University & Careers Counselling

The University and Careers Counsellors provide students with academic, career, vocational, and postsecondary educational counselling. Information and visiting university presentations will be made to students in Grades 9 through 12 to provide general advice about educational opportunities available to students after attendance at DIS. Students in Grades 9 &10 will receive course guidance on choices in preparation for the diploma years. Students in Grades 11 & 12 will receive guidance on higher educational opportunities, the university application process, standardized testing, scholarship research and coordinating recognition of DIS credentials in various countries. 

Students should arrange individual meetings with the Careers and University Counsellors to facilitate a smooth transition from DIS to other educational institutions.  

Contacts: Elizabeth McAdams (international universities) and Antje Kratina (German universities).

All year 9-12 students have online access to the Unifrog program, which calculates best-fit universities and courses. It uses over 100,000 options of English-speaking courses, based on the academic, professional and social profile of each student. 

The library is equipped with a collection of college catalogues, standardised testing preparation materials, and career guides.  To further aid students in Career decisions, DIS conducts annual visits to the Arbeitsagentur (year 9-10), Messe Karrierestart (Year 10), and conducts a large University Fair (Years 9-12). In Grade 11, there is a Careers Day in June which focused on careers and university applications and in Grade 12 support for university applications is ongoing and regular during extended advisories and Core classes.

Parents and students are invited to a universities information evening in September, outlining the university application processes.  The main university destinations of Germany, UK, US, and the Netherlands are outlined and contrasted by the Careers Counsellors and Sächsische Bildungsagentur representative.  

For students interested in studying in the US and many private global universities, the school is an authorised test centre for the American College Test (ACT), holding three tests per school year.

Please follow this link for more information relating to university requirements, this has been shared with parents at past universities information evenings. Universities/Colleges Information DIS 

Our alumni developed a website where DIS students can find more information about pathways. DIS alumni want to support DIS students and fellow alumni through experience-based-advice. Some alumni do also offer tutoring which helps for the final IB exams. Click here: ConnectDIS

To study in Germany the IB diploma has to be recognized at university entrance qualification - Hochschulzugangsbescheinigung. For most universities this is done during the application process by uni-assist - a central application platform.  Some universities assess the IB internally; for medicine, dentistry, vet. medicin and pharmacy students apply through Hochschulstart.

Requirements – set by KMK - Kultusministerkonferenz - association of ministers of education 

• students have to prove 12 years of consecutive schooling

• 3 HL subjects, 3 SL subjects in the DP

• All subjects must be continuous over the two years of the Diploma Programme

Additional information - because the IB diploma is an international high school qualification, a German language certificate is often required - usually C1, C2 or TestDaF4.

Course choices for students wishing to gain Abitur equivalency/Hochulzugangsbescheinigung with their IB Diploma

Groups 1 and 2

Two languages - Language A SL/HL and either Language A SL/HL or Language B HL*  

*Language B SL is only possible for students without either English or German as their home language/mother tongue.

Group 3

Any subject at either SL or HL (economics/business management, geography, history)

Group 4

One natural science (biology, chemistry, physics) at either SL or HL

Group 5

Either mathematics course at SL or HL

Group 6

One of the following subjects offered at DIS at either SL or HL: visual arts, theatre, economics/ business management, Spanish, biology 

German recognition: either a maths, science or language course must be taken at Higher Level.

Passing Criteria

All six subjects have to be passed at least with a grade 4 in the final IB exam. Only one grade 3 can be balanced out by a 5 in the same level (SL/HL). Two grade 3s do not fulfil the requirements for the German recognition of the IB diploma. Minimum total: 24 IB points including bonus points. 

KMK Recognition Full Document - please see below.

For students taking exams in 2025:

For students taking exams in 2024: