Psychology - Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience

For this master's programme, you need a subject-specific bachelor of science degree (minimum 6 semesters/180 ECTS credits) in psychology or a comparable undergraduate degree in combination with a personal suitability for the programme. Your degree must include:

• 30 ECTS credits in psychological methodology, 10 of which in statistics,
• 40 ECTS credits of basic knowledge such as General Psychology, Biological Psychololgy, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology as well as Differential and Personality Psychology,
• Modules taken in at least two areas of application (e.g. Work and Organisational Psychology, Pedagogical Psychology, Clinical Psychology).

Altogether, your degree must include lessons or modules in psychology amounting to at least 150 ECTS credits.

If the number of applicants entitled to admission exceeds the number of available study places, they are admitted according to a ranking list established as the result of a selection procedure of the Faculty. The following criteria are considered:

• a) final grade of the first undergraduate degree,
• b) final grade of the higher secondary education certificate,
• c) the applicant's subject-specific, scientific suitabilty in the chosen area of specialisation (proof of which may be previous professional experience as student or scientific assistant and/or co-authorship of scientific publications).

For further information about the selection procedure please see the Admission Regulations (under the Download section).

English language proficiency at level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Without German language proficiency: English language proficiency at level C1 (CEFR).

Your CV should have a tabular form, containing key information on your school record and academic career.

Please upload at the online application system your university entrance certificate/school leaving certificate. Usually, this means the school graduation diploma (German "Abitur"), i.e. the diploma that makes you eligible for studies at an University or other institution for higher education. Be mindful of the fact that here, we do not need any University diploma but a High School diploma! 

All previous University degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, etc.) if available before the application deadline - if not, please make a note of the anticipated date of issue of your degree certificate. Please upload your University degree or the most actual, detailed transcript of records/ mark sheet of all semesters available to you, should you not hold your degree certificate at the time of application. The main document is the degree/ transcript based on which you apply for the master programme.

Detailed transcript of records/ mark sheet of your first, subject-specific University degree, with which you apply for the master's programme (minimum requirement is the transcript/mark sheet up to the semester before the last). This trancript MUST contain an overall cumulative grade point average or average mark.

You need at least 135 credits (ECTS) by the time you apply.

For example:

• official letter from a university confirming previous professional experience as scientific assistant at a university of at least 90 hours,
• letter from the publisher or invitation to review the publication confirming your co-authorhsip of peer-reviewed scientific publications in scientific journals.

For German taught master's programmes, i.e. programmes with (predominantly) German as language of instruction, a sufficient German language proficiency proof is mandatory. Please see the information on the language requirements for the master's programme of your interest on the corresponding website.

The Friedrich Schiller University Jena accepts the following certificates as German language proficiency proof exclusively:

• the Goethe-Zertifikat C2 (GDS),
• the Deutsche Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz (DSD II),
• the TestDaF, minimum TDN 4 in all four parts of the examination,
• Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH), min. level 2 (= DSH-2),
• Certificate telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule (min. level "befriedigend"),
• a German language examination in the framework of an assessment test at a preparatory college.

Please note: If you do not have the required mandatory German language proficiency proof at the time of applying, you may only apply if you can provide a certificate attesting your German language skills at least at level B2 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) as well as a confirmation that you have either registered for the DSH examination, the TestDaF or an equivalent examination or that you have sat it and are going to receive the results before the end of the current semester.

There is also the possibility to apply for the (chargeable) "German Language Course Preparing for the German Language Examination (DSH)" at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. Please note: Prerequisites for the application for the preparatory course are language skills at least at the certificate level B1 / GER (e.g. Goethe-Zertifikat B1, TestDaF at least 4x3 and/or 800 teaching units from a recognized language school). For detailed information on the application and further information, please visit the website of the International Office or contact the International Office directly via Mail.

Shortly before taking the DSH-2-Examination or after successfully passing it, you are welcome to apply for a German taught master's programme!

The following applicants are exempted from providing proof of their German language skills:

• Applicants, who have obtained a German taught bachelor's degree within one of the following countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. This applies only to degrees that were awarded by a university in the relevant country (no satellite campuses or international branch campuses in other countries, no correspondence course degrees, no joint- or double-degrees with institutions in other countries);
• Holders of a German, Austrian or Swiss (from school where the language of instruction is German) university entrance qualification.

For the specialization in Cognitive Psychology the proficiency in the following languages must be submitted:

• Either German DSH-2 AND English B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
• or English level C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), if no German language skills are available.
• A recognized language certificate is mandatory.

Every mandatory application document from foreign/external countries must also be available in either English OR German translation. Such a translation has to be conducted by officially acknowledged/ sworn translators or translation offices.

External/foreign degree certificates/ transcripts of records must contain information on the grading system (= description of the maximum grade possible and the minimum passing grade) used at the respective University. 

Applicants with degrees from India, Vietnam or China must submit the original APS-certificate issued by the German Embassy.

Applicants from the following countries must submit a certificate of their university entrance examination/college entrance examination:

• Iran (College entrance examination certificate or certificate of pre-university course/year)
• Republic of Korea/South Korea: SAT (Scholastic Ability Test)
• People's Republic of China: College entrance examination certificate ("Gaokao")