Change of Location or Career
If you are already studying medicine but would like to transfer to Düsseldorf, or if you are planning a lateral entry into medical studies from related subjects (dentistry, biology, etc.), you can formally apply for a higher semester.
Unfortunately, the chances of getting into medical school via this route are very slim in Düsseldorf. In higher semesters, there are usually only very few or no places available.
You can find the application form here. Please submit your application for a higher semester directly to the student and examination administration of the HHU Düsseldorf.
Application deadline
- September 15 for the winter semester
- March 15 for the summer semester
Change of Location
You can apply as a "Ortswechsler:in" to enter a higher semester if you are already studying medicine at a university in Germany or abroad and would like to continue your studies in Düsseldorf.
A transfer before the 1st section of the medical examination results in a loss of study time, since the written part of the 1st section of the medical examination is spread over 12 examinations in the first three years in our model study program. Despite being placed in a specific semester, you must start in the 1st semester with us and take all exams.
Change of location abroad
Study achievements from abroad must be recognized by the responsible state examination office prior to application. The Landesprüfungsamt NRW is responsible in this case if you were born in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Bremen or outside the Federal Republic of Germany.
Change of location within Germany
If you want to change your place of study within Germany, it is much more realistic to enter a higher semester by exchanging your study place.
If you obtain a study place for a higher semester, please contact the responsible study organization in the Dean of Medical Studies for the recognition of your achievements: Q1 for study years 1-3, Q2 for study years 4-5. Please note that only fully completed achievements can be recognized.
Change of Career
Students of related subjects (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) can apply for a lateral entry into a higher subject semester after classification by the responsible state examination office.
A prerequisite for the recognition of your academic achievements by the responsible state examination office is a certificate of equivalence from the respective subject representation of a German medical faculty. Prior to admission to medical studies, there is no legal entitlement to the issuance of a certificate of equivalence.
You then submit your certificates of achievement together with the respective certificates of equivalence to the responsible examination office. The NRW State Examination Office is responsible if you were born in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Bremen or outside the Federal Republic of Germany.
Overall, the chances of a successful application are very low. If there are places available in higher semesters, these are initially allocated to students who have already changed location and are already studying medicine. At our faculty, therefore, there have been no places available for lateral entry in recent years.