Displaced Students and Prospective Students

 

By providing targeted advising early on, RWTH Aachen University’s International Office wishes to ensure that refugees who are interested in pursuing studies here can easily obtain information about university admission requirements and what steps they may need to take to qualify.

 

Application and Admission to RWTH Aachen University

RWTH offers a large number of courses of study for prospective students.

The University’s Admissions Office for international applicants is happy to advise you on how to apply and determine whether you meet the admission requirements.

If your desired course of study is not offered at RWTH or you are looking for an English-language bachelor’s program, you can check the Higher Education Compass website to find all German universities that offer your desired program.

 

Language Proficiency

You must meet specific language requirements depending on the language in which your desired course of study is offered at RWTH.

If you are interested in pursuing studies offered in German, you need to have German at C1 level (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). RWTH’s Language Center offers preparatory language courses to help you reach this level. The University reserves places for refugees in the DSH preparation courses.

Preparatory Courses for Studies

To prepare you for your studies in the best possible way, the RWTH International Office offers free specialized courses:

• The Intensive Mathematics Course helps you refresh your mathematics skills; in the Programming course, you will learn the basics of a programming language using helpful application-oriented examples. Both courses are offered in cooperation with the Chair of Algebra and Representation Theory at RWTH Aachen University. They aim to facilitate the entry into a (technically or scientifically oriented) course of study at RWTH Aachen University.
• RWTH Aachen University collaborates with Kiron Open Higher Education. Kiron makes it possible for refugees to take online courses while applying for asylum. Refugees interested in studying thus have the opportunity to productively use the time they spend waiting for a decision and learn online with the help of English-language massive open online courses or MOOCs.
• The bridge courses at RWTH  begin in August and end before lectures start in October. You are allowed to participate in the bridge courses even if you have not been accepted to the university. You are not required to show proof of enrollment.

A Good Academic Start in Engineering Program

Do you want to study engineering but don't know whether studies at the FH Aachen or RWTH Aachen are right for you? Semester “0” offers the advantage of you not having to choose where to study immediately.  You enroll at both universities for the summer semester. After gaining some first impressions in the summer term, you then choose what university and what course to enroll in the upcoming winter term. Please refer to the program’s web page for more information.

Living in Aachen

Aachen is a university town, so you will need to start looking for a place to stay early enough, preferably a year before starting your studies. On our Accommodation in Aachen web page, you will find up-to-date information about housing options for students wishing to pursue studies at RWTH. If you are interested in a room in one of the Studierendenwerk Aachen dormitories, we recommend that you apply for six different dormitories and select all room types to increase your chances of getting a room offer. You do not need to have already been admitted by RWTH to apply.

Financing Your Studies

A number of funding opportunities are available for refugee students.

The RWTH International Office is happy to award scholarships to students wishing to begin, continue to pursue, or complete their studies and provide grants to offset travel expenses. Funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, in short MKW, these funds are offered within the framework of the DAAD program “NRWege ins Studium - Integration von Flüchtlingen an Hochschulen in Nordrhein-Westfalen.”

You can find further information on the NRWege ins Studium - Scholarships for Refugees page.

If you fled Ukraine due to the war, you can apply for the DAAD scholarship “Zukunft-Ukraine.” Please refer to our Scholarships Overview page for more information about this scholarship.

Also, check with the RWTH Studierendenwerk whether you meet the requirements for financial support through BAföG and apply as soon as you have received your notice of admission.

Additional Offers

• Set up to run alongside studies, our specialized German language courses will help you express yourself better in academic language – verbally and in writing.
• Furthermore, the Clearing House for Academic Refugees at RWTH will assist you with all questions regarding your studies.
• The RWTH International Office, in cooperation with the RWTH Language Center, offers courses with experienced instructors from the Language Center for international students of RWTH to support them with technical language skills during their studies.

 

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