FAQ - International Foundation Year

The International Foundation Year is a pre-university preparatory program delivered to eligible students willing to enroll at Constructor University and needing leading orientation, additional preparation or qualification before starting to study at an undergraduate level.

It provides high school graduates with tailored academic and personal support for their individual development and prepares them for the challenges of university-level study. In addition to building their academic knowledge and skills, the program also boosts their confidence and provides them with essential lifelong soft, professional, and personal skills.

The International Foundation Year’s portfolio is available on this webpage.

The Foundation Year is a one-year program lasting 2 semesters. It starts once a year at the end of August.

The fall semesters begin in September and end in January. Spring semesters begin in February and end in June.

The International Foundation Year and all its classes are entirely taught in English.

The International Foundation Year offers students two pathways, depending on their academic and personal development goals:
- The Qualification Pathway: For students who want to qualify for a specific area of studies.
- The Orientation Pathway: For students who would like to explore a variety of subjects in order to get an insight to make the right undergraduate study program choice.

The International Foundation Year offers students three (3) subject areas to choose from:

• Science
• Technology
• Society

These subject areas will provide students with a route into a degree at Constructor University.

The International Foundation Year curriculum is organized in two (2) types of classes:
- Core modules: they include Academic English & Literacy, Math, Coding and computational thinking and Career Development. These classes are mandatory for all students and designed to enhance the students’ academic and personal skills.
- Subject tracks: three (3) subject tracks are offered to students over the two (2) semesters. They are:

• Science: Chemistry, Physics
• Technology: Computer systems, Programming with python
• Society: Foundation Business Management, Introduction to social science.

They aim at supporting students in the building of a foundation of knowledge that gives a head start on the academic skills needed in that subject.

Yes, students have the unique opportunity to start their career development during their Foundation Year by meeting industry professionals, gaining valuable networking and professional skills to jump-start their career path while studying. It further enables students to attain the needed study skills to succeed at university, while focusing on their individual and cultural awareness, thus supporting them to flourish at Constructor University Bremen and within the global working environment. 

Our class sizes are small, typically we range between 20 and 30 students per class, so professors can monitor the progress of individual students closely. The number of places on our International Foundation Year is limited so that we can provide each student with as much individual support and guidance as possible.

Yes, all our International Foundation Year students live on Constructor University’s campus for the duration of the International Foundation Year. This is part of what makes studying at Constructor University unique: giving you an immersive educational experience.

Read more about our housing solutions.

No, living on campus is compulsory for all International Foundation Year students.

International Foundation Year students live with all Constructor University’s students in one of Constructor University’s four (4) residential colleges. Each of it has its own dining room, recreational lounge, study areas, cooking facilities, and common and group meeting rooms.

Students have the following housing options: single room with shared bathroom, and shared rooms with shared bathroom.

More information about residential colleges and accommodations on campus can be found on this webpage.

There are different room types on campus, depending on availability:​

• Type B room (single room, shared bathroom): 5,500 EUR ​
• Type C room (shared room, shared bathroom): 4,000 EUR 

No, all apartments on campus are same gender.

Each single room is equipped with a bed including a mattress, blanket and pillow, a desk and a chair, a wardrobe and a cupboard.

Other items – such as bedding, pillow covers, towels, hair dryer, office chair, carpet, mirror, etc. – are not furnished but can be bought in Germany and sometimes even on campus from other students.

Yes, Constructor University’s campus is safe. We have a 24/7 security team on campus (porters) and Resident Mentors in the colleges. There is also always a Resident Associate on duty at night.

Constructor University not only offers an excellent academic education but also many opportunities for students outside the classroom. The various student-driven social and cultural activities encompass events throughout the year. Student clubs range from arts to sports and community groups. More information about campus life can be found on this webpage.

Constructor takes student welfare very seriously. Each college has its own Resident Mentor whom students can approach with welfare concerns. The Resident Mentors are professionals who live on campus and are strongly committed to ensure the health and interpersonal, academic, and social well-being of our undergraduate community.
Other services we offer students include psychological counselling, cross-cultural and life coaching, mediation, support groups, workshops, awareness campaigns and much more. All are free and confidential.

You can apply to the International Foundation Year at Constructor University in two (2) different ways:
- As a direct applicant: if you are a student and you wish to apply independently.
- As an agent: if you are an educational agent and you would like to apply for a student.

As a student, you can directly apply to the International Foundation Year on your own. Please, use this link to create your application on our online application platform.

Before starting your application, please take a moment to read through our application information’s webpage.

Information on the application process to the International Foundation Year can be found on this webpage.

In case you have specific questions that are not answered on the website, you can also contact Constructor University’s International Foundation Year team by email at foundationyear@constructor.university.

No, the application process is the same for all students. However, there are different application deadlines depending on the visa requirements.

