DSH Preparatory Courses for International Students

If your school leaving certificate grants you direct university entrance in Germany, but you still need the required German language certificate, you can apply to our DSH preparatory program. You can find out if your school leaving certificate grants you direct university entrance in Germany here: https://www.uni-assist.de/en/tools/check-university-admission

This program will prepare you for the DSH exam C1, the level needed for most German taught university programs.

Prerequisite for this program is a German certificate level B1. The following certificates are accepted:

  • Goethe Certificate B1
  • Zertifikat Deutsch / telc B1
  • DTZ (German Test for Immigrants) overall result B1
  • Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz (German Language
  • Diploma awarded by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (DSD) First Level
  • ÖSD B1 Certificate

Depending on your individual German proficiency, which will be assessed at the beginning of the course, the program will take between one to three semesters.

During each semester, you will have 20 hours of teaching each week and your course will typically last between 16 and 20 weeks per semester, during which time you will be prepared for the end-of-course exam. At the end of a level I course, students will take a diagnostic language test. Students taking a level II course will take the DSH language proficiency test at the end of the semester.

The courses are designed to develop student competence in:

  • Grammar (particularly the structures found in academic language)
  • Listening comprehension
  • Reading comprehension
  • Oral communication
  • Written expression

The preparatory German language courses are supplemented by introductory level elective subjects and student-centered, tutor-guided learning sessions.

How to apply:

For this DSH Preparatory course, you need to apply through uni-assist.

Please note: Under https://my.uni-assist.de/, you need to choose htw saar and then “Studienvorbereitung (DSH und INGprep)” as your study program. DO NOT chose your future field of study at this point.