1. above-average professional interest and abilities in the academic and extracurricular field.

2. recommendation from the school management (self-applications are not possible).

3. passing an entrance test at the university with tasks at A-level. (The test will only be carried out if the number of applications exceeds the number of places available).

4. recommendation of a selection committee of the University of Oldenburg after an oral selection interview.

Special subject criteria

• English Studies: Proof of English language proficiency - via an internationally recognised language test - is required. See English Studies under "Admission requirements".
• Protestant Theology and Religious Education and History: Application only possible from year 10 onwards

University studies for secondary school students can only begin in the winter semester. The application deadline is 15 July of the respective year. Applications for university studies for secondary school students can only be submitted with the school's consent.

Please send the documents listed below preferably in scanned form (summarised in one document!) by email to Subject: University studies for secondary school students

or by post to:
University of Oldenburg
Zentrale Studien- und Karriere counselling - Miriam Savoca
Postfach
26111 Oldenburg

The application consists of the following documents:

• Application and recommendation [pdf] from the school
• informal cover letter explaining your motivation for taking up university studies for secondary school students
• detailed curriculum vitae
• Copy of the last report card
• Declaration of consent [pdf] Recognition of the participation modalities by the students and, if applicable, legal guardians

The selection interviews (and, if applicable, an aptitude test) will take place in August/September 2025 of the respective year. The dates will be stated in the written invitation.

1. application for enrolment by pupils by 01.10.2025.

must be submitted:

• Proposal for enrolment [pdf]
• Certificate of exemption from school [pdf]
• Confirmation of enrolment from the School
  

2. notification of enrolment by the Admissions office.

3. start of studies on 13 October 2025.

Mariia (16 years old), early student in the social sciences (winter semester 2025/2026)

University studies for secondary school students in social sciences was a great experience for me, even though the amount of material was much greater than at school and you had to work through a lot of things independently.
I particularly liked the depth of the content and the atmosphere at the university. At the same time, it quickly became clear that you had to work very independently. Preparing for the exams was challenging, but that was also an important experience.
I learned how to organise my time better and how to deal with larger amounts of material. I also got a clearer picture of how a degree programme works and whether this path suits me.
Overall, I would recommend the university studies for secondary school students to anyone who is really interested in a subject and is willing to work independently.

Johanna (19 years old), early studies student in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computing Science (winter semester 2021/2022 to summer semester 2025)

"I finished my university studies for secondary school students in summer 2025 after four years. It was a great opportunity for me to get an insight into different degree programmes and gain my first university experience. I started with biology, then switched to chemistry, later to maths and finally to Computing Science.
I can only advise anyone to give university studies for secondary school students a try - not only did I gain knowledge in really interesting subject areas, but I also met lots of great people.
Getting into the modules wasn't as difficult as expected either. In the first semester in particular, a lot of things are repeated from school. Whether you actually take the written exam at the end is up to you. I can personally only recommend it, because even if it doesn't work out, there are no disadvantages.
If you're still not quite sure about the decision to do university studies for secondary school students, the orientation semester is the perfect introduction. It's a very unbureaucratic way for students to see how they like studying. I also only studied for one semester as a guest student, as the registration process is much easier than with early studies.
I am now a full-time student and have decided to study computer science with a high mathematics content. With the help of the university studies for secondary school students, I found a degree programme that really suits me."

Finn (15 years old), early student in History (winter semester 2024/2025)

"I decided to enrol on the university studies for secondary school students at the University of Oldenburg because I was looking for a new challenge and wanted to further my education in history. Nevertheless, I was initially particularly concerned about the time demands of university studies for secondary school students, and I also initially felt overwhelmed by the amount of seminar reading.

However, it soon became clear to me that the university studies for secondary school students were not only manageable in terms of time and content, but also a very interesting experience. I was able to learn a lot about exciting topics in the courses and also gain a first impression of how history is dealt with at university.