For more information on the application process and the deadlines, please visit this webpage.

No, the application process is the same for all students. However, there are different application deadlines depending on the visa requirements.

For more information on the application process and the deadlines, please visit this webpage.

No, Constructor University does not charge any application fee.

As a student, you can directly with no charge start your application to the International Foundation Year using this link. Afterwards, you can fill out the online application form.

Constructor University has a rolling admission process for the International Foundation Year.

You can apply until:
- June, 30th if you need a visa to study in Germany
- August, 1st if you do not need a visa to study in Germany

Your application and all its attached documents must be in English or German. If it is not the case, you should provide an official translation into English or German. The translated documents should bear a seal affixed by the translator stating that the translation is a true copy of the (original) document.

Yes, you can apply before receiving your high school certificate/diploma. We will evaluate your application based on all the grades available to date (usually the last two (2) to three (3) years of high school). If you are made an offer of admission, this will be conditional on your achieving final grades which reflect those shown on the transcripts you submit to us as part of your application.

When a decision has been made on your application, an update will appear on your account on our online application system. You will also receive an email informing you that the admission’s decision is now available.

This would usually be within two (2) to three (3) weeks of receipt of your completed application.

For a complete application to the program, you need to submit:

• The online application form. You can start your application here: https://apply.constructor.university/s/
• Your high school transcripts of the last 2-3 years: scanned copies should be uploaded in the online application system. If your transcripts are not in English or German, please note that they must be officially translated in one of those two (2) languages. The official translation but bear a seal stating that it is a true copy of the academic record.
• Your high school diploma/certificate: if you already graduated from high school, a scanned copy of your high school diploma/certificate should be uploaded in the online application system. If you are still in high school, upload a scanned copy of your predicted final grades. Same requirements apply as for the high school transcripts.
• A proof of English proficiency with minimum scores of:
  • 45 on the TOEFL iBT, or
  • 4.5 on the IELTS (UK), or
  • 140 (C) on the Cambridge Certificate (FCE) or 43 on the Pearson PTE Academic
  • 65 on the Duolingo English test

If English is your native language or if you had English as a language of instruction for a minimum of 6 years, the test requirements may be waived.

• A letter of recommendation (optional/upon request): to be uploaded in the online application system or sent visa e-mail by the recommender to foundationyear@constructor.university. Only letters provided by teachers, faculty members, high school counsellors or from school officials are accepted. Recommendations should be written or officially translated into English or German.

For more information about the applications process and its requirements, please visit this webpage.

If you obtained or will obtain a high school diploma or local equivalent and possess English language skills equivalent to the B1 level of the European Framework, you may apply to the International Foundation Year.

Understand that we cannot accept O-Levels, IGCSE or AS-Levels as entrance qualifications.

If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact foundationyear@constructor.university.

Understand that we cannot accept O-Levels, IGCSE or AS-Levels as entrance qualifications.

All International Foundation Year applicants must own high school diploma or local equivalent prior to the start of the program. This certificate or diploma, if obtained in another country, must be recognized as a higher education entrance qualification in Germany.

Yes, you can apply before receiving your high school certificate/diploma. We will evaluate your application based on all the grades available to date (usually the last 2 – 3 years of high school). If you are made an offer of admission, this will be conditional on your achieving final grades which reflect those shown on the transcripts you submit to us as part of your application.

We understand that while secondary schools in some countries provide regular evaluations and that university acceptance is often partially dependent upon the accumulation of satisfactory grades (like in the United States), other countries like the United Kingdom, Germany or France focus on school leaving examinations for university admission.

The more information you can provide us with regard to your grades, the better your chances of obtaining an offer of admission to Constructor University.

In the case of application files coming from countries (or educational systems) requiring leaving exams, we will continue to follow the American admission approach - evaluating grade reports, intermediate exams and predicted grades.

The decision by our admission committee is regarded as conditional, reliant upon the final leaving exam report that is submitted to our office preceding matriculation. Naturally, if there is a large discrepancy between your last 2 -3 years’ worth of grades, and your final exam/school leaving grades, Constructor University will have to reconsider your case for matriculation.

If you are concerned about your test results after you have already indicated your intent to join Constructor University, and would like to avoid any disappointments upon matriculation, then we suggest that you contact the admission’s office as soon as you receive your final results.

No, the College Board’s Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the ACT Assessment Test are not required to apply to the International Foundation Year.

We do not have grade or score minimums (except for the English language proficiency exams). Nevertheless, the higher the grade or score, the better one's chances of admission.

Every accepted student is expected to have performed very well academically and on all university entrance exams before matriculating at Constructor University.

However, grade reports are only one part of the application. We definitely look at students' test scores, recommendation letters (optional/upon request), essays and extra-curricular activities before making a final decision on any application file.

