The organisational unit Studienkolleg (STK) is a central academic unit at KIT with three specific areas of responsibility: Studienkolleg, Language Center, and MINT College Baden-Württemberg, under a shared leadership.
About us
Studienkolleg
The Studienkolleg at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), on behalf of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg, is responsible for preparing international applicants for the university entrance qualification examination (Feststellungsprüfung, FSP) or for the required proof of language proficiency (TestDaF – Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache), as well as for improving the academic German language skills of students.
Applicants with a foreign higher education entrance qualification who, according to the regulations on university admission, cannot be directly admitted to a German university must demonstrate in the Feststellungsprüfung at the Studienkolleg that they meet the linguistic, subject-specific, and methodological requirements for studying in their chosen field, and are therefore qualified to begin a degree programme at a German university.
The TestDaF examination determines whether applicants are able to perform successfully at a high linguistic level and whether their language skills are sufficient to begin studies in Germany.
The Studienkolleg is state-recognised, actively involved in the association of German state Studienkollegs, and licensed as a TestDaF centre.
Language Center
The Language Center is affiliated with the Studienkolleg. It offers foreign language instruction in 15 languages at various proficiency levels for students and staff at KIT.
Languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, sign language, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, and Turkish.
The Language Center is a member of the AKS (Working Group of Language Centers at Universities) and an active member of EUCOR (Confédération européenne des Universités du Rhin Supérieur). It is also accredited to offer UNIcert® language certifications in English across four proficiency levels.
MINT College Baden-Württemberg
The MINT College Baden-Württemberg is a joint institution of KIT and the University of Stuttgart and supports first-year students in all STEM (MINT) disciplines at both locations as a central point of contact. Its main goal is to promote and improve academic success in the initial phase of studies through targeted measures.
The MINT College offers a wide range of courses—from preparatory courses in both in-person and digital formats to semester-accompanying and exam-preparation courses with individual support. Preparatory courses and bridging courses facilitate entry into STEM studies, while digital formats such as online bridge courses and tests support students’ self-assessment. The study-accompanying courses are aligned in both content and organisation with KIT’s STEM degree programmes and enable students to deepen their knowledge up to the third semester. In addition, flexible structures provide relief through a staggered study entry phase.
