Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We are doing our best to keep our FAQ section updated and accurate. If you have any further questions, please contact us (study@klu.org).
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  • Sincerely,
  • Your KLU Community

Application process

Please go to the program page you wish to apply for, then click on the ‘apply now’ button, this will direct you to our online application. 

We will consider your application as soon as we have received all the required documents and will notify you of the Admission Committee's decision within 6-8 weeks.

Information for applicants with foreign degrees: please note that in some cases degree documents need to be checked by the German Council of Higher Education. If this is the case, you will be notified accordingly by our Office of Admissions. The processing time of the Council varies and might take up to 8 weeks or longer depending on the complexity of the degree. The processing time of the Council cannot be influenced by KLU. Therefore, we strongly advise all applicants who hold a foreign degree to apply as early as possible.

At KLU we encourage you to submit your application early, not only will it give you more time for planning, preparation, visas, etc. but you could also benefit from our early-bird discount.

For fully completed applications received by January 15, you will be granted a 10% early-bird discount on the overall tuition
upon enrollment. To be entitled for the discount you need to fully complete the online application form and submit it together with your official transcript of records (in English or German). 

Please note, that the early-bird cannot be combined with KLU scholarships.

No, there is no way to speed up the process. The applications are processed in the order we receive them.

As long as you have not submitted your application yet, you can still make changes to it. If you have submitted your application, then please email admission@klu.org with the document as an attachment. We will make sure it is added to your application. 

You can log-in your account at any time to add or alter information. When you first signed up, you would have received a link and password, please use this for all future logins. If you have already submitted your application, you can no longer add anything to your application. Please contact the Office of Admissions.

If you have not yet submitted your application, then you are able to create a new application and change your degree program. If you have already submitted your application, then you cannot adjust anything. Please email admission@klu.org , we will be able to take note of the change in your application.

To accept your place of study you need to

  • sign and send back your study contract + annexes
  • transfer a non-refundable deposit of EUR 1,000 within two weeks after the Office of Admissions has received your signed study contract

The deposit will be deducted from your first tuition fee installment. Please note that your study place can only be secured if you sign the study contract and transfer the deposit as stated above.

If you have not yet submitted your application, please delete your application. If you have already submitted your application, then please email admission@klu.org and let us know you would like to remove your application.

We understand that sometimes life gets in the way of study plans. If you feel that you are unable to start your studies at KLU this intake, but would like to start the next intake instead, you have the option of deferring your admission to the following year. This means that admitted students (who have signed the study agreement and paid the deposit) will be able to keep your study spot - you do not need to apply again. If this is applicable to you, please let our Office of Admissions know that you would like to make use of this option as soon as possible. 

International Applicants

EXTENSION OF THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR MASTER’S INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS!
KLU grants this 2023 an extension of the application deadline for international students applying for our master’s programs until July 15th, 2023. Admitted candidates will be allowed to attend classes online during the first semester (see “online start for those with visa issues”). Students must be present on Campus as of the second semester. Students who are not able to attend classes at KLU Campus in Hamburg by the second semester will be granted a deferral of their remaining study program for the academic year 2024/25.

*If you are a prospective student of either Bachelor’s or Master’s program and you have European citizenship and/or reside in Germany or an EU-EEA country, please contact study@klu.org. You may be still able to apply until July 15th, 2023 as well.

 Please title your email ‘International Application Request’, and include the following information:

  • Program you wish to apply for.
  • How you plan to fund your studies (scholarship, self-funding, etc.)
  • Previous educational background (Bachelor degree and GPA for Master applicants, high school diploma type for Bachelor applicants)
  • Nationality and current status in Germany (if any)

We will consider your application as soon as we have received all the required documents and will notify you of the Admission Committee's decision within 6-8 weeks.

Information for applicants with foreign degrees: please note that in some cases degree documents need to be checked by the German Council of Higher Education. If this is the case, you will be notified accordingly by our Office of Admissions. The processing time of the Council varies and might take up to 8 weeks or longer depending on the complexity of the degree. The processing time of the Council cannot be influenced by KLU. Therefore, we strongly advise all applicants who hold a foreign degree to apply as early as possible.

No, international students pay the same amount of tuition fees as the German students.