Your letter of motivation should explain to us why you choose to apply to the International Foundation Year at Constructor University and what aspects of the program most interest you. We are also interested in knowing more about your background knowledge, your research and study interests, and your future career plans.

You should thereby demonstrate why you are a suitable candidate for the International Foundation Year Program and why attending the International Foundation Year is the right choice for you, your studies and/or career paths.

Yes, certainly. Applicants can send in a summary of their work in PDF form via email (this ranges from photos of art work, award certificates and other relevant information). If you are sending us several additional documents, please be so kind to also summarize your distinctions in a list form. Please also be aware that supplementary documents should not be larger than 2.500 KB.

Feel free to contact us at foundationyear@constructor.university if you have any questions.

A transcript is an official list of the courses (or classes) you have taken and the grades you have earned in those courses during your academic career.

All academic records must be translated into English or German with a seal affixed by the translator stating that the translation is a true copy of the (original) academic record.

We require grade reports from your last two (2) to three (3) years of high school. We are aware of the grading systems for many countries, and evaluate accordingly.

In the case of applicants coming from the German school system, we understand that the final Abitur grade report is only given around June of the year in which you may plan to enter university. While we request that all students arriving at Constructor University for Fall Semester must provide proof of their final secondary school transcript before matriculating, students will still have to send us a record of their academic achievements (transcripts).

Our admissions committee will consider all the grades that we receive and if a student is accepted, then we will issue a conditional offer of admission which is contingent on receiving a final school leaving exam grade or certificate. If the final grades differ drastically from the grade reports compiled from the preceding two (2) to three (3) years, then we may have to reconsider the ultimate matriculation of the student.

All incoming students must provide certified documents of their final school leaving exams or certificates.

An updated copy of a high school profile is always appreciated by the admission committee, and this is often provided by the guidance counselor or school official. Any information we can obtain to learn more about the academic preparation offered at your school is always helpful, especially considering the global range of schools for which our admission team is responsible.

The International Foundation Year will provide a preparatory course for the TestAS and admissions test for JUB, granting you admission to the university when you pass them.

No, you do not need to speak German to study in the International Foundation Year at Constructor University. The International Foundation Year and all its courses are entirely taught in English.

The following policy generally applies; all applicants who:
- are native English speakers OR
- have been instructed exclusively in English for a minimum of 6 years OR
- have scored 580 or higher on the SAT Critical Reading section (for SATs taken before March 2016) OR
- have scored 600 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section (for SATs taken after March 2016) OR
- have scored 25 or higher on the ACT Writing section

may qualify for an English-language proficiency test waiver.

If you meet any of the above conditions, please contact the office of admissions via admission@constructor.university or +49-421-200-4200 to check whether you qualify for a waiver.

Applicants that do not meet the above conditions will need to provide English proficiency test scores.

No. If you have grown up in an environment in which you use standard English as your primary language, and where English is considered a national language, then you will be exempted from additional testing. We nevertheless always pay attention to English grades and score reports and should we have reason to question your language skills, you may be requested to provide additional proof of your ability to carry out university-level academic work in English.

Please submit an official document issued by TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge, Pearson PTE Academic or Duolingo.

TOEFL scores can be sent directly to the institutions the student has specifically designated. Constructor University’s code number is 9024.

Students need to have at least B1 level of the European Framework, minimum score of 45 on the TOEFL iBT / 4.5 on the IELTS / 140 (C) on the Pearson PTE Academic / 43 on the Cambridge Certificate (FCE) / 65 on the Duolingo English test.

A recommendation letter is optional/upon request. This should ideally come from a school official, such as a teacher, career/guidance counselor, head of school or principal.

If you are in a possession of a recommendation letter and you would like to submit it, please upload it as part of your application. If you are not in a possession of a recommendation letter, make sure to include the name of your counselor in the designated area on the application portal.

All applicants must include a recommendation letter from an official educational institution. If the period of time that you have been away from school has been so substantial that such recommendations are not possible, then we suggest that you consider taking some additional classes at a local university or college where you can be properly evaluated by a professor/faculty member. This will improve your chances of being admitted to Constructor University.

We accept recommendations written in English or German only. If a recommendation letter is in another language, it will need to be officially translated. The translated document should bear a seal affixed by the translator stating that the translation is a true copy of the (original) document.

When a document is certified it means that a school or organization official has approved it. Certification often comes in the form of a fresh seal or stamp and/or signature. The contact information of the certifier must also be included in the document. We do not accept photocopies of certified documents! Stamps and signatures must be original. Additionally, certified documents must be sent directly from the school or organization.

An average letter of recommendation ranges between half a page to a full page. A three (3) to four (4) sentence recommendation is too short, as this letter is an assessment of the applicant’s academic and personal strengths.

