Language Requirements

The language requirements depend on the medium of instruction of the study programme. Find out about the medium of instruction of your desired study programme by checking the list of study programmes. If you click on the respective study programme, you will be forwarded to a new page with detailled information on the specific requirements of that individual programme.

• In order to apply for a study programme where the medium of instruction is German language, you must provide proof of German language proficiency by submitting an accredited German language certificate. This also applies to Germans who did their university entrance qualification abroad!
• In order to apply for a study programme where the medium of instruction is English language, you must provide proof of English language proficiency by submitting an accredited English language certificate. Proof of German language knowledge is not required for those programmes. It is, however, recommended to gain at least some elementary knowledge of German language as this will make everyday life in Berlin much easier.

No additonal proof of language proficiency is required if the official language of your home country is identical with the medium of instruction of your desired study programme.

ATTENTION: you must provide the required proof of language proficiency within the official application deadlines, or else your application will be excluded from the admission procedure.

Generally speaking, you should try and learn as much German language as possible in your homeland, for example at Goethe Institut with offices all over the world.
Goethe Institut Website

You may also improve your German language here in Germany and prepare for an official language examination (such as DSH, the German language university entrance examination, or TestDAF). In this case you should register for an intensive German language course and/or a DSH preparation course. Such coursework should include a minimum of 20 hours per week.

HTW does NOT offer any such German language preparation courses. You must contact external language schools to register for German language courses. This registration can also be done from abroad:
Information on language schools in Berlin [PDF, 32KB]

If you want learn German language in Germany, you should apply for a visa for "study preparation purposes" at the German embassy in your home country. They will ask you for a confirmation of your registration for a German language course issued by the language school in Germany. Find more information on visa requirements here:
Entry Requirements/Visa

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If you want to apply for a study programme with the medium of instruction German language, you must submit proof of German language proficiency on at least C1 level within the application period. If the application deadline ends and you did not provide any such C1-German language proof, your application will automatically be excluded from the admission procedure because of incompleteness.

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If you provided proof of German language proficiency on C1 level within the application deadlines, and your application has been successful, you will be offered a study place at HTW.

In order to be allowed to pick up this study place and enroll as a regular student at HTW, you must provide one of the following accredited language examination certificates until the official start of the study programme:

• German language university entrance examination for foreign students (exam level DSH-2)
• German language certificate from Kultusministerkonferenz (conference of German cultural ministers) - level 2
• the examination formerly known as "Prüfung zum Nachweis deutscher Sprachkenntnisse" (PNdS)
• Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom (GDS) or Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom (KDS) or Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung (ZOP) from Goethe-Institut
• TestDaF - level 4 in all single parts of the exam
• Certificate of the successfully passed assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung from Studienkolleg)

If you fail to provide one of the aforementioned certificates at the required level until the official start of your study programme, you will not be allowed to enroll at HTW and your study place will be given to another applicant!

The completion of intermediate examinations or C1-language course certificates are not sufficient to be allowed to start the study programme. Foreign language certificates and exams will also not be accepted.

Yes for admitted applicants
The German Language University Entrance Examination for Foreign Students (= DSH) is offered at HTW for all those applicants, who have been successful in their application and have been granted admission to start their studies at HTW. Those applicants will get information on the DSH and the registration procedure together with their official admission letter.

No for rejected applicants or external candidates
The German Language University Entrance Examination for Foreign Students (= DSH) is NOT available for any external candidates or for any HTW applicants who did not get an admission to start their studies at HTW.

Applicants with an HTW admission who want to take the DSH at HTW must fulfil the following prerequisites:

• proof of succesful completion of the entire intermediate level
• proof of completion of a DSH preparatory course or an advanced level course
• acceptance of the study place by payment of the semester fee into the HTW account in due time
• registration for the DSH examination
• payment of the DSH examination fee in due time

Please note that you must achieve DSH-2 level in order to be allowed to start you studies at HTW. DSH-1 will not be sufficient.

Download compact DSH information here:
Information on DSH [PDF 31KB]

TestDaF - the test of German as a foreign language is another possible German language university entrance examination. This test is not offered at HTW but at an external test institute. To find out about the location of the test institute, the examination dates, costs and registration procedure refer to the official TestDaF homepage:
TestDaF - Website

You must achieve the the following levels in all four individual parts of the examination in order to be allowed to start your studies at HTW:

• 4/4/4/4 for all business related study programmes at HTW
• 4/4/4/3 for all technical study programmes at HTW

Please note that those required levels must be achieved in each single part of the examination, we do not sum up the single parts to a total amount.

All results below that will not be sufficient to start your studies at HTW.

In order to apply for the preparatory course ("Studienkolleg") which precedes the assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung) applicants must submit one of the following proofs of German language proficiency:

• B2 level
• intermediate level
• Zertifikat Deutsch (German language certification)

Since the peparatory course and the assessment test are only available in German language, this proof of German language proficiency must be submitted in any case, irrespective of whether you later want to continue your studies in a study programme where English language is the medium of instruction.

You cannot apply for the preparatory course/assessment test without the aforementioned proof of German language proficiency.

For those study programmes where English languague is the medium of instruction, you must provide proof of English language proficiency at the time of your application.

If you fail to provide this proof within the official application deadlines, your application will automatically be excluded from the admission procedure.

There are different levels of English language requirements for the diffrenet international study programmes. Therefore, please read up on the homepage of the respective study programme and in the information documents provided there to find out which exact level of English proficiency is required for which individual programme.

Here is a list of accredited language examination certificates that are accepted at HTW as proof of English proficiency:

CPE

Test of English for International Communication

CAE

Certificate in Advanced English

BEC Higher

Business English Certificate

TOEFL

Test of English as an Foreign Language

IELTS

International English Language Testing System

TOEIC

Test of English for International Communication

Download compact information on English requirements for international study programmes here:
Language Requirements International Business (Bachelor) [PDF 31KB]
General Information International Business (Bachelor) [PDF 31KB]
General Information International Business (Master) [PDF 31KB]
General Information Construction and Real Estate Management (Master) [PDF 31KB]