FAQs

From the year 2022 onwards, our programme can be started exclusively in the winter semester (mid of October). The exact date will be in your admission letter.

The official start of the winter semester 2023/2024 is 1 October, 2023. Lectures will start on 16 October, 2023.

The programme will be taught in the newly founded Faculty of Life Sciences which is located in Kulmbach (around 25 km away from the main campus of the University of Bayreuth). Kulmbach is home not only to several internationally operating food companies, but also to the Max Rubner Institute, the Bavarian Control Authority for Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine, the State Technical College for Food Technology, the Competence Centre for Nutrition, and the Kulmbach Clinical Centre.

Information and updates on the current situation for students and staff of the University of Bayreuth can be found here.

There are no tuition fees for this study programme. However, in Germany, students at all higher education institutions must pay a semester contribution. This payment (at the University of Bayreuth about 110 EUR per semester) has nothing to do with tuition fees; rather, it covers your contributions to student services and the student government. At the University of Bayreuth, it includes a "semester ticket" that allows you to use public transport in the region and entitles you to eat at reduced prices at the university canteen.

An introductory presentation of the study programme and mini-lectures about typical study contents can be found here.

Before starting the degree programme: No pre-study internship is required for admission to the study programme. However, internships completed in the two years prior to your enrolment in the study programme can under certain conditions be recognized as the compulsory internship that you will have to complete during your studies (see below). It can therefore be a good idea to complete a relevant internship of at least two months before starting your studies. Moreover, if you already have relevant practical experience or additional qualifications specific to the study programme, you can submit evidence of this with your application. This will be taken into account in the aptitude procedure.

During the degree programme: A compulsory internship of at least 8 weeks is part of the curriculum of the study programme. The aim of the internship is to give you an insight into an area of your study programme that is relevant to your professional career. Internships can take place, for example, at public authorities, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, private companies and research institutions related to the topics of your study programme. Students are responsible to independently find and apply for a suitable internship place.

Please note that depending on the internship provider, German language skills at level B1 may be required.

All courses are taught exclusively in English. In addition to your knowledge of English (level C1), you must also prove your knowledge of German for daily life (level A1). If you have no knowledge of German at the time of your application, you have the option of turning this in by the end of the 2nd semester. Moreover, knowledge of German can be a real asset, especially if you would like to complete your compulsory internship in Germany (rather than abroad). German courses are offered at the University of Bayreuth’s Language Centre. More language courses in Bayreuth can be found through the IIK or the Volkshochschule.

Applicants should hold a Bachelor degree in nutrition or health sciences.

List of possible Bachelor study programmes (depending on their profile):

• (Food and) Health Sciences
• Nutrition Sciences
• Health Economics
• Nursing/Care
• Psychology
• Social Sciences
• Politics
• Medicine
• Public Health

Applicants must hold an official transcript of records (including subjects and grades) showing that they have completed at least 135 ECTS credits. If you can obtain a confirmation of your university that you have completed your coursework and are waiting for your certificate, you may also submit this as additional document. The Bachelor certificate has to be handed in at latest at the end of the first semester.

Applicants must hold an official transcript of records (including subjects and grades) showing that they have completed at least 135 ECTS credits.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to consider your application. The University of Bayreuth follows the recommendation of the German Central Office for Foreign Education which has found that 3-year bachelor's degrees from India are not formally equivalent to 3-year bachelor's degrees from Germany. Therefore, they recommend to only accept students with four years of higher education from India for German master's programmes. If you are very ambitious about our master's programme, we would recommend to wait one more year and use this time to do a Postgraduate Diploma or to successfully complete 1 year of master's studies in an accredited institution of higher education in India, ideally in a programme related to food and health sciences.

English skills must be proven at the level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Ideally, proof is provided by submitting a recognised language test:

• IELTS: 7.0 or better
• Cambridge: Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
• TOEFL: 95 or better

We also accept Internet based tests (such as iBT, BT Special Home Edition, IELTS Academic, IELTS Indicator and CAE computer-based test). The certificate has to be submitted together with your application documents by 15 June.

If your first study programme or your high school degree was completed in English, an official certificate/English proficiency letter from your university stating that English was the medium of instruction is also sufficient evidence.

For applicants with the German Abitur: The language level B2+/C1 or better is accepted as proof of your English language skills.

State in max. two pages the skills and expertise that qualify you for your study programme according to the following criteria:

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

There are no formal specifications such as font type or font size.

Yes, please use the following link: https://campusonline.uni-bayreuth.de/ubto/webnav.ini. A submission of printed (certified) copies by mail is not necessary.

Please write a short statement in which you confirm that you prepared your application and motivation letter without the help of others, and thoughts taken from external sources are marked as such.

We are sorry, but we can only accept applications through our online portal which is open from March 1 to June 15 (for a start in the winter semester).

