Frequently Asked Questions
Admission requirements
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}You must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in fields related to molecular systems science and engineering. Your degree must contain at least 180 ECTS credits. At least 96 ECTS credits must be in subjects relevant to MSSE. You need a certificate of English language proficiency (TOEFL with at least 90/120; IELTS with at least 6.5).
Learn more on our Target Group and Application Procedure pages.
Your bachelor’s degree must have a minimum of 180 ECTS credits. At least 96 of the ECTS credits must have been taken in subjects relevant to the MSSE.
MSSE is a highly interdisciplinary Master program, so we do not require any specific courses. The subjects you have studied in your bachelor’s degree must overlap with subjects relevant to MSSE and you must have earned at least 96 ECTS credits in relevant subjects. These include, but are not limited to
- Physics, Chemistry, (Molecular) Biosciences
- Molecular Biotechnology
- Materials science
- (Chemical) Engineering
- Nanoscience
Examples: You have studied Biosciences, a very broad subject that we generally consider compatible with MSSE. However, you have little to no experience in a molecular biology lab, having focused primarily on animal taxonomy. So you’d be an unlikely candidate. If you’ve focused on molecular biology, organoids, and cell-cell interactions in addition to your basic bioscience education, you’d be much more likely to be invited to interview with our professors. They will then use your interview to determine whether or not you are a suitable candidate.
Yes, you can apply to the MSSE Master’s program. To do so, you must submit a provisional transcript from your college or university. This document must be an official record of the courses you have taken and the grades you received for each course. The bachelor’s degree must be presented at the time of enrollment.
Once you have submitted your application, it will be checked for completeness and accuracy by the central studies administration of the University of Heidelberg. They will then be forwarded to the application committee, which will evaluate your application and decide whether you will be invited to the interviews.
We cannot check your documents for you before you submit them via the heiCO system.
This means that if you have already irrevocably failed a course required for the MSSE at another university and are now prohibited from taking that course again, you are not eligible to apply for the MSc in Molecular Systems Science and Engineering. If you have passed all the courses in your previous degree, you have nothing to worry about. This is a legal requirement.
The program is taught entirely in English, so solid English skills are required.
However, while it’s possible to live in Germany without knowing German, as most people in the general public speak at least rudimentary English, and the university population typically speaks English quite well, knowing or learning German will most likely benefit you greatly.
German courses are available to university students through the University Language Center (Zentrales Sprachlabor). There may also be special courses for students associated with the Cluster of Excellence 3D Matter Made to Order (as you would be as a student of MSSE). These will be communicated to you by the program coordinator.
MSSE students need to have a good command of the English language as the program is conducted entirely in English.
There are several ways to demonstrate English proficiency:
- You are a native speaker (select this option during the application process).
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) paper-based with a minimum score of 570 out of 677, or internet-based with a minimum score of 90 out of 120.
- The International English Language Test System (IELTS) with a score of 6.5 or higher.
- The Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
- UNIcert®: At least one UNIcert® II certificate with a minimum score of 2.3.
- NULTE certificates: minimum level B2+.
- At least two years of relevant study or work experience in an English-speaking country within the last three years prior to the application for admission, or successful completion of a degree program taught in English.
Students must have an above-average bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade of 2.3 (good). The final grade is calculated according to the modified Bavarian formula for foreign degrees.
Unfortunately, students who do not meet all of the requirements listed in the Admissions Regulations cannot be admitted and will not be invited for an interview.
Required Documents
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}These documents are mandatory:
- Bachelor’s degree certificate (if you have already completed your program. If not, you are required to submit it later)
- Transcript of Records + a statement on the grading system
- Letter of Motivation (use the supplied template!)
- Proof of English language proficiency
These documents are optional:
- Curriculum Vitae
More information can be found on the Application Procedure page.
No, not for the application. Ordinary copies of the documents in their original language (or English language) and ordinary copies of the translation (if applicable) will be sufficient. Your English language certificate may also be submitted as an ordinary copy.
- One exception: Chinese, Mongolian, and Vietnamese applicants must submit their original APS).
If accepted, you will need to bring all original documents for enrollment.
