Catholic University of Applied Social Sciences Berlin (KHSB) for International Students

KHSB is a church-run university of applied sciences, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Berlin and recognised by the state. Its full-time degree programmes charge no tuition, and KHSB makes no distinction by nationality. Only some part-time programmes, which are not suitable for a student visa, charge fees.

Every student pays a semester contribution at enrolment and every semester after that. It is made up of KHSB's semester fee, the social contribution to the Studierendenwerk Berlin, the student body contribution and the Deutschlandsemesterticket. KHSB does not publish the total for winter 2026/27; it is stated in your admission letter. The parts that are known add up to about 317 EUR, so confirm the exact amount with the Studierendensekretariat (+49 30 50 10 10 10).

For your student visa you also need to show 11,904 EUR for the year (2026, Federal Foreign Office), usually in a blocked account, and that money has to be transferred months before the semester starts.

The same dates apply to all applicants. If you have a foreign school-leaving certificate, you apply through the KHSB OpenCampus portal like everyone else; uni-assist is not used. There is no numerus clausus for the full-time Bachelor programmes, but an admissions committee allocates places with a points system, and 5% of places in each programme are reserved for applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification.

You must submit proof of German at C1 level by 30 September (winter start) or 31 March (summer start). If you need a visa, apply early in the period and confirm any shorter deadlines with KHSB admissions.

KHSB has no degree programmes taught fully in English. All Bachelor and Master programmes are taught in German, and you need German at C1 level.

The Catholic University of Applied Social Sciences Berlin (KHSB) is a church-run, state-recognised university of applied sciences sponsored by the Archdiocese of Berlin, with about 1,263 students. It was founded in 1991 and traces its origins to a school of social work opened in Berlin in 1917. Its campus is in Karlshorst, in the Lichtenberg district.

KHSB offers Bachelor and Master programmes in social work, special needs and childhood education, religious education, art therapy, social gerontology, and education and counselling, all taught in German. For international students, five full-time programmes are suitable for a student visa. The others are part-time, and the dual Social Work programme needs a training place with the Berlin administration (applied for via the Landesverwaltungsamt), so it is not visa-relevant.