German as a Foreign Language

International guest students are recommended to take the German placement test in order to be allocated a suitable course. This does not apply to students who have already taken a course at the university during the semester or as part of the international summer and winter school.

International guest students with no previous knowledge of German do not have to take the German placement test and can attend the "German A1.1" course for beginners without course admission.

International guest students with previous knowledge of German should take the German placement test in order to be able to start at a higher level if applicable.

International students with a language certificate from level B2 can take part in a subsequent course (e.g. B2.2 or C1.1) without a placement test. 

The test is offered both online in a Zoom meeting and in person before the start of the semester. It consists of various texts in which matching words must be inserted.

The test can be taken on one of the three test dates either online (two dates) or in person (one date). A laptop with a camera is required for the online test. The test lasts a maximum of 90 minutes and must be taken independently and without any aids. You must register in advance using the registration form (see below or here).

After the test has been evaluated, participants will receive an e-mail with a course approval and recommendation. The results will be checked by a language lecturer in the first sessions. If there are major discrepancies between the test result and the actual language skills, the teacher will decide on a new assignment to the language level.

Link to the registration form (activated from August 19, 2024):

Dates:

• Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 2:00 p.m. - Room: CN 0003
• Online: Friday, August 30, 2024, 10:00 a.m. and Friday, September 13, 2:00 p.m.

Registration:

• International (guest) students register via the registration form (activated from August 19, 2024).
• Guest auditors should register by email with Mr. Arnaud Fischer. They will be informed about the dates of the placement test seperatly.

Duration: 15 - 90 minutes depending on language level

The Center for International Students (CIS) offers German courses from level A1.1 to C1.2, which primarily promote general language acquisition. The courses are offered in the summer and winter semester and during the International Summer Language School. German as a language of science is integrated into German courses C1.1 and C1.2 and is deepened and practiced in the German course "Wissenschaftssprache C1/C2" in particular.

The Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences (WiSo) offers subject-specific German modules from level B1.1 with a focus on "Business German". All German courses are listed under "Languages" in the course catalog.

The German courses are aimed at international (guest) students and guest auditors from all faculties and degree programs at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.

You can find the courses at our course catalogue listed under the Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences > Sprachen > Deutsch or a linked PDF German course offer list here.

Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences welcomes refugees and offers them intensive German language courses and study preparation classes. In Addition, refugees can participate in the university's Semester courses. For more information, please have a look at our website for refugees.

Our semester courses are accompanied by student tutors who support the participants in their learning process. In small learning groups (4 to 5 persons max.) students can repeat course content, get additional language practice, and prepare homework and oral presentations.

And of course, the tutorials are a great place to make contact with German and international students, to learn together, and hopefully to enjoy yourselves.

At the beginning of each semester, the Center for International Students looks for committed language tutors. If you would like to support international fellow students who learn German, please contact Mrs. Beate Buczkowski (b.buczkowski@hs-osnabrueck.de).

In cooperation with the University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences offers STUDYPREP OS, a program that aims at helping refugees make the transition from their home countries and educational systems to studying in Germany. 

The International Summer and Winter Language School comprises two intensive language courses of several weeks before the beginning of the semester. It is thus an ideal preparation for visiting students to prepare for studying at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and living in Germany.

The course comprises 90 hours of German language instruction in the summer and 60 in winter, and is offered at all levels from A1 to C1.

The language classes are complemented with a diversified cultural program including company visits. Further information can be found on our website.

As a licensed telc Partner and telc University Competence Center, we offer telc examinations to the general public. telc examinations can be done at different levels and we make sure that you receive your results quickly. For information on telc examinations, please have a look at the telc website. Please note that for unversity admission, you need to pass the exam telc C1 凤凰体育.

If you apply with foreign credentials, you need to prove your study aptitude in German language. In almost all study programs, we require international applicants to have completed the C1 Level (CEF) and to be able to prove this with a standardized certificate. Here, you can find a list of all language certificates that we recognize for admission in the respective study programs.