Overall, the university studies for secondary school students have been a great enrichment for me so far, from which I have already been able to gain a lot of new knowledge and experience."

Feemke (16 years old), Early Studies student in Chemistry (winter semester 2024/2025)

"The university studies for secondary school students in the Department of Chemistry has been an enriching experience for me, which has given me an insight into the content of various topics in chemistry as well as a comprehensive insight into university life. During the lectures, a lot of knowledge (mostly new to me) was conveyed in a structured and detailed manner at a brisk pace. Unfortunately, I was only able to attend the two weekly lectures and not the tutorials, as I am not from Oldenburg and would otherwise have missed three whole school days. The learning atmosphere was very pleasant, as the other students, professors and staff were very friendly and helpful, e.g. when answering questions. I found the contact with our mentor very helpful and pleasant. In my opinion, university studies for secondary school students are ideal for committed and curious students and provide a gain in knowledge compared to everyday school life."

Finn (17 years old), early studies student in physics (winter semester 2024/2025)

"The university studies for secondary school students in physics was a great opportunity for me to simply try out whether studying in this field is really for me. I really learnt a lot during the semester. It also helped me a lot at school, at least in physics and maths. The university studies for secondary school students really demand a lot from you if you try to take them seriously, which is very challenging at times, especially during the exam phase at school, and not always easy to keep up with. Personally, however, I also really enjoyed trying to keep up with the very fast pace compared to school and sometimes sitting for hours on the often really tricky exercise sheets. Finally arriving at a result that makes sense after a lot of maths and thinking is a really rewarding experience.

Even if you can't always remember many of the details from the lectures exactly, you still develop an understanding of an incredible number of things during your time at university that were completely unclear to you before, and ideally you simply enjoy the process. And if you realise that this is not the case, then it is also absolutely uncomplicated to drop out of university studies for secondary school students. I would take the opportunity to do university studies for secondary school students again at any time!".

Thore (15 years old), early student in mathematics (winter semester 2024/2025)

"For me, the university studies for secondary school students were an enrichment. Both professionally and personally. The process and organisation of the university studies for secondary school students, including the time off from school, went smoothly. The content was very interesting, even though I plan to study physics instead of maths later on. It was a welcome change from the school day, which was not very demanding for me. I would like to thank everyone who made this experience possible for me."

Maximilian (15 years old), early student in Computing Science (winter semester 2024/2025)

"I really enjoyed the university studies for secondary school students and would like to continue next semester. The module "Programming, Data Structures and Algorithms" in Computing Science offered a very good introduction to Computing Science, as it allowed me to deepen my previous knowledge as well as learn new things. Because the module was recorded, I didn't have to miss any lessons and the module was easy to combine with school. The organisation worked well and I was even able to register for the written exam.
In summary, the university studies for secondary school students was definitely an enrichment for me and I can recommend it to anyone who is interested in a particular subject and wants to try out whether they would like to study it later."

Lea (16 years old), early student in physics (winter semester 2023/2024)

"The university studies for secondary school students in the subject of physics was a great experience. I was looking for a challenge and wanted to learn deeper, more demanding material, which was definitely both fulfilled. At school I often have a problem with underachievement and boredom, so it was a nice experience not to have these problems when learning. I was very happy with the unusually fast pace and complexity of the material, in contrast to what I'm used to at school. It was nice to be challenged professionally. The semester significantly improved my knowledge of physics, especially in terms of derivations. Even though I didn't take the exam, I have the feeling that I'm much further ahead in the subject than before and that I've learnt a lot from the university studies for secondary school students.

The university studies for secondary school students required me to teach myself a few things, mainly mathematical methods, which were needed for my module "Experimental Physics I: Mechanics". However, I enjoyed this challenge and after learning some things on my own, I realised that I understood a lot of things much better.

I recommend the university studies for secondary school students to anyone who feels underchallenged at school and wants a new challenge and is willing to learn things on their own. You also learn more about your own study aspirations. Personally, it was really good for me to be challenged with more difficult content and my semester at university was a really enriching experience in many ways."

