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Information on changing major or applying for advanced placement in a degree program as an undergraduate student

Have you already completed one or more semesters in Germany or abroad and would like to transfer to the University of Marburg to continue your studies with the same or a similar major?
On this page, you can find out more about the prerequisites for advanced placement in restricted admission (NC) degree programs.

Here you can find more information about changing major in degree programs with unrestricted admission (non-NC).
Here you can find more information about applying for your first subject semester (Fachsemester).
Do you want to begin or continue your studies for a Master’s degree? Then please see this information about applying for advanced placement in a Master’s program.

1. Application

Applications are to be submitted on the University of Marburg’s application portal Marvin. The online registration and application can only be submitted within the application deadlines via this portal.

If you are not yet a student at the University of Marburg, please create a new application account on Marvin. If you are already a student, please log in with your student account – do not create a new application account.

2. Application deadline

Summer semester: 15th January (Later date: 5th March)
Winter semester: 15th July (Later date: 5th September)

By the end of the application deadline, the submitted application must be received complete and include all required documents. Applications that have not been completed correctly, that do not include all of the required documents, and/or that are submitted online after the deadline, will be considered incomplete and not able to proceed to the next stage. Please note that a further extension of these later deadlines is not possible, as the applications will be processed.

3. Required application documents

If you are already enrolled at a German university, you can only apply for the next highest subject semester (Fachsemester) in your selected major (all previously completed semesters must be counted). During the application process, please upload your current certificate of enrollment (Studienbescheinigung) or other document that includes your current major and subject semester.

During the application process, you can upload all of the required documents (e.g. university entrance qualification, credit transfer report, placement report, transcripts, current certificate of enrollment). You don’t need to send any documents by mail to the Registrar’s Office. Within the late submission period, you can submit documents to the Studierendensekretraiat by e-mail, stating your application number.

4. Capacity limits and selection criteria

The number of available spots within the standard period of study (Regelstudienzeit) in any given subject semester is calculated by the difference between the number of admissions and the number of students currently enrolled in the respective subject semester. The university determines the number of available spots and may group several semesters together. Admission to a semester outside of the standard period of study is not possible. When applying, all previously completed semesters in the desired degree program must be counted.

In restricted admission degree programs, more students are admitted for the first semester than spots are available in higher semesters as a decline in the number of enrolled students over the course of the program is anticipated and calculated into the capacity limits at each stage. Therefore, disenrollments do not necessarily mean that spots become available in the program. If spots do become available, they will be offered in accordance with the relevant laws that govern public higher education institutions in the State of Hesse (§ 33 Hessische Hochschulzulassungsverordnung (HHZV) and § 7 Gesetz zum Staatsvertrag über die Hochschulzulassung und über die Zulassung zum Hochschulstudium in Hessen):

1. To applicants that have already been admitted to the University of Marburg for the same major and are applying for a higher subject semester (applications for advanced placement*)
2. To applicants that have already been admitted to the Human Medicine program, but were limited to preclinical training and are now applying for admission into the full program
3. To applicants that have already been enrolled in the same degree program at another German university or that can prove coursework equivalency from another university within the EU, in the following order:
  a. With a legally recognized disability (applicable law: Schwerbehindertengesetz)
  
  b. Whose main legal residence with their spouse and/or children falls within the higher education region assigned to the University of Marburg
  
  c. Whose social status, especially familial or economic, would particularly benefit from a change in place of study
  
  d. Without particular reasons
4. To other applicants that are
  1. Provisionally enrolled in the same degree program
  2. Applying with a Certificate of Credit Transfer for coursework completed outside the EU

For restricted admission programs, you can view the capacity limits for each individual subject semester as governed by the relevant law (Verordnung über die Festsetzung von Zulassungszahlen an den Hochschulen des Landes Hessen) on the “Hessian Law” page by searching for “Zulassungszahlenverordnung”. Within each applicant group type, individual applicants are ranked in a random order. Only applicants that fulfill all of the prerequisites for placement into a given subject semester can be accepted.

* Please note that applications for advanced placement are also to be completed on Marvin in accordance with the regulations outlined above.

5. Notifying of applicants

To check the current status of your application, please log into your account on the application portal. If the application is incomplete, incorrect, or otherwise not able to be processed, you will be provided with more detailed information there. As soon as your application has been processed, you will receive a notification by email.

As soon as the process is complete, the status of your application will be updated on the application portal. Following that, you will be informed by email. If you indicated on your application that notifications should be sent electronically, you will be informed via the inbox on the application portal.

