Questions and answers about the application process

The admissions criteria at ZU are not based on any Numerus Clausus (NC, limitation of places according to grades). Instead, we have established our own selection process. This enables us to find students who – besides meeting the required, objective level of academic performance – wish to develop their faculties as individuals and are a good fit for our university thanks to their keen interest in the worlds of economics, culture and politics.

In addition, as a state-accredited university, our admission requirements are bound by the legal conditions of the Federal German State of Baden-Württemberg (Landeshochschulgesetz [German State Higher-Education Act]).

Admissions criteria for bachelor’s degrees

• In order to be admitted to one of our bachelor’s study programs, you will need the general or subject-related higher-education entrance qualification or an equivalent certificate (in economics or social studies-related fields) or an equivalent certificate from a state-accredited school within Germany or abroad.

• In order to be able to complete your studies at an academic level, you will need very good German and English language skills. Applicants who do not have German as a native language will need to provide evidence of their knowledge of German (Level C1).

• In addition to the above, you will need to have completed an internship required for enrollment before starting your studies. However, you do not have to provide proof of this at the time of your application. You have until the end of the second semester to do so. For further information on the internship required for enrollment, see www.zu.de/vorpraktikum.

• Along with the criteria mentioned above, you must also have successfully taken part in the Zeppelin University selection process.

You can find detailed information on the bachelor’s admission criteria here.

Admission criteria for master’s degree

• In order to be admitted to one of our master’s study programs, you will need the higher-education entrance qualification or an equivalent certificate from a state-accredited institution within Germany or abroad.
• You must also hold an undergraduate degree from a state accredited university or an equivalent certificate (in Germany or abroad).
• In order to be able to complete your studies at an academic level, you will need very good German and English language skills, at least Level C1. Applicants who do not have German as a native language will need to provide evidence of their knowledge of German (Level C1).
• Along with the above criteria, you will also have to have successfully taken part in the Zeppelin University selection process.
  

NOTE: Students with an undergraduate degree in a different discipline can also apply for the master’s programs Pioneering in Arts, Media & the Creative Industries, as well as Politics, Administration & International Relations.
The admissions requirement for a master’s degree in Corporate Management & Economics is a successfully completed bachelor study program in management and economics, as these courses are designed as a consecutive management and economics program. For those with interests in other subjects, the master’s degree in General Management offers a management and economics program with activities focusing on the foundations and methods of economics. In cases of doubt, we would be happy to offer you a review of your bachelor’s transcript to help clarify your available options.

Our programs International Relations & Global Politics | IRGP and Corporate Management & Economics | CME are English-only programs. Very good English language skills are required (no proof necessary). German language skills are desirable, but not a mandatory admission requirement.

Admission criteria for a one-year master’s degree

• Applicants with an undergraduate degree in a different subject unfortunately cannot be considered for the one-year master’s qualifications.
• For a one-year master’s study program in Corporate Management & Economics, you will need an undergraduate degree in management and economics with at least 240 ECTS points.  
• For a one-year master’s degree in Pioneering in Arts, Media & the Creative Industries, you will will need an undergraduate degree with a communication, cultural, humanities, social studies or media studies focus with at least 240 ECTS points. 
• For the one-year master’s study program in Politics, Administration & International Relations, you will need an undergraduate degree in politics or administrative sciences with at least 240 ECTS points.
  

You can find detailed information on the master’s admission criteria here.

You can find an overview of the formal ways to gain access to higher education here.

For the two-year master’s study programs you will need an undergraduate degree with at least 180 ECTS points. For the one-year master’s study program you will need a subject-specific degree with at least 240 ECTS points.

The internship required for enrollment is an essential precondition for admission and must last for a period of at least six weeks and be full-time. Your internship can also be part-time, thereby making it correspondingly longer. You can also combine several internships (e.g., two three-week internships); however, these must all be based in the same institution.