Luca (16 years old), early student in physics (winter semester 2023/2024)

"For me, university studies for secondary school students was a very special and important experience. I spent my first semester of the degree programme on the module "Experimental Physics I" and was initially a little surprised at how much I understood. The topics were taught in surprising depth and presented in an understandable way using experiments. After the first real lectures, in which the mathematical background was also explained, I felt a sense of satisfaction. I realised that our lives, classically speaking, can be recognised as deterministic and predictable, even if only in part.
This consideration and its philosophical background are the things that interest and fascinate me about physics. After this realisation, it was absolutely clear to me why Galileo said, that mathematics is the language in which God wrote the universe.

Another positive part of my studies was the collaboration with other students and early students. We worked together on the problem sheets and supported each other in understanding what was being taught.

In conclusion, I would say that my expectations were not only met, but exceeded. The time was an eye-opening experience and I can recommend university studies for secondary school students to anyone who is even slightly interested in physics.
In my next semester, however, I will most likely specialise in a different subject area and get a taste of Business Administration."

Niklas (18 years old), early student in mathematics (winter semester 2023/2024)

"I really enjoyed the first semester. It was nice to work intensively on a topic for a longer period of time and to learn about the structure of maths and the connections between different topics that you already know from school. The material covered in the lecture was much more demanding than in at school, but it was very doable if you spent enough time with it. Personally, I coped well with going to school and studying at the same time, which meant that my academic performance didn't drop.

I can recommend the university studies for secondary school students to anyone who is interested in the subject and is willing to spend a lot of time learning about it. Another advantage is, of course, that modules that have already been passed can be recognised later. The university studies for secondary school students completely fulfilled my expectations and I will continue next semester."

Finn (15 years old), early student in Computing Science (winter semester 2023/2024)

"I look back very positively on my first semester at the University of Oldenburg. The university studies for secondary school students, in my case in Computing Science, did what it was supposed to do: To challenge me. Of course, the content is more difficult and also simply more extensive than we know from school, but it is still manageable within the framework of lectures and tutorials as exercises. The time before the exam (which is voluntary!) is logically very stressful, but that's also the point of challenging yourself more than usual.

In my case, the interaction between school and university didn't cause any problems at all, which was one of my worries at the beginning. It's just nice to learn new things in such a structured framework , which is why I will definitely continue my early studies.

I can therefore recommend university studies for secondary school students to anyone who is interested in learning and wants to challenge themselves. Most of the concerns you have turn out to be wrong in the end (that it will be too much/too difficult, that you won't manage everything etc.). I can definitely recommend Computing Science as a subject, as it requires hardly any prior knowledge. You start from scratch, which is why it is very suitable for university studies for secondary school students. In addition, the professors and everyone involved are very helpful and have also helped us a lot as early students.

To summarise, I'm just happy to have been able to gain this experience and hope that I can do it for a little longer."

Celine (16 years old), early student in Business Administration with a focus on Law (winter semester 2022/2023)

"My semester at the University of Oldenburg was very exciting and I was able to gain many positive and instructive experiences. The lectures for my module "Introduction to Civil Law" were, as I had hoped, very informative and definitely improved my understanding of German law. I also really enjoyed the tutorials, especially after I was able to participate well after a little familiarisation. The university studies for secondary school students gave me a very good impression of what studying Law could be like, for which I am really grateful. The knowledge I gained will certainly be of great use to me in the future. For me personally, it was a really manageable effort alongside school, which was definitely worth it for the experience.

Looking back, I can say that I had a really great time at the University of Oldenburg and would therefore recommend that anyone who would enjoy gaining a little more knowledge, is looking for a new challenge or would like to gain an insight into a possible subject and everyday life at university should take part in university studies for secondary school students."

Angelina (17 years old), early studies student in physics (winter semester 2021/2022 and summer semester 2022)

"Personally, I really enjoyed my university studies for secondary school students in the subject of physics and it clearly confirmed my desire to study.

