Study pro­grammes/sub­jects with re­stric­ted ad­mis­sion

If a degree programme/subject has restricted admission, then only a certain number of study places are available for this degree programme/subject.

A selection procedure must then be carried out to allocate the study places.

Important for teacher training degree programmes and the Zwei-Fach-Bachelor: Admission is restricted as soon as at least one of the desired subject areas is restricted.

Where can I see whether my desired degree programme has restricted admissions?

  • You can see whether a degree programme/subject has restricted admissions in our study offer. In the list of all study options on offer, degree programmes with admission restrictions are marked with an "NC". You can also use the "Study place allocation" filter to search explicitly for degree programmes/subject areas with or without admission restrictions.
  • You will also find information on the selection procedure within the individual pages for the degree programme/subject area.
  • You will also find an overview of all current admission restrictions.

What exactly is

... a numerus clausus (NC)?
The NC is the highest Abitur average with which applicants can still gain admission. It depends on supply (number of places) and demand (number of applicants and their grades) and can therefore only be determined after the relevant selection procedure has been completed - it is not determined in advance! You can only use the NC of previous semesters as a guide.

And what role do so-called "waiting semesters" play?
In the selection procedure, the average grade of the university entrance qualification (HZB), usually the Abitur, is the most important criterion. In addition to the average grade, up to a maximum of seven waiting semesters are taken into account in the selection procedure. Each full semester up to the start of the intended degree programme in which you were not enrolled at a German university after obtaining the HZB is considered a waiting period. Waiting semesters are calculated automatically based on the information provided in the application - a separate application is not required.

What do I need to con­sider when ap­ply­ing for a de­gree pro­gramme with re­stric­ted ad­mis­sion?

(Important for applications for 1st semester admission-restricted single-subject Bachelor's degree programmes)

The dialogue-oriented service procedure (DoSV) is carried out by the Foundation for University Admissions on behalf of state-recognised universities. The procedure coordinates the application process for numerous degree programmes nationwide.
Paderborn University participates in the DoSV with all single-subject Bachelor's degree programmes with admission restrictions (1st subject area). All other degree programmes (admission-restricted multi-subject degree programmes, admission-restricted higher subject areas and admission-free degree programmes) do not participate in DoSV and run exclusively via PAUL.

In principle, the application and enrolment process must also be carried out for an application with the DoSV . However, please note the following differences/instructions:

  • For a successful application and enrolment, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the DoSV in addition to the Paderborn University process. Find out on hochschulstart.de what the procedure is for and how it works.
  • If you are applying in PAUL for a single-subject Bachelor's degree programme with restricted admission, you must provide your DoSV applicant ID (BID) and applicant authentication number (BAN). It is not possible to submit an application without (prior) registration in the DoSV application portal.
  • If you submit several applications that participate in the DoSV, please indicate your preferred order in the DoSV application portal in good time (prioritisation).
    From the start of the application of the coordination rules (deadline on hochschulstart.de), it can happen, for example, that an offer of admission from Paderborn University immediately becomes an admission (without you actively accepting it) and you are eliminated from the application procedures of other universities. You may also be excluded from the procedure at Paderborn University if you receive an offer of admission for a higher-priority application from another university, which automatically becomes an admission (see coordination on hochschulstart.de).
  • As soon as you have started an application in PAUL, it is assigned a status. The PAUL status designations differ from the status designations in DoSV. You can find information about the differences here.
  • If you are admitted, the notifications (including the deadline for enrolment) are made available in PAUL under Application/My documents. Notifications of rejection are provided in the DoSV application portal.

(Important for applications for bachelor's teacher training programmes and the Zwei-Fach-Bachelor)

Paderborn University only issues full admissions. This means that an admission is always valid for the entire combination of subject areas specified in an application - not for individual subjects. If you have applied for two subjects in the Zwei-Fach-Bachelor, you will be admitted or rejected for exactly these subject combinations. This applies analogously to teacher training programmes with several subject areas/specialisations/special educational focuses. The choice of your subject combination(s) is therefore of particular importance. In addition to the combination of several subject areas with restricted admission, it is generally also possible to combine subject areas with restricted admission and subjects without restricted admission or combinations with only restricted admission.

Example: You are applying for two subjects with restricted admission (hypothetically: Psychology and Pedagogy in the BAGyGe teaching degree). In order to be admitted to this combination, you must achieve the lower NC of the two subjects. For example, the NC for Pedagogy would be 2.8 and for Psychology 2.3. In this example, you need an average grade of no more than 2.3 to gain admission. If the NC is only achieved in one subject, e.g. with a grade of 2.6, you will receive a rejection for this application. Note: It would be possible to submit another application, e.g. for Pedagogy and German (no NC, i.e. admission-free).

Experience has shown that not all those admitted accept the study place allocated to them in the main procedure. The Paderborn University then allocates the places that have become available again in the so-called succession procedure to the next highest-ranking applicants who have not yet been admitted.

  • All applications that have been rejected in the main procedure automatically take part in the succession procedure. No explicit declaration of participation in the succession procedure is required.
  • Notifications of admission will be made available in PAUL under "Meine Dokumente". It is possible that you will first receive a rejection notice in the main procedure and then later an admission notice in the succession procedure. Rejection notices in the succession procedure are not issued.
  • In the DoSV (see above), a permanent comparison is made between the admission offers of various universities and the acceptance of study places from applicants, and applications are automatically moved up on an ongoing basis.

In the event that not all places can be filled through the succession procedure in an admission-restricted degree programme or subject area, the university will draw lots for the remaining places.

  • From the beginning of September (winter semester) or the beginning of March (summer semester), you can check at www.hochschulkompass.de to see which universities still have remaining places available in individual degree programmes. The study place exchange is constantly updated.
  • For the lottery procedure, a (renewed) application via PAUL is required, which must be submitted within the relevant deadline is possible.
  • Applications are open to all prospective students with a general or relevant subject-restricted higher education entrance qualification, regardless of nationality and whether the higher education entrance qualification was obtained in Germany or abroad. You can also apply if you are already enrolled or have applied in the main procedure.
  • After the lottery procedure has been carried out, admission letters (including the deadline for enrolment) will be issued; rejection letters will not be issued.

Out of consideration for applicants who do not yet have a degree, admission to a second degree programm with restricted admission is limited. Further information on second degree programmes.

Further information on the DoSV can be found at www.hochschulstart.de. If you have any questions regarding the functionality of the application portal of hochschulstart.de, please contact the applicant support of Hochschulstart.

If you have any questions about the university's own application portal PAUL, please contact bewerbung@uni-paderborn.de.