Application for the 1st semester

Take your time: You can apply for the main quotas for medicine and dentistry simultaneously via the dialogue-oriented service procedure (DoSV) at any university via the Foundation for University Admissions. Take your time to apply and read the instructions at hochschulstart.de carefully. Formal errors can lead to your application not being considered. In particular, make sure that you prioritise your chosen subjects and locations according to your preferences! You will then automatically take part in all three main quotas.

Take the TMS: Be sure to take the TMS - even if you have a very good A-level average! With a good result, you can significantly improve your chances of getting a place at university. Even an "A" grade is no guarantee of a place at university without a TMS!

Prioritisation: Even if you are free to prioritise your degree programme or location when applying, the last allocation procedures have shown the following: If you want to study medicine or dentistry in Heidelberg and Mannheim, then only (internal) prioritisation to number 1 usually led to admission in the coordination phase. Also consider whether you might prioritise Mannheim over Heidelberg (depending on your chances of admission).

Decision-making aid: Find out in advance about the selection criteria of different faculties and then decide which university suits you best (e.g. with the MediRanger). To improve your chances, you should choose faculties with selection criteria that best match your profile (Abitur grade, TMS result, etc.).

Orientation test: Proof of participation in a study orientation procedure is a prerequisite for admission. Proof must be presented at the time of enrolment.

Dentistryand human medicine: The dentistry curriculum in Heidelberg is strongly customised to the requirements of dentistry and geared towards the profession of dentist. In the pre-clinical subjects of medicine (especially anatomy, biochemistry/molecular medicine and physiology), dental and medical students will receive specific certificates of achievement. This means that you cannot simply switch subjects here.

Swapping in the first semester: Swapping is not permitted in the first semester at Heidelberg University. It is also not possible to switch from dentistry to medicine due to the curriculum. Decide in advance which degree programme you would like to study at which location.

Timetable: by when you have to apply at hochschulstart.de and when the notifications will be sent

Studying without an Abitur: You can also obtain a university entrance qualification without an Abitur (e.g. through training and work experience).

EU foreigners are on an equal footing with German applicants and apply via hochschulstart.de. You can find out whether you have the same status as German applicants here.

Non-EU foreigners: these are selected in a separate preliminary quota and apply directly to Heidelberg University (Department of International Relations) via the online portal for prospective international students.

Proof of language proficiency: International applicants must provide proof of sufficient Germanlanguage skills at the time of enrolment (not at the time of application).

Recognition of foreign certificates: The anabin database provides information on the assessment of foreign educational certificates and thus helps to categorise a foreign qualification in the German education system. For example, for Germans and EU foreigners without a German university entrance qualification.

Second degree applicants: Advance quota for all those who have already completed a degree programme in Germany.

Hardship applications: are only processed by Hochschulstart, the university has no influence on these.

Lottery procedure: If not all study places are allocated at the end of the procedure, the remaining places are drawn by lot.

Nursing internship: this is not relevant for the application/admission, but as it is required for the medical degree programme, it is possible to complete this before starting the degree programme.

Enrolment: Everything that is important for enrolment.

Scholarship: Over 200 scholarship programmes for medical students have been compiled here.

Semester fees: This is how much it costs to study at Heidelberg University.

Studentenwerk: The housing market in Heidelberg is not easy, especially at the beginning of the semester. Have an early look around here too.