Information for Applicants

thank you for your interest in the International Master of Science program in Earth Oriented Space Science and Technology (ESPACE) at Technical University of Munich (TUM). In this section, you can find information on the APPLICATION, ADMISSION, ENROLLMENT, and FINANCIAL ASPECTS of your future studies.

Before applying please review our website for ESPACE. Please make sure, that the contents of ESPACE fulfill your expectations! It is very important for us, that you are happy with your choice.



APPLICATION 📝


The ESPACE application process is conducted through the TUMonline web portal 🌐. To access the portal, you must first create a TUMonline account and provide all the necessary application details, documents, and personal information.


To learn more about the online application using TUMonline, follow the steps of these instructions.

You can find a detailed step-by-step procedure on how to apply via this link.


Please keep in mind the following dates 📅:

  • Start of the application period: 1st of January
  • End of the application period (for all applicants): 31st of May
  • For non-EU citizens 🌍, we highly recommend sending the application by 15th of March in order to avoid visa issues due to late admission.


   REQUIREMENTS ✅:


  • 🎓 DEGREE CERTIFICATE: A bachelor degree or diploma from a recognized university in engineering, natural science or a related field as well as very good previous academic performance.


  • 🗣️ ENGLISH PROFICIENCY: The language of instruction is English. German language proficiency is not required to follow the ESPACE program, but basic knowledge of the German language is helpful for everyday life.


  • 📐 COMPETENCIES IN MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE: ESPACE applicants are expected to show the ability for profound methodological scientific work. Admission requires a solid mathematical and physics background and basic knowledge in programming.


   DOCUMENTS 📄:


REQUIRED:

  1. Application for admission document - you need to download and sign it and re-upload it to the application wizard.
  2. Detailed, up-to-date curriculum vitae in English language.
  3. A short self-written essay (500-700 words) on a scientific topic in the field of Earth oriented space science and Technology (in English). Applicants are free to select the topic. All sources have to be referenced.
  4. Statement of purpose (motivation letter) including your reasons for undertaking graduate work in ESPACE at the TUM written in English. Please keep it short - one page is enough!
  5. Transcript of records *) (semester mark sheets), listing your subjects, grades and earned credits. If you are still finishing your Bachelor's degree, you can submit the preliminary transcript with at least 140 ECTS. Please note: you have to submit an original transcript with a university seal or a certified copy of it. The seal on the envelope is not sufficient!
  6. Recognized English Language Certificate. If you have acquired at least 30 credits in English modules in your undergraduate studies or if your final thesis in your undergraduate studies was written in English, you should submit a sealed document confirming this aspect. Otherwise, you can prove English language skills by submitting a recognized English test like the "Cambridge Main Suite of English Examinations", the "Test of English as a Foreign Language" (TOEFL) with the minimum requirement of 88 points or the "International English Language Testing System" (IELTS) with the overall band score of 6.5 and higher.
  7. ID



REQUIRED FOR  CERTAIN CONDITIONS:

  1. If you have obtained your qualification for postgraduate studies (usually a Bachelor's degree) outside of Germany you need a preliminary documentation (VPD) before applying to TUM.
  2. All applicants with a Chinese, Vietnamese or Indian school or university degree need to provide a valid APS certificate. You need to submit the APS certificate together with the other necessary documents to uni-assist. Additionally, you need to submit the original APS certificate to TUM for enrollment.
  3. GRE General Test *) (recommended but not required)
  4. GATE Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering *) (recommended but not required for Indian applicants) in either:
    - engineering (codes XE, CS, EC, EE, IN, IT, ME, MN, AE)
    - mathematics and natural sciences (codes GG, MA, PH)



Please only submit the documents that are required or mentioned as optional. Do not send extra/supplementary certificates that are not required. They will not help you to get admitted! 


*) Original document or certified copy required.

Please make sure that your documents are certified as required. Otherwise your application has to be refused. Some universities issue their transcripts in a sealed envelope. If no seal is placed in the original document, such a document won't be accepted. You have to notarize such documents by an authority in your country.

Please also check special condition for certain countries.


For the documents to be submitted, the deadlines and procedures please look here.

For getting admission to the ESPACE program, it is sufficient to provide the documents via upload in TUMonline. You do not have to submit any hardcopies before your application is reviewed and you receive an offer of admission. All documents have to be uploaded via TUMonline. 

Please prepare and submit your application by yourself and do not submit your application through mediators such as educational consultants, agencies, or professors as these will not be considered. Applications or documents of application submitted by fax or e-mail cannot be accepted. Only complete applications with all requested documents will be evaluated.



