Glossary of Documents
On this page you'll find everything you need to know about the documents required for applying at TUM. We show you what they are, how to get them and how they have to be submitted.
To find out what documents you need to apply for a specific degree program, please visit the respective info sites. A complete list will be generated individually by our application portal TUMonline at the end of your online application.
The abstract to be submitted here is of your Bachelor’s thesis or Diplom thesis in German or English. If the thesis has not yet been completed at the time of application, please submit a brief description of your thesis question and methods employed. For some programs, it is also possible to submit a summary of an academic thesis which is equivalent to a bachelor’s thesis (in the scope of at least 5 credits). Content and formal structure should comply with international academic standards. For more information on language and other formal requirements, refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program or visit the homepage of your TUM school or department.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
This form is required for the application for some Master's degree programs. In these cases, the document is listed in the TUMonline document checklist.
The form will be available in the online application for you to download, complete and re-upload.
For more information on the curricular analysis required for the application for other Master’s degree programs, see the respective entry of this glossary.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
A certificate verifying that the university or degree program from which the student graduated is accredited. The document can be obtained from the university in question.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
If you are applying to a degree program with restricted admission, known as Numerus Clausus, and admission is administered using the Dialog-Oriented Service Procedure, you will need this number and your user authentication number, or BAN. These numbers will be assigned to you when you register on the online portal of the Dialog-Oriented Service Procedure of the University Admissions Foundation.
The applicant ID (BID) is a 13-figure number. You can find your BID in your user account on the online portal of the University Admissions Foundation.
Information regarding the compensation of disadvantage is available at the TUM Center for Study and Teaching – Student Advising: Studying with Special Needs.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
This form is generated by TUMonline once you receive an offer of admission and accept your place in the degree program. You need to send a signed hardcopy via post to the TUM admissions office, together with the other documents required for enrollment. A list of these documents will also be available in TUMonline after your accept your place in the degree program. Please be aware that we cannot accept this form via e-mail.
Information regarding the recognition of disabled status is available at the TUM Center for Study and Teaching – Student Advising: Studying with Special Needs.
Please submit the original.
Applicants from China, India and Vietnam must have the certificates required for admission to the desired program proofed by the Academic Evaluation Center (APS) of the cultural department of the German embassy in Peking, Shanghai or Hanoi before submission and must take part in an interview.
If you receive admission to a program, we require the original for enrollment.
The Assessment Exam Certificate is proof of your successful completion of the final exam of the Studienkolleg.
With this certificate, applicants with a secondary school diploma which qualifies students to study at a university in their respective countries, but which do not qualify them to study at a German university, may apply for a degree program at a German university.
In combination with your original secondary school diploma, the Assessment Exam Certificate counts as a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification. When applying for a regular degree program at TUM, you then need to submit both your secondary school diploma and the Assessment Exam Certificate. You also need to submit a Preliminary Documentation (VPD) from uni-assist.
Here you can find out more about Studienkolleg.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
For some degree programs, you must submit verification of successfully completed internships, work experience or vocational training. For more detailed information about the requirements for your application, refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program or visit the homepage of your TUM school or department.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
Students applying for degree programs in Landscape Architecture and Landscape Planning (Bachelor’s or Master’s) or the Master’s degree program in Resource Efficient and Sustainable Building must submit a collection of their own work. This may include work samples, texts, images, etc. For further information, visit the homepage of the degree program.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
This document is required when applying to certain Bachelor’s degrees TUM offers together with the Singapore Institute of Technology.
Please upload the document during the online application.
This document is required when applying to certain Bachelor’s degrees TUM offers together with the Singapore Institute of Technology.
Please upload the document during the online application.
You need this document if you wish to apply for a higher upper-division semester in medical studies and have already completed part of your medical training outside of Germany.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
You need this document for an application to a higher subject semester.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
We need a picture in which you are easily recognized. The picture need not be biometric, but should be in passport format (3.5 x 4.5 cm). It will be used for your Student Card.
Please submit the original.
The curricular analysis reviews the competencies you have acquired in your prior studies. This analysis is required for application to master’s degree programs with aptitude assessment procedures. You can download the appropriate form from the website of your TUM school or department:
- Agrisystems Science
- Biology
- Biomedical Computing
- Brewing and Beverage Technology
- Chemical Biotechnology: The form will be provided via TUMonline during the application process.
