by Rohan Kulkarni
last updated : March 11, 2024
Note: I graduated from IPSP in 2019 and worked as a TA until March 2020. As far as I know, there haven't been any major changes since I left Leipzig. I'll update this page whenever I receive new information. One significant change (as of March 15, 2025): the program has been converted to a 4-year B.Sc. Honours degree. The main differences are that some master's-level coursework has been moved to the fourth year, and students must take additional electives compared to the previous program. That's the main update.
The admission process has not changed a lot afaik. The official webpage is here.
In a nutshell: You need a "general higher education entrance qualification" or "subject-specific higher education entrance qualification". Specific details will depend on the country where you obtained your "abitur" -equivalent certificate (high school certificate). You can read more about this here and here. You can check the eligibility of your application at the following link Check: university admission | uni-assist e.V.
The IPSP course does not have limited seats (still, as of 2021 - not expecting this to change anytime soon). So, as long as you satisfy the "higher entrance qualification" (I will call it HEQ from now) in the eyes of Uni-assist, you will be accepted for the program. (Uni-assist is the portal through which you apply for German degrees as international students - they assess the validity and eligibility of your documents). Make sure you submit all your documents correctly (check this on their website)
Note: Sometimes, your high-school certificate is not enough. In this case, you need to fulfil some additional requirements. Examples include successfully completing/passing :
As mentioned above, sometimes your High school certificate is not enough to meet HEQ. Depending on your country of high school, you could do a few extra qualifications to meet the requirements of HEQ. The main thing about Studienkolleg is that, by successfully completing Studienkolleg, you will obtain this HEQ regardless of the country of your high-school qualification (As long as your grade and your school leaving certificate qualify you for studies in Germany). You can think of this as an "academic bridge" from your country to Germany. You can read more about Studienkolleg and their application process at this website and webpage, respectively, Studienkollegs in Deutschland.
In this scenario, you come from your high-school country to Germany. Finish Studienkolleg (which will be only in German afaik; I do not know Studienkolleg where the language of instruction is in English) and apply to IPSP. Due to the unrestricted nature of the course, you should be accepted in all normal circumstances.
Note: The one benefit of Studienkolleg is that, because you finish your Studienkolleg in German, you can apply to any BSc Physics programs in Germany as long as you develop your German language skills at a particular standard in that year. Also, knowing fluent German will make your life much easier overall.