Aptitude Assessment Process

After we receive your application, two members of our selection committee will rate it in a 4-step evaluation.

Step 1

First, the selection committee will check that the grade of your Bachelor degree is better than 2.5 (i.e., < 2.5) on the German grading scale. You can check your equivalent grade on the German grading scale using the following formula:

German Grade = 1+3∙[(Nmax-Nd)/(Nmax-Nmin)]

with: Nd: your grade, Nmax: best grade achievable, Nmin: minimum grade required to pass.

If your grade does not fulfill our requirements the selection committee will not further process your application and you will receive a rejection notice via email.

Step 2

In a second step, the selection committee will rate subject-specific coursework and examinations from the bachelor’s programme or an equivalent programme of study. You can achieve up to 50 points during this evaluation step and curricular analysis is based on competencies rather than schematic comparison of the modules. The selection committee will focus on the following aspects:

  • 20 ECTS in physics, biology, or chemistry (up to 15 points): This is a mandatory entry requirement. The following courses are examples for courses rated as belonging to the area of physics, biology, or chemistry: organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, biochemistry, experimental physics, plant biology, animal biology, microbiology.
  • 20 ECTS in environmental sciences (up to 15 points): This is a mandatory entry requirement, i.e., with a bachelor’s degree in pure chemistry you will not receive permission to our study programme unless you provide evidence that you have attended supplementary courses in environmental sciences and/or written your bachelor thesis on an environmental topic. The following courses are examples for courses rated as belonging to the area of environmental sciences: soil science, soil chemistry, soil physics, soil ecology, atmospheric chemistry, meteorology, hydrology, hydrochemistry, geology, geomorphology, ecology, plant ecology, biogeography.
  • Additional competencies (up to 20 points): The selection committee will also rate extra courses or job experience relevant with regard to environmental chemistry. Additionally, you will get more points the better the grade of your last degree and the more recent you achieved your last degree.

You have to achieve > 30 points during evaluation step 2. If you receive less than 30 points, the selection committee will not further process your application and you will receive a rejection notice via email, stating that your subject-specific course work was rated with less than 30 points.

Step 3

Only if you receive more than 30 points regarding subject-specific course work and examinations (step 2) the selection committee will further rate your application (motivation letter and CV) in evaluation step 3:

  • Motivation letter (up to 30 points)
    • Verbal skills (up to 15 points), showing that you are able to express yourself precisely and comprehensibly in the English language.
    • Interest (up to 15 points) explain the connection between personal interest and the interdisciplinary and international character of the programme of study in a structured way.
  • Interdisciplinary study skills (up to 20 points), e.g. supplementary studies, courses attended abroad, language courses, or other courses beyond the scope of the curriculum of the applicant's subject area.

The points you receive in evaluation step 2 (30 to 50 points) and step 3 (up to 50 points) are summed up. If during this aptitude assessment you have received

  • 70 points or more, you will directly get a confirmation signed by the chair of examiners of having passed the aptitude assessment process
  • 50-69 points in total you will get an interview invitation
  • < 50 points in total, you are not involved in the remainder of the process and you will receive a rejection note via email stating that your application was rated with less than 50 points in total.

Step 4

If you are invited for an interview, you will receive the date for your interview at least one week in advance. If you cannot visit us in Bayreuth, we will arrange a Skype interview. The interview lasts between 20 to 30 minutes and will be held in English. Two of our committee members will interview you. You can achieve a maximum of 30 points.

  • Verbal skills (up to 15 points), showing that you are able to express yourself precisely and comprehensibly in the English language, appropriately explain statements using arguments and suitable examples and to provide appropriate responses to questions asked.
  • Motivation (up to 5 points), showing that you display a specific aptitude for the programme of study such that a level of performance is to be expected that considerably exceeds the level of your previous degree.
  • Subject-related aptitude (up to 10 points), showing that you are able to analyse fundamental issues in Environmental Sciences in an appropriate manner

The overall score will be calculated from the subject-specific coursework and examinations (up to 50 points) and the interview (up to 30 points). You will be admitted if you have at least 55 of these 80 points.

For all legal questions, especially regarding rejections, please refer to the regulations for the Aptitude Assessment Process.