Studienbüro der Sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät

Martin Ertelt
Application, Administration and Counseling
Oeconomicum, Raum 1.112
Tel.: +49 (0)551/39-26540
Annegret Schallmann
Counseling
Oeconomicum, Raum 1.116
Tel.: +49 (0)551/39-27159
Master's programmes

With the help of the following topic blocks, you can independently obtain detailed information about the Master's degree programmes at the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Master's application procedure as well as further advisory services.

We are pleased that you are interested in applying for a Master`s degree programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Göttingen. On this page you will find all important information concerning the application procedure.

Please note that it is not possible to assess Master's admissions in individual cases in advance and outside of the regular application procedure. The purpose of the application procedure is to enable the selection committee to check and decide on the basis of your complete application documents which achievements are relevant to the subject and whether or not admission (possibly subject to conditions) is possible. We therefore ask you to submit a complete application by the respective application deadline, whereby each application round requires a new registration and the upload of all application documents under the current registration number. Registration numbers from previous application rounds are invalid.

Please also be sure to take note of the detailed FAQ, which can answer very many of the regularly asked questions about a Master's application in advance, before you are of course welcome to contact us for any return or follow-up questions. Please direct all enquiries regarding applications for Master's programmes or module packages at the Faculty of Social Sciences to the following e-mail address: masterbewerbung@sowi.uni-goettingen.de.
The following deadlines apply to the German-language Master's degree programmes
  • "Arbeit in Betrieb und Gesellschaft“ (Labour in Society),
  • "Erziehung, Bildung und Ungleichheit" (Education and Inequalityt; from winter semester 2024/25),
  • "Ethnologie“ (Social an Cultural Anthropology),
  • „Geschlechterforschung“ (Gender Studies),
  • „Politikwissenschaft: Nationalstaat und Globalisierung“ (Political Science: Nation States and the Challenge of Globalization),
  • „Sozialwissenschaftliche Diversitätsforschung“ (Diversity Studies in the Social Sciences; (This degree programme will be closed. No new students will be accepted from winter semester 2025/26.)
  • „Soziologie“ (Sociology) and
  • „Sportwissenschaft mit den Schwerpunkten Prävention, Rehabilitation und psychosoziale Gesundheit“ (Sport Science with emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation and psycho-social health):
Deadlines:
winter semester 2026/27 06.04.2026 to 15.05.2026 (cut-off deadline).
A subsequent lottery procedure takes place from 01.10. to 05.10.2026.
summer semester 2027 06.10.2026 to 15.11.2026 (cut-off deadline).
A subsequent lottery procedure is expected to take place from 01.04. to 05.04.2027.
winter semester 2027/28 06.04.2027 to 15.05.2027 (cut-off deadline).
A subsequent lottery procedure is expected to take place from 01.10. to 05.10.2027.

For the English-taught Master’s programme “Modern Indian Studies” (starting only in the winter semester), a distinction must be made between non-EU applicants and EU applicants when applying for the Master’s programme, as different (!) application periods apply to each group.

Definition:
Non-EU applicantsare: nationals of non-EU/non-EEA (European Economic Area) countries AND holding a Bachelor’s degree from a non-EU/non-EEA country.
EU applicantsare: nationals of the EU/EEA (European Economic Area) OR all applicants with a bachelor’s degree from an EU/EEA country.
Deadlines: winter semester 2026/27
for non-EU applicants in the previous year from 06.10.2025 to 15.11.2025 (cut-off deadline). An application for EU applicants as defined above is excluded!
for EU applicants 06.04.2026 to 15.05.2026 (cut-off deadline). An application for non-EU applicants as defined above is excluded!
for non-EU applicants and EU-applicants A subsequent lottery procedure takes place from 01.10. to 05.10.2026. The lottery procedure is open only to applicants who already hold a visa or residence permit for Germany at this stage and have demonstrated sufficient language skills.
winter semester 2027/28
for non-EU applicants in the previous year from 06.10.2026 to 15.11.2026 (cut-off deadline). An application for EU applicants as defined above is excluded!
for EU applicants 06.04.2027 to 15.05.2027 (cut-off deadline). An application for non-EU applicants as defined above is excluded!
for non-EU applicants and EU applicants A subsequent lottery procedure is expected to take place from 01.10. to 05.10.2027. The lottery procedure is open only to applicants who already hold a visa or residence permit for Germany at this stage and have demonstrated sufficient language skills.
To apply for a Master´s degree programme please register and fill out our online portal (link at the bottom of this website; the link is only available during the application period) and upload all required documents. All required documents are listed on the application form. You will receive the application form and a link for uploading via e-mail after you have registered via the online portal. Each application round requires a new registration and the upload of all application documents under the current registration number. Registration numbers from previous application rounds are invalid.

