IU’s admission requirements depend on the study programme you are interested in. You must provide proof of English skills to study any of our courses, which are all taught in English. You can find the exact requirements listed on the page of each respective study programme.
Please visit the Learning on campus - Programmes page for more information on course fees. Please note that there is an additional €1500 campus registration fee that you will need to pay as an IU student learning on campus, on top of the tuition fees displayed.
IU offers a great mix of online self-study and in-person learning to offer you maximum flexibility in Germany. You will attend on-campus sessions 2-3 days a week and be able to ask questions and discuss with fellow students and lecturers in person. You will also work on projects in small groups to encourage collaboration and teamwork skills.
Relevant documents that are needed for admission to a Bachelor's or Master’s programme can be found on our website in the respective page of your desired study programme.
In general, you will need to provide the following before you start your studies:
Study contract signed (this will be made available for download at the end of your Online Application Form).
University entrance qualification (this can be an upper secondary school certificate or a Bachelor’s degree, depending on the programme)*.
Upper secondary school transcript of records (with courses and grades).
Proof of English proficiency (for detailed information, see next question of this section).
For certain Master or MBA programs: proof of work experience.
And the following needs to be provided within the first three months of your studies:
CV (in tabluar form)
National ID (with your photo)
Certified copies of your application documents – the originals and the translations*.
*The admissions documents must be provided in English or German, if they were not issued in one of these two languages, a translation is required.
IU works together with a translation agency called M21 Global. If you want to use their translation service, please submit your Online Application and your diploma for a first Admission review. Make sure to upload/send to us your translation consent form – available here.
If you translate your documents via M21 Global, there’s no need to provide a certified (sworn) copy of the translation, as this is done by them. You’ll only need to certify the original language version of your documents.
If you already have sworn translations of your application documents, you should mail us a certified paper copy (s) of the sworn translation (s) via post.
We have one international campus in Germany: Berlin. It is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that will help you succeed in your studies and connect with your peers and lecturers.
Check out the Berlin campus page for more information.
We offer a diverse range of study programs on-campus, including Bachelor's, Master's, and MBA degrees in Data & IT and Business & Management. Please visit the Learning on campus - Programmes page for a full list of available programmes.
Yes, all our study programmes are state-recognised and accredited by the German Council of Sciences and Humanities as well as the German Accreditation Council. For over 20 years, we’ve been a provider of quality-assured higher education to students from all around the world.
IU is also able to independently accredit new programmes in accordance with the legally defined quality standards. You can find more detailed information on the IU Accreditations & Rankings page.
IU is well-ranked among other universities around the world; we received a 5-star rating for Online Learning on QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the world's popular source for university ranking data. The quality of our programmes, faculty, and resources are regularly tested and evaluated against international quality standards.
96% of our students recommend us – that speaks for itself, and we are very proud of that. Through innovative teaching methods and practice-based curriculums, we prepare our students for a successful career start in Germany and anywhere around the globe.
IU has a large university network of partner institutions across the world.
All of the degree programmes we offer are planned and monitored under strict conditions and adhere to both German academic standards and international ones, in line with the principles of the Bologna Process. This ensures that our degrees and the ECTS credits are graduates earn are internationally recognised.
Some countries and professions might require additional accreditation processes. To assist you in such a case, we will be happy to issue a copy of the Europass Diploma Supplement, in English.
Anyone with a valid university entrance qualification to study in Germany can apply. Depending on the country you are from, you might also need a student visa*. Once you submit your application online at IU, you will be contacted by a Study Advisor who can provide you with details about your application needs.
*IU does not assist with visa applications; you will need to apply for one at the Embassy. Please note that requirements for the German student visa may differ among countries.
Simply fill out our online application form and we'll review your application within 72 hours.
Our Student Advisors will reach out to you over email with more details on the next steps of your application. Get an overview of the on-campus application and admission process here.
Applications are open all-year round, however for our degree programmes with on-campus learning, there are only 4 intakes per year: in January, April, July and October. You can indicate your desired starting date in your online application. Make sure to apply early so you can get any visas sorted out in time for your studies in Germany.
No, you will not need to have an interview. If you meet the admission requirements, you’ll be admitted to your desired programme.
But, if you have any questions and would like to speak to someone, you’re more than welcome to talk to one of our study advisors.
Once you’ve accepted your contract terms, your application process will automatically be done, and your studies can begin.
