IU is based in Germany; we have one campus in Berlin and another in Bad Honnef. Check out the Our University page for more information.
All our current study programmes are state-accredited and approved by the German Science Council and the state of Thuringia, and are in line with the European ECTS credits accreditation framework (the Bologna process).
IU is also able to independently accredit new programmes in accordance with the legally defined quality standards of the German government, as we have been given the status of system accreditation.
IU International is certified by FIBAA, assuring the quality of teaching and material. We are also listed on the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR).
You can find more detailed information on the IU Accreditations & Rankings page.
All of the degree programmes we offer are planned and monitored under strict conditions and adhere to both German academic standards and international ones, in line with the principles of the Bologna Process. This ensures that our degrees and the ECTS credits are graduates earn are internationally recognised.
Some countries and professions might require additional accreditation processes. To assist you in such a case, we will be happy to issue a copy of the Europass Diploma Supplement, in English.
IU has an extensive network of corporate partners and collaborations, enabling an exchange of knowledge and contacts which benefit our students. Check out Our Network of Partners page for more.
IU has a large university network of partner institutions across the world.
IU’s admission requirements depend on the study programme you are interested in. You can find the exact requirements for each programme listed on the page of each respective study programme, but if you’re looking for a general outline of our admission requirements, you can find it under the question “What documents do I need to prepare for my admission?” In this FAQ.
Once you’ve chosen the study programme you want to take, and checked that you meet the application requirements, the next step is submitting your online application.
At the end of your online application, a study contract will be made available for you to download. At this point, just sign and upload your study contract via your uploads page. You’ll get a link to it along with your contract.
Once your signed contract is uploaded, you’ll need to upload your admission documents. Our admissions team will then check them to determine whether you are indeed eligible to start your desired study programme. You also need to pay the fees for the first month at this stage.
If some documents are still required, admissions will let you know by email. If payment has been completed, you will be registered and will receive an email with the next steps.
Once your starting date arrives, you will receive credentials to log in to Mycampus and can begin your studies. Good luck!
For more detailed information about the application process please click here.
Relevant documents that are needed for admission to a Bachelor's or Master’s programme can be found on our website in the respective page of your desired study programme.
In general, you will need to provide the following before you start your studies:
And the following needs to be provided within the first three months of your studies:
*The admissions documents must be provided in English or German, if they were not issued in one of these two languages, a translation is required. If you need to translate your documents, we can help refer you to our trusted translation partners M21 Global. You can find more detailshere.
If you translate your documents via M21 Global, there’s no need to provide a certified copy of the translation, as this is done by them. You’ll only need to certify the original language version of your documents.
Depending on your personal circumstances, you might be required to provide proof of your English language proficiency. Your skills would need to match theB2 levelof the Common European Framework (CEF).
We accept the following English language skills certificates*:
Is English your native language, or have you graduated from an English-speaking school or university? Then youdo not needto prove your English language proficiency.
Get in touch with our study advisors for more details.
Your application is complete as soon as your study contract and admission documents are uploaded and approved. The sooner our admissions team receives your application documents, the quicker your admission is reviewed.
IU offers you the flexibility to submit your documents whenever you’re ready,but we bly encourage you to finish this step as early as possible.
Some of our Master and MBA programmes require work experience in a relevant field under certain circumstances. This must have been achieved after completion of your bachelor. Admission requirements for each course are available on course pages.
Online: We guarantee IU online students maximum flexibility, so you can choose your own starting date in your application. On that day, we will send you the access data you need to begin.
On Campus: We offer 2 to 4 intake dates per year, depending on the programme, but you can apply at any time. However, our on-campus programmes have fixed starting times. See the course pages for more.
IU International University of Applied Sciences is a German accredited university, which means we as an institution are bound by state regulations. To find out more about our accreditations, rankings, and degree recognitions, please visit our Accreditations & Rankings page.
In case you don’t meet admission requirements, our study advisory team will provide you with the relevant requirements you will ultimately need to meet in order to be admitted. This may include, for example, completing free admission courses before starting your study programme – or choosing a different programme.
