Are you looking for a list of uni-assist free study programs because you want to apply for a degree without uni-assist? Look no more! MyGermanUniversity is making sure that students can browse through their preferred study program options in the way they like: may it be with or without uni-assist (if you are looking for the full list of uni-assist universities, please check here).
Please keep in mind that this article is not meant to deter you from choosing your dream study program merely because of the applications being processed through uni-assist, but rather to inform you of the complete process and what it entails so that you can make an informed decision on the program of your choice.
Even though uni-assist is meant to facilitate the application process, many international students prefer to apply to degree programs where applications are processed directly through the university, without uni-assist. There are many reasons for this which we will explore below, but more easily put is that applying through the university eliminates a third party that the students need to work with to submit their application. There are benefits as well, but MyGU has found that generally, international students seek out programs that have a direct application through universities over uni-assist application procedures.
Why are some students looking to avoid uni-assist? Easily put, the uni-assist process requires additional time in which students need to gather specific documents and have them translated, etc. While this alone may not deter all students, the cost of each application that is submitted can, since the uni-assist process costs money.
For all detailed information about these points, please continue to read this article as we will break down the ins and outs of uni-assist for you. As an introduction, below are a few main points why students choose to avoid the uni-assist application procedure:
- It costs money (75 € for the first application and 30 € for every application thereafter).
- Students don't want to have to deal with another institution in addition to others which are required throughout the application process (university admissions office, German Federal Foreign Office for visas, health insurance, etc).
- The application process has not always been not user-friendly in the past (e.g. processing fees) - however, this has improved a lot thanks to a relaunch of uni-assist in 2019!
- Oftentimes applications that are processed via uni-assist have earlier deadlines since it takes time to process application documents.
And the pros? Here you can find good reasons why to apply through uni-assist!
So how can you avoid it? While many study programs, as well as top-ranked universities in Germany, use uni-assist to process their applications for international students, you can simply search only for programs that process their applications directly with the university. How is that possible?
MyGermanUnviersity's StudyFinder lets you apply filters so that you are looking for programs that are customized to fit your exact interests and needs. With over 1,500 uni-assist free study programs (taught in English!), you are bound to find the perfect fit for you!
What is uni-assist in Germany?
uni-assist is a tool which is used by universities to help them process international student applications. They also support international students who are interested in applying to German universities. Though universities evaluate student applications and ultimately decide on which students are admitted, uni-assist processes the application materials and facilitates the admission process. uni-assist does this by:
- Evaluating official certificates to determine whether they fulfill the criteria for studying in Germany.
- Converting grades (GPA) to the German grading system.
- Checking all admission requirements of your universities of choice.
- Registering all data and documents required for the university of your choice's admissions procedure.
- Informing students about the evaluation results.
Why is uni-assist relevant for me as an international student?
As an international student, you need to make sure you familiarize yourself with uni-assist as you may be applying to a university that handles their admissions for students abroad through uni-assist.
While you don't need to stay up studying for hours on end about the procedures, having a general idea of how uni-assist functions and how it can help you can be to your advantage on the hunt for your dream study program. Many universities use uni-assist to handle admissions for their degree programs.
While many specialized study programs such as executive master's programs use uni-assist, many regular degree programs also employ this tool to facilitate their admissions process for international students.
Geeky Stuff Box
Additionally, some universities have their application process directly with the university and just use uni-assist to verify the documents required to apply. Through this process, once students have documents verified by uni-assist, they receive a Vorprüfungsdokumentation (VPD) (don't let big German words scare you, in English, this translates to 'Pre-Review Documentation') which they then send, along with the application and required documents, directly to the university.
The VPD is a certificate used by uni-assist which students must submit directly to the university when they apply. Students must submit the VPD to the university before the application deadline expires.
The VPD contains information on which educational certificates you presented to uni-assist, which kind of university entrance is possible with these certificates, and how uni-assist rates your grade within the German system of grades. To clarify, even though students must have their documents verified by uni-assist in this case, the application is still done directly through the university.
How can I apply for a study program in a German University without uni-assist?
To apply for a degree program without uni-assist, it's pretty simple — just choose a study program that doesn't use uni-assist to process its applications! This seems a bit easier said than done.
However, you can filter out the universities that use uni-assist with our helpful StudyFinder by selecting the "only directly at university" filter under the "Application" tab, or click here to see the results for English language study programs that don't use uni-assist.
It may be the case that your preferred universities are using uni-assist and should this be the case, then no stress! While this process may add a bit more of work on your end as an applicant, ultimately this method is used to ease the processing of international student applications for universities and if you follow their simple steps here, you will be fine!
Are top universities among the non uni-assist universities?
Yes, there are! Many universities across Germany process international student applications without the help of uni-assist.
This includes top-ranked universities as well, e.g.
- *Freie Universität Berlin
- *Heidelberg University
- *Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- LMU - Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
- RWTH Aachen University
- *Technical University of Munich
- University of Bonn
- University of Freiburg
- University of Tübingen
*=Member of uni-assist, but processing some applications directly.
Our StudyFinder can help you with this too! By simply using the filters on the left-hand column, you can see all of the universities that do not use uni-assist and among them, you will find many top-ranked universities. Simply select "directly at university" under the "Application" column, or check the list at the bottom of this page to see which universities handle at least some applications without uni-assist.
Fees: Is uni-assist free?
As much as MyGermanUniversity can help in informing you about the many free English language study programs that Germany has to offer, one thing we cannot control is the cost of uni-assist.
To briefly answer the question above, no, uni-assist is not free. There is a marginal fee per application a student wishes to submit. A breakdown is below
How much do you have to pay for uni-assist?
- 1st Application: 75 € for your first desired course of study in an application semester.
- Additional Applications: Each additional desired course of study in the same semester costs 30 €.
The costs which uni-assist charge are to cover the processing of the applications for the universities. Since they take charge of verifying official documents and ensuring that students are meeting all admissions requirements, they charge this fee to cover processing costs.
Currently, there are no fee waivers or exemptions regarding the application fees, however, students with special circumstances or refugees are encouraged to contact their university program directly regarding the application process, read more about special programs for refugees from uni-assist here.
List of Universities in Germany that process their English-taught degree applications directly (without uni-assist)
Program Fees: € 0 - € 6,498
M.A. (Master of Arts)
M.Sc. (Master of Science)
Academy for Cultural Diplomacy
Program Fees: € 3,000
M.A. (Master of Arts)
Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg
Program Fees: € 0
M.A. (Master of Arts)
accadis Hochschule Bad Homburg - University of Applied Sciences
Program Fees: € 5,700 - € 8,400
M.A. (Master of Arts)
MBA (Master of Business Administration)
Program Fees: € 4,233
M.Sc. (Master of Science)
Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences
Program Fees: € 1,506
M.Ed. (Master of Education)
Albstadt-Sigmaringen University
Program Fees: € 0 - € 1,500
M.Sc. (Master of Science)
Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin
Program Fees: € 1,250 - € 2,640
M.A. (Master of Arts)
Program Fees: € 4,500 - € 5,190
B.A. (Bachelor of Arts)
M.A. (Master of Arts)
Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
Program Fees: € 0 - € 4,000
B.A. (Bachelor of Arts)
M.A. (Master of Arts)
M.Eng. (Master of Engineering)
M.Sc. (Master of Science)
MBA (Master of Business Administration)
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uni-assist provides a list with all member universities on their website but this information is not precise. Because universities may use uni-assist for select programs and have others in which students apply directly with the university, their list is not an accurate representation as a university may be listed on their page which has only one or two study programs that are processed through uni-assist.
