Admissions

Preparing for Your Studies in Erfurt

Information for first-year students at the Brandt School

Dear students,

We are looking forward to welcoming you to the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy.

To assure a good start with your studies in Erfurt, we have put together the following information to help you prepare. The first section will help you with the process after you have been successfully admitted to the Brandt School by providing information about finding accomodation and enrolling at the university. Once you have completed the enrollment process, the second section will provide you with information about how to set up your university accounts, register for language courses, or get access to your Deutschlandsemesterticket. These tasks can be completed remotely and do not necessarily require you to be in Erfurt. The third section addresses tasks that should be completed following your arrival. These include e.g. city registration and the validation of your Student ID-card (thoska).

The Brandt School admin team offers a Student Orientation Week the week before the proper start of classes, from October 5 to October 9 in Erfurt. In addition to preparing for your studies, you will get to know your fellow students before lectures start, and you will get a first impression of the Brandt School and university campus as well as student life in Erfurt. As part of the Orientation Week, the Brandt School offers information sessions and helps you get started at Brandt School by assisting you with the city registration process and setting up your university accounts. The Student Government of the Brandt School and the Student Council of the University will offer social events for all new students during that week, too.

After Admission

Finding Accomodation

If you are looking for a place to live in Erfurt, you have many options. For example, you can look for a shared apartment (WG), a single apartment, or you can apply for a room in one of the student dorms which are run by the Student Services Organization (Studierendewerk) and their student dorm administration staff.

We recommend that you apply for housing as early as possible. The application period for student dorms for the winter semester begins on April 1 of the year in which you begin your studies. Rental offers are usually sent out via the student dorm administration staff in the summer (August/September).

As to private housing in and around Erfurt, you find some basic information in our Student Handbook (see here in the right column). The Student Council (StuRa) has also compiled some helpful information on this topic.

Enroll at the University of Erfurt

You are enabled to start and complete the enrollment process for the MPP program at the university of Erfurt online via the university application portal, from June 3 onwards. We strongly recommend you start the enrollment process (i.e. to submit the "request for enrollment") before September 1, since your enrollment needs to be complete by September 15.

The basic steps are:

1. Request enrollment

Access the application portal, click on “your application” and then on “request enrollment”
fill in some basic information
Provide information on planned student health insurance (for October onwards). See also: Student Health insurance leaflet in the right column of this website.
Upload a photo for your student ID-card ("Thoska card")
Upload the following documents to support your enrollment request:
- University degree/s and transcript/s.
- Copy of identity card or passport
- Higher education entrance qualification or the certificate on which the first enrollment at a university was based
- Proof of payment of the contributions and fees to be paid for enrollment (copy of the bank statement, transfer voucher or proof of online banking)
- Your admission letter (Zugangsbescheinigung) for the MPP 2026
Submit your request for online enrollment inside the portal

2. Conclude enrollment

Check the invoice inside the portal which shows you all required fees for the first MPP semester. Pay the fees via international bank transfer
have a German statuatory health insurance company submit your health insurance status for the winter semester electronically to the university. See also: Student Health insurance leaflet in the right column of this website.

Here is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to request and conclude the enrollment.

The university will check your request and your documents.

If you have enabled the e-mail notifications, the new university system will inform you accordingly once your enrollment is complete. You will then be able to access your enrollment certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung) inside the portal for print-out or download.

Please note that the enrollment can only be completed once the university has received and checked all documents, all fees, and the electronic report on your future health insurance status.

Further note that you will have to bring and show your university documents (degree certificate/s and transcript/s of records: originals or true certified hard copies) to us upon arrival. More information will follow.

Please make sure to have completed this process before the final deadline of September 15.

The Orientation Week will take place in Erfurt, from October 5 to October 9, 2026.

The detailed program of the Orientation Week will be published here in due time.

Further Information

Student Handbook

Once you have been admitted, you will need to start planning your arrival in Erfurt. We have assembled this handbook for you to help you plan and prepare for your stay in Erfurt. While you may already be aware of some of this information, and not all parts may apply to your individual situation, we encourage you to read this thoroughly, because it will answer most of the questions you have at this time.

Information on health insurance

All prospective students in Germany need to take out health insurance. We have gathered all the relevant information here.

Academic Schedule

This website provides an overview of the courses offered within the Master of Public Policy Program in the current and in past semesters. The curriculum for the upcoming winter semester 2026/27 will be published by mid-September.

Website "Study in Thuringia"

Study in Thuringia! is a joint initiative of several universities in Thuringia that offers general information about studying in Thuringia as an international student as well as free courses to help you prepare.

Website "Study in Germany"

This website offers helpful information about studying in Germany and useful insights from international students. It can help you plan your studies in Germany and give you an idea of what life in Germany is like.