In total, we can recognize up to 50% of non-academic achievements – these include work experience, completed training periods, higher education etc. However, for academic achievements, we may recognize more than 50% if applicable.
Some of our Master’s level study programmes require specific academic experience in a certain field, in order for you to start the programme.
However, if you do not have that experience, but you meet all the other admission requirements, we offer you the possibility to take admission courses that cover that required knowledge. You’ll have one year to complete them successfully, and they are free of charge – you'll only need to pay for the first month of your studies, as a deposit.
Once you’ve successfully completed the courses, you’ll need to inform us, and we will then register you for your desired Master’s programme.
By signing the contract, you formally acknowledge and accept our terms of service. For us to successfully enrol you to study at IU, the first step is for us to be sure that you know and understand what you’re signing up for.
Simply click here and fill out the online application form.
For a detailed breakdown of the application process, see the question How does the application process work? on this page.
You can send both documents after the start of your studies, within the first 3 months. However, we recommend uploading them together with the rest of your application documents.
As for your enrolment process, which requires that you submit your documents -our admissions team will check your documents and get back to you as soon as possible. Please note that during periods of high volume of applications, this might take up to 1-2 weeks.
If you have any questions about the enrolment process, you can contact our study advisors.
No, you don’t have to go to your local German embassy. Any official with a notarized seal can certify your documents – it can be a notary or a local government office-
Depending on the admission requirements, you might have to take an entrance exam or an admission course to start your programme.
If you start your studies through the Scholarship Programme, the entrance exam is included in the first half of your studies. Once you finish the first half successfully, you’ll also pass the entrance exam.
Our admissions team will let you know if you need to take an entrance exam; you can send your documents for a pre-check (it’s free of charge) or simply start the application process, upload your documents and wait for a reply.
Depending on the country you come from, you might need to meet an additional entry requirement, like completing an admission course. These requirements are determined by the German ministry of education, and as a state accredited university, we are committed to its demands.
We’re happy to perform a pre-check for your application documents, and let you know if you need to provide anything beyond what’s stated in the admission requirements of your desired study programme.
For more details, get in touch with our study advisors.
No, you will not need to have an interview. If you meet the admission requirements, you’ll be admitted to your desired programme.
But, if you have any questions and would like to speak to someone, you’re more than welcome to talk to one of our study advisors.
In order to prove that your grades meet the required level for starting a Master’s degree. A transcript of records is a detailed list of all of the modules or classes you have taken at a university at an undergraduate level (BA degree).
Yes, we have taken various life obligations into account when designing our online study programmes. Therefore, you can switch between three time models and set your own learning pace, according to your personal needs. The regular study period for a Bachelor’s degree is 36 months, but you have the option of choosing between the extended study periods of 48 or 72 months. You can also extend your regular study period – even during your studies - by 12 months. The regular study period for the Master is usually 12 or 24 months, depending on the ECTS credits of your study programme. Here, too, we offer part-time variants that run for 36 or 48 months. You can also extend your regular study period – even during your studies - by 12 months. For more details, please visit our Study Models page.
Yes, we offer you the option of taking a semester off to allow yourself a break from studying. During this time, your study programme will be suspended, and you will not have access to the online learning platform or your learning materials. We therefore do not charge any fees during your semester off.
A leave of absence is possible from the second semester onwards. In total, a leave of absence may not exceed half of the regular study period for your online study programme (e.g., for a six-semester Bachelor, this equates to a maximum of three semesters of leave).
As an online student you have the opportunity to register for our Online Graduation Ceremony.
Should you be able to travel to Germany and take part in a live graduation ceremony, then that may be possible, subject to availability.While on-campus graduation ceremonies are primarily organised for on-campus students, invitations can also be extended to online students should there be spaces available and on a first come first served basis. Please note that there will be a deadline given as to when your attendance must be confirmed regardless of visa issues. Please contact the students office to find out more.
