Psychology, B.Sc.
The Bachelor of Science programme in psychology at the University of Münster is an undergraduate degree programme which concludes with the conferral of the first professionally qualifying degree. It imparts scientific fundamentals and specialised knowledge of psychology as well as methodological competence and qualifications related to the professional field. The bachelor's programme comprises a total of six semesters and a total of 180 credit points. Specialisation in a specific subject area is not planned until the master's programme. Graduates of the BSc Psychology programme are entitled to seek admission to a consecutive master's degree in psychology.
Programme facts
| Degree | Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 semesters, 180 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Required German | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 31.05 |
| Admission | Admission restriction (NC): a competition of school grades |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €369.50 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
The programme has an admission restriction: the average grade of your certificate, converted to the German scale, decides. The cut-off changes every year — last year's value shows the order of magnitude, not a promise.
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 →About the programme
With the completion of the elective profile in psychotherapy, the bachelor's programme in psychology (BSc) meets the requirements of the Approbation Regulations for Psychotherapists (PsychThApprO) as provided in the reformed Psychotherapists Act (PsychThG).
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The bachelor's programme in psychology at the University of Münster was awarded the seal of quality of the German Psychological Society (DGPs) in spring 2017. The quality seal verifies that the required application-based, fundamental and methodological subjects are taught to the recommended minimum extent and that there is an appropriate infrastructure (specialist library, laboratory rooms) and staffing (full-time instructors).
What you study
The BSc Psychology programme is divided into 20 modules with their own seminars, lectures and tutorials totalling 180 credit points. Some courses take place on an annual basis and can therefore only be taken in the winter or summer semester. The module courses run for an entire year. Seminars are always ungraded. Lectures conclude with a written exam (usually 90 minutes) or an oral exam (usually 30 minutes).
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
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Career goal: Psychotherapist
The legal regulations on psychotherapeutic training have been revised for students starting their studies on or after 1 September 2020. In the future, the licensing examination will take place directly after a bachelor's and master's degree programme, which must be designed in accordance with the requirements of the new licensing regulations (PsychThApprO) and thus prepare students for psychotherapeutic work.
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Our BSc Psychology programme meets the requirements of the Approbation Regulations for Psychotherapists (PsychThApprO) upon completion of the elective profile in psychotherapy. The Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia official recognised the degree programme for professional qualification on 31 January 2022 based on the examination regulations of 27 July 2020 in conjunction with the amendment regulations of 15 October 2021.
This means that a BSc degree in psychology entitles the student to apply for admission to a consecutive master's programme in accordance with the Approbation Regulations for Psychotherapists (e.g. MSc Psychology with specialisation in clinical psychology and psychotherapy in Münster).
Following the successful completion of the licensing examination, graduates are required to gain several years of work experience, as well as complete additional training and examinations in order to obtain a certificate of competence in one of the psychotherapy methods recognised by the statutory health insurance sector.
Further information on psychotherapeutic training is provided by the German Psychological Society and the German Federal Ministry of Health.
Career entry after earning a BSc in Psychology
In 2022 an assessment of job advertisements in German-speaking countries came to the following conclusion: "A master's degree in psychology was required for the vast majority of advertised positions." (Richter et al., p. 240). This finding is consistent with the fact that in Germany and Europe, as a rule, only those who have completed a master's degree in psychology after their bachelor's degree are considered adequately trained psychologists. Although it is possible to start a career after earning a BSc in psychology, full access to traditional psychological occupations is generally denied. The position on the labour market is therefore defined more by the completion of an undergraduate, scientific degree programme per se than by one's professional identity as a psychologist.
Richter, T., Hertel, S., Kubik, V., Marksteiner, T., Souvignier E. & Sparfeldt, J. R. (2022). In welchen Branchen und für welche beruflichen Tätigkeiten werden Psychologinnen und Psychologen gesucht und was sollten sie können? Psychologische Rundschau,73(4), 229–242. https://doi.org/10.1026/0033-3042/a000557
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (North Rhine-Westphalia), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €369.50 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | Studying psychology is right for you if ... ... you are keenly interested in human behaviour and experience. ... you want to better understand the fundamentals of human experience and behaviour. ... you would like to pursue a course of study that is scientifically oriented and socially relevant. |
|---|---|
| Language | German C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 31.05 |
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 C1 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 directly to the university until 31.05Send the documents well before the deadline — an incomplete application cannot be completed after it.
- 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 31.05.2027 (229 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.