Please note that other deadlines and regulations may apply to non-EU applicants. As a rule, non-EU applicants must always apply, even if the subject is actually free of admission, as the requirements for studying must first be checked. You can find more information here: Application for international prospective students
Enrollment in admission-free degree programs
In order to study at RUB, you must enroll in due time and form. To do this, you must submit your data and documents online. We explain exactly how this works on this page.
Deadlines
- Enrollment for Germans and equal application groups in subjects without admission restrictions for a summer semester is possible from mid-December of the previous year until the beginning of the respective lecture period.
- Enrollment for Germans and equal application groups in subjects without admission restrictions for a winter semester is possible from mid-July until the start of the respective lecture period.
- Information on enrollment in degree programs with restricted admission or in a higher semester with restricted admission can be found on the page Enrolment in degree programs with restricted admission
- Different deadlines generally apply for international applicants, which you can find under this link: Semester deadlines
You can find all general deadlines on the Semester deadlines page.
Enrollment procedure
Enrollment at RUB is done digitally. As different systems are currently still operating in parallel for technical reasons, there are different ways of enrolling for different groups of people. Therefore, please read the following information carefully so that you can submit your application correctly in the correct portal.
- Enrollment in the first semester of an open-admission Bachelor's degree program takes place via the RUB application portal. You must register there and will then be guided through the next steps.
You can find the link to the portal here: RUB application portal - Enrollment in the first semester of an open-admission Master's degree program is done via the RUB application portal. You must register there and will then be conveniently guided through the next steps.
You can find the link to the portal here: RUB application portal - Enrollment in a higher semester of a Bachelor's/Staatsexamen/Magister or Master's degree program without admission restriction is done via the online enrollment of the IMMATRIX portal. You must register there and will then be guided through the next steps.
You can find the link to the portal here: IMMATRIX online enrollment - Enrollment in a higher semester of a Bachelor's/Staatsexamen or Master's degree program with restricted admission takes place (after your admission) via the ZULIX application portal. You must register there and will then be guided through the next steps.
You can find the link to the portal here: ZULIX application portal - Different deadlines usually apply to foreign applicants. You can find information about this here: Deadlines
Register on the application portal and enter your details. Be careful both when entering your details and when reading the input fields, as we cannot guarantee you enrollment if you enter incorrect or inaccurate information.
- You must provide proof of your insurance status in order to enroll. You can find all the information you need on the page Health insurance during your studies
- We can only check your application once you have uploaded all your documents and submitted/approved it.
- It may take some time to process your application. Keep a close eye on the processing status: if any documents are missing, you will be informed via the relevant portal and by e-mail. You can log into the system at any time using your access data.
- After we have enrolled you, you will receive an e-mail with the most important information about the social contribution, the use of RUB online services and the next steps.
- Please note: You can only pay the social contribution after enrollment, but you are not officially enrolled until the full amount has been credited to your RUB account.
You must also meet the requirements for open-admission degree courses, which must be checked before enrollment. These include, for example, proof of a university entrance qualification (usually the Abitur certificate).
In principle, it should be noted that open admission courses at RUB are normally only admission-free to german applicants and applicants of equivalent status. Non-EU applicants must always apply, even if the course is normally open to admission.
Some degree courses also have additional content requirements that you must meet in accordance with the study and examination regulations. You can find information on the degree programs in our range of courses: Information on degree programs
In short: It must be checked whether you meet all formal and content requirements for the degree course.
However, there is no admission procedure in which a ranking list is drawn up on the basis of which a limited number of study places are allocated, as there is no limit to the number of places available for subjects with no admission requirements. If you upload your documents on time and in full and meet the relevant requirements, you are guaranteed a place.
You can find out whether your desired degree course has restricted or unrestricted admission via the Study Opportunities portal.
(updated version in german from 24.07.2023)
After enrollment - Welcome to RUB!
Information and offers for newly enrolled students can be found in the section
You can find out what you can do now to prepare for the start of your studies at the Ruhr-Universität on our page First steps to starting your studies
Information (in german) about starting your studies at RUB and life in Bochum are also available on the WhatsApp channel RUB info for first semester students