Applying for the MAIB
These admission requirements must be fulfilled in order to participate in the selection procedure:
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- a Bachelor's degree or equivalent professionally qualifying university degree with completion of modules relevant to the MAIB
- Proven very good knowledge of German (see below)
- Proven very good knowledge of English (see below)
1. Bachelor’s Degree: Admission requirements for the MAIB include a Bachelor's degree or equivalent professionally qualifying degree. As part of this programme, at least 10 ECTS in the field of Methods of Empirical Social Research, 10 ECTS in the field of International Relations and a further 35 ECTS in the field of Political and Administrative Sciences must be proven. The burden of proof for the relevance of the modules lies with you. If the reference to the areas mentioned is not recognisable from the course titles, you would have to explain your study transcript accordingly and supplement it with course descriptions. You can use the following list as a guide when considering the relevance of your modules in the field of political and administrative sciences:
- Political Theory,
- Political Systems,
- Comparative Politics,
- International Relations,
- Administrative Sciences,
- Public Policy,
- Economic Policy.
Important note: Students who cannot yet present a Bachelor's degree certificate may only apply if they do not lack more than 40 ECTS points up to the Bachelor's degree at the time of application! In this case, your university must calculate the current average grade so that we can determine your rank.
2. English language skills:To qualify for admission, proof of English language proficiency equivalent to at least level C 1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages must be obtained in accordance with the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency or equivalent. The following language examinations are equivalent proofs:
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- UNIcert® III or IV certificate,
- TOEFL® Internet-Based Test (iBT) or TOEFL iBT Home Edition with at least 95 points,
- Cambridge English C1 Advanced (CAE) with at least 180 points,
- IELTS "Academic" or IELTS Online with at least 7 points in each area,
- Proof of completion of a course of study at a recognized university with English as the sole language of instruction. Suitable certificates or transcripts as proof of an English-language degree program are the degree certificate, a transcript of records, a diploma supplement, statutes on admission and studies or comparable proof. If the degree of the degree program is not yet available and this degree also serves as proof of the general admission requirements according to § 3 para. 1, the proof can be provided under the conditions of § 7 para. 4 at the latest upon final enrolment (provisional admission),
- Certificate of higher education entrance qualification obtained in an English-language course in a country where English is the official language,
- Pearson Test of English - PTE Academic or PTE Academic Online with at least 76 points,
- Cambridge English C2 Proficiency (CPE)
German language skills
As proof of German language proficiency, which corresponds to the German Language Examination for University Entrance (DSH II), the following applies:
- Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH) at a German institution of higher education or a German preparatory college (“Studienkolleg”) with a valid registration with the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), level DSH-2 or DSH-3
- Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz, second level (DSD II) with level C1 in all 4 sub-examinations
- An assessment test that is deemed equivalent to the “deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH)”
- Certificate of successful completion of the Goethe-Zertifikat C2: "Großes deutsches Sprachdiplom" (GDS)
- Zertifikat telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule passed with the grade “good” or better
- Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (TestDaF)with level 4 or better in all 4 sub-examinations
- Evidence of the completion of a German-language degree program at a German-language institution of higher education
- Foreign certificates that meet the requirements set forth in no. 3 of the KMK resolution “Zugang von ausländischen Studienbewerberinnen und Studienbewerbern mit ausländischem Bildungsnachweis zum Studium an deutschen Hochschulen: Nachweis der deutschen Sprachkenntnisse“
- School-leaving certificate that is equivalent to a German higher education entrance qualification including evidence of the German language proficiency required for university studies
- The chairperson of the Examining Committee in charge of the DSH examination at the University of Potsdam decides on the recognition of any other proof of language competence (e.g. German Studies degree successfully completed at a recognized university abroad or German as a major while studying abroad, ÖSD or UNIcert® certificates). You will need to submit an application to this effect. The decision will be made based on a review of your certificate as well as a personal interview. To request a confirmation of your German language skills for a university degree, please contact Ms. Ines Behnke in a timely manner. She works at the Center for Languages and Key Competences of the University of Potsdam (Zessko)
Note: Other language certificates not mentioned above will not be accepted. All information is subject to change under the new admission regulations. Your application must be complete (including language certificates!). Please note that we can only accept the above-mentioned documents at this time. Any other proof will result in your application being rejected.
Attention! All documents must be complete by the application deadline (including language certificates!)Documents (excepted formats: pdf, doc, jpg and rtf)
Please scan the originals of the documents to be submitted. You will have to submit them again for enrolment if you are admitted. Please note that only documents in German and English can be considered. All other documents must be officially certified translated.
Mandatory:
- Certificates and transcripts of your university degree
At the time of application, transcripts and certificates of a first degree in a subject relevant to the MAIB must be submitted - Proof of sufficient knowledge of English
- Proof of sufficient knowledge of German
Recommended (see admission criteria):
- Proof of study experience abroad
Here you can provide evidence of academic achievements which you have completed abroad. "Abroad" is defined as a country other than your home country in which you obtained your higher education entrance qualification. - Proof of relevant professional or practical experience
Please make sure that professional or practical experience is not the same as experience gained during your studies abroad. This distinction must be clearly stated in the documents. Please make sure that the exact scope of work is made clear in the case of part-time activities! Only proof of work already done issued by the internship provider will be recognised. Contracts and commitments cannot be considered.
Is it possible to submit additional documents?
Proof of degrees obtained in the summer semester prior to admission to the MAIB can be submitted later after appropriate consultation. Otherwise, only documents submitted via the application portal within the application deadline can be taken into consideration; it is not possible to submit missing documents after the deadline.
Important note: Students who are not yet able to submit a Bachelor's degree certificate may only apply if they do not lack more than 40 ECTS points up to the Bachelor's degree at the time of application! In this case, your university must calculate the current average grade so that we can determine your rank.Proof of degrees obtained in the summer semester prior to admission to the MAIB can be submitted to the enrollment office during the enrollment process. In the case of provisional enrolment, this evidence must be submitted by the end of the first MAIB semester at the latest. Otherwise, only documents submitted via the application portal by the deadline can be considered. Documents submitted at a later date can no longer be considered. This applies in particular to language certificates of any kind.
Important note: Students who are not yet able to submit a Bachelor's certificate may only apply if they are not more than 40 ECTS points short of a Bachelor's degree at the time of application! In this case, your university must calculate your current average grade so that we can determine your ranking.
There is no Numerus Clausus in the strict sense. However, experience shows that around 400 applicants apply for the 45 places available each year. The applicants' previous academic achievements therefore play a central, although not the only, role in the selection by the admissions committee. The following criteria are taken into account in the selection process and are weigthed as follows.
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- Grades of previous academic degrees and achievements: 64 %
- Relevant practical experience: 21 %
- Experience abroad during studies: 15 %
In recent years, however, applicants with an average or final grade of less than 1.9 have not been considered.