Although most of the first semester took place online, I was still able to make contact with other students in the tutorials, which were held in person. In my opinion, this contact with other students is one of the things that makes university studies for secondary school students so special, as you get to know 'like-minded' people with the same interests in the subject.

In the second semester, the lectures took place in the large lecture theatre (Wechloy campus), so I had the chance to experience 'real' campus life. Both semesters were extremely interesting in terms of content.

University studies for secondary school students require a lot of self-organisation and independence, as you are responsible for the new content of the course and any school material you may have missed and need to catch up on.

Based on my experience, I can only recommend taking up university studies for secondary school students."

Anna-Katharina (17 years old), early student in Biology (winter semester 2021/2022)

"Personally, I am very happy and grateful to have been given the opportunity to take part in university studies for secondary school students. I was able to fully achieve my goal of gaining initial experience and getting a taste of everyday university life. I was also able to develop my independence and self-confidence due to the amount of personal responsibility, which will benefit me in future job interviews as well as in institutions that require applications.

Due to the current situation, I was rarely allowed to attend face-to-face classes and had to attend most of the lectures online via my own Stud.ip account. The absences from class due to face-to-face teaching turned out to be less time-consuming than expected. I was able to catch up on missed content quickly and without any problems.
On the day of the exam, the demands of study exams became very clear to me. Regardless of the final result, I am glad that I took the exam. On the one hand, I had nothing to lose compared to other "normal" students due to my "free" participation in the degree programme, and on the other hand, thanks to my preparation for the exam, I now know roughly how I can prepare "properly" or at least better for exams later on.

In conclusion, I can say that I recommend university studies for secondary school students to anyone who wants to challenge themselves even more and experience something "new" and future-orientated alongside school. In addition, university studies for secondary school students can be really helpful when it comes to career orientation if you are unsure about a particular degree programme. It can also promote personal development (as it did for me) by training independence and self-confidence through the application process and preparing for later professional life."

Lenya (16 years old), early student in biology (winter semester 2021/2022)

"I started university studies for secondary school students at the age of 15 in the subject of biology at the University of Oldenburg. I decided to take up university studies for secondary school students because I had the unique opportunity to get a glimpse into the everyday life of a student at university before the regular degree programme. It also gave me the opportunity to get to know the subject of biology as a possible future degree programme. From preparing my application documents to the selection interview with the professor at the university to enrolment and selection of a module via the university's own system - all of these things, which I had to do independently, allowed me to gain valuable experience.

The contact with other students and the participation in lectures and tutorials were also exciting and instructive. I'm sure this experience and knowledge will also help me in my actual studies after graduating from high school. At the same time, by getting to know the module content better, I was able to decide that the subject of biology is not an option for me as my sole field of study. Conversely, however, I feel strengthened in my current main study goal of medicine.
Initial fears of, for example, too much time and effort were not confirmed. Instead, by attending school and university at the same time, I have learnt to organise my time even better.

Based on the experience I gained and the knowledge I acquired, I can recommend studying at university to anyone. Where else do you get the chance to take a look at everyday life at university before you actually start studying?"

Johanna (15 years old), early student in biology (winter semester 2021/2022)

"The university studies for secondary school students have been a complete success for me so far. I prepared for my written exam in biology from December to February and ultimately passed it with a 1.7. The study phase was exhausting, but it was definitely worth it.

During the lecture period, I regularly took part in the tutorials and face-to-face seminars. The online lectures were practical, as they didn't overlap with my time at school. I found some lectures much more interesting than others - I suspect that everyone does. For each lecture (two per week), I first took notes and then wrote a condensed summary as learning material for the written exam.

My academic performance has not changed as a result of my studies, although I have already realised that it has had a huge impact on my everyday life. I not only benefit intellectually from my studies, but have also made contacts with some students despite the coronavirus pandemic, especially by preparing for the written exam."

