Folkwang

Applying for a study place

The Folkwang University of the Arts offers you a wide range of subjects in the areas of Music, Theatre, Dance, Design and Academic Studies to choose from. An overview of all undergraduate and post-graduate study courses is available on the website of the study courses on offer.

Requirements

The basic entrance requirement for our artistic study courses consists of a university entrance qualification (or a first higher education degree) as well as evidence of artistic or study course-specific aptitude. As part of the application process, you must provide evidence of this by passing an aptitude test at our university. Details on the further entrance and language requirements for the individual study courses are available on the respective study course website under "Basic information

We charge an application fee for your application for all study courses – with the exception of the study courses offered by Faculty 4 (Design).

We have compiled for you an overview of application deadlines. The completed application documents must reach us at the university by the deadline in paper form – otherwise we will be unable to consider them. In this regard, the date we receive them is decisive – not the date of posting!

Processing of your application

The application process for a study place in an undergraduate or post-graduate study programme at the Folkwang University of the Arts consists of several steps:

1. Application to participate in the aptitude test

First of all, you must submit an application to participate in the aptitude test by completing the Folkwang online application form. An application PDF is produced for you from the information you enter. For applications to start in the summer semester the form is open from 1. September to the deadline on 15. November and to start in the winter semester the form is open from 16. November to the deadline on 15. March (or 31. May).

2. Timely & Complete delivery

A signed printout of the application PDF (see above) – together with all other documents required must have been received (by post) by the university by the application deadline. A list of the documents required in each case is available on the website of the respective study course under "Application".

Please particularly note that for applications sent from abroad, postal mail can take several weeks to reach us. If you have to submit a portfolio in paper form for a study course in Faculty 4 (Design), you may hand this in personally during the period specified.

In the event that you apply for more than one study course, you must include copies of the further documents required for each study course desired.

3. Confirmation of receipt

You will not receive confirmation of receipt (by email) until the documents have been checked by the Office of Student Affairs. If applicable, you will be notified of any missing documents required in the application. Any subsequent sending of missing documents is only possible within the application deadline!

4. Aptitude test(s)

The next step is the performance of the aptitude testing procedure. For most of the courses, this consists of several stages and includes various components. As a rule, you have to be personally present for at least one part of the test.
A few weeks (approx. 4-5) following the end of the application deadline, you will receive an email from the Office of Student Affairs containing your personal invitation to participate in the aptitude test.

5. Admission procedure

Following participation in the aptitude test, the Central Examinations Committee will decide on the awarding of study places based on the evaluations made by the subject-related aptitude test committees. This process can take a few weeks. Please refrain from making any enquiries in the meantime.

6. Notification of result

You then receive written notification of the result of your aptitude test by post – i.e. either the offer of a study course, a waiting list notification or a rejection of your application. Please refrain from making any enquiries in the meantime.

7. Accepting the study place

If you are offered a study place, you will be requested to accept (or refuse) the study place in writing and – in the former case – submit further documents required to prepare your enrolment within a specific period.

8. Enrolment

For the final step, you must come in person for the enrolment and – as necessary – submit further documents. Information on what documents these are is available on the Enrolment page. Enrolment takes place at the end of September (for starting the study in the winter semester beginning in October) and the end of March (for starting the study in the summer semester beginning in April).

Important: please note

Please refrain from making enquiries in the meantime concerning the receipt and processing status of your application.

_International applicants

International applicants undergo the same application procedure as applicants made by German nationals. The application shall directly ensue to the Folkwang University of the Arts. Please note that with regard to visa matters, we are only able to certify the current status of your application.

Further information is available on our website for international applicants.

_Timely receipt of application

Please refrain from making enquiries in the meantime concerning the receipt of your application.

If you want to make sure that we have received your application, then please either send your application by registered post, or alternatively, enclose an addressed postcard with sufficient postage, which we can return to you.

If you send your application from abroad, please note the long postal delivery times – sometimes even taking up to several weeks.

_Cooperation study courses

If you apply for the cooperation study courses Teacher Training or a B.A. in Musicology with an academic subject, then you must apply both to us and the cooperating university. Please send applications for the M.A. in Professional Media Creation only to the SAE Institute Bochum. For the Art and Design Studies cooperation study course, it is sufficient to send your application to one of the participating universities.

_Returning of application documents & portfolios

The application will not be returned after processing!

Portfolios submitted for study courses in Faculty 4 (Design) can be collected in person on completion of the procedure.

_Gregorian Chant Certificate study course

There is a separate application procedure for applications to the Gregorian Chant Certificate study course. Further information is available on the Study course website.

_Junior students, guest & visiting students

Different application and enrolment procedures apply to the taking up of a study place as a junior student and to the application for a guest student programme. Further information on this is available on the 'Admittance as a junior student' and 'Guest student programme' pages.

Depending on the type of visiting student programme, there is a supplemented or differing application or enrolment procedure. Further information on this is available from the Central Student Advisory Service.

Change of university, higher study semester & recognition

Students changing university and re-entrants undergo the same application procedure as applicants for the first study semester. An application for the recognition of examination performances achieved elsewhere – as well as an application for the upgrading of a study semester – can only be made after obtaining a study place and after enrolment.
Please note that the entitlement to major subject instruction provided for in the course study plan in the major and subsidiary artistic subject is accordingly reduced if you have already studied in a study course with the same major and subsidiary artistic subject or instrument(s). Further information is available on the Recognition of examination performances page.