As for your enrolment process, which requires that you submit your documents - our admissions team will check your documents and get back to you as soon as possible. Please note that during periods of high volume of applications, this might take up to 1-2 weeks.
If you have any questions about the enrolment process, you can contact our study advisors.
Your approval of the contract lets us know that you formally acknowledge and accept our terms of service. For us to successfully register you to study at IU, the first step is for us to be sure that you know and understand what you’re signing up for.
Not at IU. Our programmes are taught 100% in English.
If your diploma has a digital signature, which can be verified online, we can accept it and you don’t have send us a certified copy via post.
You can also ask your university/school to send the diploma and transcripts directly from their official email address to our email address admission-online@iu.org.
Your application is complete as soon as your study contract and admission documents are uploaded and approved. The sooner our admissions team receives your application documents, the quicker your admission is reviewed.
IU allows you to submit your documents whenever you’re ready, but we strongly encourage you to finish this step as early as possible.
The APS certificate verifies the equivalence of your educational qualifications and is issued by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in collaboration with the German embassy. It is required for students from India, China and Vietnam for on-campus programmes at IU.
You can apply for an APS certificate on the APS India website. If you need more details, please contact our Study Advisory Team.
Here is an APS document checklist to help you get to grips with the process and ensure you have all of the documents required. This is specific to applicants from India. If you are applying from China or Vietnam, our Study Advisory Team will be happy to provide further details over e-mail or a phone call.
A completed application form with a passport-size photo
A copy of the verification fee receipt
A copy of the Aadhaar Card with the linked mobile number
A photocopy of the first and last page of your passport
Your school leaving certificate (including an overview of subjects and grades)
The grading system used by your higher secondary school
An overview of subjects and grades issued by your university (if you have completed your studies)
Your university diploma (if applicable)
A grading system specifying the minimum and maximum grades required for graduation from your university
A copy of a language certificate
An APS certificate (to be obtained through the APS application process)
There are no application fees, or fees for consultations. You’ll only pay the amount stated in your contract, unless you decide to extend your study period. Even then, you’ll only be paying your tuition fees, and nothing else.
Our tuition fees cover everything you need to study at IU, including access to our online study platform and app, your exams, access to our digital library and LinkedIn Learning courses, and career support services.
Only a one-time campus registration fee will be charged. For more details, visit our tuition fees page.
We accept credit card payments (through Flywire) and Bank Transfer on a monthly or yearly basis. For more information on the different payment methods we offer, please visit our tuition fees page.
We offer flexible payment options, please contact our student advisory team for more details.
Yes, you can change your payment method after you begin your studies. Simply contact our Students Office when you want to make the change.
Yes, IU offers a referral programme called "Bring A Friend." With this programme, you can play an instrumental role in supporting your friend's pursuit of a world-class education while enjoying some well-deserved rewards yourself.
To participate, a few conditions must be met: you must be currently enrolled and have completed at least one month of your studies. If you're not yet enrolled, don’t worry; you'll become eligible once you become a student. For further details about this programme, click here.
It's an excellent opportunity to share the benefits of IU with those close to you!
You can apply for a student visa at the German embassy or consulate in your home country.
For a detailed explanation of the application process and requirements, visit our how to get a visa guide.
You must have an official letter of acceptance from IU in order to apply for your student visa. Make sure to complete your IU application as soon as possible, so you can speed up your visa application process.
If you don’t get your visa on time for the start of your studies, you can push your start to the next available intake.
Yes! We will connect you to our trusted visa application partner, who will take care of the entire process for you – from start to finish, 100% free of charge.
To receive this service, you’ll need to be officially enrolled first – so it’s important that you pay your one-time on-campus fee as soon as your study contract and admission documents have been uploaded.
The sooner you finish the IU application process, the quicker you can begin the visa application process – and start your studies.
Located in the heart of Berlin, the IU campus has everything you need to succeed in your studies. Attend face-to-face lectures in our classrooms, study in our library, and find a quiet spot to concentrate on learning.
State-of-the-art study rooms with presentation media
Free Wi-Fi throughout the campus area
In-house library with places for online research
Check out our campus tour video to see what’s on offer in Berlin.
You'll need to attend tutorials on campus 2-3 days a week and attendance is mandatory. The exact days and times depend on your chosen campus location and study programme and will be communicated to you before the start of your studies.
