Applying for admission to an advanced semester
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General information
Application periods
Application periods for admission to advanced semesters:
- mid-February until March 15 for the summer semester
- mid-August until September 15 for the winter semester
Applying for admission to an advanced semester is an option when transferring from a different program or university. Applicants who have already started to study at a university can, under certain conditions, continue their studies in the relevant program at TH Köln.
The prerequisite is that the examination board of the respective program can recognize at least 15 ECTS credits for assessments that have been completed in previous studies. TH Köln is responsible for allocating university places in advanced semesters.
Admission restrictions and capacities
Some programs at TH Köln also have admission restrictions for higher semesters, i.e. only a fixed number of places is available in each semester. In these cases, continuing your studies at TH Köln is only possible if places are available at the end of the application period.
The number of available places is determined by how many students re-register for the respective semester. This is based on the capacity limit that determines the maximum number of students in a specific semester.
Example 1:
The capacity limit for a specific semester is 40 students. However, 42 students who are already enrolled in the program re-register for this semester. As the capacity is already exceeded, there are no additional places available. Applicants who wish to apply for admission to this specific semester can therefore not be admitted.
Example 2:
The capacity limit for a semester is 40 students. Only 37 students re-register for this semester. This means that 3 places are available for applicants who apply for admission to this specific semester.
For programs with restricted admission, enrollment is only possible in the subject-related semesters that are offered in the current semester. Not all subject-related semesters are offered in each semester (i.e. twice a year).
Please note that the available capacities are often only determined at short notice, usually at the start of the application periods. In some programs, the capacities may be filled entirely by re-registered students of TH Köln, in which case admission to an advanced semester is not possible.
You can find up-to-date information on admission restrictions and available capacities on the "How to Apply" subpage of your desired program. For programs with German as language of instruction, this subsection is only available in German.
Admission to programs that are being discontinued is not possible.
Irreversibly failed examinations that prohibit enrollment
If a student has irreversibly failed an examination in a subject, continuing their studies in the same program is not possible ("Einschreibehindernis"). This also applies to programs that are substantially related to the previous program, if this is apparent from the examination regulations. The necessary decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
Recognition of previous achievements
Applicants who have already passed examinations in comparable modules at a university can apply for recognition of their achievements at TH Köln and may be granted advanced standing, i.e. they will be admitted to an advanced semester.
At least 15 ECTS credits must be recognized to be placed in an advanced semester. These credits must have been achieved in a program with the same degree, i.e. for admission to a Master's program, the achievements to be recognized must have been completed in a Master's program. Achievements from a Bachelor's program cannot be recognized for a Master's program.
Programs without restricted admission
After applying for a program wihout restricted admission, applicants are provisionally enrolled in the second semester. A detailed review of the submitted previous achievements and the final evaluation of the suitable advanced semester will only take place after enrollment.
Based on the recognized achievements, we will determine which semester the student can be enrolled in. This semester may differ from the one specified in the provisional enrollment.
Programs with restricted admission
For programs with restricted admission, all submitted previous achievements are already reviewed during the application process. The determination of the suitable advanced semester based on the recognized achievements is final. Changing the semester at a later date is generally not possible.
If fewer than 15 ECTS credits can be recognized, admission to an advanced semester is not possible and the application will be rejected.
In order to find out which of your previous academic achievements may be recognized, we recommend comparing the study plans of your previous program and of the program you are now applying for at TH Köln. You can find the study plans on the individual program pages in the subsection "Forms and regulations". For programs with German as language of instruction, this subsection is only available in German.
As part of the application, all modules that you have passed in previous studies and that you would like to be recognized for studying at TH Köln should be listed. In addition, a transcript of records with all examination attempts as well as relevant sections of the module catalog for the examinations to be recognized must be submitted.
Re-registering students
Re-registering students are applicants who have previously been enrolled in the same program at TH Köln and have interrupted their studies.
Re-registering students are enrolled in the subject-related semester corresponding to their previously completed semesters in that program, regardless of the number of ECTS credits obtained or recognized to date. In these cases, the semester will not be determined based on previous achievements.
Online application in the campus management system
Applications in CaMS
At TH Köln, applications are managed in the campus management system (CaMS). You will submit your application in CaMS and receive updates on every step of your application.
Applications for admission to an advanced semester are submitted online via TH Köln's campus management system (CaMS). International applicants with an international school-leaving qualification or university degree can also apply directly in CaMS. A separate application via uni-assist is not necessary.
Information on supporting documents to be submitted with your application, along with the mandatory documents for the recognition of previous achievements (transcript of records and module catalog excerpts), is available on the "How to Apply" subpage of your desired program. For programs with German as language of instruction, this subsection is only available in German.
Additional information is available in our FAQ on applying for admission to an advanced semester.