International Programmes 2024/2025

Study Preparation Brandenburg Study Preparation Brandenburg

University of Potsdam • Potsdam

In cooperation with

University of Applied Sciences Potsdam
University of Applied Sciences Brandenburg

Teaching language
  • German
Date(s)
  • 6 October 2025 - 30 June 2026 (Registration deadline of course provider: 15 August 2025)
Mode of study
Less than 50% online
Phase(s) of attendance in Germany (applies to the entire programme)
Yes, compulsory
Pace of course
Instructor-led (Specific due dates for lectures/assignments/exams)
Additional information on dates and mode of study

Admission test

Option A:

All applicants who meet the requirements will be invited to take the admission test in Potsdam.

Option B:

1. Applicants in South America can take the admission test (and a targeted preparation for the admission test) at a cooperating Goethe Institute. Contact your local institute for details.

2. Applicants in North America, Africa and Asia may be able to take the admission test at a Goethe Institute in their home country. The list of co-operating institutes is being expanded. Please contact us (svb-up@uni-potsdam.de) or the local Goethe Institute.

Option C:

You can take a comparable admission test for a "Studienkolleg" (college preparatory course). This test can be taken in Germany or abroad; the test is sometimes offered at German schools and/or Goethe Institutes abroad. You will then submit the test results. The test can be recognised.

Benefits for B and C: You do not have to take the test in Potsdam and are granted a direct (and earlier) admission. This could make it easier for you to obtain a visa and/or find a place in a hall of residence.

Description/content

Studienvorbereitung Brandenburg (SVB – Study Preparation Brandenburg) is a special course as part of the programme ESiSt ("Erfolgreicher Studieneinstieg für internationale Studierende in Brandenburg – a successful start in university studies for international students in the state of Brandenburg").

Similar to a Studienkolleg, the SVB courses offer a wide range of learning opportunities preparing students for university studies (German language, technical terminology, basic knowledge and fundamental competencies relating to your future subject, intercultural preparation). Courses to complete for a specific field of study are listed on the website.

This two-semester course ends with a university entrance examination, which unlike an ordinary Studienkolleg examination, is only valid for higher education institutions in the state of Brandenburg.

Please visit our website to see how to apply and which documents to provide: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/zessko/studieneingangsphase/esist

Course components
  • Subject-specific preparation
  • General preparation for studies
  • Preparation for academic working methods
  • Intercultural training
  • Orientation "Living in Germany"
  • Preparation for entrance examinations
  • Language course
  • Excursions
Further information on the language course / language courses

Classes to develop German language fluency have a focus on the following:

  • listening skills, including authentic presentations and lectures with preparation and follow-up ("Living and Studying in Germany")
  • reading comprehension
  • ability to produce texts
  • ability to understand and make use of scientific/academic language structures
  • oral communication skills
Recognised language exams offered (e.g. DSH, TestDaF, TOEFL)
Yes
Average number of hours per week
26
Do course participants have student status?
Yes
Does this course involve taking the university entrance examination or does the course specifically prepare students for this examination?
Yes
Preparation for degree programmes
  • Bachelor's degree
Preparation for subject groups
  • Engineering
  • Languages and Cultural Studies
  • Law, Economics and Social Sciences
  • Mathematics, Natural Sciences
  • Sport
Further information on subsequent admission to degree programmes/guaranteed admission

Not guaranteed

Average number of participants per group/course
12
Costs

Course fees: 0 EUR
Semester contribution: approx. 116 EUR
German exam fee: 160 EUR

This price includes
  • Course fees
  • Course fees for language course
Further information regarding the price

https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/studium/studying/financing-funding-housing/costs-at-a-glance

Academic admission requirements

Study Preparation Brandenburg (SVB) is designed for prospective students of the University of Potsdam, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam and the University of Applied Sciences Brandenburg who do not have a direct university entrance qualification (HZB).

Applicants of the SVB possess an indirect university entrance qualification or a university entrance qualification for their native country only or an entrance qualification for a "Studienkolleg".

Language requirements

German B2 (All B2 certificates are recognised.)

Technical equipment and programmes
  • Computer/laptop
  • Internet
  • webcam
  • microphone
  • Moodle
  • Zoom
Do applicants require a higher education entrance qualification recognised in Germany?
No
Do applicants have to have already been admitted to a study programme at your university?
No
Submit application to

Option A:

www.uni-assist.de
Keyword: Studienvorbereitung
Studiengang: "Deutsche Sprachprüfung - Studienvorbereitung Brandenburg (ESiSt)"

Option B:

Send an e-mail (svb-up@uni-potsdam.de) with an official evaluation of your university entrance qualification (uni-assist, KMK, Senat Berlin, etc.), your language certificate, and your desired course of study.

