- English-taught
- Winter semester intake
Optics and Photonics (M.Sc.)
At a glance
- Language
- English-taught
- Duration
- not confirmed
- Intake
- Winter semester
- Tuition
- €1,500 per semester; see fee notes
- Semester fee
- €201.50
● Open: apply now All applicants · Winter semester
KIT's signature programme, run by the Karlsruhe School of Optics & Photonics (KSOP) with an explicitly international student body — nothing comparable exists at TU Dortmund, TUM or RWTH. Structure combines compulsory and elective areas with a professional internship and the thesis; KSOP also runs a doctoral programme. A regular KIT programme (NOT part of the fee-based HECTOR School, despite sitting under 'International Schools' in some KIT materials). Based at KIT Campus South (city centre), where most teaching is concentrated.
Admission requirements
- Prior degree
- Bachelor (≥3 years, ≥180 ECTS) in Mechatronics, Computer Science or a substantially equivalent programme; explicitly open to graduates of various disciplines, with adaptation courses to level up differing backgrounds
- Minimum grade
- not confirmed
- English
- typically IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL iBT 90 (B2 CEFR) — confirm on the programme page
- German
- not required
- Also required
- Two-stage aptitude assessment (Eignungsverfahren) by a selection commission — formally non-NC, but NOT simple open admission. APS certificate required for Indian applicants.
Deadlines & timeline
| Who | Intake | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| All applicants | Winter semester | Winter intake only. Same date for EU and non-EU applicants (confirmed). Strict exclusion deadline; weekend deadlines do NOT roll forward. Visa caveat: mid-September for an October start is only practical if you are already in Germany/the EU. |
Fees & funding
- Tuition
- €1,500 per semester
- Semester contribution
- €201.50
- Semester ticket
- not included
Baden-Württemberg state university: non-EU/EEA students pay €1,500/semester tuition IN ADDITION to the €201.50/semester semester contribution (total €1,701.50/semester for non-EU students; contribution = €80 administrative + €109.50 Studierendenwerk + €12 student body). EU/EEA and exchange students pay only the semester contribution; a second degree costs €650/semester. No Deutschlandsemesterticket exists at KIT — €17.50 of the contribution funds a base KVV ticket valid weekday evenings (18:00–06:00) and all day at weekends/holidays only; budget separately for daytime transport (under-27s: D-Ticket JugendBW). The fee was upheld by VG Karlsruhe in Dec 2024. Source: https://www.sle.kit.edu/imstudium/gebuehren.php (page-dated 16.04.2026).
Scholarships are listed per university: see KIT scholarships.
How to apply
- uni-assist
- not required
- Application portal
- www.intl.kit.edu
- Official page
- www.sle.kit.edu
EU applicants and holders of German degrees usually apply directly via the university's Campusportal instead of uni-assist; the deadline table above says which route applies to you.
What students say
No credible independent reviews found yet for this programme. We only publish reviews we can source: how we aggregate reviews.
Where graduates go
No alumni outcome data found yet.
External resources
- Official Official programme page (opens in a new tab)
- Official Official programme table — language, NC status, deadlines (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Official Apply via the KIT online portal (no uni-assist) (opens in a new tab)
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