- Communications Engineering
- Computational Science and Engineering
- Consumer Science
- Data Engineering and Analysis
- Environmental Planning and Ecological Engineering
- Finance and Information Management (FIM)
- Food Chemistry
- Food Technology and Biotechnology
- Forestry and Wood Science
- Hortibusiness Management
- Horticultural Science
- Informatics
- Informatics: Games Engineering
- Information Systems
- Landschaftsplanung, Ökologie und Naturschutz
- Life Science Economics and Policy
- Management
- Management and Technology
- Mathematics
- Mathematics in Data Science
- Mathematics in Finance and Actuarial Science
- Mathematics in Operations Research
- Mathematics in Science and Engineering
- Molecular Biotechnology
- Neuroengineering
- Nutrition and Biomedicine
- Pharmazeutical Bioprocess Engineering
- Power Engineering
- Responsibility in Science, Engineering, and Technology (RESET)
- Robotics, Cognition, Intelligence
- Science and Technology Studies (STS)
- Sustainable Management and Technology
- Teaching at Vocational Schools
Don't find the degree program you are looking for? Please refer directly to the homepage of your school or department.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
For some degree programs, you must verify the knowledge and skills you acquired in previous study. These must have been acquired in disciplines relevant for the qualification profile and prerequisites of the degree program to which you are applying. A transcript of records alone does not suffice as verification. You must submit a module catalog or the relevant module descriptions.
If your university does not have a module catalog, you must submit written confirmation of this from the university. Where no catalog is available, you may provide your own descriptions of course contents.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
We require a current curriculum vitae without chronological gaps up to the time of your application at TUM. The CV must contain accurate and complete information about your formal education (schools and universities attended, dates of exams/final exams, degree conferral, etc.). Please do not leave gaps in your CV, even if, at times, you were not enrolled at a school or university or gainfully employed, i.e. if you were on an extended vacation or hiatus, as we are interested in the entire history of your intellectual and personal development.
Feel free to use the template of the European Union for your curriculum vitae / résumé:
Please upload this document to the online application form.
“Degree Certificate” means your final transcript of records/final transcript of grades. It usually contains your overall grade, academic title as well as the grade and topic of the Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment. This also applies to applicants with a VPD by uni-assist.
For some master's degrees, you may hand in this document until the end of the second semester, provided that you submit a transcript of records within the designated application period. To find out whether this is possible for a certain program, please consult the Academic and Examination Regulations. If you wish to use your degree certificate as proof of your language skills, you necessarily need to submit it by the end of the application period for a program.
For more information on the distinction between dipoma and certificate, please visit our FAQ.
An Enrollment Certification is a document certifying that you were enrolled at a certain university or institution of higher education for a certain period of time.
If this document is required for application to your desired degree program, please submit the most recent proof of enrollment you have available.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
If you have previously been enrolled at a German university, we require an enrollment record (also referred to as student progress certificate) from the institution you last attended. This document contains a record of the number of semesters of overall university enrollment, the number of semesters of enrollment in the current degree program, and any semesters you have spent on leave. This document is issued by the university at which you were last enrolled.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
Admission to postgraduate studies (usually a Master’s degree program) at a German university requires an undergraduate degree obtained from a recognized institution of higher education.
The most common postgraduate entrance qualification is a Bachelor’s degree. Generally, a degree needs to be at least equal to a 3-year Bachelor’s degree program in Germany to qualify as Master’s degree entrance qualification. If you hold an international degree, the anabin database allows a first check of your eligibility for a Master’s in Germany.
If you have not yet completed your studies at the time of your application, you can submit a current transcript or records instead of your certificate and hand in the final document later. The specific qualification requirements for each degree program can be found in the Academic and Examination Regulations.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
This essay is a text you write yourself. Any references to the work of others used in your work must be duly cited. For further information on the form, length, topics and the language (German or English) visit the homepage of your TUM school or department.
Bachelor's degree programs:
Master's degree programs:
- Bioeconomy
- Biomedical Computing
- Computational Mechanics
- Consumer Science
- Data Engineering and Analysis
- Earth Oriented Space Science and Technology (ESPACE)
- Finance and Information Management (FIM)
- Informatics
- Informatics: Games Engineering
- Information Systems
- Innovation and Business Creation (Executive MBA)
- Management
- Management and Technology
- Mathematics in Data Science
- Neuroengineering
- Politics and Technology
- Radiation Biology
- Responsibility in Science, Engineering and Technology (RESET)
- Resource Efficient and Sustainable Building
- Robotics, Cognition, Intelligence
- Sports and Exercise Science
- Sustainable Management and Technology
- Sustainable Resource Management
- Urbanistik
Don't find the degree program you are looking for? Please refer directly to the homepage of your school or department.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
The health insurance certificate is digitally transmitted directly from the health insurance company to TUM. The transmission will only take place after admission to TUM and at the request of the student. Further information can be found on our website on mandatory health insurance.
