Typical Questions on Applying for Admission to a Master's Program of Study

 

1. Can't I simply transfer directly from my RWTH Bachelor's program of study?

No, this isn't possible because we have to check whether you fulfill all the academic admission requirements. So you must submit your application before the stipulated deadline for applications.

2. Can I still submit an application even though the deadline has expired?

No, this isn't possible. In order to handle all applications with the necessary care and attention, we need some time. We could not guarantee that any delayed applications would have been fully processed by the time the program starts.

3. I have gained a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Can I apply to do an M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics?

No, this isn't possible. Our M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics is intended for those graduates who hold a B.Sc. in Engineering or Natural Science. However, at RWTH Aachen University, you can of course apply to do the M.Sc. in Business Administration.

4. Must my Bachelor's degree be an accredited one?

Yes. This is a prerequisite for a Master's degree.

5. Can I already apply for admission to the M.Sc. in Business Administration program or the M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics even though I have not fully completed my first degree yet?

Yes, you should definitely do so if you only have a few exams left to take or are waiting for your exam results. However, you must be able to provide evidence of your academic eligibility upon application, i.e. modules which are needed in order to fulfill the academic requiremeents must have been successfully completed by the application deadline (exception: mandatory modules ("Pflichtmodule")). It is essential that by the time you enroll for the M.Sc. the first degree program has been completed in the relevant semester. Deadlines may vary for programs of study with restricted admission.

6. Up to when is enrollment possible for an M.Sc. in Business Administration program or an M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics?

As soon as admission has been approved, and the first degree program completed, enrollment is generally possible

for the M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics: up to the End of October (for the winter semester);

for the M.Sc. in Business Administration: up to the End of October (for the winter semester) and up to the end of April (for the summer semester).

7. When must the final exam have taken place for me to enroll in the next semester?

In as far as you intend (assuming that the corresponding admission has been granted) to enroll for the winter semester, you must have completed your first degree program by September 30 at the latest (for M.Sc. in Business Administration) and by March 31 for the summer semester, whereby the date of your final examination is relevant rather than whether you have received your results or not. These can be submitted later (unless they are relevant for evidence of your academic eligibility) so that enrollment can still take place up to the end of October (or the end of April). Deadlines may vary for programs of study with restricted admission.

8. Are final grades be taken into consideration as admission criteria?

Until the summer semester 2015, no grades will be taken into consideration in the admission procedure for the M.Sc. in Business Administration program. Solely the academic admission requirement criteria (for details, see "Programs of Study") and the certificate of English language proficiency are relevant.

As of the winter semester 2015/2016, in addition to your academic eligibility, the grade of the first degree will be taken into consideration in the admissions procedure.

As of the winter semester 2014/2015 - in accordance with the relevant Examination Regulations - the grade of the Bachelor's degree will also be taken into consideration in the admissions procedure.

9. What documents do I need to submit when I apply?

If you are applying to do a Master's degree with us, you need to submit the following documents:

  • a brief cover letter - rather than a lengthy "personal statement" (M.Sc. in Business Administration/M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics)
  • an application form (available from the Registrar's Office ("Studierendensekretariat")) (M.Sc. in Business Administration)
  • evidence of your having completed successfully completed a first degree program or, if this is not yet possible, you will need an up to date transcript of your grades and a course schedule which clearly shows which modules you still need to take before completing the program (M.Sc. in Business Administration/M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics)
  • evidence that the program of study was an accredited one (M.Sc. in Business Administration/M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics)
  • evidence that you fulfill the academic entrance requirements (see "Programs of Study" for more detailed information)
    • for the M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics you will need at least 16 ECTS credit points in higher mathematics and statistics (in some cases, module descriptions are required for the relevant modules).
    • an official form demonstrating your fulfillment of the academic admission requirements (issued by the School of Business and Economics), and possibly module descriptions (M.Sc. in Business Administration)
  • Evidence of the final grade. If the first degree program has not been fully completed by the time of application, evidence must be provided of the current average grade (M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics). Please take note of the deadline!
  • Evidence of the result of a recent TM-Wiso-Test (if no test has been taken, it will be ranked with "0" points (M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics)
  • Evidence of English language proficiency in accordance with TOEFL (ib 80 points) (M.Sc. in Business Administration, M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics)

Where ECTS credit points are not stated for the modules, evidence of the time span of each module must be submitted.

Documents referring to

  • internships
  • employment and work in the community
  • university entrance qualifications (Abitur, etc.)
  • letters of recommendation
  • etc.

are not required. Should they nevertheless be submitted, they will be destroyed.

10. Do I have to supply an email address?

Yes, this is vital for ensuring that we process your application as quickly as possible. Should we establish that you have failed to submit a certain document or if we need to clarify something with you, we need to be able to contact you at short notice by email, so that you can then submit the missing documents whilst still remaining within the deadline. If a deadline has expired, either a decision on your application will be made on the basis of existing available documents or your application will be rejected if an assessment is not possible on the basis of the documents available.

11. How will I be informed of the results of my application for admission to the Master's program?

Formal admission will be assessed by the International Office or by the Registrar's Office and they will pass on your documents to the corresponding Examination Board, who will assess whether you fulfill the academic requirements and pass this information to the International Office or the Registrar's Office. You will then be informed by one of the latter whether your application was successful or not. You will not be able to enroll before you have received this information. However, you can check up on the current status of the processing of your application via the online database. Information on whether your admission application was successful or not is generally available by mid-September at the latest (for the winter semester).

12. Do I need to submit with my application certification of my proficiency in the English language?

Yes, if at all possible. If not possible, then you must have submitted it to the Service Center shortly before enrollment at the very latest. This deadline might differ for programs of study with restricted admission!

13. What certificates of proficiency in the English language are accepted?

  • Toefl -Test (internet-based: at least 80 points)
  • IELS-Test (at least a 6.0)
  • Bilingual German university entrance qualification ("bilinguales Abitur")
  • Aachener Fremdsprachenzertifikat (MK 8 level completed)
  • School English if the candidate gained a German university entrance qualification ("Abitur") provided that English was taken until the end of the qualification phase and that a grade of at least satisfactory ("ausreichend") was achieved.

The following will not be accepted:

  • DAAD certificate
  • A period of stay in an English-speaking country
  • Certificates that fail to demonstrate that the B2 level (access to C1 level) has been reached in reading, listening, writing, and comprehension.

14. Is an online application really necessary?

Yes, an application for the first semester must be submitted online by the given deadline. If there is no proof of this having taken place, then the application will be rejected on formal grounds.

15. Is there any opportunity to possibly take courses during my studies at RWTH Aachen University that I need for the academic admission requirements?

This is not possible in the M.Sc. in Management, Business and Economics program.

With regard to the M.Sc. in Business Administration, admission may be approved under the condition that in the areas "general business administration" and "general economics" certain courses are made up for later (max. 12 credit points). This is only the case where - assuming that all other admission requirements are fulfilled - the candidate can demonstrate sufficient credit points in all other areas. If the candidate has insufficient credit points in the areas "decision theory" and/or mathematics/statistics, a condition of this kind is not applicable.

16. Will my application documents be returned to me at some point?

No, this is not the case.