Application and Admission
If you would like to study at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bonn, we look forward to welcoming you! Before you can begin your studies, you must apply and enroll.
We have compiled some information about the application process.
Applications for a medical study place at the University of Bonn are exclusively handled through Hochschulstart.de. Please do not submit any documents directly to the University of Bonn.
In addition to the average grade of the university entrance qualification, two other criteria play a significant role in the allocation of study places in Human Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Bonn:
Firstly, the result of the TMS (test for medical degree programs) is an important factor in the allocation of study places. The TMS is administered by the TMS Coordination Office. Please note that the test is subject to a fee, may only be taken once, and is conducted simultaneously at various test centers across Germany. It is strongly recommended to register for and complete the TMS, as an excellent high school diploma result alone is usually not sufficient to secure a place in medical studies.
Secondly, a number of completed vocational trainings (plus one year of professional experience) are taken into account in the local admission procedure. The final catalog of eligible medical vocational trainings applies. Within your Hochschulstart application, you now have the option to apply not only for Medicine but also for Dentistry, Pharmacy, and other degree programs simultaneously. Furthermore, you can apply to an unlimited number of universities across Germany. During the application process, you prioritize your preferences. The applications are coordinated through the so-called dialog-oriented service procedure of Hochschulstart.de.
Regular high school graduates should apply for the first semester of medicine exclusively via Hochschulstart.de. Please do not send any application documents to the University of Bonn! At the University of Bonn, medical studies can only be started in the winter semester. At Hochschulstart, different deadlines apply for so-called “Alt-Abiturient*innen” and those who have just acquired their university entrance qualification.
If you wish to apply through the newly introduced doctor quota (Landarztquote) in North Rhine-Westphalia, this preliminary application process has an earlier deadline, which is expected to end in March.
General quotas in the allocation of study places:
Places of study in medical studies are allocated on the basis of several quotas. Firstly, a distinction is made between the preliminary quotas and the main quotas:
In the preliminary quotas (a total of 20% of study places), among others, international applicants from non-EU countries, students applying through the North Rhine-Westphalia rural doctor quota (Landarztquote), applicants from the German Armed Forces, second-degree applicants, and cases of exceptional hardship are considered.
The main quotas within the general selection procedure (a total of 80% of study places) include the best school-leaving grade quota (30%), the additional aptitude quota (10%), and the university selection procedure (60%).
All study places are allocated by Hochschulstart according to the selection criteria specific to each quota.
In the "best school-leaving grade quota" (Abiturbestenquote), the top 30% of study places are allocated based on the applicant's average grade from their university entrance qualification. Differences in grading systems across federal states are compensated across quotas using a percentile rank procedure and by establishing state-specific quotas.
The largest proportion of study places (60%) within the main quotas is allocated within the “university selection procedure” (AdH); the allocation is based on the selection criteria of the individual universities, which are defined within a statutory framework.
The last 10% of study places are allocated in the “Additional Aptitude Quota” (Zusätzliche Eingangsquote, ZEQ), in which only criteria independent of school grades may be applied; in this sub-quota, waiting times are also still taken into account to a limited extent during a transitional period (2020 and 2021).
The latter two sub-quotas (AdH and ZEQ) are described in more detail below for Bonn as a university location.
Within the University of Bonn’s selection procedure (AdH), the following criteria are taken into account:
- 60%: Grade from the university entrance qualification; state-specific ranking adjusted through a federal state compensation system
- 35%: Result of the Test for Medical Studies (TMS)
- 5%: Completed vocational training in a healthcare profession; only professions listed in Appendix 6 of the NRW University Place Allocation Regulation (StudienplatzVVO NRW) are considered. Up to and including the admission procedure for the winter semester 2021/2022, the completed vocational training in one of the professions listed in Appendix 6, subsection “Vocational Training and Employment in Human Medicine” or “Vocational Training and Employment in Dentistry” of the StudienplatzVVO must be followed by at least one year of relevant professional work experience.
The result of the Test for Medical Degree Programs (TMS) will be considered in the ZEQ for the Medicine degree program at the University of Bonn, starting with the winter semester 2020/21. In the transitional phase until 2022, the waiting time will be taken into account on a pro rata basis with decreasing percentage points.
The timing of admission and rejection notifications is determined by the schedule, which you can find on the Hochschulstart.de website.
If you receive a letter of admission and would like to accept the study place, you must enrol at the University of Bonn. You can find more information on the enrollment procedure at the Bonn Registrar's Office on the University of Bonn website. If you do not enrol at the Registrar's Office within the specified period, your offer will expire. You will receive further information with your admission letter.
After enrolling, you will find all information about the first preclinical phase of medical studies at the University of Bonn on the program management’s website for the preclinical phase. Shortly before the semester starts, you will automatically be informed by email about your planning group, so you will know which timetable applies to you. Registration for courses in the first semester only takes place after the introductory event, where you will be guided through the necessary initial (technical) steps. You are welcome to use the time before the start of the first semester to attend a chemistry preparatory course; however, this is not mandatory. Additionally, the Medical Student Council offers both a “Freshers’ Weekend” and a “Freshers’ Week” to facilitate getting to know one another.
If you wish to apply as a transfer student from another German or European university or as a lateral entrant for a higher semester in the medical program at the University of Bonn, you must submit the corresponding application to the Student Registrar’s Office of the University of Bonn within the deadline. For the summer semester, such an application is possible until March 15 for admission to the 2nd or 4th semester; for the winter semester, until September 15 for admission to the 3rd preclinical semester.
Please note that, due to the very limited number of available study places and a high volume of applications, the chances of success are traditionally extremely low.
We wish you every success and look forward to welcoming you!
Your Medical Faculty Dean’s Office at the University of Bonn
All information on applying for a higher semester can be found here.
You will need the following documents for your application:
- An officially certified copy of your university entrance qualification as well as an officially certified translation of this document in German, English, or French.
- Proof of German language proficiency (DSH2) - at the application stage, proficiency at the DSH1 level or an equivalent test is required; at enrollment, proficiency at the DSH2 level or equivalent is required.
The documents must be sent to the Student Registrar's Office of the University of Bonn. The application has to be submitted via hochschulstart.de.
International applicants who are considered equivalent to German applicants must undergo different application procedures than other international applicants.
All information concerning the application of equal international applicants can be found here.
If you would like to study a degree program (Bachelor | Staatsexamen) at the University of Bonn and come from a non-EU/EEA country, certain formal requirements must be met.
All information concerning the application process can be found here
If you are still a minor at the time of your application and/or enrollment for your studies, there are certain points you need to be aware of.
All information on commencing your studies as a minor can be found here.
Application, Admission and Enrollment
All information regarding application, admission and enrollment can also be found on the website of the University of Bonn.
Application guide
The application guide provides a step by step assistance for the application process