FAQ

The Gateway Year offers students two pathways: 

• The English Qualification Pathway: For students who possess the required national qualification to study in Germany and has a strong academic background but do not yet meet the English B2 language requirement for university studies. 
• The Academic Qualification Pathway: For students with a strong academic background and sufficient English proficiency who meet the language requirements for university studies but do not yet possess the national qualification required to study in Germany. 

The Gateway Year curriculum is organized in two (2) types of classes: 

• CORE Modules, which, depending on the pathway, include Academic English, Mathematics, Statistics, and TestAS Training. These courses are designed to strengthen students’ academic competencies and support their personal development. 
• Undergraduate Modules from the student’s intended degree program, allowing for credit transfer upon successful completion. Detailed module descriptions are provided in the individual study program handbook, available in the "Download" section. 

The Gateway Year is a one-year program consisting of two semesters. It begins once a year at the end of August. The Fall Semester runs from September to January, while the Spring Semester runs from February to August. 

Like all Pre-Degree programs, Gateway Year and all its classes are entirely taught in English. 

Constructor University offers university-based Preparatory Pathway Programs for international applicants seeking access to higher education studies in Germany. These programs are designed to provide academic, linguistic, and methodological preparation for Bachelor’s degree studies at Constructor University.   

Constructor University offers the following pre-degree studies for qualification:  

• International Foundation Year (linked to IFY website)  
• English Foundation Year (linked to EFY website)  
• Gateway Year (linked to GY website) 

The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is the only federal state in Germany that does not maintain an institutionalized Studienkolleg or a public Feststellungsprüfung. Instead, qualification pathways for admission to Bachelor’s degree programs at higher education institutions in the State of Bremen are governed by § 33 para. 3c BremHG and the Regulation on Higher Education Admission for International Applicants with Foreign Qualifications (Bildungsausländerhochschulzugangsverordnung – BAHZV) of 14 September 2016 (Brem.GBl. 2016, p. 585), most recently amended by the Senate’s allocation of responsibilities of 2 September 2025 (Brem.GBl. p. 674).  

Within this legal framework, institution-specific preparatory programs have been established in the State of Bremen. The public universities in Bremen offer the German-language :prime: program, while Constructor University provides English-language pre-degree programs.  

The Preparatory Pathway Programs of Constructor University are institution-based academic preparatory programs intended to facilitate progression into Bachelor’s degree studies at Constructor University. Successful completion of these programs qualifies students — subject to the applicable academic and language-specific admission requirements — for entry into a Bachelor’s degree program at Constructor University.  

Universities in other federal states may recognize these qualification pathways as equivalent to a Studienkolleg qualification within the framework of their respective admission regulations; however, the final decision regarding recognition and admission rests solely with the respective institution.