The following will not be accepted:

• Activities in conjunction with school attendance (student administration, party organization, field-trip organization, etc.)
• A combination of several short internships
• Internships in businesses owned by parents
• Vacation jobs that do not involve taking on social responsibility

Apart from the above restrictions, the type of work can be freely chosen. We are looking for activities in not-for-profit areas of work, such as social fields, the arts and culture, politics, administration, work in associations and lobbying, and a Voluntary Ecological, Cultural, Political or Social Year.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants for the bachelor’s study program Corporate Management & Economics must carry out their internship required for enrollment in a social, charity or ecological field. The possible fields of employment are varied and include social care (care of the elderly, working with young people, refugee support, aiding the homeless, drug advice offices, etc.), development cooperation (Weltwärts, United Nations Volunteers, etc.) as well as environmental protection activities (soil and water protection, woodland and wetlands care, etc.).

For further information on the required pre-internship, please visit www.zu.de/vorpraktikum.

If it is not possible for you to complete the internship required for enrollment before the start of your studies, you have the option of completing it by the end of the second semester.

Yes, you may defer the start one single time. To do so, we require the original contract signed by you, with an informal letter, stating the semester in which you want to start. Depending on the capacity at that time, you may start at a later semester.

ZU permits students to be enrolled at two universities at the same time for an unlimited period of time.

The Diplôme du Baccalauréat International (IB) is recognized by us as a higher education entrance qualification if it meets with the provisions of the Conference of Ministers for Education and Cultural Affairs. In addition, a corresponding certification issued by the IBO in Geneva/Switzerland and listing examination subjects and grades must be submitted.

The provisions of the of the Conference of Ministers for Education and Cultural Affairs include the following criteria:

The following subjects designated according to the terminology of the IB must be included among the six examination subjects:

• two languages at Level A or B (at least one of these being an advanced foreign language as “Language A” or “Language B HL”),
• a science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics),
• Mathematics (Mathematical Methods or Mathematics HL or Further Mathematics in combination with Mathematics HL)
• a social studies related subject (History, Geography, Economics).
• Evidence taken from one of the following disciplines/subjects: Art/Design (known since May 2000 as Visual Arts), Music, Theatre Arts (known as Theatre since the 2009 examination), Film, Literature and Performance; a further modern language, Latin, Classical Greek; General Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Environmental Systems (known since the 2010 examination as Environmental Systems and Societies), Computer Science, Design Technology; Philosophy, Psychology, Social Anthropology, Business and Organization (known since May 2000 as Business and Management).

The six subjects required must have been awarded at least IB Grade 4.

We have collected further detailed criteria for you here. You are also very welcome to send a certificate scan admissions@zu.de, allowing us to check in advance whether your final qualification meets the prerequisites of the Conference of Ministers for Education and Cultural Affairs.

Additional information: If other certificates from abroad are submitted, we also required a confirmation and translation from a German accreditation center (for example, the Certificate Accreditation Office in Stuttgart).

Along with the General Higher-Education Entrance qualification, you can also apply for the bachelor’s degree at Zeppelin University with the Subject-Related Higher-Education Entrance qualification for the corresponding discipline (economics and social studies).
Application after gaining a Subject-Related Higher-Education Entrance qualification is only possible with an additional qualification (Delta Qualification).

A course of study is also possible with a higher value vocational qualification, such as a qualification as a Master or Business Administrator. This requires a separate examination. Please send the documents regarding the above to dmssnszd.

Do you need some more help? Please phone our advice hotline on +49 (0)7541 / 6009-2000 or send us an email.

You can apply up to three semesters in advance. If you are in the process of acquiring your qualifying certificates, you can still apply now. Simply submit all your current half-yearly reports for the senior classes or your current Transcript of Records. Your final qualification certificates must subsequently be handed in at the time of enrollment.

Please note that, after successfully completing the selection process, you will typically have two weeks in which to accept and return our contractual offer of a place.