Applicants from India are required to submit the results of their most recent GATE. The GATE is an internationally accepted, standardized graduate admissions test. For more information, refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program or visit the homepage of your TUM school or department. Graduates of one of the Indian Institutes of Technology are not required to submit GATE results.
Please note: For the GATE to be valid, the Marks out of 100 must be at least equal to the General Score of the Qualifying Marks.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
The GMAT is a standardized test for use in admission to graduate management programs.
A GMAT may be submitted as proof of English language proficiency as well as enhance your application with regard to the aptitude assessment. For individual programs, it is required as proof of necessary qualifications. For more information, please refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations of the degree programs or visit the website of your department or school.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
An explanation of the grading system at the university you last attended will be issued by that institution. You must submit a notarized copy; the original must bear a seal and signature.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
This document describes the grading system applicable to a degree certificate or a transcript of records. Depending on the country a graded document was issued in, we require certified information on the grading system to convert your grades.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
The GRE is an internationally recognized, standardized test for admission to graduate studies. To find out whether you need a GRE and if so, which minimum score is required, please visit the homepage of your TUM school or department:
Please note: In order to apply to TUM, you usually need to submit the results of the General Test. The Subject Test is currently only accepted when applying to the Master’s program Matter to Life.
If you submit the results of your GRE through the Educational Testing Service ETS, please use the ETS Institution Code 7806. Please note that you always have to submit your GRE results together with the rest of your application documents, regardless whether they have been submitted directly by ETS beforehand.
Please upload this document to the online application form. The GRE at Home is also accepted.
The higher education entrance qualification certifies your right to study at university, these include the Abitur, Matura, Baccalauréat, Diploma di Licenza/Maturità, A-levels etc. If you would like to study at TUM, you must hold a higher education entrance qualification (HZB) or show proof of a professional qualification. Entrance qualifications for a university of applied science (Fachhochschulreife) alone do not fulfill the requirements for admission to study at TUM. For further information visit our page on the higher higher education entrance qualification.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a certified hardcopy for enrollment.
For more detailed information on which forms of verification of language skills are required, visit our pages on language certificates.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
For more detailed information on which forms of verification of language skills are required, visit the our pages on language certificates or refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations of your desired degree program.
Please note that you always have to submit proof of your sufficient language skills together with the rest of the application documents, even if the testing institute has already sent your results to TUM directly.
If you wish to submit a confirmation of your language of instruction as proof of your English language proficiency, the confirmation has to be issued by an administrative unit of the university (e.g. Examination Office, Registrars Office, Deans Office) on official university paper and has to bear a seal and an original signature.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
The letter of motivation must be written by applicants themselves. It should describe your academic and personal motivation for your choice of degree program. Any references to the work of others used in your work must be duly cited. For more information on length and other formal requirements, refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program or visit the homepage of your TUM school or department.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
Students applying for certain Master’s degree programs need to supply this document.
- For the Master’s program Health Science – Prevention and Health Promotion list the best-graded modules amounting to
- 140 credits for six-semester Bachelor’s degree programs,
- 164 credits for seven-semester Bachelor’s degree programs,
- 187 credits for eight-semester Bachelor’s degree programs.
- For the Master’s programs offered by the Munich Center for Technology in Society list 90 credits (or half of the credits required for your undergraduate degree).
- For the Master’s programs offered by the former Department of Mathematics list 140 credits.
- For the Master’s program in Sports and Exercise Science, you need to list an amount of credits relative to the total sum of credits from your Bachelor’s.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
A module catalog contains the individual module descriptions of a particular university unit, e.g. of a degree program, school or department, study division, or of the university as a whole.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
Modules are the building blocks of Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. A module consists of a number of courses grouped coherently according to content and scheduled in coordination. The module description specifies the learning outcomes of the module.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
Applicants to TUM currently enrolled at a Grande école in a degree program outside the Bologna structure (i.e. Bachelor’s/Master’s) require this document. The document can be obtained from that institution.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
For some Master’s degree programs, applicants who have obtained their Bachelor's degree in a country outside the scope of the “Lisbon Convention” must prove successful participation in a subject-specific TUM test. This test is conducted online.
You can find more detailed information about the test on the respective degree program page in the section “Which documents do I need to submit during the online application?”.
Applicants with an International Baccalaureate Diploma may supply this document together with their official transcript of grades instead of a VPD by uni-assist. It is issued by the Offices for Certificate Recognition in the federal states (e.g. Zeugnisanerkennungsstelle für den Freistaat Bayern).