For the rest of the week, you’ll enjoy the freedom of studying off-campus at your own time with our digital learning platform and tools.
Through our study model with campus learning in Germany, you'll get to interact with your lecturers in real-time, as well as socialise and collaborate with your peers through joint courses. Online, you’ll also have many opportunities for digital exchange through interactive video conferences or channels on various topics.
Yes, attendance in the on-site tutorials is mandatory for all students enrolled in our programmes with on-campus learning.
Yes, you can pause your studies for a semester if you’re planning to take a long trip abroad, or for any other personal reason.
Unfortunately, we cannot currently offer you a semester ticket. However, as a student, you must purchase the transportation ticket, per semester (Deutschlandsemesterticket), as well as the Student Association (Studierenwerke) card.
You’ll also benefit from many other student discounts: for Spotify, Amazon Prime, and plenty of other products and services – plus free access to LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Office 365.
Once your studies have begun, you can get in touch with our Students Office for help with any queries you might have, and they will point you in the right direction. Their contact details are on the myCampus platform; you will receive login details for this once you have submitted your application.
Yes! Our career office experts will help you by offering training, special career events and other career-related services.
Yes! Our career office experts will help you navigate the internship application process – so you’ll have a better chance of finding the right internship.
This is course dependent. As a student learning on campus at IU, you may have written assignments, oral exams, group assessments and exams. Some may be taken in-person at one of our 40+ examination centres across Europe.
Our exams take place several times a year, across 2 semesters. Each semester consists of two blocks of 11 weeks each: 9 weeks dedicated to studying and 2 weeks for taking your exams.
During the 9 weeks, you’ll take three courses parallelly. Once you meet the exam requirements of a given course (e.g. passing non-graded self-tests), you can register for an online exam at any time. Exam slots are available 24/7, 365 days a year. This ensures that your knowledge is fresh and that there is less exam stress at the end of the semester due to the distributed exam phases.
For more information, please reach out to our Study Advisors.
Our online exams are carried out and supervised by an external provider, with whom you’ll need to book a time slot in advance (at any time of day you would like).
To take your exam, you will need to connect to the provider’s platform at the scheduled time, with either your laptop and an external webcam, or two digital devices (iPad and smartphone, for example) - one with which you’ll take the exam, and one which is set up so your keyboard, hands and face are visible from the side. This is required in order to ensure that you take the exam without using any external help, such as contact with other people or using notes.
The duration is determined by the ECTS credits earned through the course:
A 5 ECTS credits course means the exam is 90 minutes long.
A 10 ECTS credits course means the exam is 180 minutes long.
The structure of the final exam depends on the course type and reflects the content of the course. In standard courses, the exam usually consists of approx. 50% open/ semi-open questions and 50% closed questions (e.g. multiple-choice, yes-no, matching questions). Other courses may require a different exam type such as case study, project-specific presentation, written assignment etc.
The results will be published three to six weeks (max.) after the examination date.
You have three attempts; in other words, each exam you fail can be repeated twice.
You can take your exams whenever you feel ready. The quizzes are only a tool for you to test your knowledge, so you can find out how ready you are to take the final exam in your course.
Whether you choose the picturesque, student centric Bad Honnef campus, or our metropolitan, lively Berlin campus, Germany has so much to offer students and people planning their career in the country. Your studies at IU will position you at the heart of the EU, home to some of the biggest names in STEM industries and a highly promising tech & IT sector, brimming with opportunities.
Yes, international students from outside the EU/EEA are allowed to work 120 full days or 240 half days per year in Germany. Since the in-person tutorials only take place 2-3 days a week, you can always plan to have free days for a student job on the side.
Unfortunately, we do not offer student accommodation in Berlin. However, our Admissions team will be happy to share some platforms where you can search for a room in one of the many shared flats across the city.
To be eligible for the 18-month post study visa, you will need to complete the last six months of your studies on campus in Germany. Therefore, if you earn a degree on campus at IU, you will be eligible for a post study visa. The post study visa gives you the opportunity to stay in Germany and look for a job corresponding to your field of study after graduation.
In addition to your tuition fees, you'll need to budget for living expenses such as accommodation, food, and health insurance.
You'll need also to show proof of financial means to support yourself during your stay. International students need to set aside a minimum of €992 per month for living expenses, so you must have at least €11,904 in your bank account before applying for a German student visa.
Do you have any questions?
Visit our FAQ page or get in touch with our Study Advisors.
