Admission requirements

This is what you need to study at CODE

In order to study at CODE, there are some requirements that we have for all applicants, and of course, as a state-recognized university, we have to comply with German regulations as well. We have summarized all the requirements for your studies at CODE below.

International students

We have collected helpful information for all students applying from outside of Germany to support you in your application and move to Berlin.

Find out more

Requirements to study at CODE

Admission process

Are you up for an exciting journey? Our admission process is designed to identifiy whether you are the type of student who will realize their 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

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 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

Certain 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.

The first lesson I learnt from the day I joined CODE, is to never EVER doubt yourself but always be skeptical of what’s around you.

Fran Khayat , #nextgen student