German as a foreign language, M.A.
The primarily application-oriented Deutsch als Fremdsprache / German as a foreign language master's program prepares students for the profession of "German as a foreign language" instructor for adults in Germany and abroad. It is directed to students pursing this chosen profession and has the additional goal of educating and supporting new scientific talent in the fields of foreign language didactics and language instruction research. The program was designed for students who have obtained a German or foreign bachelor's degree or an equivalent in German studies or a related program and demonstrate sufficient German language skills for the profession of a "German as a foreign language" instructor.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Arts (M.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Required German | C2 |
| Required English | B1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Via uni-assist, winter semester until 23.08 |
| Admission | No admission restriction: every eligible applicant is admitted |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €424.80 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
Every applicant who meets the formal requirements is admitted — but places can run out before the deadline, so apply at the start of the window.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →What you study
Your path to teaching qualification in German as a foreign language is based on four pillars and is supplemented by your own foreign language learning as well as the areas of teaching material analysis and creation, lesson planning and design, and classroom interaction and research. Your studies are rounded off by the teaching internship and, of course, the associated master's thesis and final examination.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
In Germany
With a master's in Deutsch als Fremdsprache / German as a foreign language, you can work for various educational institutions as a freelance instructor, particularly in the field of adult education. These include adult education centers, private language schools, language centers and preparatory colleges at universities or other German course providers. As a result of modifications to the Immigration Act, there has been increased demand for qualified instructors of German as a foreign language and German as a second language in the field of integration courses in recent years. An academic career is also a possibility, depending on your interest and aptitude.
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Abroad
Many students complete the Deutsch als Fremdsprache / German as a foreign language master's program in order to teach abroad. This is a possibility in language courses of private language schools, as an independent employee at Goethe Institutes, as a language assistant at schools, as an instructor at German schools abroad or as a lecturer at universities.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Hesse), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €424.80 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | Certification of completion of a discipline-relevant bachelor's program in the field of German studies or a related field or Certification of a comparable domestic or foreign qualifying university diploma. |
|---|---|
| Language | German C2, English B1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Via uni-assist, winter semester until 23.08 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2German up to C2 and a certificateDSH or TestDaF has to be passed before you apply.
- 3Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 4Application via uni-assist until 23.08uni-assist checks documents for 4–6 weeks — send them well before the deadline.
- 5Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
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.
StudyInFocus 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.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 23.08.2027 (313 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.