Studying without a high school diploma – this is how it works!

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Did you know that over 10,000 of the approximately 450,000 new students in Germany do not have a high school diploma and still study? Since 2009, the legislature has made it much easier for certain target groups to study without a high school diploma and created new opportunities for you to start studying in Germany without a high school diploma or university entrance qualification.

Since education policy is a matter for the states, the entry requirements vary in each federal state. Added to this is the large number of private study providers who compete with state universities with their offerings for new students without a high school diploma. Reason enough to take a closer look at the topic of “studying without a high school diploma” and give you the most important facts.

Rule number 1: Studying without a high school diploma is possible!

Since 2009, if you want to study at a German college or university, you do not necessarily have to have a high school diploma or a technical college entrance qualification. In every federal state you have the opportunity to start studying as someone who already has professional experience. However, you must meet a few conditions, which we will inform you about below:

1. Study without a high school diploma - with a master's examination or equivalent advanced training

If you have already passed a master's examination (or completed professional development training), you almost certainly already have the right to study without a high school diploma in almost all subjects! Bingo!

2. Studying without a high school diploma – professional experience that is related to the field of study

Another option for studying without a high school diploma is if you have vocational training and/without several years of professional experience that corresponds to your desired field of study. In some cases, you will still have to take an aptitude test for the desired field of study, but if you pass this test, nothing will stand in the way of studying.

3. Studying without a high school diploma – professional experience that is not related to the field of study

The third option - studying without a high school diploma and without professional experience or professional proximity to the desired field of study - is not the easiest form, but is still possible. Here you usually have to get your subject-specific university entrance qualification (through an exam).

In summary: It is possible to study without a high school diploma, but completed vocational training and several years of professional experience are usually required. Since the regulations are different in all federal states, we recommend an overview where you can easily select your desired federal state.

Since the university ultimately decides on the selection of incoming applications, it is advantageous to contact your desired university directly and ask them specifically what your chances are. You can find an overview of subjects, universities and their advisory services at hochschulkompass.de and at studienwahl.de .

Courses without a high school diploma

Since the admission requirements for studying without a high school diploma vary greatly from state to state, you should definitely seek study advice at your chosen university.

The federal states of Hamburg and Brandenburg currently have a particularly liberal attitude towards studying without a high school diploma. For example, you can study the following courses here without a high school diploma:

• Bachelor of Arts (BA) – European Business Administration
• Diplom-Kaufmann / Diplom-Kauffrau – European Business Administration
• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) – Business Law
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) – Logistics Management

In addition to the possibility of studying at a state university, there are also numerous private (distance) universities that allow you to study without a high school diploma, including the following two providers:

AKAD: largest private distance learning university association in Germany

Darmstadt Study Association (SGD)

Ultimately, the more professional experience you have for your desired subject at university, the higher your chances of getting a place at university. However, there are unfortunately limits: subjects such as medicine are only awarded to applicants with a high school diploma - the mouse won't bite a thread. However, if you are aiming to study business or the humanities, it is definitely worth further research in your federal state!

We were constantly told: A high school diploma is everything! We tried to get the best grades in order to get the ticket to study. But nowadays it is also possible to study without a high school diploma. How? You read that here.