Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Who applies as an international applicant

Citizens of EU or EEA states, holders of a German Abitur or German university degree, and holders of a European Baccalaureate with an officially converted grade do not need to apply as international applicants. Everyone with a school or university certificate from abroad, German citizens included, first needs a certificate of recognition from JGU, which confirms the entrance qualification and converts grades into the JGU system. Recognition can be requested throughout the year; the usual documents are the school leaving certificate with transcript, the university entrance examination certificate where the country requires one, any university certificates with transcripts, a copy of the passport ID page and a curriculum vitae. Translations must come from an officially certified body.

Studienkolleg and assessment test

If the recognition certificate states that university admission follows only after the assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung), applicants prepare at the Studienkolleg of the ISSK, or take the external assessment test with proof of German at C1 level. The focus courses are the S/G course (languages, humanities, arts and social sciences), the M course (medical and biology-related programmes), the T/TI course (technology, mathematics and natural sciences) and the W/WW course (economics and social sciences). Studienkolleg and external assessment test applications run from mid-September to 15 November for courses starting in February, and from mid-March to 15 May for courses starting in August. An additional assessment test in another focus area is applied for from mid-December to 15 January or mid-June to 15 July.

Bachelor admission

Applications are made online through the JOGU-StINe portal. Non-selective Bachelor programmes accept applications from early December to 1 March (summer semester) and early June to 1 September (winter semester). Selective programmes (numerus clausus or aptitude test) have deadlines of 15 January and 15 July; for international applicants to selective single-subject programmes the winter semester period runs from mid-May to 15 July and the summer semester period from mid-November to 15 January, and up to two selective programmes may be applied for per semester. Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences are allocated nationwide via hochschulstart.de. Art applications go through the Mainz Academy of Fine Arts with a portfolio (30 April for the winter semester, 31 October for the summer semester), and Music through the Mainz School of Music. Each degree description lists its entry requirements.

German language

Most programmes require German at DSH-2 level, and the degree descriptions state any higher or lower level. The following are accepted as equivalent to DSH-2: the German Abitur, the Deutsches Sprachdiplom of the Kultusministerkonferenz Level II, the Goethe-Zertifikat C2 (Grosses Deutsches Sprachdiplom), TestDaF with at least TDN 4 in all four sections, the Studienkolleg assessment test in German, and telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule with the grade satisfactory or better. DSH-1 and telc Deutsch C1 without the Hochschule supplement are not accepted as DSH-2. Applicants without the certificate can apply with certain B2-level certificates and sit the DSH at JGU if admitted. The preparatory German language course at the ISSK takes two semesters from a B1 certificate or one semester from a B2 certificate and ends with the DSH; applications run from mid-May to 15 July and mid-November to 15 January. Some degree programmes taught in English or another language set their own language proof, as stated in the degree description.

Master admission

A Master's entrance qualification is generally a university degree, such as a Bachelor's degree, in the relevant field. Applicants who lack the final certificate by the deadline but have earned at least 135 credits apply with a transcript of records and current grade average; applicants with foreign degrees can obtain a provisional recognition certificate if the home university confirms completion by 31 March (summer semester) or 30 September (winter semester). The recognition certificate must show eligibility for Master's study, and it should be requested at least six weeks before the application deadline. Subject-specific requirements such as prior knowledge, language level or an aptitude test are set in each degree description, and the faculty checks them. Non-selective Master's programmes accept applications from early April to 1 September (winter semester); selective programmes and those with an aptitude test from early April to 15 May. For the summer semester 2027 the periods are 9 November to 4 December 2026 for selective programmes and 9 November 2026 to 1 March 2027 for non-selective ones.

Doctoral admission

Doctoral candidates not yet enrolled at JGU enrol, if possible, by the re-registration deadlines of 15 January or 15 July, and at the latest by the last business day before the start of the lecture period; admission to doctoral study can be requested at any time. Researchers and doctoral candidates coming to JGU for research are advised through the Welcome Center of the International Office.

Enrolment and visa

The letter of admission contains the bank details for the semester fee, which must be paid to accept the place. Enrolment requires proof of health insurance in Germany (EU citizens may use the European Health Insurance Card to obtain an exemption certificate), the semester fee payment, and for non-EU citizens a copy of the passport with visa, which can be submitted after enrolment. Most nationals need a visa applied for at the German mission at home, at least three months before arrival for exchange stays, followed by a residence permit after arrival and registration with the City of Mainz within 14 days.

• Gutenberg Campus, Mainz (Saarstrasse 21, 55122 Mainz): the main campus, where nearly all faculties, central institutions, the University Library, the Botanic Garden, the campus garden, student residences, day-care centres, sports facilities, cafes and canteens are located.
• University Medical Center, Mainz (Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz): Faculty 04, University Medicine.
• Germersheim campus (An der Hochschule 2, 76726 Germersheim, about 100 km upriver from Mainz): Faculty 06, Translation Studies, Linguistics and Cultural Studies, offering the Bachelor's and Master's in Translation.
• Trier Medical Campus (Medizincampus): a further site with its own semester contribution rate.

The University Library holds about 3.3 million printed media, 1.25 million e-books, 91,000 e-journals and 561 databases, with 3,489 workspaces. The Botanic Garden (Anselm-Franz-von-Bentzel-Weg) is open to members of the university and the public, and University Sports offers more than 70 courses. Student residences are managed by the Studierendenwerk Mainz, and about ten residences lie on campus, beside it and in the city.