponding placement certificate for the respective higher course semester before the re-enrollment deadline.

If there are not enough study placements and applicants must be selected from within a group, the following selection criteria are applied:

The following ranking is used for the Ortswechsel group:

1. Official recognition for a sever handicap according to Section 2 of the ninth book of the social code (SGB IX) – Rehabilitation und Teilhabe behinderter Menschen
2. Applicant's only residence with their legal spouse/partner or children is in a city or municipality assigned to the city of study
3. Particular health, family, or economic situation of the applicant and academic reasons
4. None of the above

A lottery is held for the Quereinsteiger group.

You can find more information in the RWTH Info on Applying for Higher Course Semesters.

If applicants are equally ranked, a lottery is held.

Academic performance is not taken into consideration during the selection process. However: It is only possible to continue your studies at RWTH Aachen if an exam has not been conclusively failed. If you are uncertain if this pertains to you, please contact the respective departmental advisor.

If you are studying at another German university or a university in the EU and would like to continue your course of study at RWTH Aachen, this is called a Ortswechsel. The course of study name and the degree program must be identical.

if it is not possible to transfer as an Ortswechsler, but the courses of study are comparable, you may be eligible to apply for Quereinstieg, that is a transfer with a new course of study.

A Quereinstieg is when you would like to change your course of stuy and can receive credit for your previous academic performance that can be counted towards the new course of study and this equates to at least one course semester. You must request to be placed in a higher core semester by the respective departmental advisor.

Moving up to a higher semester requires you to be already be enrolled in a course of study at RWTH Aachen and to have other academic performance that are sufficient to be moved up to a higher course semester. You can request a placement in a higher course semester from your respective departmental advisor. You need the placement notification to enroll/change course semesters.

If it is the same course of study, it is a Ortswechsel.

Examples:

• Medicine in Bulgaria – Medicine Model Course of Study RWTH = Ortswechsel
• Medicine in Bulgaria – Dentistry RWTH = Quereinstieg
• Medicine in Turkey – Medicine Model Course of Study RWTH = Quereinstieg

We can only allocate placements that become available. We cannot predict how many placements will actually be available or which applicants will fulfill the requirements. You should assume that there is a high demand for those courses of study that also experience high demand in the first course semester and/or have restricted admission in all higher course semesters.

You apply using the RWTHonline Application Wizard during the application period.

Application and enrollment deadlines can be found in the following document.

The documents needed to apply or enroll are shown in the Application Wizard. Some documents are mandatory for the application, meaning you cannot submit your application until the documents have been uploaded.

Please note the special conditions for the medicine course of study. You can find more information in the RWTH Info on Applying for Higher Course Semesters.

The documents needed to apply or enroll are shown in the Application Wizard. Some documents are mandatory for the application, meaning you cannot submit your application until the documents have been uploaded.

After you submit your application you can use the Self Service to upload documents until the application deadline or enrollment deadline.

Please note the special conditions for the medicine course of study. You can find more information in the RWTH Info on Applying for Higher Course Semesters.

The respective departmental advisor at RWTH Aachen is responsible for issuing the placement certificate. You do not need this certificate until you enroll.

Please note the special conditions for the medicine course of study. You can find more information in the RWTH Info on Applying for Higher Course Semesters.

Admissions restrictions are placed for the higher course semesters that fall within the typical length of study for a course of study. (Example: typical length of study for a Bachelor's = 6 semesters). All semesters that exceed beyond the typical length of study are assigned to the final semester of the typical length of study.

Unfortunately no. Available placements in restricted admission courses of study are assigned through an allocation process.

You can only enter your personal information once when registering. It is impossible to correct it when submitting your application. The department can make any necessary changes upon request. To request changes, send an email with your application number and the necessary changes to zulassung@zhv.rwth-aachen.de.

You can change the subject combinations at any time before submitting your application. After you have submitted the application you can withdraw the application and submit a new one.

After submitting your application you will receive a notification that it has been received along with an application number. You can view the status of your application at any time in the RWTHonline Self Service.

You must submit your entrance qualification for Master's studies or MZB to enroll in a Master's courses of study. This entrance qualification can be a Bachelor's degree, Staatsexamen, or Diplom for example, and is reviewed to make sure you fulfill the admissions requirements for your chosen Master's program.

Yes. The Faculty reviews your education background using the documents you uploaded with your application (e.g. current transcript of records, module handbook, and the like). You must choose one MZB to use as the foundation of your application. You can upload other documents relevant to the review of your educational background under "Other Proof of Performance" or "Sonstige Leistungsnachweise."

Note: You do not need to have completed your Bachelor's studies at the time of application.

To create an applicant account, follow the instructions on how to register found in the download section of this page.

Follow the directions in the instructions on how to register found in the download section of this page.

Log in to the Self Service and click on "Actions" in the overview "My Applications." Then select the application you wish to recall.

The applications needed to apply or enroll are shown in the Application Wizard. Some documents are mandatory for the application, meaning you cannot submit your application until the documents have been uploaded.

After you submit your application you can use the Self Service to upload documents until the application deadline or  enrollment deadline.

RWTH requires your documents as a pdf. If you want to upload multiple documents, you must save them as a single pdf file beforehand. Zip files are not accepted.

Later changes, that do not include uploading or recalling an application, can only be made by an administrative employee. Please send an email with your application number and the changes you'd like to make by the relevant application or late-submission deadline to zulassung@zhv.rwth-aachen.de.