University of Passau

The University of Passau is a public university in Passau, Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers. Its official international page states that of its 10,000 students, more than 1,800 are international students from more than 100 countries, and that the International Office and the iStudi Coach organise orientation weeks for international students.

The university charges no tuition fees; students pay a semester fee, which for summer semester 2027 is €134, comprising €87 for the Student Services Association and €47 for a semester bus pass for buses in Passau. The university offers bachelor's programmes in English only in Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics; all other bachelor's programmes are taught in German.

Why the University of Passau suits South Asian students

• No tuition fees — only the semester fee (summer semester 2027: €134)
• English-taught master's programmes including Artificial Intelligence Engineering, Business Administration, Computer Science, Development Studies, Governance and Public Policy, Information Systems, International Economics and Business, International Education and Global Learning, and Mathematics
• APS certificate explicitly required for applicants who studied in China, India or Vietnam; HEC verification explicitly required for applicants who studied in Pakistan
• Medium-of-instruction proof accepted in place of an English test where the prior degree was 100% in English
• Deutschlandstipendium of €300 per month for particularly strong students, including students just starting out

Full tuition detail (verified): No tuition fees: the University of Passau states that there are no tuition fees, but students pay a semester fee at the start of each semester, on first enrolment and on each re-registration. For summer semester 2027 the semester fee is €134, of which €87 goes to the Student Services Association (Studierendenwerk), which operates the refectory, cafeterias and halls of residence, and €47 pays for the semester bus pass included with the CampusCard for buses in Passau. The fee may vary each semester.

Applicants with international qualifications usually apply via uni-assist. The application documents include a copy of the passport identity page, a chronological CV, certified copies of the university entrance qualification and transcripts (with certified German or English translations where needed), and programme-specific language proof.

Applicants who studied in China, India or Vietnam must upload an APS certificate by the application deadline. Applicants who studied in Pakistan must upload a verification of academic documents issued by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Uni-assist does not process an application until its handling fee has been received, and the fee must reach uni-assist before the deadline.

For the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics master's programmes (Artificial Intelligence Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics), the winter-semester application period is 1 April to 31 May via uni-assist (direct applications 15 April to 31 May) and the summer-semester period is 1 November to 15 December. Applicants in their final undergraduate semester may apply with the transcript available so far, submitting the final transcript by the first day of lectures and the degree certificate within 10 weeks after that. International applicants with a degree from abroad must also show German at level A1 CEFR, which may be submitted during the first year if not available at application.

Undergraduate application deadlines are 15 July for the winter semester and 15 January for the summer semester. A small number of master's programmes (including LL.M. German Law for Foreign Graduates and LL.M. Legal Informatics) apply directly through the Campus Portal rather than uni-assist.

Full English requirement detail (verified): No single university-wide IELTS score is published on the official pages read; requirements vary by programme. Verified example from the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics (M.Sc. Mathematics application FAQ): English at level B2 CEFR, shown by IELTS score 5.5, unless the prior degree or secondary education was completed exclusively in English (medium of instruction, 100% in English, stated on an official document). The English certificate must be provided at the time of application.

The university's official degree list confirms the following English-taught master's programmes: M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence Engineering (April and October), M.Sc. Business Administration (April and October), M.Sc. Computer Science (April and October, German and English), M.A. Development Studies (October), M.A. Governance and Public Policy (October), M.Sc. Information Systems (April and October), M.Sc. International Economics and Business (October), M.A. International Education and Global Learning (April), and M.Sc. Mathematics (April and October).

At bachelor's level, only B.Sc. Artificial Intelligence and B.Sc. Mathematics are taught in English; all other bachelor's programmes are taught in German. Master's programmes require a relevant first degree, and the university offers international double-degree options for some programmes.

The university's official scholarships page states that the University of Passau provides and administers numerous funding programmes. For international students it lists the Deutschlandstipendium, which supports particularly strong students — even students just starting out — with a monthly stipend of €300.

It also lists support for female bachelor's and master's students in STEM (MINT) subjects with potential for an academic career, and Oskar-Karl-Forster scholarships of up to €500 as a lump sum for learning materials for students in financial hardship (or thesis printing costs for doctoral candidates). The Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics FAQ adds that most scholarships are offered by external organisations, spots are highly contested, and students are required to find and apply for a suitable scholarship themselves, including via the DAAD scholarship database.