Since 1998, we have supported thousands of students of various backgrounds and age groups in developing themselves both personally and professionally. Our campuses and our online environment are home to a community of over 85,000 students from all kinds of backgrounds, career levels, nationalities, and experiences.
Online students do not require a residence permit/Visa to study at IU. Students planning to study on campus will need to apply for one, only if they are not EU nationals.
If you spend the last 6 months of your degree studying in Germany, you get the chance to apply for an 18-month post-study Visa to remain in Germany after graduation and seek work. Our student office will be happy to assist with any Visa-related queries.
Once you have enrolled, you can get in touch with our Student Office for help with any queries you might have, and they will point you in the right direction. Their contact details are on the myCampus platform, you will receive login details for this once you have completed your enrolment.
The Scholarship Programme is designed to make your studies more affordable, with the condition that you meet our study criteria. To get the discount the Programme offers, you’ll start your studies as a registered participant, not a student.
Once you've enrolled and started on your studies, you'll have access to a part of your courses, based on the time model you choose. You will be registered as a student only after 50% of the total ECTS credits have been successfully completed. Then you will gain access to the rest of your courses, and will be able to finish your degree.
It means that you will be registered as a participant, not a student. Once you’ve successfully completed 50% of your ECTS credits, you will be registered as a student.
We can’t tell you exactly how many hours per week each course will take, because each student is different and that is entirely individual.
What we can tell you is how many courses you can take each semester in each time model, so you can plan accordingly:
You can ask your teachers questions at any time through the Course Feed on Microsoft TEAMS. You can also have your questions answered by Syntea, our AI-powered learning tool, which is available through the IU Learn app.
Yes, you can reach out to your professors via e-mail or the Course Feed.
Starting from the second semester, you can take a leave of absence. During that time, you will not be charged any fees, and you will not have any access to your study materials.
Yes, you can. It’s not easy – but definitely possible. It’s all up to you and how much time you have to spend on your studies.
To do so, you’ll need to let our Student Office know when you’re planning to take more courses than your time model allows, and pay the remaining tuition fees in advance.
Each semester is 6 months.
Yes, IU’s degrees are equivalent to degrees from any other university. They are state accredited by the German Ministry of Education, and are recognised internationally.
Yes! Our career office experts will help you by offering training, special career events and other career-related services.
Yes! Our career office experts will help you navigate the internship application process – so you’ll have a better chance of finding the right internship.
That depends on what exactly you study at IU, but thanks to our job success focused programmes, you’ll be ready to succeed in your first job after graduation.
To see the potential career paths for you as a graduate, visit the webpage of the programme you want to study, and look under the Careers section.
We are part of more than 10,000 Cambridge International schools that offer these qualifications. IU is registered as an online school that provides these courses digitally to prepare students for the Cambridge examinations.
We will provide you with all the necessary materials needed to prepare for the Cambridge examination. We provide this through synchronous and asynchronous teaching, scripts, Q&A, Slides, Videos, Podcasts, etc.
We provide synchronous and asynchronous teaching.
No, we are registered as an online Cambridge School. We only provide these courses online.
Anyone without a high school diploma (or an equivalent secondary school leaving certificate, like A-Levels or an IB Diploma) can take A-Levels. You do not need any kind of school certificate; the only requirement is to be over 16 years old.
If you’re over 18, you can accept the contract terms on your own. If you are 16 years or older, but not 18 yet, you can join IU, but your parents or legal guardians must sign a consent form.
Yes, you can. You must register directly with Cambridge at an exam venue near you, which can be found here. In case you do not pass the exam the second time around, you can still re-register and wait for the next date to take the exam again (by your own means). You have unlimited chances to retake the exam.
You can only sit for the exam again in the following examination date (June/November).
We highly recommend taking the free of charge IU English course exam, but there is no need to provide proof for admissions.