6. Special considerations for specific degree programs

The recognition of your previously completed coursework and your resulting placement in your desired degree program is carried out by the corresponding department’s examinations office (Prüfungsamt) or student advisory service (Studienfachberatung). You can find an overview here.

The respective state examination office is responsible for the recognition of previous achievements in degree programs leading to Staatsexamen.

6.1. Medicine (Staatsexamen)

Due to the academic year starting with the winter semester, the previous number of completed subject semesters (Fachsemester) must be even for a winter semester application and odd for a summer semester application. Students that have received partial acceptance for preclinical training (Teilstudienplatz) from another university are required to include a current proof of enrollment in both the university and the preclinical training with their application.

Preclinical / clinical training
Please be sure to indicate whether your application is for the preclinical or clinical training. In the case of the latter, please submit a certificate of successful completion of the first examination (Physikum) either at the time of application or, at the latest, enrollment upon acceptance.

Recognition of completed coursework for Human Medicine
Information on the recognition of coursework completed in a related degree program being counted towards a degree in Human Medicine can be found here.

Noteworthy for the first clinical semester of Human Medicine
Students in their first clinical semester are automatically assigned to a specific university for the continuation of their degree in Human Medicine into their second and third years. You can find more information here.

Noteworthy for the traineeship (“Praktisches Jahr”) application
Students can only be accepted for their traineeship at one of the teaching hospitals if a vacant position is available. The application and selection processes are carried out by the Dean of the School of Medicine. If you are applying for enrollment in a traineeship at one of the university’s teaching hospitals, you must include a letter of acceptance for this position at the latest by the time of enrollment. You can find more information about the traineeship here.

6.2. Pharmacy (Staatsexamen)

Students applying for the fifth subject semester or higher must include the certificate of completion of the first part of the pharmaceutical examinations, or the confirmation of registration for the examination in their online application by January 15th for the summer semester and July 15th for the winter semester. If you submit the certificate or confirmation later, it must be submitted by March 5th for the summer semester and September 5th for the winter semester to studsek@uni-marburg.de (please include your application number).

The Landesprüfungsamt Hessen is responsible for the recognition of coursework completed in Germany in a related discipline, or abroad as part of a pharmacy degree or in a related field. You can find more information here.

6.3. Dental Medicine (Staatsexamen)

Students applying for preclinical studies (second, third, and fourth subject semesters) must submit both the "Nachweis über das Praktikum der zahnmedizinischen Propädeutik mit Schwerpunkt dentale Technologie" and the "Schein für das Praktikum der zahnmedizinischen Propädeutik mit Schwerpunkt präventive Zahnheilkunde".

Students applying for clinical studies (fifth semester or higher) must submit the examination certificate Physikumszeugnis. In both cases, these additional documents are to be submitted online either at the time of application or, at the latest, by March 5th for the summer semester and September 5th for the winter semester (send to: studsek@uni-marburg.de). Without the relevant documents, your application will be considered incomplete.

Information about the recognition of previously completed coursework in a related discipline can be found here.

The authority responsible for the recognition of coursework completed abroad is the Thüringer Landesprüfungsamt für akademische Heilberufe, Referat 550, Weimarplatz 4, 99423 Weimar. You can find more information here.

6.4. Lehramt an Gymnasien

If you are applying for advanced placement, please contact the Hessische Lehrkräfteakademie, Prüfungsstelle Marburg for the recognition of your completed coursework.

6.5. Psychology (Bachelor of Science)

If you are looking to transfer from a technical university or university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule), please apply for a placement evaluation from the Examination Office of the University of Marburg’s Department of Psychology. You can find more information here. The placement evaluation report will automatically be sent to both you and the Registrar’s Office in time for the application evaluations.

8. Applying with an international university entrance qualification

For applicants with an international university entrance qualification (e.g. high school diploma or similar) that are applying for the second subject semester (Fachsemester) or later, please submit your application directly to the university – not via uni-assist. You must submit a certificate of recognition for your university entrance qualification by the time of enrollment, at the latest. The following certificates of recognition are accepted:

A report from uni-assist that was issued as a result of your application for the first subject semester
An official certificate of recognition from the relevant authorities in any of the federal states of Germany

It is very important that you request and submit the documents in a timely manner. If you are not able to get either of the above-mentioned documents quickly enough, you should apply for the first subject semester via uni-assist. Applicants with an international university entrance qualification must additionally submit a German language certificate at least at the level of DSH 2 (DSH 3 for Dental Medicine) or equivalent. You can find more information on our page “Required German Skills”.[JC1]

Students from exchange programs that would like to permanently transfer to the University of Marburg generally have to catch up with their German language proficiency first. In these cases, we also recommend applying for the first subject semester via uni-assist.