In principle you can only apply for a single study program per semester. It is not possible to make a parallel application for two courses of study.

Zeppelin University offers 10 selection days per year to earn admission. You will receive notification about the committee’s decision the day after the selection event. The earlier you participate, the earlier you can secure your place. You may apply up to 3 semesters in advance.

You can only apply once per semester. In the event of a rejection, you can reapply for the following start-of-studies date, as long as you meet the admission requirements.

A schedule of our selection days and the academic calendar here. Our fall and spring semester times are based on the international calendar to ensure a seamless transition to semesters abroad and postgraduate studies.

Your personal participation in "Pioneers Wanted!" is a crucial part of our application process. ZU affords this elaborate procedure because we want to get to know you personally and not simply judge you according to school grades or test results.

For each semester start, there are selection days that take place on site as well as digital selection days that you can also attend from abroad. When applying, just look for the words "on site", or "digital" next to the selection days offered.

In a first step, the selection process consists of a written application that you submit via our online portal. Once you submitted your application, your documents and degrees will be evaluated. If the evaluation ends with a positive vote, you will receive an invitation to Selection day.

| All details for the selection days can be found described here .

Zeppelin University grants scholarships every year. The scholarships are endowed by partners and sponsors of the University and are firmly linked to a course of studies at ZU. The University also cooperates with all thirteen of the Begabtenförderungswerke (organizations for intellectual excellence) of the Federal Republic of Germany.

You can apply for these scholarships solely as part of the online application process, i.e. before the start of your studies.

Scholarships for those starting their studies in our bachelor’s and master’s programs

• ZU scholarships
• ZU scholarships for high school graduates in Friedrichshafen
  

Applications for a scholarship can only be submitted as part of the broader application for a study place, i.e. before the start of the respective study programs. To apply, use the upload box in the online form to create a letter of motivation for the scholarship in question. On the selection day, the selection commission will decide on your admission to the study programs; the commission will also make recommendations regarding the award of a scholarship. If successful, a few days later you will receive an update about the outcome of your scholarship application together with your contractual offer of a study place.

The granting of ZU scholarships takes place exclusively as part of the selection process, i.e. before the start of the corresponding study program. As part of their online application, applicants can apply only for one scholarship. Once you have sent off your online application or taken part successfully in one of our selection days, it will no longer be possible to reapply for a ZU scholarship or a Häfler scholarship.

NOTE: Students who have held a scholarship from the Begabtenförderungswerke (organizations for intellectual excellence) will be granted a reduction, currently 25 percent, in the course fees for their master’s degree studies at Zeppelin University.

Applicants who have obtained their bachelor’s degree at ZU will – if their application is successful – be granted a reduction of 50 percent in the course fees for their master’s degree (standard study period).

KfW

The KfW student loan will support you during your studies with a minimum of 100 euros and a maximum of 650 euros per month – without collateral and regardless of your income/assets. Interested applicants can obtain detailed financial advice plus information and documents for application directly from online.

Sparkasse Herford

The Sparkasse Herford will assist students during their studies and career entry with fixed rates of interest in the payment and repayment phases. Detailed financial advice is available directly from the Sparkasse Herford.

ZU Education Fund ( ZU Bildungsfonds)

The ZU Education Fund is based on an innovative higher-education funding model, whereby you pay no study fees or interest during your studies. You only begin making repayments when you start employment, based on your income. The repayment time for a full-time course of study is a maximum of ten years. You will pay between five and ten percent of your gross income. Repayment is only due once a certain minimum income is reached. In addition, there are maximum limits on the repayment amounts.ist ein innovatives Modell der Studienfinanzierung, bei dem Sie während Ihres Studiums weder Studiengebühren noch Zinsen zahlen. Erst bei Berufseintritt zahlen Sie die Studiengebühren einkommensabhängig zurück. Die Rückzahlungsphase umfasst bei einem Vollzeitstudium maximal zehn Jahre. Dabei zahlen Sie zwischen fünf und zehn Prozent Ihres Bruttoeinkommens. Rückzahlungen sind erst ab einem bestimmten Mindesteinkommen fällig. Darüber hinaus gelten Höchstgrenzen für die Höhe der Rückzahlung.