Applicants from non-EU/EEA countries* are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of € 50. Please transfer your application fee right after you have submitted your application. Your application will be processed after the application fee has been received.

*We offer application fee waivers for selected candidates who fulfill the following requirements:
- If you are holding a German Abitur (applying for BSc at KLU) or a German Bachelor degree (applying for MSc at KLU)
- If you come from a trusted agent, a high school counselor, or one of our partner universities (exchange)
- If you are an applicant with a degree from India, China or Vietnam who needs to apply for an APS Certificate

Please note that you must indicate this in your application to KLU. You can find a manual on how to do this here. 

International applicants have to make sure to apply early enough, so there is still enough time left for visa application. The KLU application process can take 6-8 weeks. Visa application can take another couple of weeks or months. Once you have been admitted to KLU, we will send you your study agreement, the certificate of admission and your visa support letter.

 

No. This letter is only a confirmation of your application and not a letter of acceptance or rejection! It confirms only that you have applied to the KLU and is supposed to give you important information regarding entering Germany with a student applicant visa. You should only enter Germany with your student applicant visa once you have formally accepted your study offer.

Please note that a blocked or limited-withdrawal bank account (Sperrkonto) is often required when applying for a German study visa. A blocked or limited-withdrawal bank account allows you to prove sufficient financial resources for your stay in Germany.

You can set up a German bank account with Expatrio, Fintiba Coracle or others. They differ in terms of account type, setup fee, monthly fees and setup time. A helpful comparison table can be found here.

Please always check with the German embassy of your home country which blocked bank account is accepted. For more information, please see the website of the German Federal Foreign Office.

Once you have set up the account, you will have to deposit the amount required. For one academic year you will have to deposit 11,208 euros. Please be aware that the process for opening the account can take several weeks.

A certified translation has to be accomplished by a ‘sworn translator’. It is certified by the translator or the translation company and accompanied by a signed statement confirming that the translation is accurate and complete to the best of the translator's knowledge and ability. For the admissions process at KLU, either a translation into English or German is required. Usually British and local German Embassies provide a list of translation services on their website. Please refer to the respective Embassy in your country for further information. 

Yes, KLU offers German courses that are open and free of charge to all master’s/exchange/MBA/PhD students, and bachelor’s students of the “Data and Systems” profile line. 

Students with prior knowledge of German will complete an online placement test (for level A1, A2 or B1).

The courses start at the beginning of each semester and run over both quarters, with a scope of 50 contact hours (à 45 minutes once a week) per course. There is no cost for the courses as such, but students are required to pay for the course material (book and workbook according to their level). 

The courses are currently limited to a minimum of 5 and maximum of 20 participants per course. 

Admission Requirements

Please note, that there are multiple criteria in the eligibility check. An educated statement on your eligibility can only be made after you have submitted your complete application including all necessary application documents (e.g. transcript of records, degree certificate). Usually KLU does not offer any pre-checks.

Yes, you can apply at KLU prior to receiving your final school certificate or Bachelor’s degree. We kindly ask you to submit your mark sheets for the last 3 semesters of your high school (for Bachelor applicants) and a full available transcript of your Bachelor studies (for Master applicants). Additionally, please notify us when we can expect your final transcripts.

We understand that schools in most countries are closed right now and many of you are not able to receive your final transcripts. In case your final degree documents will not be available until July 31, please get in touch with our Office of Admissions during the enrollment process. KLU will do its utmost to take your circumstances into consideration and offer flexibility in terms of deadlines.

A complete application consists of your school certificate or Bachelor’s degree including official transcripts of records, and your statement of purpose. In case your documents are in a language other than English or German, please send us officially translated versions of your documents (certified translations), either in English or in German, together with your original documents.

In addition to the above mentioned documents, applicants with a degree from India, China or Vietnam have to submit an APS certificate with their application.

Please send us officially translated versions of your documents, either in English or in German, together with the original documents.

A certified translation has to be accomplished by a ‘sworn translator’. It is certified by the translator or the translation company and accompanied by a signed statement confirming that the translation is accurate and complete to the best of the translator's knowledge and ability. For the admissions process at KLU, either a translation into English or German is required. Usually British and local German Embassies provide a list of translation services on their website. Please refer to the respective Embassy in your country for further information.