Please note that you do not have to submit hard copies of the documents required for the application. You only need to upload the documents to the upload portal. An overview of the application in individual steps can be found here as a PDF download: The process of application for an MA programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Please also note the FAQ.
Applications that are not uploaded in full (including all mandatory documents with the required details of the credit total and an overall grade or preliminary overall average grade), in due form or by the deadline will be excluded from further proceedings.

Due to a large number of applications it could take a while until we can submit the decision on your application. We work as fast as possible and inform you as soon as possible. So we kindly ask you to refrain from contacting us to inquire your application status.
Lottery procedure:
For the so called "Lottery procedure", you please have to register again and fill out the online application portal after a login with your new registration number. For the documument upload via the the upload portal, you please have to use your new registration number, too. Please note that in the lottery procedure, sufficient language skills may have to be proven for admission and cannot be submitted later. The lottery procedure takes place shortly before the start of the courses in the respective semester and it only makes sense to take part in this procedure if you can attend the courses on site in the shortest possible time.
All students who have completed a subject-relevant Bachelor's degree programme or a related subject to the extent of at least 180 ECTS at the beginning of the Master's degree programme are access authorized.
There have to be 150 ECTS completed and recorded on the date of application (May 15th/November 15th).
These credits have to be "subject-relevant" to the particular Master`s degree programme. The subject-relevance (please prove with accordant contents of the studies) will be verified by the selection committees of the particular subjects. Precise criteria can be found on the homepages of the accordant Master's degree programmes or in the Table on the relevance of previous studies (German).

If you cannot hand in a Transcript of Records please get an issued certificate with the following text: "(Until now,) Mrs./Mr. X has attained 150 ECTS with a temporary overall average grade of ...."

Please note: The courses (except in Modern Indian Studies) are taught in German language and German language proficiency is required.
(The Master's degree programme in Modern Indian Studies is only available without an additional module package!)

Modulpakete (Kombinationen des Masterstudiengangs mit einem "Nebenfach" im Umfang von 36 ECTS) stehen für die Masterstudiengänge "Ethnologie", "Geschlechterforschung", "Politikwissenschaft: Nationalstaat und Globalisierung" sowie "Soziologie" zur Verfügung.

Keine Modulpakete sind für die Masterstudiengänge "Arbeit in Betrieb und Gesellschaft", "Erziehung, Bildung und Unhgleichheit", "Modern Indian Studies", "Sozialwissenschaftliche Diversitätsforschung" und "Sportwissenschaft mit den Schwerpunkten Prävention, Rehabilitation und psychosoziale Gesundheit" anwählbar.

Wenn Sie sich für ein Modulpaket entscheiden sollten, beachten Sie bitte alle Hinweise zu den Kombinationsmöglichkeiten und Zugangsvoraussetzungen. Detaillierte Informationen dazu erhalten Sie hier: Modulpakete.
The applicants which fulfill the entrance requirements will be put into a rank order according to their (improved, where applicable) overall average grades. This ranking order will be continued to the doubled amount of available university places. If the number of applicants which fulfill the requirements exceeds the number of available university places, a selection interview will be held with the doubled number of applicants.

In case of additional available university places at the beginning of a new semester, you may apply for the so called "lottery procedure" (choice by lot). The above-named access authorization requirements count for the "lottery procedure", as well.
Detailed information on the matriculation procedure can be found here: Steps for matriculation.
In case of questions please read the FAQ at first. If you have further questions, please contact the Office of the Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Social Sciences.


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APPLICATION PORTAL

Please note that the portals are only activated during the respective application period (above on this website under “Closing Date for Applications and Application Procedure”) and that it is not possible to apply outside the application periods!

More Information


Contact:

Office of the Dean of Study of the Faculty of Social Sciences

Martin Ertelt



Office: Oec 1.112
(appointment upon consultation)