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
This document confirms that the student has not lost his or her right to take an examination, as would be the case if he or she had been issued a notification of irreversible failure in a required elective module.
This document is issued by the university at which you were last enrolled.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
If you apply with an International Baccalaureate, you need to provide the official transcript of grades together with your Notification of the Office for Certificate Recognition. The Transcript of grades is an official copy of your IB results.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
Please provide an electronic copy of your valid passport. If you do not have a German identification card, you may submit a copy of your temporary identification or your international passport. We are obliged to inform you that you may omit (black out) the following information: issuing authority, serial number and identification number.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
Students applying for degree programs in the TUM School of Engineering and Design must submit a portfolio of their own work.
For the Bachelor’s degree program, the portfolio may consist of a maximum of 10 pages (European A4 format). Instead of the portfolio you may also submit proof of a relevant, already completed vocational education.
For the Master’s degree program, the portfolio needs to be submitted in digital form (PDF, 15 pages max, 20 MB max, page format must not exceed European A4 format)
For further information, visit the homepage of the TUM School of Engineering and Design.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
Applicants for
- Bachelor's degree programs with a foreign higher education entrance qualification
- Master's degree programs with a qualification for postgraduate studies (e.g. a Bachelor's degree) which was not obtained in a country of the EU/EWG or in Switzerland (does not apply to Double Degree Programs)
are required to have their application documents proofed before submission by the University Application Service for International Students (uni-assist e.V.). Uni-assist will issue a VPD certificate. For further information on the VPD certificate, visit our homepage: Preliminary Documentation (VPD) by uni-assist
Please upload this document to the online application form.
This document is issued by the institution at which you were last enrolled and verifies that you are no longer enrolled there. If you have an enrollment record, we do not require additional proof of withdrawal, unless you are transferring from another university within the scope of a degree program with restricted admission. In this case, you must submit proof of disenrollment.
If you have previously been enrolled at a German university and at a foreign institution of higher education, we require proof of disenrollment from the German university at which you were last enrolled.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
English examination modules completed during your undergraduate/Bachelor’s degree may be used as proof of your English language proficiency, provided this is explicitly stated in the requirements for the specific degree program.
For the general eligibility and the specific requirements (e.g. total ECTS required in English modules) regarding a specific degree program, please refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations, §36 (Qualification Requirements, usually in German)
If a program allows for english exmaination modules as proof of english language proficiency and the modules you completed meet the requirements as stipulated in the Academic and Examination Regulations of the program, please fill in the appropriate form and upload it to the online application in TUMonline.
- Download Form: Proof of English Proficiency (PDF, 20 KB)
This is only relevant for English-language programs. Even though you do not require German language skills to be admitted, you need to acquire a basic knowledge of German during your studies.
You can acquire these integrative German skills during your studies until the end of the 2nd semester. To learn more about the specific options to do this in your degree program, please contact your school or department.
This document is required for some degree programs offered by the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology. You can download the corresponding form in TUMonline.
This document is issued by the institution at which you last studied and confirms that you ranked among the best 10–20% of students. This document is not required, but recommended for application to certain programs.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
For some degree programs, you are required to submit recommendation or reference letters, or name persons to be contacted as references if needed. Please do not submit unsolicited letters of recommendation or letters of reference. Please do not submit more letters of recommendation or reference than explicitly required – they will not be taken into account.
For more detailed information about the requirements for your application, refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program or visit the homepage of your TUM school or department.
Please upload the document during the online application.
In addition to required documents, your application may include records of extracurricular activities relevant to your desired field of study, such as internships, participation in youth science/research programs, etc. These activities may be taken into consideration in the application review process. For more information, refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations of your desired degree program or visit the homepage of your school or department.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
This document can be obtained from the institution at which you last studied. It is sometimes also referred to as Transcript of Records. It lists all modules you have passed as well as the pertaining credits and the examination grades that were awarded.
The difference between a transcript and the degree certificate is the time when the document is issued.
The transcript is issued before graduation. The degree certificate is issued after successful completion of the degree program.
A degree certificate (or final transcript) contains a note that the academic degree has been successfully awarded and the title may be used. It contains the final thesis with grades and usually a final average grade.
Some universities do not issue separate degree certificates, but only a final transcript.
In these cases, the final transcript of records is considered a certificate if it confirms that the degree program has been successfully completed and all credits and grades of all academic achievements, including the final exam, are listed there.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
“Diploma” in the context of application at TUM means the certification or deed by your former college or university testifying that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study, or conferring an academic degree (e.g. Bachelor of Sciences, Master of Sciences). “Diploma” does not refer to your “high school diploma” or a separate “diploma course” but to your highest academic degree.
