As a rule, if you are a foreign student and do not possess a German College/University Entrance Certificate (Abitur) and wish to enrol at JLU Giessen, you must show that you have sufficient knowledge of the German language to successfully pursue a course of study. Proof of this is usually obtained by passing the DSH German language examination. To find out whether or not you need to take the DSH exam, and for information on other preconditions pertaining to study at JLU, click here.

The International Office runs preparatory intensive courses for the German Language Examination for Foreign Student Applicants (DSH). The dates when the DSH is administered are contained in the Notification of Admission that you receive from the University. The examination is immediately preceded by a one-week DSH exam preparation course, which is run in the German Language Section of the International Office. This is not a language course as such, but is intended merely to brief you on concrete steps that can be taken in preparation for the exam, including review of the types of question set. The dates for this short-course are also in your Notification of Admission.

If you have already taken the DSH at Giessen but have not yet managed to score the minimum grade of "DSH-2" necessary to undertake academic study, you can take part in a language course held during the semester and designed specifically to prepare you for the next DSH exam. There is no fee for this 'DSH repeater' course, which runs for 20 hours per week (approx. 260 hours altogether). The timetable for the course can be found in the current schedule of the International Office.