Biology Master of Science (M.Sc.)

Admission requirements

The requirements for admission to the master's degree program in Biology are based on the current admission regulations (opens in a new tab):

• bachelor's degree
• a Bachelor's degree (or at least an equivalent degree) in Biology (or a degree program with essentially the same content) from a university, university of applied sciences, university of cooperative education or a foreign university. The degree must have been completed within a standard period of study of at least three years and with a minimum number of 180 ECTS credits.
• successful participation in the selection interview
• successful participation in an interview in accordance with § 6 of the statutes for the university's own admission and selection procedure for the master's degree program in Biology.

Language requirements and certificates

For the master's degree program in Biology, you need sufficient knowledge of German or English. Your German language skills must be at least level C1 and your English language skills at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Proof of sufficient German language skills

Your school-leaving certificate is sufficient proof of your German language skills if

• you obtainted it at a German-speaking school in Germany or abroad
• you are a graduate of a bilingual secondary school in Germany or abroad and have passed a bilingual German examination, such as the AbiBac or the Gemischtsprachiges International Baccalaureat (GIB)
• you obtained your degree at a foreign school, but there is another official agreement with the respective country on the recoginition of your school-leaving certificate or language certificate as proof of language proficiency for university studies in Germany

A complete list of foreign school-leaving and language certificates that are recognizes as proof of sufficient German language skills can be found on the webste of the Kultusministerkonferenz (opens in a new tab) (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany).

If you have not obtained your higher education entrance qualification (HZB) at one of the above-mentioned institutions, you must provide a separate language certificate - regardless of your nationality. Only the following are accepted

• the passed „Prüfungsteil Deutsch“ of the Feststellungsprüfung,
• the passed DSH with an overall result DSH-2,
• the passed TestDaF level 4 in all four parts of the examination (reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written expression, oral expression)
• a comparable, recognized certificate of sufficient German language skills

To find our which other recognized certificates can be accepted by KIT as comparable, please contact

• as a German or German-equivalent applicant: Studierendenservice (opens in a new tab)
• as an applicant with non- EU citizenship: International Students Office (opens in a new tab)

Proof of sufficient English language skills

The following is sufficient proof of your English language skills

• your Abitur certificate, if you have taken English for at least five years up to graduation and your final or average grade of the last two years of English lessons corresponds to at least the German grade 4 (sufficient) or at least 5 points or
• a degree from a university with English as the sole language of instruction and examination, whereby English must be the only and official language of the completed degree program noted in the diploma supplement, the transcript of records or the degree certificate

Otherwise, only the internationally recognized English tests listed in the KIT admission and enrollment regulations are accepted as proof. These are

• Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) with at least 90 points in the internet-based test or
• IELTS with an overall score of at least 6.5 and no section below 5.5 or
• University of Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or
• University of Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) or
• UNIcert at least level II

Please note:

Language certificates are extremely important application documents that can prevent your enrollment if you do not submit them on time. Therefore, check early on in the application process whether you have the necessary language certificates for your degree program and, if necessary, plan to take one of the language tests mentioned above. The deadline by which you must submit language certificates corresponds to the enrollment deadline stated in your admission offer. In justified cases, you can apply for an extension of this deadline. The extension can be granted until the start of the lecture period at the latest.