IPSP Part 1- Application phase FAQ.

Warning: I graduated from IPSP in 2019 and was a TA until March 2020. Afaik, nothing has changed “drastically” since I left Leipzig. If I get any updates, I will try to point them out every time I update this page.

Q1) I come from “xyz” country, What are my chances of getting in IPSP?

The admission process has not changed a lot afaik. The official webpage is here.

In a nutshell: You need a “general higher education entrance qualification” or “subject-specific higher education entrance qualification”. Specific details will depend on the country where you obtained your “abitur” -equivalent certificate (high school certificate). You can read more about this here and here. You can check the eligibility of your application at the following link Check: university admission | uni-assist e.V.

The IPSP course does not have limited seats (still, as of 2021 - not expecting this to change anytime soon). So, as long as you satisfy the “higher entrance qualification” (I will call it HEQ from now) in the eyes of Uni-assist, you will be accepted for the program. (Uni-assist is the portal through which you apply for German degrees as international students - they assess the validity and eligibility of your documents). Make sure you submit all your documents correctly (check this on their website)

Note: Sometimes, your high-school certificate is not enough. In this case, you need to fulfil some additional requirements. Examples include successfully completing/passing :

• A year of studienkolleg (German skills required)
• A year of university-level education in your home country. Physics and Math should be included in that year of education. It means, ideally, a year of BSc Physics in your home country. Engineering could also work if you have the relevant subjects.
• Successfully fulfilling the criteria required by Uni-assist in some particular examination. (For example, Indian students can secure a seat by “passing” the JEE-Advanced exam)
• Etc

Q2) What is this Studienkolleg?

As mentioned above, sometimes your High school certificate is not enough to meet HEQ. Depending on your country of high school, you could do a few extra qualifications to meet the requirements of HEQ. The main thing about Studienkolleg is that, by successfully completing Studienkolleg, you will obtain this HEQ regardless of the country of your high-school qualification (As long as your grade and your school leaving certificate qualify you for studies in Germany). You can think of this as an “academic bridge” from your country to Germany. You can read more about Studienkolleg and their application process at this website and webpage, respectively, Studienkollegs in Deutschland.

In this scenario, you come from your high-school country to Germany. Finish Studienkolleg (which will be only in German afaik; I do not know Studienkolleg where the language of instruction is in English) and apply to IPSP. Due to the unrestricted nature of the course, you should be accepted in all normal circumstances.

Note: The one benefit of Studienkolleg is that, because you finish your Studienkolleg in German, you can apply to any BSc Physics programs in Germany as long as you develop your German language skills at a particular standard in that year. Also, knowing fluent German will make your life much easier overall.

Q3) What about for Indian students applying to IPSP? (I get this question quite often with for obvious reasons).

This is the exact procedure,

• Graduate 10th grade - Choose the Science stream with Physics and Math as compulsory subjects.
  • I know a friend who had Physics but had substituted Math with Psychology (NEET aspirants). I do not know if that person would have been elected or not. My guess would be no.
• Graduate your 12th grade (SSC, CBSE, ISCE) with 50%+ (Physics and Math must be included).
  • If you are from IB, I am unfortunately unaware if you get any benefits (I think you would).

Now you have the same three routes as I mentioned in Q1 (Choose one of them),

• Studienkolleg
• Finish one year of B.Sc or B. Tech at a University recognised by Germany (Check Anabin)
  • This does not mean you enter IPSP straight to the second year. This is the qualification needed to start from the first year. So, essentially you repeat one year. (Honestly, this and many similar things looked down upon in India are very casual in Germany. Taking more time to graduate from School or University is super common and not a big deal, even if it is an extra year or two)
• JEE Advanced: Since 2016, passing the JEE-Advanced exam makes you directly eligible to apply without studying for one extra year at a University. I know that JEE-Advanced does not have “passing”, but instead, they have “cut-off”.
  (I am not an expert on how this procedure works, but I will consult a few friends who got through this route and update it accordingly).

After satisfying the HEQ, you apply through Uni-assist. I recommend applying around April to ensure you get your Visa by the end of September at max. The Winter semester will generally start in the middle of October every year.