At Rhineland-Palatinate universities of applied sciences, vocationally qualified individuals without an Abitur or Fachhochschulreife can study under certain conditions.

The new provisions of the Higher Education Act (in 2020) in conjunction with the State Ordinance on the Direct Right of Professionally Qualified Persons to Enter Higher Education (dated December 9, 2010), as amended on October 6, 2020, have once again simplified and expanded the options for vocationally qualified individuals to gain access to higher education.

• Individuals who have passed a master craftsman’s examination or a comparable advanced vocational training examination receive immediate university entrance qualification with this qualification for studying at universities of applied sciences and universities in Rhineland-Palatinate.
• Individuals who have completed vocational training with a qualified result receive a direct higher education entrance qualification for studying at universities of applied sciences and a direct subject-related higher education entrance qualification for studying at universities. A qualified result requires that the training qualification must have been acquired with a grade point average of at least 2.5 or better. For vocational training in accordance with the Vocational Training Act (Berufsausbildungsgesetz) or the Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung), the overall grade average is to be formed from the grades of the final vocational training examination and the final certificate issued by the vocational school. Any questions regarding the determination of the overall grade of both the final vocational training examination before the chamber and the vocational school can be addressed directly to the Office of Student Affairs at zulassung (at) hs-mainz.de gerichtet werden.

  Please note: The certificates of the chambers usually show an overall grade in the 6-point grading system (very good, good, satisfactory...) and the results of the partial examinations with point values (0-100). If an overall grade is listed in the certificates, this is generally used with the numerical values 1.0; 2.0; 3.0.... In individual cases, however, it may be more favorable for the applicant if the overall grade is recalculated from the point values of the partial results. However, the university does not perform such recalculations. In this case, applicants are free to have the relevant chamber certify which decimal grade their certificate corresponds to. If such a certificate is submitted, the university will base its evaluation on this decimal grade.

The pre-enrollment advisory service required by the State Ordinance on the Direct Right of Professionally Qualified Persons to Enter Higher Education (dated December 9, 2010) as amended on October 6, 2020 will be offered by Mainz University of Applied Sciences after admission has been granted. You will be informed in due time about the dates of the advisory sessions if you are admitted.

We specifically draw your attention to the application procedure in accordance with Section 5 of the relevant state ordinance.

If you have any questions regarding the application and admission procedure, please contact the Office of Student Affairs.