Is accommodation organised?
The organiser does not provide assistance.
Accommodation

There are several student dormitories in Potsdam. Dormitory spaces are administered exclusively by Potsdam’s Association for Student Affairs ("Studentenwerk Potsdam"). Additionally, there are also a few private dormitories in Potsdam. However, many students prefer to find an apartment in Potsdam or Berlin, which they often share with fellow students.
For information on how to register for a dorm room or find accommodation elsewhere, please consult this website: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/international/incoming/students/housing

Meals

http://www.studentenwerk-potsdam.de/

Is a social and leisure programme offered?
No
Free internet access
Yes
Support in visa matters
No
Pick-up service from train station/airport
No

University of Potsdam

Content Bild
Campus Am Neuen Palais © Universität Potsdam

Young, modern, and focused on the future
Founded in 1991, the University of Potsdam occupies a prominent position among the universities and research institutions of Berlin and Brandenburg. With more than 22,000 students, it is the biggest university in the federal state of Brandenburg.

The University of Potsdam offers a broad range of degree programmes in the fields of the arts, economics and social sciences, law, human sciences, natural sciences, and digital engineering. Important research areas are cognitive science, Earth sciences, and functional ecology and evolution as well as plant genomics and systems biology.

Situated in a region with more than 40 research institutions, the university closely cooperates with numerous institutions of international acclaim, such as the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics, and the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. Students greatly benefit from these co-operations, which open up job opportunities for graduates.

Teaching at the University of Potsdam is always strongly influenced by up-to-date research and driven by the latest scientific findings within and outside academia. Study programmes are also continuously checked for quality.

The University of Potsdam is an international community of great diversity. With its numerous English-language Master’s programmes, it welcomes international students from everywhere. To help them feel at home in Potsdam, the university offers German courses and a buddy programme, which matches new students with experienced ones. For advice on how to plan their studies, international BA and MA students can turn to the International Office. PhD students will receive information from the Welcome Centre. International students considering a short-term stay are invited to attend one of the university’s summer courses in German or English.

Individual PhD students and members of structured PhD programmes at the university receive wide-ranging support from the Potsdam Graduate School (PoGS). As an umbrella institution of the different departments, it offers workshops for careers in various fields.  

The University of Potsdam believes that equal opportunities are fundamental to education and research. The Equal Opportunity Coordination Office coordinates various offers to promote gender equality, such as programmes for young female researchers. Students with children receive assistance from the Family Service, which will help them organise their studies in a family-friendly way.

During and after the studies, the Career Service team helps students prepare for their job applications. It also offers workshops on key skills and establishes contacts to companies. Graduates with business ideas can seek advice from the university's start-up service, which is named Potsdam Transfer.

University location

The University of Potsdam is one of the most beautifully situated universities in Germany. Each of its three campuses benefits from its special location. The central campus is located just opposite the Baroque palace “Neues Palais”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Golm, Potsdam’s largest campus, is idyllically surrounded by pastures and meadows. The Griebnitzsee campus is situated right at the border of Berlin and Potsdam.

Once a city of kings and royal residences, Potsdam is famous for its large number of palaces and parks. But it is also a thoroughly modern city with a strong orientation towards the future. In fact, 10,000 of Potsdam’s 160,000 citizens work in academic institutions. No other German city has a higher ratio of scientists per capita.

Lovers of nature and culture will immediately feel at home in Potsdam. Because of its unique location, you will find green oases where you can unwind within walking distance, and at the same time, you can reach the German capital, Berlin, in just 30 minutes by public transport. In the historic city centre of Potsdam, the Hans Otto Theater, the Nikolaisaal Concert Hall, the House of Brandenburg-Prussian History, and the Film Museum provide opportunities to enjoy classical as well as modern culture.

As a young city, Potsdam offers good conditions for families, providing lots of childcare and family support facilities. In fact, Potsdam has been ranked as the most family-friendly city in Germany. Moreover, it is a very safe living environment.

In a nutshell, Potsdam has the infrastructure of a metropolis while still retaining its charming ambiance.

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More programmes

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Doctorate

Language course/short course