For more information on the distinction between dipoma and certificate, please visit our FAQ.
According to the regulations of the admissions office a provisional certificate can only be accepted if at least one of the following requirements is fulfilled:
1. The document states explicitly that the degree program has been completed successfully.
2. The document contains the date on which the final graduation documents will be issued.
The final grade does not have to appear on the provisional certificate as long as it is made clear that all necessary credits have been earned. Applicants who submit a provisional certificate which contains the above mentioned information may be given an additional semester to submit the final degree certificate and diploma.
Applicants who study at a university which is not able to issue the final graduation documents within a year may hand in a provisional certificate fulfilling the requirements and bearing an apostille.
This document is issued by the university at which you were last enrolled.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment. This also applies to applicants with a VPD by uni-assist.
For some Master's degrees, you may hand in this document until the end of the second semester, provided that you submit a transcript of records within the designated application period. To find out whether this is possible for a certain program, please consult the Academic and Examination Regulations.
If you are applying to a degree program with restricted admission, known as Numerus Clausus, and admission is administered using the Dialog-Oriented Service Procedure, you will need this number and your applicant ID, or BID. These numbers will be assigned to you when you register on the online portal of the Dialog-Oriented Service Procedure of the University Admissions Foundation.
The user authentication number (BAN) is a 6-figure number. You can find your BAN in your user account on the online portal of the Foundation for University Admissions.
This document serves as proof of your subject-specific higher education entrance qualification. This may be verified, for example, through the successful completion of examinations in a degree program at a University of Applied Sciences that is closely related to a university degree program. This can be established on the basis of ECTS points earned in the first two semesters of an undergraduate degree program. As a rule, 60 ECTS are required. These can be verified with a grade report of courses and exams passed or a transcript of grades.
Information on the specific number of ECTS points required is available in the program-specific Academic and Examination Regulations (FPSO) for the desired program.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
This confirmation is required by applicants for a teacher training degree program who are applying for a supplementary subject or for the School Psychology subprogram. You will receive the document from the TUM School of Social Science and Technology (SOT) departmental student advisor after attending an advising interview.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
Qualified professionals as well as master craftspersons (“Meister”) need this confirmation for the application. You will receive the document from the General Student Advising after attending an advising interview.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
If you are applying for a Bachelor’s degree program in Civil or Environmental engineering, you require verification that you have completed an internship. If you do not have verification at the time of application, you must submit it no later than one month before the end of the second semester of enrollment in the program, provided you have met all other requirements for admission and enrollment.
The verification has to be submitted online at www.pa.bgu.tum.de/. Please note that incomplete submissions cannot be considered.
This verification can be obtained through the TUM Graduate School at the platform DocGS.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
For further information on the sport assessment test, visit www.bayspet.de.
If you wish to apply for the recognition of a different assessment test, please also refer to www.bayspet.de
Please upload this document to the online application form.
You require this verification if your offer of admission to study to a degree program with restricted admission Numerus Clausus was deferred and you are reapplying for the same program. Grounds for deferment as per §19 HZB include, voluntary military service or a voluntary year of social service.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
See section “Verification of Grounds of Deferment as per §19 HZV”.
Please submit a copy.
If you are applying to a vocational education degree program and your second area of specialization is English (to be completed at LMU), you require verification that you have successfully completed the aptitude assessment process at LMU.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
Applicants to the Master’s degree program in Traditional Chinese Medicine may submit verification of their subject-specific additional competencies, such as prior studies at professional societies, internships at clinics for TCM, stays abroad or studies in Sinology.
For further information, refer to the Academic and Examination Regulations of your degree program or visit the homepage of your degree program.
This document is required if you apply for admission to TUM as a vocationally qualified applicant without a higher education entrance qualification. You can obtain more information on qualification through professional experience in an individual advising session.
Please upload this document to the online application form.
This document is required for some Double Degree programs. You will find out if you are required to submit this document at the end of the online application process in your applicant account in TUMonline. This document is issued by the university at which you were last enrolled.
Please upload this document to the online application form. After you receive admission to a program, we require a notarized hardcopy for enrollment.
See section “Verification of grounds of deferment as per §19 HZV”.
Please submit a copy.
This document is required when applying for the master’s programs in Business Education I and Business Education II with second teaching subject.
The Written Statement is based on pre-defined key questions provided during the online application in TUMonline. More information about the Written Statement is available on the website of the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology.
Please upload this document to the online application form.