You can find more information about the available financing options here.

The granting of ZU scholarships is performed mainly as part of the selection process, i.e. before the start of the study program. During your studies, there is an option to apply for the Deutschlandstipendium (German national scholarship), the foundation study places or various project scholarships.

The ZU scholarship recognizes a number of criteria that can be relevant for the application. You can view the specific set of criteria here . Basically, the scholarship is open to applicants with outstanding academic performance as well as to applicants who fulfill one or more of the listed criteria.

Bachelor students at ZU can, under certain circumstances, change their study program up until the end of the second semester – in other words, until the end of the Zeppelin year. There is however no automatic right to such a change.

Prerequisites:

• The study program into which you want to change must still have free spaces available
• Your wish to change must have reasons that are substantiated academically and with regard to your subject
• Good grade average in the first semester
• There may also be other entry requirements that are specific to the chosen study program

We are in principle willing to take into account the results of studies completed at other accredited universities, as long as these correspond to the individual modules stipulated in our study regulations. This must however be checked in individual cases and is dependent on the module descriptions and the ECTS number (workload). If this is the case, simply get in touch with us at dmssnszd.

The proportion of English-language seminars varies according to the study program and semester. As a rule, between 20 and 35 percent of our bachelor’s seminars are currently held in English, as well as 30 to 50 percent of our master’s seminars. In addition, many of our lecturers work with English-language texts.

All of our bachelor and master programs are full time. Due to the ECTS points that need to be achieved each semester, the programs are not designed as part-time courses. If desired, students may pursue a part-time job (work as a student, assistant in various departments, etc.) In addition to the regular studying programs, ZU also offers a variety of on-the-job master programs.

Usually, 30 ECTS points are required per semester at ZU in order to complete the program in the standard period of study. The rule of thumb is to spend 25-30 hrs. for one ECTS point. That would make a total of 750 - 900 working hours per semester. 5 courses per week typically lead to 30 ECTS points.

The maximum capacity is 35 students per program per semester to keep the classes rather small. Some seminars may be slightly larger, such as statistics lectures. However, in most courses a maximum of 35 students are in the classroom.

At the beginning of each course, a Learning Agreement is established between the lecturer and the students. Following formats are possible: Exams (written exams), End-term (term papers, essays, miscellaneous), Mid-term (homework, papers, presentations, and written exams throughout the semester), oral exams, take-home exams, final module exams in combination with end-term or written exams.

You can view the complete course catalog on our homepage here .

Yes, you may do 2 semesters at one of our partner universities. The international office establishes a Learning Agreement with the student to ensure the transfer of credits. Multidisciplinary modules and selected topics facilitate the recognition of credits.

During our two-year Master's, it is possible to spend a semester abroad in the third semester. It is necessary to plan the stay abroad with the International Office during the first semester.

In our 4-year bachelor program, it is recommended to go abroad between the 5th and the 7th semester. The 2-year master offers the 3rd semester to go abroad.

You can view our partner universities here .

For studying at our partner universities, tuition is payable exclusively to ZU in order to ensure credit transfer from abroad. Usually there are no additional tuition fees.

Zeppelin University is located in one of the most scenic areas in Germany and has a campus directly at the beach of Lake Constance. Embedded in a country-triangle with Austria and Switzerland sports enthusiasts will find an almost endless offer of activities. Attractive larger cities are in close proximity as well.

Whether you are interested in the services of the library, various possibilities in university sports, student initiatives or useful information for starting your studies in in Friedrichshafen – you can find all around studying at ZU in Friedrichshafen here on our homepage.