Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

General information

• Location: the main campus is in the centre of Munich, at Geschwister-Scholl-Platz. Other important locations are Großhadern/Martinsried, Sendlinger Tor, Oberschleißheim and the campus near the Englischer Garten.
• Founded: 1472
• Language of instruction: German, with English also used for some courses
• Main fields: medicine and dentistry; law; economics and business administration; psychology; mathematics, computer science and statistics; physics, chemistry, biology and earth sciences; veterinary medicine; philology; history, philosophy, sociology and political science; education, communication and media

Deadlines

Undergraduate

• Winter semester: usually by 15 July
• Summer semester: usually by 15 January

A VPD from uni-assist is not required.

Postgraduate

There is no single deadline – each course sets its own period and selection procedure. International applicants may also need to submit documents to the International Office by 15 July for the winter semester and by 15 January for the summer semester.

Semesters

• Winter semester: 1 October – 31 March
• Summer semester: 1 April – 30 September

Are documents sent by post?

This depends on the outcome of the online application. In the standard case (Regelfall), no paper documents are sent. Where the case is not standard – for example, often with a foreign diploma – the portal generates an application form and a list of documents that must reach LMU by post by the deadline.

Courses – undergraduate and state examination

Medicine

Admission subject to a national restriction (bundesweit zulassungsbeschränkt).

• Duration: 6 years and 3 months. The first stage – Vorklinik – lasts 4 semesters and ends with the first state examination (Physikum).
• Start: first semester, winter semester only
• Language: German
• Location: Munich. During the first four semesters the MeCuM programme is run jointly by LMU and TUM, and students are enrolled at both universities. After the Physikum they continue at LMU or TUM depending on preference and places available.

Application: directly through Hochschulstart – not through LMU's International Office and not through uni-assist. If you are offered a place at LMU, the admission decision is presented at enrolment. The deadline is 31 May for applicants who graduated in a previous year (Altabiturienten) and 15 July for those graduating this year (Neuabiturienten).

Distribution of places:

• 30% Abiturbestenquote – based on the converted diploma average (in practice around 1.0)
• 60% university selection (AdH)
• 10% additional quota (ZEQ), where the diploma average is not the leading factor

The TMS is not formally mandatory, but a good result can significantly improve your chances. Without the TMS you do not receive the corresponding points.

Diploma documents:

Documents are not uploaded online only – after the electronic application, the diploma is sent by post to Hochschulstart.

Model and standard programme: LMU offers the standard programme (Regelstudiengang). Model programmes (Modellstudiengang) exist, for example, at Charité, MHH, HHU Düsseldorf, Augsburg, TU Dresden, Aachen and Bochum.

Law

• Official name: Rechtswissenschaft (main subject)
• Completion: First State Examination in Law (Erste Juristische Prüfung, known as the first state examination)
• Duration: around 5 years (10 semesters). For the classic legal professions, this is followed by a traineeship (Referendariat) and a second state examination – this stage is no longer at university, but in various state service bodies and in legal practice.
• Start: first semester in the winter semester. For 2026/27, lectures start on 12 October 2026.

The first state examination is held twice a year: the written part in March and September, and the oral part in July and in January/February of the following year respectively. The course moves from a foundation phase (from the 3rd semester gradually into an intermediate phase) to a specialisation track ending with the university part of the examination, and finally to preparation for the state examination.

Admission: ranking is based mainly on the converted diploma average. For the 2025/26 winter semester, the cut-off was around 2.7, but it changes every year.

Application: applicants with Bulgarian citizenship and a Bulgarian diploma apply as EU citizens to LMU's Studentenkanzlei through DoSV:

• registration with Hochschulstart and receiving a BID and BAN
• applying through LMU's online portal
• tracking and ranking your applications by priority in Hochschulstart

Business Administration (BWL)

• Duration: 6 semesters (3 years), 180 ECTS
• Cut-off last year: 1.9
• Location: mainly in the centre of Munich
• Start: winter semester only
• Language: mainly German, with some modules in English
• Deadline: for the 2026/27 winter semester – by 15 July 2026

Application: to LMU's Studentenkanzlei through the online procedure and DoSV – registration at hochschulstart.de (BID and BAN), an online application for BWL through LMU's portal, linking the application to DoSV, after which you track the ranking and order your applications by preference.

Communication Science (Kommunikationswissenschaft)

• Degree: Bachelor of Arts
• Duration: 6 semesters (3 years)
• Cut-off last year: 2.1
• Credits: 180 ECTS – 120 for the main subject and 60 for a chosen minor subject (Nebenfach)
• Location: Institut für Kommunikationswissenschaft und Medienforschung, mainly in the centre of Munich
• Start: winter semester only
• Language: German

Application: registration with Hochschulstart/DoSV, an online application through LMU's portal, and choosing a suitable minor subject worth 60 ECTS. The main criterion is usually the converted diploma average. In the event of a tie, voluntary service may be taken into account, followed by a lottery.

Dentistry

Admission subject to a national restriction.

• Duration: 11 semesters, around 5 years and 6 months
• Location: mainly in the centre of Munich and in the dental clinics
• Start: winter and summer semester
• Language: German
• Application: through Hochschulstart; documents generally also need to be sent by post

Distribution of places:

• 30% Abiturbestenquote – in practice around 1.0–1.1
• 60% university selection (AdH)
• 10% additional quota (ZEQ)

In the AdH procedure, the following are assessed: diploma average (up to 51 points), TMS result (up to 24 points), recognised vocational training, voluntary or community service, and recognised academic awards.

Pharmacy

Admission subject to a national restriction.

• Duration: 8 semesters (4 years). To fully qualify as a pharmacist, this is followed by 12 months of practical training and the final part of the state examination.
• Location: Fakultät für Chemie und Pharmazie, mainly at the Großhadern/Martinsried campus
• Start: winter and summer semester
• Language: German
• Application: through Hochschulstart; documents are also sent by post according to the list in the generated application

Distribution of places:

• 30% Abiturbestenquote – in practice around 1.6–1.9
• 60% university selection (AdH)
• 10% additional quota (ZEQ)

The converted diploma average and the PhaST (Pharmazie-Studieneignungstest) result carry particular weight. Under ZEQ, recognised vocational training may also be taken into account.

Psychology

• Degree: Bachelor of Science
• Duration: 6 semesters (3 years), 180 ECTS
• Location: Department Psychologie, mainly at Leopoldstraße 13
• Start: winter semester only
• Language: German
• Admission: locally restricted (NC); single-subject bachelor's with no mandatory minor

Application: registration with Hochschulstart (BID and BAN), applying through LMU's portal, and ranking your applications through DoSV.

BaPsy-DGPs: a specialised admissions test for the psychology bachelor's degree. It is not formally mandatory, and you can apply without it, but a good result significantly improves your chances.

Distribution of places:

• 30% based on diploma average alone – in practice around 1.0
• 70% based on a combined result (60% diploma average and 40% BaPsy-DGPs result) – in practice around 1.54

To pursue a career as a psychotherapist after the bachelor's degree, a suitable master's in clinical psychology and psychotherapy is required.