Lentje (13 years old), early student in mathematics (winter semester 2020/2021)

"I was very happy with the way I studied and learnt a lot. I really enjoyed working with the other students and especially with my fellow early student C.

However, I would have preferred to be in person, as I like to engage directly with others and not just via the internet. That's why I could imagine doing it again after corona. In combination with home schooling, it did get stressful at times, as it was actually planned that I would either go to school or university, but in the end both came together."

Konstantin (17 years old), early student in mathematics (since winter semester 2019/2020)

"I really like the university studies for secondary school students so far and I will definitely continue with the same subject next semester.

The university studies for secondary school students offer an ideal opportunity to go (far) beyond the limits of the material taught at school and to get a (big) head start over other students of the same age. Depending on how much you want to achieve during your university studies for secondary school students, the workload will of course increase and, given the right dosage, you will definitely reach your academic limits. But that's the kick of it all."

Tim (17 years old), early student in physics (winter semester 2019/2020)

"The semester was quite relaxed for me, as there were no problems with catching up on missed school material and the module "Experimental Physics I: Mechanics" was very suitable as an introduction for early physics students. In this module, I was able to revisit what I had already learnt at school and even learn some things in parallel to my upper secondary school lessons. I don't plan to continue studying next semester, as I will now be writing more and more important written exams at school.

I can definitely recommend the university studies for secondary school students in physics."

Anna-Marie (15 years old), early degree student in mathematics (winter semester 2018/2019 to winter semester 2019/2020)

"I'm now three semesters into my maths course at the university and have had a lot of positive experiences. It's fun and, above all, it's interesting to take part in the lectures and exercises. The way the knowledge is taught is a stark contrast to normal school. I found exactly what I was looking for here. Fast, condensed learning. Due to my early entry into university studies for secondary school students, it was clear that almost everything was new to me. And of course I didn't understand everything. The exercises are a good opportunity to consolidate the content from the lecture and get to know other students. A lot of emphasis is placed on teamwork here, which also promotes contact. It was also interesting that quite a few students asked me my age. I was a bit uncomfortable at first, but this soon subsided.

In the first semester (parallel to my first semester of year 9), I regularly attended lectures, which is something you should definitely do in order not to lose touch. I was eventually able to pass the corresponding exam. It's good to know that the points you achieve in the exercises allow you to improve on an exam you've passed. However, the exercises should not only be attended for the additional points, but also for the understanding of the lecture content.

I would have liked to take Analysis I in the second semester, but this was not offered. So I ended up taking Linear Algebra. I reached my limits here and decided against taking the exam at the end of the semester. By the way, this freedom in university studies for secondary school students is reassuring and takes the pressure off.

In the third semester, I moved on to Analysis I. The number of hours (exercises, large exercises and double lecture times) is much more extensive compared to Mathematical Problem Solving and Proofs in the first semester. In addition to normal school and university studies for secondary school students, I am also very active in sports with 4 training sessions per week. Everything together became too much for me and my grades at school suffered as a result.

For this reason, I will not be re-registering for the 2020 summer semester (my 4th semester). My priority now is to pass year 10 with good grades.

Overall, I have nothing negative to say. On the contrary. I was able to get to know my limits and gain a very deep insight into the world of studying. You are given a lot of freedom to quench your thirst for knowledge without any pressure. My greatest success was not only getting permission and approval from the school for university studies for secondary school students, but also passing a certificate in the first semester. I would also like to thank my supervisor (from my school, HGO), who accompanied me throughout this time.

University studies for secondary school students is definitely the right choice for those who not only want to learn more, but also learn differently. However, normal school should not be neglected.

How I got into early studies:
- skipped a year at my school HGO
- took part in academies (in the holidays)
- was still too boring then, skipping another year was not an option
- started the application process for early studies at university after the school recommended it
- started early studies from year 9 (age 13)

After 3 semesters I will finish the university studies for secondary school students and I am very happy to have had this experience."

Status 04/2025