University Entrance Qualification – Leibniz University Hannover

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Studying with a german Abitur
Studying without a german Abitur - with a German school leaving certificate
with the Fachhochschulreife
With a subject-specific university entrance qualification (Fachgebundener Hochschulreife)
With a university entrance examination (Hochschulzugangsprüfung)
With a vocational qualification (beruflicher Qualifikation)

A general university entrance qualification entitles you to study in all subject areas. It can be obtained at the following institutions:

Gymnasium (grammar school)
Technical Gymnasium (vocational high school)
Kolleg
Evening Gymnasium (evening school)
Vocational Upper Secondary School (if sufficient knowledge of a second foreign language is demonstrated)

Many people believe that you can only study at a university if you have a high school diploma (Abitur) and at a university of applied sciences if you have a technical college entrance qualification (Fachhochschulreife) – but that's not true! In Lower Saxony, there are various alternative routes to university.

Alternative routes to Leibniz University Hannover

If you do not have a german Abitur but would like to study at Leibniz University Hannover, there are several ways to obtain university entrance qualifications. The regulations are laid down in the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (Niedersächsisches Hochschulgesetz, (NHG, §18):

with the Fachhochschulreife

In Lower Saxony, the Fachhochschulreife entitles holders to study any course at a university of applied sciences. Studying at a university is only possible if the desired course matches the subject area of the Fachhochschulreife.

Fields of study for the Fachhochschulreife
Each Fachhochschulreife is assigned to a specific field of study:

If you obtained your Fachhochschulreife by completing the Fachoberschule (FOS), your field of study is determined by the focus of the FOS, e.g. technology, economics, social sciences and health, administration and law.

If you obtained your school-based Fachhochschulreife at a general secondary school, it is only considered complete once the practical part (e.g. through an apprenticeship or a one-year internship) has been completed. The content of this practical part determines the subject area of the Fachhochschulreife.

For teaching professions/a double bachelor's degree, the FHR must match the first subject (of a total of two subjects) at Leibniz University. Other universities may have different regulations and therefore allow different subject combinations.

In some cases, the subject area is not clear. In this case, the Registration Office at Leibniz University Hannover will check your university entrance qualification on a case-by-case basis.
Which degree programmes can I study at Leibniz University Hannover with a Fachhochschulreife?
There is no universal list that links all subject areas to specific degree programmes. However, the following overview provides some initial (non-exhaustive) guidance:

Technical subjects → for all engineering degree programmes, for Bachelor's and interdisciplinary Bachelor's degrees in physics and mathematics, as well as technical education

Field of study: Economics → for economics, industrial engineering, social sciences, political science

Field of study: Administration and law → for law

Field of study: Health or social services → for special needs education

Field of study: Design → for architecture, landscape architecture and environmental planning

Individual assessment by the Admissions Office

This list is not exhaustive and is updated regularly. If your desired degree programme is not listed, the Admissions Office at Leibniz University will work with the relevant faculty to assess the suitability of your qualifications.

Important: It is not possible to carry out a blanket assessment for all degree programmes. Therefore, please first consider which degree programme you would like to study and then submit an application for assessment of your university entrance qualifications.

With a subject-specific university entrance qualification (Fachgebundener Hochschulreife)

A subject-specific university entrance qualification entitles the holder to study the corresponding subject(s) at universities and (technical) colleges. In Lower Saxony, this qualification is usually obtained at a vocational upper secondary school.

With a university entrance examination (Hochschulzugangsprüfung)

Anyone who has completed at least two years of training and then worked in the profession for two years (or has a total of five years of professional experience) can take an examination to obtain a subject-specific university entrance qualification (see Information on the Immaturenprüfung/Z-Prüfung).

With a vocational qualification (beruflicher Qualifikation)

Regular professional training of at least 400 hours (master craftsman/woman, technician, business administrator, etc.) enables students to study in all subject areas.
Completion of at least three years of vocational training followed by at least three years of professional experience enables students to enrol in relevant degree programmes.