IOCM student taking notes

Before your Studies

IOCM student taking notes
Image: Rebecca Bück

How to Apply

Submit your application to the Master Service Centre of Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

IOCM takes in new students for winter terms only. IOCM's next intake is for the winter term 2023/24. The application phase on our university's website opens on 1 April 2023. The application deadline for international applicants is 30 April 2023. The deadline for German applicants is 31 May 2023. 

Your application has to include the following documents:

  • Letter of Motivation
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Bachelor Certificate (or equivalent)
  • Transcript of Records
  • Language Certificate

The application, including all documents, must be in English.

Additionally, you need to submit documents certifying optional entries on the application platform, such as proofs of your study abroad, work experience, or further language proficiencies.

Further information can be found in the Online Application Walkthrough for an Application for a Master’s Programme provided by the Master Service Centre.

The selection committee meets twice (in early June for international applications and in late June for German applications) and will inform each applicant about the decision as soon as possible thereafter. We look forward to your application!

Study Regulations

The Study Regulations are available in Englishpdf, 55 kb · de and Germanpdf, 251 kb · de.

Study Requirements

You can access our programme through two tracks. Read both of them carefully. If you do not meet the stricter criteria of track I you might still be admitted based on the criteria of track II:

 

Track 1

Track 2

You will have access to our graduate programme if you meet the following requirements:

  • You hold a first professional qualification (Bachelor or equivalent) with at least 90 credit points in the field of political science and an overall grade of 1.5 or better.
  • You have acquired at least 20 credit points from classes focused on international relations or international organisations.
  • You have acquired at least 15 credit points in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
  • You have completed at least one job-oriented internship in international relations or international organisations or studied one semester abroad.
  • Your proficiency in English corresponds to level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

If you do not sufficiently meet any of the first four requirements of track I, but your overall grade is at least 2.3 and your studies, curriculum vitae and motivation indicate a particular fit for our programme, you may also be admitted upon consideration of the following factors:

  • The scope and grades of the courses, which are particularly relevant for our Master programme, as well as the final thesis of your first academic qualification;
  • your international experiences as they relate to our programme;
  • your practical experiences and additional qualifications, which may be relevant for our programme; and
  • your individual areas of interest and reflections on the content and requirements of our Master programme, as indicated in your letter of motivation and your curriculum vitae, which inform us about your background, knowledge and skills as well as your personal goals and your capacity to study successfully.

Due to the interdisciplinary character of our master's programme, we very much welcome applicants from relevant disciplines beyond political science, such as European Studies, International Law and Sociology. We do not expect you to meet all the requirements of track I. Most important for our Master programme is the relevance of your first academic qualification.

Please be aware that you might receive an offer with certain conditions. There is no waiver on the C1 level requirement for English language proficiency. However, if other criteria such as the methods requirements are not fully met, you may be permitted to fulfil these requirements during the first three semesters of the programme.

If you cannot submit proofs of your prior academic qualification (e.g. because your Bachelor thesis is still pending), you can hand in your most current transcript of records, provided you can document the attainment of at least 140 credit points. 

The application process might include a personal interview, which we can arrange via Zoom.

After evaluating all applications, we will inform you as soon as possible whether you have been accepted into our programme.

Accepted Language Certificates

You will need to provide proof of your English language proficiency at a C1 level when you apply for our master's programme. Please find the most common English language certificates, the relevant scores as well as links to further information below. Certificates with temporary validity will be accepted up to a maximum of four years after the date of acquisition.

 

Cambridge Certificate (Advanced)

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/advanced/External link

http://www.europaeischer-referenzrahmen.de/cambridge-certificate.phpExternal link

 

IELTS – International English Testing System (7.0-8.0)

https://www.ielts.org/ielts-for-organisations/common-european-frameworkExternal link

http://www.europaeischer-referenzrahmen.de/ielts.phpExternal link

 

TOEFL Test

a) TOEFL – Internet-based (95 or more )

b) TOEFL – Paper-based (637 or more)

c) TOEFL – Institutional Testing Program (543-626)

https://www.ets.org/toeflExternal link

http://www.europaeischer-referenzrahmen.de/toefl.phpExternal link

RECOMMENDATION: TOEFL offers an At-Home-Version of its internet-based test, which can be highly recommended. You can find out more about it on https://www.ets.org/s/cv/toefl/at-home/External link

 

TOEIC Test (945-990)

http://www.europaeischer-referenzrahmen.de/toeic-test.phpExternal link

https://global-exam.com/blog/en/toeic-and-toefl-in-us-universities/External link

https://www.etsglobal.org/Tests-Preparation/The-TOEIC-TestsExternal link

 

International Applicants

Visa Regulations

If you are an international applicant you should be aware of the German visa regulationsExternal link. Citizens of European Union member states generally do not need a visa for studying in Germany but others do. Therefore, please check whether you need a visa and observe the relevant deadlines. 

Financial Security and Tuition Fees

It is of utmost importance, that applicants are able to prove the neccessary financial resources to study in Germany. This is an essential part of meeting the required visa regulations mentioned above. Please visit the issue-related website of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) via this linkExternal link, where you can find detailed information about financial security and tuition fees in Germany.

Among others, you can apply for a "Deutschlandstipendium", which is a scholarship funded by our university. The deadline for applications is usually in spring. If you meet the criteria, we encourage you to apply. You can hand in the proof of being accepted in our IOCM programme after the deadline. Further information you will find at: here

Useful Link: The Visa-Navigator

A step-by-step instruction on how to obtain a study visa with admission to a German university, can be found at the Visa-NavigatorExternal link of the Federal Foreign Office.

The German Higher Education System

If you are not familiar with the German higher education system, we recommend you consult the information provided by the German Academic Exchange ServiceExternal link (DAAD). The DAAD provides general information about Germany and other useful topics such as insurances; they also offer scholarships for your stay.

International Office of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena

The International Office of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena can also provide you with further information if needed.

What happens after getting accepted to IOCM?

Congratulations and welcome to IOCM! For international students, all formalities regarding your enrollment are handled by the International Office. The Master-Service-Zentrum (MSZ) is in charge of the enrollment of German students. You will be contacted by the respective office promptly and they will guide you through the enrollment procedure. Moreover, please find an overview over the most pressing information here.