Leibniz University Hannover
Hannover, Germany
Leibniz University Hannover is a public research university in Hannover, Lower Saxony, offering over a dozen English-taught master's programmes in engineering, sciences, and humanities. Students pay no tuition — only a semester contribution — and non-EU applicants follow a structured application route with early deadlines and a uni-assist VPD.
Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) is a public university in Hannover, Lower Saxony, with faculties spanning engineering, natural sciences, humanities, law, and economics. It is actively internationalising, with an increasing number of degree programmes and study tracks that can be studied entirely in English.
LUH lists no tuition fee for international students — the only mandatory payment is the semester fee of €453.16 for the winter semester 2026/27, which includes the Deutschland semester ticket for nationwide public transport. A long-term study fee of €500 per semester applies only once the individual study credit is exceeded.
Non-EU applicants apply online via the LUH application portal after obtaining a preliminary examination documentation (VPD) from uni-assist; many master's programmes have early application deadlines for non-EU applicants, and applicants with Chinese, Indian, or Vietnamese degrees need an APS certificate.
The university offers the Lower Saxony Scholarship (Landesstipendium) for talented and first-generation students, and its International Office advises international students on funding and study organisation.
Why it suits South Asian students
- No tuition fee — only the semester contribution of €453.16 per semester
- English-taught master's programmes including Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, and Nanotechnology
- Structured non-EU application route: VPD via uni-assist, early deadlines, and APS guidance for Indian degrees
- Lower Saxony Scholarship and International Office support for international students
Full tuition detail (verified): Leibniz University Hannover lists no tuition fee for international students; the only mandatory payment is the semester fee, set at €453.16 for the winter semester 2026/27 — made up of Studentenwerk €130.00, Deutschlandsemesterticket €226.80, student body €15.80, bike workshops €1.11, administrative costs €75.00, Kulturticket €2.00, semester ticket default fund €2.20, and Literary Salon €0.25. A long-term study fee of €500 per semester applies only once the individual study credit is exceeded. Semester fees are re-determined each semester.
Applications are submitted online via the LUH application portal. Applicants from non-EU countries need a VPD (Vorprüfungsdokumentation) from uni-assist, which must be applied for at least 4–8 weeks before the LUH application deadline; refugees do not need a VPD. Applicants whose degree was obtained in China, India, or Vietnam must also obtain an APS certificate.
Deadlines for the winter semester: restricted programmes 1 June – 15 July, unrestricted enrolment 1 June – 30 September; for the summer semester: 1 December – 15 January. Many master's programmes set early deadlines for non-EU applicants: 15 April – 31 May for the winter semester and 15 October – 30 November for the summer semester.
For bachelor's programmes, international applicants must prove German B1 at application and C1 by registration; only a handful of postgraduate programmes require no German. English-taught programmes set their own English requirements — typically C1 level (IELTS 7.0 / TOEFL iBT 95) per the university's language certificate table.
Full English requirement detail (verified): IELTS Academic 7.0 (paper-based, digital, or online) is the university's listed proof of English proficiency at C1 level. Individual degree programmes set their own required level in their admission regulations, so the required score must be confirmed for the chosen programme.
Bachelor's programmes at LUH are German-taught. Confirmed English-language master's programmes include Computer Science (M.Sc.), Mathematics (M.Sc.), Physics (M.Sc.), Geosciences (M.Sc.), Nanotechnology (M.Sc.), Optical Technologies (M.Sc.), Quantum Engineering (M.Sc.), Architecture and Urban Design (M.Sc.), Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (M.Sc.), IT and IP Law (LL.M), North American Studies (M.A.), Philosophy of Science (M.A.), and Religion in the Public Sphere (M.A.).
English-language study tracks within German programmes include AI-driven Mechatronics and Robotics, Geomatics, Mechanical Engineering, Microelectronics Engineering, Navigation and Field Robotics, Remote Sensing and GIS, Renewable Energy and Electrical Power Engineering, and Territorial Development.
Language requirements are programme-specific; always confirm the required level in the admission regulations of the chosen programme.
LUH advises international students on scholarships through its International Office and financing pages. The main university-administered award is the Lower Saxony Scholarship (Landesstipendium Niedersachsen), open to students with outstanding grades, talented students from educationally underprivileged backgrounds, first-generation students, and students who fled their home country; the 2026 application period ran from 12 October to 1 November 2026.
The university also points students to DAAD scholarships for international students, PROMOS funding for study stays abroad (up to €550/month for up to six months), Foreign BAföG for eligible stays abroad, and education loans.
There is no legal entitlement to the Lower Saxony Scholarship, and deadlines are announced annually on the university website.