You can send a copy of the certification or certified statement to our Admissions office so you can continue with your Bachelor studies. You can also send Admissions your Cambridge Candidate Number, the Cambridge Centre Number, and your date of birth so they can review your results for you. There are certain countries where Cambridge does not allow our team to verify the results online. In these cases, students should verify their results on their own and send them to us: Bahamas, Botswana, Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, and Swaziland.
We recommend completing the courses within 12 months – that way, you won’t incur any additional costs for your studies due to extending them. But you can take the final exam as many times as you need.
Cambridge operates over 2,800 examination centres in more than 130 countries around the world. You can take your final exam at any one of them.
Please note that if you can't reach an examination centre, you cannot complete the A-Levels track. To avoid any issues, we bly recommend that you check your preferred examination centre and the fee they charge for the exam. It is your responsibility to find the appropriate location for your exam before you start A-Levels.
To find the closest examination centre to where you live, visit: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/why-choose-us/find-a-cambridge-school/
To continue with your study programme, you will need to pass your Cambridge exams. According to Cambridge, the passing grade is any grade over E in the certificate.
AS Level grade & PUM range
A80-100
B70-79
C60-69
D50-59
E40-49
Since IU does not charge for A-Levels courses, we do not provide any refunds. Cambridge does not refund their examination fees either.
If you do not pass any or all of your Cambridge exams, you can re-register and wait for the next date to take the exam again (by your own means). You have unlimited chances to retake the exams.
Yes, but we do not recommend you to as you would have to pay a fee and you might lose contract time. If you want to change tracks completely, you will have to be ex-matriculated from your track and start the new one from the beginning.
You can start both the High School Diploma Study Pathway and the study programme at the same time, you will just have to wait for that programme to start and have access to all courses.
Online courses consist of video lectures, interactive learning material, access to online materials via the library, as well as online examination. You can access the materials 24/7 on mobile or PC via our online learning platform MyCampus. That way you can fit learning around your own schedule. You will also be able to interact with other students and your lecturers in case you have any questions.
No. Your online studies are 100% flexible and are done whenever works for you. That includes the exams, too.
You only need a reasonably up-to-date PC (desktop or laptop) with a stable internet connection. Other internet-capable devices such as a tablet or smartphone can also assist you in your studies.
For detailed equipment recommendations, please visit our How to apply page
Yes, once you're registered as a student, you will also receive access to our online library, where you can search for an unlimited amount of journal articles and literature that can be downloaded in an e-book format.
Interactivity is a top priority for us. This means that you will have numerous online learning materials at your disposal. The content of each course can vary to include video tutorials, podcasts, interactive PDFs, presentations, or e-books from our online library.
We also stress the practical relevance of our teaching material by using case studies and reports from everyday work life. We also attach great importance to intensive exam preparation (e.g. through non-graded self-tests).
Yes, you can exchange ideas with other students via our virtual campus.
Each course you take has a recurring Intensive Live Session – a live session with your instructor, where they’ll cover some of the course material in more details, and answer any questions you might have. These take place usually once a month.
These sessions are all recorded, and can be accessed whenever you want, via the digital campus.
Yes, the recordings of the Intensive Live Sessions are uploaded to myCampus, your digital campus.
No, there will be no indication. Your diploma will look just like any other university diploma.
You can see a sample here.
If you study online, once you meet the exam requirements of a given course (e.g. passing non-graded self-tests), you can register for an exam at any time. Exam slots are available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Our online exams are carried out and supervised by an external provider, with whom you’ll need to book a time slot in advance (at any time of day you would like). To take your exam, you will need to connect to the provider’s platform at the scheduled time, with either your laptop and an external webcam, or two digital devices (iPad and smartphone, for example) - one with which you’ll take the exam, and one which is set up so your keyboard, hands and face are visible from the side.
This is required in order to ensure that you take the exam without using any external help, such as contact with other people or using notes.
The duration is determined by the ECTS credits earned through the course:
- A 5 ECTS credits
course means the exam is 90 minutes long.
- A 10 ECTS credits course means the exam is 180
minutes long.