Applicants who completed a degree in India, Vietnam or China must submit an APS certificate with their application to study at KLU. It is also a prerequisite for the visa application.

6 examination courses with at least IB grade 4. These must include:

  • 2 language courses (level A or B)
  • 1 science course (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
  • 1 mathematics course
  • 1 social science course (History, Geography, Economics)
  • 1 additional course

3 courses on „Higher Level“ must include:

  • A mathematics or a science course (Biology, Chemistry or Physics)
  • 2 additional courses (from the above-mentioned courses)

Make sure that your transcript also includes the received bonus points which will be relevant for the calculation of your GPA!

This information contains the basic prerequisites under which the IB Diploma can be eligible as direct university entry into the Bachelors program at KLU. The evaluation of the requirements must be conducted individually and carefully by the Admissions Office, once the applicant has uploaded their complete application documents. For more information on how the IB Diploma is recognized in Germany, please reference DAAD or the IBO

*If students do not meet this requirement, then they could be eligible to study in our Preparation Program. Please contact Study@klu.org for more information.

For our Master’s degree programs we require a degree in business or economics, but will consider other fields such as industrial or mechanical engineering, business informatics, and mathematics if your Bachelor's degree contains a sufficient number of courses in business (at least four).

The following courses could be recognized as necessary business courses: 

  • Microeconomics
  • Macroeconomics
  • Operations Research
  • Econometrics
  • Accounting
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Business Strategy
  • Marketing (Management)
  • Management (International, Operations, Strategic)
  • Human Resource Management
  • Supply Chain Management and similar

Please note, the following courses are NOT considered as business courses, but only as quantitative courses:

  • Mathematics
  • Statistics
  • Quantitative Methods / Techniques

There are different ways to prove additional courses, e.g. you can join a summer school at a recognized university or KLU's Summer School (6 ECTS). You can also do so called MOOCs (massive open online courses) on online learning platforms (e.g. edX, coursera etc). Please find some examples of courses which can be recognized as the necessary business courses here.

 

Please note that in either case these courses

  • have to be conducted by a recognized university;
  • a course must consist of a minimum of 1 US credit hour (1 credit = 2 ECTS; 1 ECTS = 25-30 hours of work);
  • you have to prove your successful participation by a certificate.

For our Master’s degree programs, a high performance in so called quantitative courses plays a very important role. For example, the following courses could be recognized as quantitative courses:

  • Mathematics
  • Microeconomics
  • Macroeconomics
  • Statistics
  • Quantitative methods / quantitative techniques
  • Econometrics
  • Numerical Methods

No. For the MSc programs (not MBA) professional / work experience is not an admission requirement, but is definitely beneficial for the classroom and for the evaluation of your application. We require a degree in Business Administration or Economics for our MSc programs, but we will consider other degrees if you have completed a sufficient number of courses in business (at least four). Please note that professional / work experience cannot substitute missing academic business courses.

In order to qualify for the fast track Master program, your previous Bachelor’s degree must comprise of at least 210 ECTS points (German standard). In addition, you must have either studied outside of Germany for at least one semester in your Bachelor’s degree or you must have done an internship abroad, which was officially part of your Bachelor's degree program. Foreign university degrees will be evaluated according to the guidelines of the German Council of Higher Education.

We encourage all students to participate in the study abroad program. Students are able to stay in Hamburg for their third semester if they completed their entire Bachelor’s degree outside of Germany or spent a semester abroad during their Bachelor’s degree.

No, once the study program has started, it is not possible to change tracks anymore. Therefore, please check carefully with the Recruitment and Admissions Office which of the tracks (there are several on offer) you qualify for and is most suitable for you.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

You can apply for scholarships, once you have applied to KLU. Your complete application must be submitted and the application fee paid. Incomplete applicants, or international applicants (non-EU) still owing the application fee will not be considered.

There are several possibilities to finance your studies, e.g. through Brain Capital, KLU merit-based scholarships, external scholarships or a student loan. 

KLU offers a limited number of merit-based scholarships. These scholarships cover 50% to 100% of tuition. Applicants are chosen based on outstanding academic performance (GPA less than or equal to 2.0), social commitment, and extracurricular activities.

