S-Kurs at Studienkolleg Heidelberg
Preparation for linguistic (except Germanistic), history, law, social science and related study courses
Course facts
| Course | S-Kurs — languages, philology, linguistics |
|---|---|
| Summer semester 2027 | apply by 15.01.2027 · start 13.04.2027 |
| Winter semester 2027/28 | apply by 15.07.2027 · start 18.10.2027 |
| Summer semester 2028 | apply by 15.01.2028 · start 13.04.2028 |
| Duration | 2 semesters |
| Language | German, B2 on entry |
| Entrance exam | German B2 |
| How the FSP is taken | At the college, by its own board |
| Application method | Via partner universities, for your future programme of study |
| Cost | free |
The "Internationales Studienzentrum" is part of the University of Heidelberg. Its aim is to prepare students for studying at post-high school level by teaching them German and the specific knowledge required.
Where it gives access
The FSP of the S-Kurs is accepted for language and philology programmes.
Exams
* Exam dates are approximate — based on the previous intake.
Read moreShow less
Part I: Grammar (grammatical structures, 45 min)
The grammar tasks are typically arranged in levels of ascending difficulty: basic level (A1, A2) → intermediate level (B1, B2) → advanced level (C1). You may be asked to fill in missing word parts or sentence elements, do transformation tasks, and syntax exercises
Part II: Either Listening Comprehension (30 min for completing the tasks, not including listening time) or Writing (guided written expression, 45 min)
The second part of the exam will be either (A) a listening comprehension or (B) a writing test. You cannot choose between the two variants.
Variant A: Listening Comprehension
A non-fictional text comprising approximately 30 lines which does not require subject-specific background knowledge will be read aloud twice while students may take notes. The individual tasks will require you to answer questions on the text and/or give an account of the most important facts.
Variant B: Writing
You will be asked to express yourself coherently and independently about a given topic by way of description, comparison, or comment. The task may be based on an illustration or a graph.
Read moreShow less
You want to study in Germany, but your foreign university entrance qualification (e.g. high school diploma) is not equivalent to the German university entrance qualification required for the desired course (e.g. high school diploma)? In this case, you must take the test to determine the suitability of foreign applicants for studying at universities in the Federal Republic of Germany - in short: Feststellungsprüfung (FSP) - before starting your studies. This exam is usually preceded by attending the preparatory college.
The preparatory college prepares you as well as possible for the assessment test and your later specialist studies. Participation usually takes two semesters.
The subject of the examination are the compulsory subjects for the study of linguistic (except German), history (alternatively G-course), law, social science (both alternatively W-course) and related courses (focus course S):
- German
- Second foreign language
- History or social studies / geography (subject connection) or mathematics
What it costs
| Tuition | €0 |
|---|---|
| StudyInFocus application service | €297 · optional |
Accommodation and health insurance are paid separately.
Study plan
- German: The German test corresponds in scope, form and content to the requirements of the DSH test.
- Second foreign language: The examination is generally taken in English. If your mother tongue is English, you cannot choose English as an examination subject for the second foreign language; You are taking the exam in another foreign language. The following foreign languages can be tested at the preparatory college of Heidelberg University: French, Russian, Spanish. Please note: If you do not take the assessment test in English, you have to prepare for the test outside of the preparatory college; Lessons for other foreign languages are not offered. If your mother tongue is German, you must prove that you have sufficient knowledge of another foreign language in addition to English.
- history
- depending on the chosen course: subject area geography / social studies or mathematics
Read moreShow less
1. Semester:
- 20 hours of German per week to prepare for the assessment test in German + 12 to 16 hours of specialist instruction per week in the respective courses
- At the end of the first semester, the assessment test in German is usually taken.
2. Semester:
- Preparation for the assessment test in the course-specific subjects, approx. 30 hours per week in the respective courses (G, M, S, T, W)
- At the end of the second semester, students take the assessment test in the course-specific examination subjects.
How to apply
The number of students in the different subject-specific core courses ("Schwerpunktkurse") at the Studienkolleg is generally restricted to 20 each. Admission to these courses requires German language skills at a level of B2/C1.
What you need to apply
- ✓School-leaving certificate with transcript and a certified translation
- ✓Confirmation that the certificate does not give direct university access
- ✓German certificate, level B2
- ✓Passport; for the visa — proof of funds
How to apply
- 1Check that you need a StudienkollegYour certificate's status in the recognition database decides — direct admission may be possible after one or two years at a university at home.
- 2German B2Confirmed by a certificate at the time of application.
- 3Apply via a universityYou apply to a bachelor's programme of a linked university; the university admits you conditionally and sends you to the college.
- 4Entrance examGerman and the main subject of the course; places go to the best results.
The application goes to a partner university of the college, for the bachelor's programme you want to study later; the university sends it on to the college.
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 the certificate and the translations
- ✓We fill in and submit the application
- ✓We keep track of the deadline and the invitation to the entrance exam
Each additional college: €197
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 help · €297StudyInFocus does not represent the college and does not influence the admission decision.
Other courses at Studienkolleg Heidelberg
S-Kurs at other colleges
All colleges with the S-Kurs →Questions about S-Kurs
When is the application deadline for S-Kurs?
How much does S-Kurs at Studienkolleg Heidelberg cost?
Which German level do I need?
When is the entrance exam?
Let us check whether this course suits you
We compare your certificate, German level and goal with the course profile — and tell you whether you can make the deadline with the documents and the visa.