Admission Requirements

Application requirements

Academic requirements

To be successfully admitted to the program, you need to have a Bachelors degree in Geosciences or a related field. These are usually Geoscience- and/or Biology-related degrees (e.g. Earth Sciences, Biosciences, Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology), but students with other backgrounds have also been admitted to the program.

The outcome of this degree must be equivalent to or better than a German grade 2.5. You can find many conversion tools online, such as this one.

Much of the assumed knowledge of the program relates to topics within Geosciences. In case you come from a different field, e.g. Biology-related, your knowledge will be assessed during the admission interview. Please contact us via email if you have any queries related to your suitability for this program.

Language skills

The language of the program is English, therefore having good English language skills is a must. Unless you are a native speaker or have completed a previous degree through English, you are required to present certificate that you have at least B2 level CEFR (i.e. upper intermediate). More information on the comparability of internationally recognised language tests can be found on the main FAU webpage.

German language skills are not required for the successful completion of the Master’s program, although it can help make daily life easier. The university offers free language courses to students and there are many other opportunities to learn German throughout the city and online.

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Necessary documents

Before applying to the Master’s program, you will need to have access to the documents listed below. Please also see FAU’s central checklist for applying to any Master’s program at the university.

Translations of certain documents are necessary if they are not already in English, German or French.

Required documents

• University entrance qualification (i.e. school leaving certificate), issued by your secondary school if you have completed your secondary level education in Germany. International applicants will follow separate instructions, as outlined in our application guidance document.
• Transcript of records, issued by your university, and accompanied by translated version(s) if necessary.
• Degree certificate if available, and translated version(s) if necessary. In case that you are in your final year and have not yet completed your Bachelor’s, this document can be uploaded once it becomes available to you.
• Proof of proficiency in English (if applicable). Please see the step-by-step application guide for further details.
• German language exemption document. As the program is delivered through English and does not require any knowledge of German, we have prepared a simple exemption document, which you will find a link to in the step-by-step application guide.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (max. 2 pages, in English), outlining your qualifications and experience.
• Motivation letter (max. 700 words, in English) outlining your motivations for applying for this program and how it aligns with your career aspirations.

At the application stage, scanned or photocopied versions of these documents are acceptable. However, official physical copies will need to be produced upon enrolment before the beginning of the first semester. Failure to produce these documents may result in your enrolment being unsuccessful.

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Visa requirements (Non-EU applicants)

Students arriving from outside of the EU will require a visa to study in Germany. We recommend beginning your visa application as soon as possible. Many German embassies are currently experiencing long delays.