What are the application deadlines? Deadlines for EU applicants and non-EU applicants are different.

All applicants for the Scholarship Program (EU and non-EU applicants):
1st of December (for the winter semester in the following year)

Non-EU applicants:
1st of May (for the upcoming winter semester)

EU applicants (EU natives and students with an EU degree):
1st of July (for the upcoming winter semester)

Important: The application portal will only open 3-4 weeks prior to the respective deadline stated above.

Please note: All courses start in winter semesters. Summer semester starts are not offered!

To be admitted to our M. Sc. programs at the University of Bonn, a B. Sc. degree (or equivalent) in Physics (or related fields) is required.

In particular, we require applicants to have successfully completed the following coursework by the time the first M. Sc. semester in Physics or Astrophysics starts:

Experimental physics:
Courses in atomic, molecular, solid-state, nuclear and/or particle physics, corresponding to at least 15 credit points in total.

Theoretical physics:
Courses in quantum mechanics and statistical physics, corresponding to at least 15 credit points in total.

Lab courses:
Lab courses corresponding to at least 15 credit points in total.

For the M. Sc. program in Astrophysics it is certainly helpful, but is not mandatory, having taken an introductory course in astronomy and/or astrophysics.

Please note:

• In case it is not evident from the transcript that these criteria are fulfilled (e. g. due to additional coursework), the applicant should address this in the application.
• The applicant has to prove that she or he has taken at least two lab courses performing experiments individually or in small groups and worked out written analyses of these experiments. Just watching someone else doing the experiment is not sufficient.

General remarks:
Our Master courses in Physics and Astrophysics are designed as "consecutive Master" courses, i. e. a solid foundation in physics is required. Applicants should have prior knowledge not only of classical mechanics (including Lagrange and Hamiltonian formulations) and electrodynamics (Maxwell equations and their solutions), but should also have taken introductory classes in atomic, molecular, solid state and nuclear and/or particle physics.
Furthermore, the Master courses require prior knowledge of non-relativistic quantum mechanics (including the axioms of quantum mechanics, the Schrödinger equation and its time-independent solution for the harmonic oscillator and the hydrogen atom, the angular momentum algebra and time-independent perturbation theory) and of thermodynamics and statistical physics (energy conservation, the principle of entropy, the canonical ensembles and introductory quantum statistics).

All information on necessary documents and language certificates.

The following documents are necessary for the application:

• Curriculum Vitae
• One-page essay indicating your motivation for joining the program (in German or English). What is asked for is not a description of why you are interested in physics/astrophysics in general but why you think that the Bonn/Cologne area is the right place for you.
• Certified copies of each university degree and/or a statement about degrees you plan to complete before joining the BCGS.
• Certified copy of your transcript of records.
• As many lab reports in the graded version (i. e. with the tutor's comments and with the grade) as possible.
• Module catalogue of your degree program (in Englisch or German).
• Certified copy of the school leaving certificate (or an equivalent degree of qualification for access to universities). In some countries this is also called "High-School Diploma" and it enabled you to move on to higher education facilities/University.
• Proof of English language proficiency B2 or higher e. g.:
  • CAE  
  • CPE
  • IELTS: min. score 5.0
  • TOEFL iBT: min. 72 points 
  or an official document stating the language of instruction issued by the university of the candidate.
  For german applicants the high school diploma (Abiturzeugnis) is sufficient, if it and proves 6 years of English classes.
• Two letters of recommendation (German applicants: minimum one).

For a definition of "certified copy" and "module catalogue" please refer to the FAQ.

Students who studied at the University of Bonn or University of Cologne do not need to send certified copies.

Applicants from India please note the following:

Application deadline 1st of December: A proof of APS registration is required.

Reason: Although scholarship holders do not require an APS certificate to obtain a Visa, only a very small number of students will be granted a scholarship. If  the scholarship application is not successful, there might not be enough time to apply and receive the APS certificate in time for the semester deadline.

Application deadline 1st of May: A completed APS certificate is required for applying to the BCGS.

Applications without the complete certificate will be flagged incomplete. No exceptions will be made.

We would like to strongly point out that we have had cases where the process of obtaining the certificate took several months, so if you are planning on applying to the BCGS, apply for the certificate early enough to have the document ready during our application period.