Plus, KLU offers an innovative financing plan called Brain Capital. In this plan, the KLU tuition fund may carry up 50% to 100% of the cost of tuition for the program (but not the cost of living). Applicants from non-OECD countries do not receive a full funding of the tuition but only up to 50%.

Students can pursue their degree without having to pay full tuition that exceeds their financial resources. In return, they will commit themselves to making income-dependent payments after graduation. For more information please visit our financial options page.

In Germany, tuition can be claimed on tax returns and the tax savings can be used to partially finance students’ degrees.

All master’s degree students can claim all the costs of their degree program as anticipated income-related expenses before graduating and after completing their vocational training, and carry them forward over their time enrolled as cumulative losses – assuming they had no or very little income in that time. Loss carry-forwards make this possible: the losses that students incur because they are studying are offset from their incomes after graduation in subsequent years. This reduces the income for which taxes are due. The costs associated with the semester abroad and tuition are deductible.

It is only possible to take advantage of loss carry-forward if the degree program is a second degree (master’s degree after the bachelor’s or a bachelor’s degree after an apprenticeship). The costs of first degrees can be deducted as a special expense up to a limit of €6,000. Study-related expenses only have an effect in the same year and only result in tax benefits for people whose incomes are high enough that they actually pay income tax in Germany. The Federal Constitutional Court is reviewing the regulation regarding the costs of the first degree. For this reason, students should always claim their study-related expenses as income-related expenses on their income tax returns.

If students participate in the brain capital plan and defer payment of tuition fees, the fees can be deducted as soon as payment is initiated (outflow principle).

*non-committal statement as KLU is not allowed to act as a tax advisor.

Yes, there are several external scholarships which you can apply for. DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) offers an extensive scholarship database. Moreover, there are several merit-based educational scholarships.

Tuition fee payments

You can pay your tuition fees by utilizing our safe electronic system Flywire. Flywire works with most of the main payment platforms in each country. If Flywire is not available in your country, we will provide you with other possibilities for payment.

No. Your deposit, which serves to confirm your study spot at KLU, will be automatically discounted from the tuition fee for the 1st semester. Therefore, the deposit is used to pay your tuition and it will not be reimbursed after your studies. You can find any discounts stated in the Financing Sheet that you will receive together with your study contract from our Admissions department.

No. Tuition is paid each semester before the semester starts. Fall semester payment is due by August 31, and spring semester is due by January 15. If you have issues with financing your studies or paying for a specific semester, please get in touch with our Student Services department as soon as you know of the issue. They will help you find your best options.

No. Tuition is paid each semester before the semester starts. Fall semester payment is due by August 31, and spring semester is due by January 15. In general, KLU does not accept pre-payments for further semesters in advance.

In exceptional cases, only if it is required for visa issuance, additional semesters can be paid before the start of studies. Should you have received this requirement from the embassy, please contact our Student Services team.

No. KLU does not offer any discount for an early payment of the tuition fee. In addition, tuition is paid each semester before the semester starts. Fall semester payment is due by August 31, and spring semester is due by January 15. KLU does not accept pre-payments for further semesters in advance.

No. The tuition for each semester is paid right before the semester starts. If you then decide not to continue your studies, you will be forfeiting the right to claim that tuition fee.

The amount granted by your scholarship/Brain Capital agreement will be applied to your overall tuition fee, and the remaining amount to be paid will be equally distributed within the number of semesters of your study program. Your deposit will always be discounted from the 1st-semester payment. You can find any discounts stated in the Financing Sheet that you will receive together with your study contract from our Admissions department.

General Information

Usual Semester dates:

Fall Semester: September 1 – January 15

Spring Semester: January 16 – August 31

During the semester lecture-free period no regular courses take place and fulltime working is possible. You can find a first overview of the next semester dates here. Please use this information only as a general guideline.

