Application

Admission requirements

Requirements for the admission to the study programme are:

1. a university degree with a final grade of 2.5 ("gut") or better in the bachelor programmes Biology, Biochemistry, Food Sciences or a comparable degree in the field of Life Sciences;
2. the successful completion of an aptitude test;
3. a language certificate ENGLISH level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
4. a language certificate GERMAN level A1 of the CEFR; can be obtained during the first year of the programme.

For applicants with the German Abitur: The language level B2+/C1 or better is accepted as proof of your English language skills. This is usually achieved if you have studied English from the 5th grade until the Abitur.

If you have questions about the application and requirements, see also the FAQ.

Application documents

The application process starts at March 1 (for the winter semester) via CAMPUSonline. As support we have developed a handbook for the application via CAMPUSonline. After registration, the required documents can be uploaded in CAMPUSonline via the link Bewerbung / Application. 

Preliminary review documentation (VPD):
Applicants from outside the EU who have obtained their degree abroad have to upload the application documents also via uni-assist and undergo a fee-based special procedure. Please request your VPD as early as possible (at least 6-8 weeks before the application deadline for the desired degree programme at the University of Bayreuth). We can only accept your VPD if it has been issued for an application to the University of Bayreuth. You can have your documents reviewed by uni-assist any time of the year. If the portal for the desired semester has not yet been opened at uni-assist, simply select the current semester and any degree programme at the University of Bayreuth. It does not matter whether you apply for the summer or the winter semester at uni-assist. Please note, however, that the application deadline at the University of Bayreuth (15 June) must be met. Your VPD will remain valid for one year. Applicants can find the relevant information for the document checking process here.

For the upload in CAMPUSonline, you need the following documents:

1. a curriculum vitae
2. a certificate of general university entrance qualification* (copy - an official certification is not necessarily needed for the application process, but has to be handed in at latest for the enrolment),
3. a written presentation of course-specific competences (letter of motivation) (max. 2 pages) stating the skills and expertise that qualify you for the study programme,
4. a language certificate ENGLISH level C1
5. a language certificate GERMAN level A1 (can be obtained during the first year of the programme)
   
6. academic qualification
   1. a bachelor certificate including academic transcript (copy - an official certification is not necessarily needed for the application process, but has to be handed in at latest at the end of the first semester) or
   2. in case you have not received your bachelor certificate yet: an official transcript of records (including subjects and grades) that shows that you have successfully completed modules of in total at least 135 ECTS credits with an estimated final grade corresponding to "2.5" or better on the German grading system and in addition an informal list of modules for which no evidence of performance exists yet (in this case, the relevant degree certificate has to be submitted by the end of the first semester of study)
7. if available, evidence of special qualifications (study specific professional training or internships, periods abroad, awards such as scholarships etc.) and interdisciplinary study skills
8. if applicable, request for disadvantage compensation

Depending on the country in which you acquired your previous education certificates, you may have to submit additional documents. You can find an overview of country-specific additional documents here.

* The "certificate of general university entrance qualification" means a document that allows you to enrol in a University, usually a high school diploma (equivalent to the German "Abitur", containing subjects and grades) and/ or a university entrance test.

Application deadline for each winter semester:  June 15
Start of the lectures: mid of October

Aptitude test

You will have to pass an aptitude test to prove if you are qualified for the study programme.

Step 1 of the aptitude test: Evaluation of the application documents

Phase1:
Based on your application documents it will be checked, if the grade of your bachelor degree is 2.5 or better on the German grading scale. If your grade does not fulfil our requirements, you will receive a rejection notice.

Phase 2:
In a second phase, a selection committee will rate the written presentation of course-specific competences (letter of motivation and CV) according to the following criteria:

• Verbal skills (up to 5 points), showing that you are able to express yourself precisely and comprehensibly in the English language.
• Interest (up to 10 points), explain the connection between personal interest and the interdisciplinary character of the study programme.
• Interdisciplinary study skills (up to 10 points), e.g. study specific professional training or internships, periods abroad, awards such as scholarships etc.

Phase 3:
The selection committee then will rate in a competence-oriented way your subject-specific coursework and examinations from the bachelor programme. The committee will focus on the following subject groups:

1. Knowledge in mathematics and data analysis, experimental physics and chemistry (general chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytic chemistry)
2. Knowledge in human biology, animal and plant physiology, genetics, cell biology, microbiology, ecology, biochemistry, bioinformatics

In this phase, you can reach a total of 50 points.

The points you receive in assessment phase 2 (up to 25 points) and 3 (up to 50 points) are summed up. If you have received

• 55 points or more, you will directly get an official confirmation of the successful completion of the aptitude test.
• 35-54 points in total you will get an interview invitation.
• < 35 points in total, you will receive an official notice of rejection.

Step 2 of the aptitude test: Interview

In case of an interview, you will receive the date for your interview at least one week in advance. If you cannot visit us in Bayreuth, we will arrange an online interview. The interview lasts between 15 to 30 minutes and will be in English. Two of our committee members will interview you. Each interviewer will rate you individually (up to 25 points). You can achieve a maximum of 50 points. The content of the interview will focus on the following areas:

1. Motivation (up to 5 points), showing that you display a specific aptitude for the study programme such that a level of performance is to be expected that considerably exceeds the level of your Bachelor degree.
2. Subject-related aptitude (up to 10 points), showing that you are able to analyse basic legal and economic questions with reference to food quality and safety
3. Personal impression of the aptitude (up to 10 points); this impression arises from your ability to give adequate answers that are enriched by good arguments and meaningful examples.

The sum of the subject-specific coursework and examinations (up to 50 points) and the interview (up to 50 points) builds the overall score. You will get an official confirmation of the successful completion of the aptitude test if you have reached at least 60 points.