You can send them via post to the following address: Universität Heidelberg – Studierendenadministration – Seminarstr. 2 – 69117 Heidelberg
Certificates from foreign educational institutions must be accompanied by a certified German or English translation. If the university entrance qualification and academic achievements were obtained in the People’s Republic of China, India or Vietnam, a certificate from the Academic Evaluation Center (APS) must also be submitted.
Your certificates may be at most four years old at the END of the application period. Make sure to check whether the documents themselves include an expiration date before submitting them.
Application process
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}The application period for the upcoming winter semester starts at February 1st and will last until March 15th for German citizens and most international applicants.
As deadlines may vary for some international applicants, it is prudent to check the individualized application details that you can obtain on the website of Heidelberg University. For more information, please refer to our Application Procedure page.
You have to apply via the heiCO web portal of Heidelberg University. For more information go to the program webpage, press the “Select subject and apply +” button, and follow the instructions on the following pages.
The application is completely digital and no documents need to be submitted in order to complete your application process. You will be asked to show the originals of the documents at enrollment.
No! Please send an email to our central student administration and explain what went wrong. Remember to include your application number and applicant number in your email.
During the interviews, you will talk to two of the main course professors of the MSSE program or deputies who have been appointed by the course professors (usually personnel from the professors’ working groups). You will have two separate interviews with one interviewer each. The interviews will take place via a videoconference-tool (Zoom, heiCONF). Exceptions may be made for students that are already in Heidelberg and want to come by for an in-person interview.
These interviews allow the professors to gain more insight into who is applying to the program, their prior experience, motivations, spoken English and more. Treat these as seriously as a job interview as they will determine whether you will be accepted to the program or not. Professors are able to reject you during the interview if they deem you incompatible with the program.
You can check the status of your application in the heiCO application portal. You will receive an official admission letter called “Zulassungsbescheid” once you have been accepted.
Please do not email us to inquire about the status of your application before checking the status in heiCO.
Each student will be assessed with a point grade (0-60 points) based on the grade of their bachelor’s degree (0-10 points), their letter of motivation (0-10 points), and the two interviews (each 0-20 points). Students are ranked according to the number of points they have achieved. The first twenty are admitted to the program, the rest are placed on a waiting list and move up if a student who is ranked higher than them declines the place offered on the program.
Others
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}No, students can only enroll for the winter semester.
Yes, for German and EU citizens that is a general administration and service fee of 151.05 € per semester.
Non-EU citizens are required to pay at approx. 1500 € tuition fee per semester in addition to the general administration and service fee.
Candidates with outstanding academic records may apply for the Carl Zeiss Foundation Qualification Scholarship. Applications for the Qualification Scholarship are accepted from June 1 to September 15 (winter semester) and from January 15 to March 31 (summer semester).
- The International Students Office (IStO) provides a more profound list of FAQs.
- A detailed description of the program can be found here.
- The Admission Regulations provide you with information regarding the application and admission
- For concrete help regarding the application process, the application portal or admission please get in touch with the MSSE coordinators Fania Geiger or Jonathan Schmidt.
- For personal advice on Carl Zeiss Foundation Qualification Scholarship please contact Stefanie Peer.
Yes, all courses that are part of our curriculum are taught in English. However, you are free to attend any lecture at the University of Heidelberg, including any German lectures that may be of interest to you.
The Cluster of Excellence 3DMM2O is a research Cluster funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft as part of the Excellence Strategy. It is a collaboration between Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Heidelberg University (Uni HD). The Cluster 3D Matter Made to Order (3DMM2O) aims at bringing 3D Additive Manufacturing from the macroscale to the micro-, nano-, and eventually to the molecular scale and at applying these technologies in three selected application Thrusts.
The MSc in Molecular Systems Science and Engineering is a separate study program at the University of Heidelberg. All primary program professors are part of 3DMM2O.
You will not automatically be part of the Cluster; however, it is possible that during your lab rotations and your thesis, you will join a lab that is part of the Cluster.
You will also receive the opportunity to apply to the Carl Zeiss Foundation Qualification Scholarship