Semester Lecture Period Lecture-free Period
Fall Semester 2023/24 Sept. 6 - Dec. 22 Dec. 23 - Jan. 15
Spring Semester 2024 Jan. 16 - May 17 May 18 - Sept. 4
Fall Semester 2024/25 Sept. 5 - Dec. 20 Dec. 21 - Jan. 15
Spring Semester 2025 Jan. 16 - May 16 May 17 - Sept. 7
Fall Semester 2025/26 Sept. 8 - Dec. 21 Dec. 22 - Jan. 15
Spring Semester 2026 Jan. 16 - May 15 May 16 - Sept 7.

A semester/year off is not possible at KLU. However, in cases like pregnancy, emergency family issues, (mental) health concerns, or other emergency situations, students can request a semester of leave.

KLU provides an ideal environment for learning: small classes, an excellent student-professor ratio, a state-of-the-art campus and easy access to relevant information in our library. The university administration also offers extensive support services: a unique career and job orientation program, a well-structured degree program and support in planning and organizing the semester abroad. Our student services team helps our students on day-to-day issues. And at KLU, world-class professors who are thought leaders in their fields teach the students.

A degree from KLU starts paying the day your career begins. KLU graduates earn above-average entry-level pay. The average entry-level annual salary for KLU graduates of the MSc programs living in Germany is 15% higher than the average salary of graduates from MSc in Management programs in Germany (Source: KLU Alumni Survey 2016 / stepstone.de).

Common features

Both KLU students and state university students graduate with outstanding analytical and methodological skills and excellent knowledge of general business administration. All the degree programs at KLU must pass the same accreditation process as the state universities. Agencies commissioned by the German Council of Science and Humanities verify the quality of the degree programs and the study environment.

Differences

Students at state universities often complain about crowded lecture halls, but KLU offers small classes and intensive, personal teaching and support. Students at huge universities often feel anonymous, but KLU encourages an intimate atmosphere of trust characterized by mutual respect.

Students often describe their studies at state universities as too theoretical without any relationship to actual practice. KLU establishes a relationship to practice with project work, planning games, simulations, excursions, and lectures by people who work at renowned companies.

Thanks to tuition and funding from the Kühne Foundation, KLU has a state-of-the-art campus and rooms, up-to-date teaching materials, and a high level of service. State universities often have to make do with out-of-date technical equipment and shabby buildings and rooms.

The curricula at KLU are well organized and planned in detail. Our students graduate after the normal number of semesters, which is often not possible at state universities in Germany (Source: destatis: Hochschulen auf einen Blick Ausgabe 2016 (Universities at a Glance 2016 edition): median total duration of degree program for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration: bachelor’s: 6.8 semesters; master’s: 11.3 semesters). Because they graduate on time, our students launch their careers earlier and earn money sooner.

 

*Please note, some additional conditions may apply*

Study Abroad

  • No, the goal of the semester abroad is to gain international experience, therefore going to your home country does not build your international portfolio. 
  • If certain criteria are fulfilled, students will be allowed to study in their home country. Please consult the International Office.

Yes, we have over 50 partnerships around the world. For more information regarding our partnerships, check out our International Office page. *Please note that the partner and places available are subject to change.

No, if you would like, you can take part in your semester abroad as a ‘Free Mover’. When considering a free mover exchange it is crucial that students make sure that the academic content and quality at the exchange destination corresponds with that of KLU. As a general rule, free movers of KLU should be enrolled as non-degree students at the host university. For more information on study abroad and free movers click here.

Yes, courses from the study abroad period can be recognized and should belong to the fields of Management, Logistics, Economics and Leadership Skills. For more information, please go here, and look under course selection.

The places are allocated by the International Office, taking into account the average grade as well as a motivation letter, explaining the reasons of choosing this particular partner. 

Yes, KLU takes part in the ERASMUS+ program which enables us to support students going to another ERASMUS+ university with a small monthly sum for their study abroad period. More information can be found on our website. Please note that not all of our European partners are ERASMUS+ partners. 

In order to qualify for the fast track Master program, your previous Bachelor’s degree must comprise of at least 210 ECTS points (German standard). In addition, you must have either studied outside of Germany for at least one semester in your Bachelor’s degree or you must have done an internship abroad, which was officially part of your Bachelor's degree program.

We encourage all students to participate in the study abroad program. Students are able to stay in Hamburg for their third semester if they have completed their entire Bachelor’s degree or spent a semester abroad during their Bachelor’s degree outside of Germany.