In general, students from India, Vietnam, and mainland China are required to apply for the APS certificate. If your application for the APS certificate is successful, you will receive the certificate with which you can apply for a German student visa and for German universities. The APS certificate is valid for an unlimited period of time. Please note that the APS certificate is required for the document check by uni-assist. You can find further information about the APS certificate here.

Please note: This year, uni-assist will also consider applications from Indian applicants without an APS certificate and will issue a VPD document if all other requirements are met. However, the APS certificate must be presented to the university (Student Administration Office) at the latest at the time of enrolment. This only applies to an application for the winter semester 2023/24.

Applicants from outside the EU who have obtained their Bachelor degree abroad have to upload their application documents via uni-assist and undergo a fee-based special procedure.

You can find the relevant information about the document checking process here.

In the following cases, an application via uni-assist is not necessary:

• You have a German, EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship
• You are already enrolled as a student at the University of Bayreuth
• You already have obtained your entrance qualification for master's programmes (usually your first degree) at an accredited university in Germany

If you have acquired your higher education entrance qualification in a non-EU country, you must request a VPD via uni-assist. Since the admission criteria may vary from university to university, it is imperative that the higher education entrance qualification of each applicant be checked, regardless of whether he or she has already been enrolled at a German university.

Exception: A VDP is not required if you have already obtained your entrance qualification for master’s programmes (usually your first degree) at an accredited university in Germany.

Please request your VPD (preliminary review documentation) 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.

We are sorry, but we cannot do any pre-evaluation. Please check out carefully the entry requirements listed on our webpage as well as the assessment procedure. If you think, you fulfil all requirements and would like to be admitted to our programme, please submit all required documents exclusively through our online portal. E-mail attachments cannot be considered for evaluation.

A brief application guide can be found here. For all other technical problems (unusual error messages, page cannot be loaded, etc.) with CAMPUSonline, please contact the CM Help Team.

All documents except for the Bachelor certificate need to be submitted before the application deadline (June 15). In case you have not received your Bachelor certificate yet, you can submit an official transcript of records (including subjects and grades) showing that you have completed at least 135 ECTS credits.The Bachelor certificate/ the transcript of records can be uploaded latest by July 15.

Yes, our master's programmes are subject to limited admission.

After we receive your application, two members of our selection committee will rate it in a 2-step aptitude assessment process (step 1, evaluation of submitted application documents; step 2, interview).

You can find further information about the application process here.

We try to assess as many applications as possible already before the application deadline. Please understand that due to the large number of applications, the aptitude process might take a while. We therefore ask you to refrain from asking about the status of your application.​

If you are invited for interview, you will be informed by email. Interviews will start in May 2023.

Applicants from foreign countries do not have to travel to Kulmbach to participate in the interview. Instead, we will arrange an online interview (preferred) or a telephone interview. Please note that travel expenses such as travel costs, accommodation or food, which arise because of participation in the selection process, cannot be refunded.

Yes, it is possible to apply for both master's programmes. However, you must write a separate letter of motivation for each study programme in which you explain why you are applying for the respective programme.

It is not mandatory to submit the master's certificate. However, we strongly recommend enclosing it, as it represents a valuable piece of information for our selection committee and might prove the information about your master's study in your CV.​

Please open your CAMPUSonline account and accept the study place. After accepting the study place, you will find in the self-service portal the application for enrolment and a list of documents that need to be submitted for enrolment. Please note that students are subject to compulsory insurance in a German statutory health insurance. You can find more information about compulsory insurance here.

The enrolment deadline is 28 September, 2023 but we recommend to enrol as quickly as possible as you need access to the online services and classes before the start of the lectures (16 October, 2023).

We are sorry, but this is not possible. Please send all required documents by post to the address provided on the enrolment application form or drop your documents in the mailbox at the office door of the Student Administration Office (room 1.09, ZUV building, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth). Detailed information on the enrolment process can be found on the website of the student administration office.

Click here to find detailed information about visa requirements for your country and tips on applying for a visa.

Since all lectures will take place at our faculty in Kulmbach, we recommend to look for accommodation in Kulmbach. Further information can be found here.

Prices for accommodation, food and leisure activities are moderate compared to other German student cities. Nevertheless, prospective students should consider early on how they will finance their studies. Students in Germany spend an average of €850 on living expenses. Of course, these costs can vary considerably, depending on your lifestyle and the place of residence. The following information provides an initial overview of the costs that students in Kulmbach will definitely have to pay:

• Semester Fee: ca. €110/semester
• Health Insurance (if you do not have a European health insurance policy): ca. €105/month
• Licence Fee for Public Broadcasting (GEZ-Gebühr): €17.50/month
• Internet Access: ca. €20/month
• Groceries: starting at €150/month
• Furnished Accommodation (rent including utilities):
  • SWO student dorms: €200 - €300/month (depending on dorm and the type of room)
  • Private student dorms: €300 - €550/month
  • 1-room apartment: starting at €400/month
    
  • Room in a shared apartment: starting at €280/month
    

Click here to find further information about scholarships.