Frequently Asked Questions
On English Skills, including Medium of Instruction letters, other tests etc.
On Application, including still being in final year of bachelors, etc
On Documents needed, like notarisation etc,
On Interview, Results and Visas
On Life in Siegen, like projects, accomodation
English Language Skills
How well do my English skills have to be at the beginning of the program?
The admission requirements set certain minimum standards in terms of TOEFL/IELTS results. These have been explained in our admission requirements page. More importantly, you should enjoy reading English texts (newspapers, magazines, textbooks) and you should be willing to express your arguments in English in presentations and classroom discussions.
My entire Bachelors degree has been taught in English and I can provide a medium of instruction certificate from my university. Is this acceptable for admission?
Unfortunately not. The university requires your English language skills to be validated through a standardised examination. There are certain exemptions like if you obtained your degrees from a predominantly English speaking counrty. Please have a look at our admission requirement webpage. Furthermore, if you are a non-EU applicant, you would also need a visa to live and study in Germany. Should you require a student visa, the requirements from German embassy with regards to language skills would also need to be met.
Can I submit Duolingo/Cambridge/Pearson/Trinity or any test other than IELTS/TOEFL ?
Unfortunately not. We are evaluating these alternative tests; however, currently we are only accepting IELTS and TOEFL. Should you not be able to write in these tests for any reason, including conflicts, wars, embargoes, etc - please explain the same in your cover letter.
With regard to my TOEFL test results that I have to attach to my online application, I am afraid I will be receiving the results after the closing date for the application. Can I submit my application without the TOEFL report and send the report later on?
Yes. You can submit your application without TOEFL/IELTS test results, should you not receive the score report in time. However, explain the same in your cover letter and uplad a confirmation of test dates. In case, you receive a positive answer by the Admission Committee, admission will be conditional on receiving the score report and obtaining a score that satisfies the minimum requirements for English language competence, as stated on the web site.
Application Requirements and Procedure
When is the closing date for applications?
The closing date for applications is April 30.
Can I apply for more than one course?
Of course, you can. In our own department, you can apply for two specialisations in Electrical Engineering and others in computer science. You can also explore others Masters programs like Mechatronics or Nano-sciences. However, each one of these is examined by a separate committee and hence you would have to make different application for each one of them. For the two specialisations of Electrical Engineering, please refer to our admissions guide on how to apply for each one of them.
Can I apply for summer semester?
We only admit international students for our Winter Semester and hence, please do not apply for Summer semester, if you are international student. Such applications will not be reviewed.
I am still in the final year of my bachelor's degree. Can I apply?
You are welcome to apply, as long as your degree will be completed well before October. In this case, you may get a conditional offer. Applicants requiring Visa should ensure that their degrees finish in suitable time to apply for a Visa. In these cases, apply with your transcripts till date and explain any technical project you have done in your cover letter.
Documents for Application
Do I need to send anything by regular post, for my application ?
At the time when you are applying online there is no need to send anything by post. You can complete your application online. Diploma certificates, TOEFL/IELTS/GRE score reports and the like should be scanned and attached to the online application. The Admission Committee will base its decision entirely on what you provide online. Later on (in case you receive an admission offer) you would then need to provide us either with original degree certificates or certified copies thereof.
The application form requires me to upload my bachelor's degree which has not been issued yet. What can I upload?
You should upload transcripts of examination passed till date. Any admission offer in this case, would be conditional to your final bachelors degree.
Do I need to upload notarized copies of my documents?
Please wait until we explicitly ask you to hand in your documents. Notarization can be done by the issuing institute (e.g. your university), or by a public notary or lawyer. In any case, you will have to submit notarized documents on the day of enrollment at the University.
Interview, Results and Visas
What is the next step after application?
Once you have applied, please wait till you are contacted by the university. In the first stage, your application will be checked by the authorities to examine if your application documents fulfill the formal requirements regarding your Bachelor degree and language skills, and then by the faculty who validate the equivalence of the knowledge gained in your Bachelor courses compared to the courses at Siegen University. You will then be contacted with an interview slot, wherein a committee of tutors will explore your application with you.
The admissions committee will consider your CV as well as your interview performance to create an ordered list of successful canddiates, who will be contacted by the university.
What will be asked during the interview?
There is no fixed set of questions. The interview will aim to explore your interests, knowledge as well as ambition. The questions will be from typical curriculum of bachelors degree program in electrical engineering. You may also be asked questions regarding your project work.
Any sample question for the interview?
- What is the nature of Fourier transform of a rectangular function ?
- State any one differebence between a BJT and MOSFET
- What is an FM signal ?
- Can you explain the Nyquist sampling theorem.
- What is the input and output impedance of an ideal opamp?
- What is the frequency of operation of a typical WiFi signal
- Explain the concept of loops in any programming language
- Explain your final year project to me
How will be the interview be organised?
You will be given a time slot of 1 hour. You will join an online waiting room. At some point during the hour, one of the interview panels will admit you to an online room. They will first ask to see any document of identity. They will then ask some questions. The whole process should take no more than 15-20 minutes.
I have fallen ill. Can my interview be reorganised?
Please write to us on the email address provided on the contact us page, with a medical certificate and we will try to organise another one for you.
I did really badly. Can I get another attempt?
We are sorry. We have a very large pool of applicants and hence are unable to meet this request.
I did really badly in the interview. Is this the end of the road for me?
The selection committee considers your whole application together with the interview performance. Hence, interview is not a make or fail procedure.
How will I be notified whether or not I have been accepted?
Successful applicants will receive an acceptance letter from the University in due course of time.
When are the results due?
The admissions committee meets in May. Successfull candidates are contacted by mid-June - early July.
If I am unsuccessful, can you provide a feedback?
We are sorry, we are unable to do so, due to the large volume of applicants.
I am a non-EU citizen and getting visa appointment is very difficult. Can the University issue me a conditional admission letter so I can start the process?
We do not issue conditional admission letter.
In my country, we need an APS for visa process. Do you need this for application?
We do not need APS during the application process. However, it may be needed during enrollment procedure (for Chinese and Vietnamese applicants), should you be offered an admission and for Visa for Indian aplicants. Hence, you may like to start applying for APS as soon as possible, due to delays in getting these sorted.
Life in Siegen
Is it possible to find accommodation in a student's residence?
Yes, application forms and further information for accommodation in a student's residence may be obtained from the Students Service of the University of Siegen (Studentenwerk).
Can I choose any professor as supervisor of my Master’s thesis?
A suitable supervisor for your Master’s thesis can be chosen from all professors of the department who are currently teaching over the period of writing your thesis.
Are there any partnerships with other Universities?
The University of Siegen has numerous partnerships with foreign universities (list of partnerships).
In addition, our faculty members are part of numerous international networks and can thus support student's aim to spend a semester abroad.
How long does it take to write the Master Thesis?
Ideally, the thesis takes 24 weeks.
Additional information can be found here:
