University of Ulm

The University of Ulm (Universität Ulm) is a public university in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, with strengths in medicine, natural sciences, mathematics, engineering and computer science. Most study programmes are German-taught, but a growing number of master's programmes are taught in English.

Students who are not EU or EEA nationals and who come from abroad to study in Ulm pay a tuition fee of €1,500 per semester (€3,000 per year, €6,000 for a two-year master's programme), with exceptions for students who completed schooling in Germany (Abitur) or already hold a permanent residence permit in Germany. All students also pay semester fees.

Why the University of Ulm suits South Asian students

• English-taught master's programmes including Biology, Biophysics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Cognitive Systems, Communication and Information Technology, Energy Science and Technology, Finance, Mathematical Data Science, Molecular Medicine, Molecular and Translational Neuroscience, Physics and Quantum Engineering
• Clear APS rule for Molecular Medicine: an APS certificate or confirmation is required for degrees from China, India or Vietnam
• English-test waiver where the bachelor's degree was taught exclusively in English (Molecular Medicine)
• Living expenses of about €950-€1,000 per month, with Studierendenwerk rooms of €304-€477 per month
• Deutschlandstipendium available once studying in Ulm, plus DAAD funding routes

Full tuition detail (verified): Non-EU/EEA students who come from abroad to study in Ulm pay a tuition fee of €1,500 per semester, i.e. €3,000 per year or €6,000 for an entire two-year master's programme completed within the envisaged two years. Exceptions include students who completed schooling in Germany (Abitur) or who already have a permanent residence permit in Germany. In addition, semester fees apply: the official living-expenses page lists for winter semester 2026/27 a student services fee of €92.00, an administration fee of €80.00 and a fee for the constituted student body of €20.00 per semester (total €192). Some programmes charge different fees (for example, the Master Online Advanced Oncology programme charges €4,875 per semester plus an administrative fee). Living expenses are about €950-€1,000 per month, including Studierendenwerk rooms of €304-€477 per month (plus a €20 processing fee and €600 deposit), health insurance of about €125-€150 per month, mensa meals of €3.20-€5.60, study materials of €30-€100 per semester, and a broadcasting fee of €18.36 per month.

Applications are submitted online with all supporting documents uploaded; paper, fax or email applications are not accepted and documents cannot be submitted later. For the English-taught M.Sc. Molecular Medicine, applicants need a bachelor's degree in molecular medicine or a life-science subject (biochemistry, biomedical science, human biology, molecular biology, molecular biotechnology, molecular life science or an equivalent) of at least 3 years, with an overall grade of 2.5 or better (2.7 or better on a provisional transcript), a study-related CV, a recommendation letter, a motivation letter of up to two pages in English, proof of English at C1 CEFR, and a passed selection interview.

For a foreign university degree, applicants upload a grading scale, certified translations of documents not in German or English, and — for a higher education degree from China, India or Vietnam — an APS certificate or APS confirmation. Applicants whose native language is English, or whose bachelor's degree was taught exclusively in English, do not need an English test; all others must take a test specified in the university's language statutes for C1.

Selection takes place in two steps: a formal and content-related check, then a selection interview by email invitation, held online via Zoom at the end of June or end of July, with decisions in June to August. Most master's programmes start in the winter semester; programme-specific deadlines and the subject-specific additional form must be checked on the programme's page and the Admissions Office website.

Full English requirement detail (verified): No single university-wide IELTS score is published on the official pages read; requirements are programme-specific. Verified examples: the M.Sc. Biology embassy information sheet requires an English test score of TOEFL 88 or IELTS 6.5 for enrolment (native English speakers excepted), and the M.Sc. Molecular Medicine requires English proficiency at level C1 CEFR, with no numeric IELTS band stated on that programme page — the university's language statutes specify which tests are accepted for C1. Always check the admission rules of the specific programme.

The university's official master's list confirms the following English-taught programmes: Biology, Biophysics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Cognitive Systems, Communication and Information Technology, Energy Science and Technology, Finance, Mathematical Data Science, Molecular Medicine, Molecular and Translational Neuroscience, Physics and Quantum Engineering, plus Biomedical Engineering and Management and Economics in German or English, and Physics and Management in German and English.

Spotlight programmes: M.Sc. Molecular Medicine (120 ECTS, 4 semesters, winter start, all lectures, seminars, practical courses and examinations in English, with specialisations in Molecular Oncology or Toxicology and a European double-degree option with Padua or Oulu) and M.Sc. Cognitive Systems (120 ECTS, 4 semesters, winter start, English, restricted admission, 20 places). Most other master's programmes on the list are German-taught.

The M.Sc. Molecular Medicine page states that the programme itself offers no scholarships, but that numerous funding opportunities exist through the DAAD and similar organisations, and that the International Office can help with questions on services, visas and life in Ulm and Germany.

The university's campus-life pages add that the University of Ulm also awards scholarships, and that for the Deutschlandstipendium, a national scholarship programme, application is possible only once studying in Ulm. Students should not count on regular financial support during their studies, according to the official living-expenses page.