Access can be obtained in two ways. Firstly, a first professional qualification in a  law course with at least eight semesters and 240 credit points  (at least 60 credit points in German law) can be presented, e.g. a correspondingly high-quality LL.B. (please make sure to check the number of credit points acquired, as many bachelor's programs have a lower number of credit points). Secondly, an equivalent, relevant degree can be cited, which includes in particular passing the first examination (formerly the first state law examination); completion of both the compulsory part of the subject and the main area is necessary.

Please note: Study programs that are based on the credit point model but do not achieve the required number of points (because they only comprise 180 or 210 credit points, for example) cannot be recognized. Credit transfer options - eg by attending additional (advanced) courses or through professional experience - are not provided.

If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of study places available, the selection among the applicants will be made according to the overall grade of the first professional qualification. 

Applications are also possible for people who are still studying and will be obtaining their first professional qualification in the current summer semester, directly before starting their studies. To do so, all of the following requirements must be met: 

1. At least 80 percent of the credit points to be acquired or the equivalent recognized achievements must be proven when applying via the campus management system (i.e. by July 15 of each year), stating the grade point average and the expected dates of any outstanding examinations for the first examination, e.g. by uploading the compulsory subject certificate and a corresponding university performance overview (transcript) instead of the overall certificate. This allows the application to be included in the allocation of places.

For courses based on credit points, the calculation is based on whether you have passed modules with 80% of the credit points. For degrees that are considered equivalent (first examination), our experience shows that a performance of at least 80% can only be recognized if the compulsory subject examination has already been completed and the certificate is available (this means that you have achieved 70% of the performances that are relevant for the overall grade) and you have achieved at least 33.3% of the performances in the specialization area (this means that you have, at least mathematically, gained a further 10% or more for the overall grade). If only the specialization area paper (with seminar if applicable) is still outstanding, you have generally achieved sufficient performance.

 2. All examinations (including oral defenses, presentations, etc.) must be completed by September 30, 2024, including those still outstanding . If one or more examinations take place after this date, any admission to the course will expire.

3. The overall certificate based on this (e.g. corresponding Bachelor's certificate or overall certificate of the first examination) must be submitted to the Student Office by 31 December 2024 .

In principle, the course can be completed part-time. In fact, many students have a part-time job in the form of temporary research assistantships; some of the students also work full-time. However, we would like to give you the following information: 

1. The program is designed and accredited as a full-time course of study within two consecutive semesters. However, it is generally possible to "stretch" the course over several semesters without causing you any significant disadvantages, as the courses do not necessarily build on one another. In principle, there is nothing to prevent individual modules from being split up over several semesters. 

2. It is important to stress that event planning is heavily dependent on the availability of lecturers. It cannot be guaranteed in advance that a minimum number of courses can be offered in the form of block courses or seminars lasting several days . Many of the lectures are part of the university's main areas of focus and therefore take place as weekly lectures. We have no influence on these lecture times. 

3. There is no entitlement to events being offered  as hybrid or online events . This decision is generally the responsibility of the responsible lecturers.

Applicants with foreign university entrance qualifications must submit their application via www.uni-assist.de.

In addition, proof of language skills is also required. The following are accepted as proof of the required knowledge of the German language:

• a DSH-2 or DSH-3 successfully completed at another German university, which is based on examination regulations that correspond to the Framework Regulation on German Language Examinations for Studying at German Universities (RO-DT) in the currently valid version,
• the “German exam part” passed as part of the assessment test at preparatory colleges,
• a certificate of the “Test of German as a Foreign Language” (TestDaF), which shows at least level TDN 4 in all four parts of the examination,
• the German Language Diploma of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany – Second Level (DSD II)

Holders of a certificate of passing the Goethe Certificate C2 are exempt from the language certificate requirement.

The number of study places is limited and is determined annually.

If demand exceeds the number of places available, selection is made based on the overall grade of the first relevant degree (or, for applicants who have completed at least 80 percent of their courses, on the average grade achieved at the time of application). This means that, for example, the legal grade points of an LL.B. or the first examination are converted and then put into a relative relationship to the other applicants.

If no overall grade is provided, the application will be ranked behind the last applicant with an ascertainable average grade. If both applicants have the same ranking, the order of admission will be decided by drawing lots.

Please understand that due to the equal treatment of all applicants, no statement can be made about the probability of admission before the application deadline.

The course catalog is created immediately before the start of the semester. To get an insight into the range of courses offered in the course, take a look at the course catalogs from previous semesters.

You (only) have to pay the regular semester fee. This varies depending on the semester. In the summer semester of 2024 it was € 304.15.

According to § 11 of the examination regulations for the Master's degree program in Business Law, achievements can generally be credited. A maximum of seven achievements can
be credited. The following rules must be observed:

• Proof of achievement must have been obtained in the relevant area. Certificates of participation or similar are not sufficient.
• The subject taken must be a compulsory or elective subject.

Evidence of achievement to be credited must be submitted by email as a scan. Please use the “Application for credit” template, which you can find on the website. Please then fill this out and send it along with the evidence of achievement to: wirtschaftsjurist(at)uni-koeln.de .