About the course
The G-Course is designed for future students of humanities and social sciences. It develops your methodological and analytical skills while providing the foundations for successful studies in these fields.
In addition to developing your language and cultural understanding, you'll learn the scientific working methods that will be essential for your later studies.
Course structure
- Introductory Phase (1st Semester) – Humanities fundamentals and scientific working methods
- Main Phase (2nd Semester) – Deepening knowledge and specific preparation for the assessment test
The G-Course subjects in detail
Language, history and society are at the centre of the G-Course. German literature means working with texts from different periods, learning methods of interpretation and practising how to support an argument with evidence. History concentrates on German and European developments and trains a critical approach to sources.
Social studies place the political system, social structures and current debates in context, while English serves as a second academic language. German lessons are more demanding than in the science courses: essay writing, text analysis, argumentation and style are examined content here, not an add-on.
What a typical week looks like
The G-Course is full-time study in a fixed class group with a fixed timetable. Lessons live on reading, discussion and written work: you prepare texts, compare positions in class and formulate your own analyses. Short talks and presentations are part of the routine at most Studienkollegs.
Attendance is normally monitored and you write tests throughout the semester. Expect noticeably more reading and writing outside class than in a STEM course — writing regularly and working corrections back into your next text is what improves your grade fastest.
What the Feststellungsprüfung tests in the G-Course
The two semesters end with the Feststellungsprüfung (FSP). It covers German plus the core subjects of your course — in the G-Course usually history together with a second subject such as German as a main subject, social studies or English. Each Studienkolleg sets the combination and decides whether an oral exam is added.
Passing gives you a subject-linked university entrance qualification for the humanities and social sciences field group. It is recognised nationwide and can normally be repeated once. Because almost every part of the exam is language-based, early writing practice pays off particularly well here.
Which degree programmes the G-Course opens up
The G-Course leads to programmes such as history, philosophy, German studies, education, political science, sociology, cultural studies and anthropology. Teacher training in humanities subjects and degrees in media and communication build on the same profile.
For orientation: the S-Course is tailored to languages and literary studies, the W-Course to economics and parts of the social sciences. If your target subject sits on the border — political science or sociology, for instance — check the admission information of your chosen university before you apply.