Are we a perfect match?
At CODE, we want to attract the most talented and passionate students, not the most privileged. In our admission process, we aim to challenge your drive and curiosity.
Admissions for fall 2023 are open!
Before starting your application, make sure to learn everything you need to know about the formal requirements to study at CODE and our admissions process on this page.
Requirements
Familiarise yourself with all the admission requirements:
- If you’re an international applicant, be sure to read everything on the International Applicants page
- Make sure you’ve read through all the financing options on the Tuition page
- Important dates and deadlines
- If you need a visa to study in Germany, apply by the 1st of June
- If you do not need a visa to study in Germany, apply by 15th of July
- Mandatory Onboarding Days for new students will take place at the end of August
You would be an excellent fit for CODE if you:
- Are curious: You want to explore the untapped potential in the world and within yourself.
- Have a growth mindset: You learn from failure instead of personalizing it and you believe in life-long learning.
- Want to empower others: You are empathic, respectful and kind. You have an understanding of diversity in opinions, behavior and cultural backgrounds.
- Are self-driven: You strive for excellence and are motivated to reach your goals with a pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial courage.
- Are open-minded: You always ask questions and you have the ability to navigate uncertainty.
- Are able to reflect: You have an understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses and you strive to improve your abilities.
Just as demanding and rewarding as our study programs
At CODE, we worked hard to develop a unique admission process that is an exciting learning experience in itself and not just a necessary administrative annoyance. Don’t worry that you might not know enough about digital product development to shine in the admission process. We are primarily busy assessing your potential and motivation to be successful at CODE.
It always takes two parties for a perfect match
Our admission process is unique: you are not competing with the other applicants for a spot. All applicants undergo the same process, regardless of their previous knowledge and background. We cannot enroll an unlimited number of students, but there is no fixed number of places to fill.
Even if you are not 100 percent sure if CODE is the right place for you: give it a try! During your application process, you will have the chance to learn how we think, talk, and act at CODE.
A special approach to learning requires special students
We have a special approach to learning and teaching at CODE, which is why we are looking for students who demonstrate the characteristics mentioned above. Because we are looking for special talents, we don’t believe that standardized test results or school grades will be of much help in our application process. What we can promise you is that we evaluate all applicants equally, with no preferential treatment given regarding gender, sexual orientation, or social background. Here you can find our official admission regulations.
There is always a gift in any challenge.Bronnie Ware, Author, songwriting teacher, and speaker
CODE admission process
Are you up for an exciting journey? Our admissions process is designed to identify if you are the type of student who will realize your potential at CODE and become a valuable part of our learning community.
Higher education entrance qualification
German regulations for higher education require you to have a higher-education entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung) to enroll in a Bachelor’s degree program. That usually means a high school diploma or A-level certificate, but depending on where you went to school, you might need to take further steps.
We will check your qualifications once you complete the first step in our admission process, the written application.
Here are a few ways for you to check your eligibility before then:
- German Academic Exchange Service
- additional information: for IB diploma and for GCE
- Higher Education Compass (offered by the Germans Rectors’ Conference)
- Database on admission requirements (offered by the German Academic Exchange Service)
Student visa for Germany
Applicants from outside the EU
If you are from outside the EU, you will need a student visa to move to Germany and start your studies at CODE. Your best course of action would be to contact the German embassy in your country as early as possible to get the specifications for the process.
In general, you will have to meet these requirements for a student visa:
- a valid passport
- Health insurance that covers Germany
- Proof of secure livelihood, e.g., blocked account
- a letter of admission from CODE
(you will get this from our student affairs team once you have passed all stages of the admissions process)
If there are any additional documents, you’ll need from us for your visa application, reach out to our Student Affairs team for support.
Proof of English language proficiency
As our study programs are in English, you will need to prove that your English skills are at least at a B2 level. Here’s a summary of how you can show proof of your language skills; please check the admission regulations for more details and minimum scores.
You are a native English speaker:
- You are a citizen of a majority English-speaking country
- You underwent most of your primary and secondary education in a majority English-speaking country
- You have a university degree which was taught in English
You completed school in Germany or the EU/EEA:
- (Fach-)Hochschulreife
- EU + EEA secondary school certificate.
You have a valid English proficiency certificate:
- IELTS Academic
- TOEFL
- Duolingo English Test
- Cambridge Certificates
- (I)GCSE
Sources may also tell you that you will need a certificate that proves sufficient German skills; however we do not require a proof of German language proficiency.