The structure of the final exam depends on the course type and reflects the content of the course. In standard courses, the exam usually consists of approx. 50% open/ semi-open questions and 50% closed questions (e.g. multiple-choice, yes-no, matching questions). Other courses may require a different exam type such as case study, project-specific presentation, written assignment etc.
The results will be published three to six weeks (max.) after the examination date.
You have three attempts; in other words, each exam you fail can be repeated twice.
You can take your exams whenever you feel ready. The quizzes are only a tool for you to test your knowledge, so you can find out how ready you are to take the final exam in your course.
If you start your studies through the Scholarship Programme, you’ll be registered as a participant for the first half of your studies. Only after you’ve completed the first half, will you be enrolled as a student and receive your proof of matriculation.
Online course fees vary depending on your chosen time model and study programmes. Visit our tuition fees page to find a detailed breakdown.
Here at IU, we offer flexible payment options, please contact our student advisory team for more details.
At IU we offer a wide variety of secure international payment methods that fit your needs. You can easily pay your fees in your local currency via bank transfer, or by using a wide range of local online payment options. The available payment options and currencies may differ per country.
For more information on the different payment methods we offer, please visit our tuition fees page.
There are no application fees, or fees for consultations. Our tuition fees cover everything you need to study at IU, including access to our online study platform and app, your exams, access to our digital library and LinkedIn Learning courses, and career support services.
For on-campus students, a one-time semester fee will be charged. For more details, visit our tuition fees page.
After you enrol, and pay the first month's fee, you can try out the online learning programme you’ve applied for. During this time, all IU offers and services will be available to you. If you are not happy with the online programme, you can let the Student Office know within these four weeks and cancel your trial. You will then be de-registered, and receive a refund of the fee you have paid.
If you like your online studies, you can simply continue studying after the trial period has ended.
Please note: The 1 month trial is only available for IU’s Online Studies programmes.
Yes, you can change your payment method after you begin your studies. Simply contact our student office (you’ll get their details once you’ve been successfuly enrolled) when you want to make the change.
There are no hidden or additional fees – not for books, or special exams, or anything else. You’ll only pay the amount stated in your contract, unless you decide to extend your study period.
Even then, you’ll only be paying your tuition fees, and nothing else.
Yes, IU offers a referral programme called "Bring A Friend." With this programme, you can play an instrumental role in supporting your friend's pursuit of a world-class education while enjoying some well-deserved rewards yourself. To participate, a few conditions must be met: you must be currently enrolled and have completed at least one month of your studies. If you're not yet enrolled, don’t worry; you'll become eligible once you become a student. For further details about this programme, click here. It's an excellent opportunity to share the benefits of IU with those close to you!
You will need to send:
IU International University of Applied Sciences
Albert-Proeller-Str.
15-19
86675 Buchdorf, Germany
If your documents are not in English or German, you will need to provide a sworn/certified translation into English or German – we accept both.
IU works together with a translation agency called M21 Global. If you want to use their translation service, please submit your Online Application and your diploma for a first Admission review. Make sure to upload/send to us your translation consent form – available here.
If you translate your documents via M21 Global, there’s no need to provide a certified (sworn) copy of the translation, as this is done by them. You’ll only need to certify the original language version of your documents.
If you already have sworn translations of your application documents, you should mail us a certified paper copy (s) of the sworn translation (s) via post.
If your diploma has a digital signature, which can be verified online, we can accept it and you don’t have send us a certified copy via post.
You can also ask your university/school to send the diploma and transcripts directly from their official email address to our email address contact@pkhub.info.
Certified paper copies should reach IU within 3 months after starting your studies.
Failure to provide certified paper copies on time may result in de-registration.
Rated 5 stars for our online learning, among the best in the world
WES Canada U.S. recognised: our grads can work/study in both countries
Globally recognised for our quality-assured digital education
Enhanced research opportunities help IU provide the very best to you
Our teaching and faculty meet European educational standards
Academically top ranked in Germany with 6 out of 25 categories won
Reaccredited until 2026 for our competency in teaching and research