ADMISSION ✅


After submission of the required documents, an application review is carried out. First, the documents are formally checked by the TUM Enrollment Office on completeness and correctness. Only in this case, your application is forwarded to the ESPACE office. Selection for the Master of Science program ESPACE will be made by the Admission Committee on the basis of the documents of application (Assessment of Aptitude). Admission to the ESPACE program is highly competitive. In some cases, online interviews (e.g. via Skype) with applicants might be necessary. Each applicant can gain up to 100 points (where 100 points is the best possible result) considering:

  • a)  📊 Average grade from the transcript of records. The original average grade as given by your home university is converted into the German grading system by the TUM Admission Office.The German system reaches from 1.0 (best) to 4.0 (sufficient). The conversion formula maps your grading system onto this scale. Then, the average grade is converted into a point scheme, which is used for ESPACE admission. From the average grade, you can earn 30 points as a maximum. In detail the points are computed as follows: 
    • 0 points for grade 4.0 and 30 points for 1.0 (in German grading system)
    • number of points = 50 - 20 * grade     if the grade is ≤1.5
    • number of points = 32 - 8 * grade       if the grade is >1.5


  • b) Competence in mathematics ➗ (up to 10 points), physics ⚛️ (up to 7 points) and programming skills 💻 (up to 3 points). The number of points is calculated as no_of_points = sum_of_ECTS /1.5, where the sum_of_ECTS is the sum of ECTS completed during the previous studies in mathematics, physics and programming respectively. For computing the competence points the grades obtained in the relevant courses are not taken into accounts, but only the credits. You can earn up to 20 points.


  • c) Motivation letter (up to 32 points) and essay (up to 18 points) are assessed with up to 50 points.


Based on the points obtained in this initial evaluation, applicants are:

  • > 81 points: DIRECTLY ADMITTED 🏆
  • < 60 points: REJECTED ❌
  • between 60 and 80 points: INVITED TO AN INTERVIEW 🎤


In the interview, applicants can earn up to 50 points, replacing the points obtained from item (c) above. The final score is calculated as the sum of points from the average grade (item a), competence in mathematics, physics, and programming (item b), and the interview score. The maximum possible score is 100 points. Applicants with a final score of 81 or higher are admitted, while those with a score of 80 or lower are rejected. 



ENROLLMENT 📝


After a successful application process, you need to follow the steps of the enrollment procedure.

If accepted into the ESPACE program, you must confirm your study place to receive an official acceptance letter via your TUMonline account. This letter will include important details about the enrollment process. The admission letter provided online is considered official, with the German version being the only legally binding document. You will need this letter to apply for your student visa, as no hard copy will be sent by regular mail.

If your local German embassy requires an admission letter with a TUM seal or stamp, please inform us as soon as possible to avoid delays that could impact your student visa application.

For enrollment, TUM requires certain documents in hard copy. Your TUMonline account will indicate which documents are needed. You can either send certified copies by mail to the enrollment office or submit them in person at TUM.



DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ENROLLMENT:

  • Passport style photo (as for ID)
  • Passport *)
  • Evidence of student health insurance (issued by a compulsory health insurance company, usually a German one)   
  • Degree certificate *)
  • Diploma *)



All documents have to be submitted by the enrollment deadline which is usually 5 weeks after the start of the lecture period in the winter semester.


*) Original document or certified copy required.


Please make sure that your documents are certified as required. Otherwise your application has to be refused. Some universities issue their transcripts in a sealed envelope. If no seal is placed in the original document, such a document won't be accepted. You have to notarize such documents by an authority in your country.




Once all the required enrollment documents have been received by the TUM Enrollment Office and you have paid the semester fee, you will be automatically enrolled as a TUM student. You will then be able to download your enrollment confirmation via your TUMonline account.

As the enrollment process is now mostly digital, there is no longer an official "enrollment day" at TUM when all students had to enroll in person on a specific date. However, please note that you are expected to be in Munich by late September or early October for the orientation week.

You can track all steps of the admission and enrollment process through the TUMonline system 🌐.



For more information concerning the enrollment steps, please check the enrollment info portal.





Visa & Formalities 🛂

TUM provides more details on preparing your stay at TUM – to dos after admission. Please also check the TUM Global Office or the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Financial Aspects 💰

Technical University of Munich (TUM) is a German state university financed by taxes. For your studies at TUM you will be charged a small semester fee for administrative purposes for each semester. The information on the amount and the payment deadline can be found on that website or in your TUMonline account during the enrollment process.

From winter semester 2024/25 on, TUM will charge tuition fees for students from Non-EU countries. For the ESPACE program, TUM charges 6000 euros per semester. All relevant information on this subject, including who these tuition fees apply to and how TUM uses them, is summarized on the linked website. 

Scholarships 📚

General overview on scholarships provided by TUM

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides a large database on finding scholarships

BAYHOST (scholarships for applicants from eastern European countries)

TUM is setting up scholarships, exemptions and waivers for international students required to pay tuition fees. All relevant and up-to-date information on this subject can be found on the linked website. 


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