DSH Preparation Course
A German course at the University of Jena for applicants who already have a university entrance qualification but not yet the DSH-2. 20 lessons a week, 300 hours a semester; the DSH exam at the end. Participants are enrolled at the university for the semester.
Plus the mandatory fees of the university. Our application service — €297, a separate invoice.
The full cost and the deadlinesFacts about the course
- Language
- German
- Intensity
- 20 lessons / week
- Format
- In person
- Levels
- B1–C1
- Next start
- 5 April 2027
- Who can enrol
- with a university entrance qualification
- Application deadline
- 15.01.2027 · Summer semester 2027
- Entrance test
- yes, it decides the admission
- Final exam
- DSH
- Status
- enrolled as a student
The course is only for applicants with a university entrance qualification recognised in Germany (a school certificate or diploma that gives access to a German university). Before we submit your application, we check your eligibility and that your documents are in order.
A lesson (UE, Unterrichtseinheit) lasts 45 minutes.
What the semester and the application cost
This is an application, not a booking: there is no calculation by weeks. The fee is fixed; admission is decided after the entrance test.
| What | Paid | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Course fee per semester | as the university invoices it | €1,450 |
| Semesterbeitrag (winter semester 2026/27 rate, new students) | to the university | €353.05 |
| Application with StudyInFocus | to StudyInFocus | €297 |
| Total for the first semester | €2,100.05 |
The course fee goes to JenDaF e.V. (which runs the course on behalf of the university) in two instalments, no other payment plans: for the summer semester 2027 — €450 by 15.02.2027 and €1,000 by 20.03.2027. The enrolment application with a copy of the passport must be posted by 28.02.2027, otherwise the place counts as not accepted.
The Semesterbeitrag in the winter semester 2026/27 is €353.05 for new students (including €20 for the first thoska card); it includes the Deutschlandsemesterticket. The summer semester 2027 rate is not published yet.
The university's fees are fixed and have no discounts. Our service — €297 for preparing and submitting the application, a separate invoice and a separate contract.
Semesters and application deadlines
The course deadline is usually earlier than the deadline of a degree programme, so it goes into the plan first.
The course makes you a student
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
- ✓We check every document before it is submitted
- ✓We handle the correspondence with the university and uni-assist
- ✓We forward your documents and keep track of the deadline
100 % of the applications submitted through us were accepted for review — this is not an admission decision.
To apply with us, order at least 2 weeks before the application deadline — for the nearest intake by 01.01.2027. What matters is the order itself — documents can follow later: these two weeks are exactly the time for checking and preparing them. The earlier you order, even if something is still missing, the calmer and more reliably we prepare everything together for the strongest application.
Apply with our helpStudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
What's included in the price and what's not
- 20 lessons a week, 300 hours a semester
- A mock DSH at the end of the semester
- A free support programme: tutors, workshops, trips to Jena, Weimar and Erfurt
- The Semesterbeitrag — paid to the university on enrolment
- Health insurance — you arrange it yourself
- Accommodation — a Studierendenwerk residence by a separate application
Cancellation and rescheduling
Withdrawal before the entrance test and placement: the fee is refunded minus a €50 administration fee. After the test and placement (summer semester 2027: 05.04.2027) the course fee is not refunded.
About the course
German at B1 at least is required — it is not a beginners' course. An entrance test decides on admission and on the course: two semesters or one. The maximum is two semesters.
More about the course
The course is run by JenDaF e.V. on behalf of the university together with the International Office. The intended degree programme is named in the application already; after the course you apply for it again, in the normal procedure. Studying in Jena requires the DSH-2; the DSH-1 is not enough.
At the end of each semester there is a mock DSH: passing it and regular attendance give access to the exam. The DSH takes place in February and July.
You apply online on the university's portal, not via uni-assist. Documents: the school-leaving certificate (and university entrance exams, if taken) with a German or English translation, any previous study records, proof of German, a CV; an APS certificate for applicants from China, India and Vietnam.
For the course you can apply for a residence permit for study preparation. Participants arrange their health insurance themselves.
Schedule
Mon–Fri, 20 lessons a week; attendance is compulsory on every course day. Classes run from mid-October to mid-February and from early April to mid-July.
Accommodation
Course participants are students and may apply for a Studierendenwerk Thüringen residence: by 15.01 for the summer semester, by 15.07 for the winter semester. Places in Jena are few and not guaranteed — look on the private market in parallel.
About the university
Maintaining traditions and shaping the future—these are the fundamental aims underlying all research and teaching at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU). The FSU is one of the venerable and most historic universities in Germany. Its foundation in 1558 meant political change and an open commitment to freedom of belief and consciousness. Since its opening, the University has put Jena on the
- University
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena
- City
- Jena
Who you sign with and who you pay
You apply to the university, and the university decides on admission to the course. The course fee and the mandatory fees are paid as the university invoices them. StudyInFocus is paid only for its own service — preparing and submitting the application — by a separate invoice.
- Course fee
- fixed by the university, no discounts
- Our service
- €297 — preparing and submitting the application, a separate invoice
- Admission
- decided by the university; we do not influence it
- You pay for the course
- as the university invoices it
We never take money for the course. The payment details of the course fee always come from the university.
Questions about this course
Can I join without German?
How is an application different from a booking?
Does the course make me a student?
Who do I pay?
Where this course is in the method
A language course is step 5: language. It comes after the audit and the documents but before the exam and the application. Plan it backwards from your application date.
Not sure this is your course?
In 30 minutes we will compare your level, your application date and your budget. If this course is more than you need, or won't get you to the required level in time, we will say so and suggest an alternative.