Internship

Yes, internships are a mandatory component for our programs, and although you may have other work experience, you will still need to complete an internship.

At KLU, our Career Services are able to assist you in finding an internship. They provide resume support, mock interviews, and general guidance for the application process. For more information on the Career Services for KLU Students click here.

Students have freedom when it comes to their internship, if they would like to stay in Germany they can, if they would like to return to their home country they can, and if they would like to go somewhere new, they can. 

Language Requirements

Yes, you can submit your application before having the final results of an English language proficiency test. You will be given conditional admission until you hand in a proof of English proficiency. You have to submit this proof by July 31st (before you start your studies with us in September).

There are several ways to prove your English language proficiency.
Please note, proof of English proficiency can be submitted by July 31st. Do not wait to apply until you receive your test scores, rather apply early and proactively and submit them at a later date.

  • TOEFL (iBT: 90)*
  • TOEFL "MyBest Scores" (iBT: 90) 
  • TOEFL “Special Home Edition” (iBT: 90)
  • IELTS Academic (band 6.5)*
  • IELTS Online Academic Test (band 6.5)*
  • CAE (grade C) / CPE (180 points)*
  • FCE Cambridge English (grade A)*
  • Pearson PTE Academic (also online version) (score 61)*
  • IB diploma (for Bachelor's and Master's program)

In case of admission, please note that you will need an official score report (hardcopy) for the enrolment. Therefore, please name KLU if possible when registering for a test (TOEFL institutional code is 7373).

*Test score reports should not be older than two years at the time of application.

Applicable for MSc International Management & MSc Global Logistics and SCM:

  •  Bachelor degree in English, if proof of English language proficiency was an admission requirement and can still be proven (according to the above mentioned KLU standards).
  •  English high school qualification in a native speaker country combined with a Bachelor's degree in a language different to English.

The English proficiency requirements for the prep program are defined by the Hamburg School and Education Authority and therefore differ from KLU’s other programs.

Generally, the test certificate needs to prove English proficiency on level C1:

  •  TOEFL iBT: 95*
  •  IELTS: 7.0*
  •  CAE: Grade C / CPE: 180 points*
  •  Pearson PTE Academic: 65*

In case you do not have a C1 level of English yet, you can also take an English language course as part of the Preparation Program and do an assessment test at the end of the course. 

In that case, your English proficiency certificate must meet the following scores:

  •  TOEFL iBT: 90*
  •  IELTS: 6.5*
  •  CAE: Grade C / CPE: 180 points*
  •  Pearson PTE Academic: 61*

In case of admission, please note that you will need an official score report (hardcopy) for the enrolment. Therefore, please name KLU if possible when registering for a test (TOEFL institutional code is 7373).

English test score reports must be handed in by June 30.

*Test score reports should not be older than two years at the time of application. 

No, all students are required to complete an English language proficiency test. Only nationals of Canada (excluding Quebec), USA, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, (or students who have completed their entire degree in one of these countries) can get a waiver on the English language proficiency test.

If you completed your entire degree in English in Canada (excluding Quebec), USA, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, then you do not need to complete a language proficiency test.

If you studied a program in English in a different country from the ones mentioned above, you may be eligible for a waiver on the English language proficiency test, provided that a proficiency test was an admission requirement for your previous degree (please see the tests accepted by KLU above).

No German language skills are required as all our study programs are taught entirely in English.

Candidates who may prove at least A2 German language knowledge may be eligible for a shortened program. Candidates with a German passport who possess international school leaving certificates must also prove their knowledge of German. This decision is based on the fact that native speakers must also take Abitur examination for the subject German.

There are several ways to prove your German language proficiency. Please be aware of the language levels offered and the modes of how the test can be taken, online or in person:

  • Certificates of Goethe-Institut, Levels: A2 - C2
  • TestDaF (Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache für ausländische Studienbewerber), Levels B2, C1
  • TELC Certificates (The European Language Certificates), Levels: A2 - C2
  • DSD (Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz) Level 1 (A2/B1)/ Level 2 (B2/C1), Levels: A2 - C2

Proof of German proficiency must be handed in by June 30.

*Generally, test score reports should not be older than two years at the time of application.