Allocation procedure for the Bachelor's degree programme Psychology
In addition to the average grade of the university entrance qualification (procedure grade), the central admission criterion is the result of participation in the nationwide standardised psychology-specific Bachelor's degree aptitude test of the German Psychological Society (BaPsy-DGPs). In order to have the best possible chance of participating in the admission procedure, all applicants are therefore recommended to take the BaPsy-DGPs, as the result achieved there is included as an important criterion in the allocation of study places.
Please note that the registration for the BaPsy-DGPS for the admission procedure of the winter semester 2024/2025 has already expired. You must register for the BaPsy-DGPS between 15 December 2024 and 15 February 2025 if you wish to submit your test result for the admission procedure for the winter semester 2025/2026. All further information on the registration procedure, test content and preparation and organisation can be found on the BaPsy-DGPs website.
To categorise the relevance of the aptitude test, please read the following information on the admission procedure.
Admission quotas and selection criteria
In future, the available places will be split among three different quotas and allocated in accordance with the applicable criteria. After first deducting the (legally prescribed) quotas for applicants in defined priority groups (e.g. cases of exceptional hardship, those applying to study for a second undergraduate degree, elite student athletes, those with relevant recognized vocational or professional qualifications), the remaining places will be allocated in accordance with the following scheme:
Quota | Percentage of total places to be allocated | Allocation criteria | Likelihood of admission is higher... |
Grade-based quota | 20% | Average adjusted grade. Corresponds to the average overall grade awarded to the applicant on their higher education entrance qualification (HEEQ), which, in the case of applicants with the German 'Abitur', have been adjusted to balance out regional disparities between HEEQ grading systems within Germany. | ...the better the applicant's average adjusted grade |
Test-based quota | 20% | Percentile rank of the result achieved in the BaPsy-DGPs aptitude test. | ...the higher the percentile ranking score. |
University-specific selection procedure | 60% | Weighted overall score based on the applicant's average adjusted grade (60%) and the result achieved in the BaPsy-DGPs aptitude test (40%). | ...the higher the weighted overall score. |
Frequently asked questions regarding the admissions procedure
The new admissions procedure does not apply to applicants who are eligible for consideration under one of the defined priority quotas. The defined priority groups are:
- those applying to study for a second undergraduate degree
- those with a relevant recognized vocational or professional qualification
- non-EU/EWR nationals with a foreign higher education entrance qualification
If you are applying under the exceptional hardship scheme or under the regulations that apply to elite athletes, your application will be processed in accordance with the priority quota rules. However, if it is not possible to grant admission under the exceptional hardship or elite athlete rules, the application will still be included in the regular admissions procedure. Applicants applying under the exceptional hardship scheme or under the elite-athlete regulations should therefore also consider taking the BaPsy-DGPs aptitude test.
No. To be admitted to study for a Bachelor's degree in Psychology at Saarland University, the only criteria of relevance are the overall grade of your HEEQ and the test result. Admission waiting times, application semesters and relevant practical experience (e.g. voluntary social or community service) are not taken into account in the new admissions procedure.
Are there any changes I need to be aware of?
If you received a letter of admission for the Bachelor's degree programme in Psychology during the last two years but you did not take up your place because you began a period of military, alternative or voluntary service or because you requested deferred entry, you can still submit an online application for preferential admission (Vorwegzulassung) for the winter semester of 2023/2024. In this case, the new admissions procedure does not apply and you do not need to take the BaPsy-DGPs test.
The new admissions procedure also applies if you are applying to study Psychology at Saarland University either on the basis of 60 ECTS credits acquired in the first year of the Bachelor's programme 'Social Work and Childhood Education' at the University of Applied Sciences in Saarbrücken (htwsaar) or on the basis of a comparable regulation issued by the Saarland state government. We therefore strongly recommend that you consider taking the BaPsy-DGPs test to improve your chances in the admissions procedure.
The new admissions procedure does not apply for applications requesting admission to a higher subject semester. For details about the regulations governing applications for admission to a higher semester, please contact the Examinations Office at the Department of Psychology.
Admissions Office
Saarbrücken Campus
Building A4 2, Ground floor
Phone: +49 681 302-5491
studium(at)uni-saarland.de
Admissions Office
Central Student Advisory Service
Saarbrücken Campus
Building A4 4, Ground floor
Phone: +49 681 302-3513
studienberatung(at)uni-saarland.de
Central Student Advisory Service