Admission Requirements

Subject-specific requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Political Science (major or minor) or in Social Sciences with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.7 according to the German grading system.
2. Political Science and related courses at the undergraduate level must add up to at least 60 ECTS. See the FAQ for more information about ECTS and for what qualifies as a political science course.
   

Language requirements

Applicants have to prove their language proficiency in English by an internationally recognised test for non-native speakers. Trier University accepts a number of different tests, such as TOEFL and IELTS. Specifics about the recognised tests and the required score can be found on the pages of the Admissions Office (under the heading English taught Masters).

Students who have studied previously in an English speaking country or who are native speakers may be exempt from the obligation to produce proficiency test results. Details under which conditions an exemption applies, are outlined here (section English taught Masters).

The proof of German language skills is not necessary.

All questions related to the submission of language certificates should be put to the Admissions Office of Trier University (see also below).

Application procedure

Application deadlines

Closing dates for applications for the winter term 2024/25 are 31 May 2024 for Non-EU citizens and 15 September 2024 for EU citizens and applicants holding a German undergraduate degree.

Please note, although a start in the summer semester is possible, the programme is optimised for a start in the winter semester. Therefore, we strongly recommend starting the programme in the winter semester!

Applications for the winter term usually open in May of the respective year.

Application process

Applications to this program can be made via the central Online Application Portal.

Information about the documents you are expected to submit with your application can be found here. Academic references are not necessary. Students from China, India, and Vietnam are additionally expected to submit with their application a certificate issued by the Academic Test Centers of the German permanent representation in their home country. The Admissions Office provides more details.

You should estimate that the processing of your application might take up to ten weeks.

You are welcome to contact the Admissions Office Team at any point during the process.

For questions concerning the content of the program, please contact the Program Director in the first instance.

Application fee

Trier University charges a fee of 70.00€ to process your application. More information on the processing fee and exemptions can be found here. The application will only be processed when the fee has been verifiably transferred to the university’s account and all required documents have been submitted. The University’s bank details and the procedure to provide proof of the bank transfer can be found on the pages of the Admissions Office.

Visa applications

Please note, if you are a student coming from outside the European Union, you may have to apply for a student visa. The International Office provides more details on who is expected to apply for a visa and which nationalities are exempted from this obligation.

Please inquire well in advance with the German permanent representation in your home country about the visa application process and the expected waiting times. Because the processing of your application to study with us and the processing of your visa request are at times a very lengthy process, you may want to consider to apply for an ‚applicant visa‘ (Studienbewerbervisum) instead of a standard student visa.

A precondition for being granted a student visa is that you are able to support yourself financially over the course of the study. Details about the cost of living in Trier and potential sources of financial support can be also found on the pages of the International Office.