Recommendation letters are optional/upon request. Of course, you are welcome to submit recommendation letters in support of your application.

A recommendation letter is optional/upon request. This should ideally come from a school official, such as a teacher, career/guidance counselor, head of school or principal.

If you are in a possession of a recommendation letter and you would like to submit it, please upload it as part of your application. If you are not in a possession of a recommendation letter, make sure to include the name of your counselor in the designated area on the application portal.

No, Constructor University does not charge any application fee.

As a student, you can directly with no charge start your application to the International Foundation Year using this link. Afterwards, you can fill out the online application form.

The enrolment deposit secures your spot in the International Foundation Year at Constructor University.

Enrollment deposits are non-refundable, unless you are unable to obtain a student visa despite your best efforts. For example, if a visa appointment is not available or you are refused a study visa despite fulfilling the formal visa requirements as set by the embassy. You will be required to submit proof of that to receive a refund, https://info.constructor.university/financing-options/request-refund-overpayments.

If you enroll at Constructor University, the enrolment deposit may be deducted from one of your invoices. If you do not deduct it from your first invoice, you may do so at a later time. The money will stay on your student account until you do so and does not get lost.

Tuition for the International Foundation Year is currently set at 12 000€.

There are different room types on campus, depending on availability:​

• Type A room (single room, private bathroom): 6,500 EUR
• Type B room (single room, shared bathroom): 5,500 EUR ​
• Type C room (shared room, shared bathroom): 4,000 EUR 
• Board (meal plan): 4,000 EUR

No, we do not offer any scholarship or financial aid for the International Foundation Year.

However, students would be eligible to apply for financial support for their undergraduate studies once they have successfully completed the International Foundation Year.

More information about the financing options for undergraduate students at Constructor University can be found on this webpage.

No, Constructor University charges flat fees for all student regardless of origin.

Other living expenses in Germany usually include: health insurance, residence permit registration (100 Euro), Giro-Konto, Mobile phone costs.

Students will be informed about all these costs during the orientation period.

In general, the fee for the International Foundation Year is due in advance and by the 1st of August. Should you receive your invoice after this payment deadline, the invoice is due immediately/upon receipt.

You can learn more about the options you have to make a payment on this webpage.

Please send an e-mail to Student Financial Services at sfs@constructor.university and let them know that you require a yearly invoice. By default, we send invoices for one semester only. Therefore, yearly invoices have to be requested.

In order to find out whether you require a visa and what the procedure to apply for it is, please check our Visa Information System.

After being admitted and having secured your place in the International Foundation Year by transferring the enrolment deposit and sending back the enrolment acceptance form, you should check our Visa Information System about the visa application process in your home country.

If you require a visa, your admission documents will contain a confirmation letter (Zulassungsbescheid) that can be used to apply for a visa at the German embassy in your country of residence.

The German Embassy may require you to provide a proof of funding. In this case, you have three possibilities:

• To pay in full the program fees, open a reduced blocked account of 3300 € and receive a letter from us to serve as proof of sufficient funding along with your reduced blocked account.
• To open a blocked account. Constructor University cooperates with X-patrio to offer easy and online package of free travel insurance for the visa application, a TK public health insurance and blocked account at a competitive price. The blocked account with X-patrio takes only three (3) to five (5) days to open, setting the account is free of charge and the process is completely digital. According to SchengenVisaInfo.com, alternative providers of blocked accounts are Deutsche Bank (4-6 weeks) or Fintiba (3-5 days). If you decide to open a regular blocked account (full amount), you may be required to still pay all fees for the first year for the visa to be issued. In such case, you must be able to do so without relying on the funds of your blocked account.
• To have a person (family member, relative), who resides in Germany do a formal obligation for you (Verpflichtungserklärung).

Please note that the decision regarding which documents are accepted as a proof of sufficient funding always rests with the embassy. If you have more questions on this topic, please contact Student Financial Services at sfs@constructor.university.

You must have a valid health insurance in order to live and study in Germany. We strongly recommend the German public health insurance as it covers you in all cases and emergencies, regardless of the treatment costs, be it in inpatient or outpatient treatment and is not limited in time.

If you would like to subscribe to a German public health insurance, you can do this via our partner insurances Techniker Krankenkasse or AOK.

You can find more information about health insurance on this webpage.

If you have prepared all required documents, the process can take from 10 to 12 weeks, depending on availability of appointments in each embassy.

Yes, students are allowed to work up to twenty (20) hours per week during the semester and full-time during vacation time. Non-EU students hold a work-permit that allows them to work up to one hundred twenty (120) full days or two hundred forty (240) half-days per year.

At Constructor University, you will find a wide range of job opportunities for Student Assistants or Teaching Assistants including: research assistance, conference preparation, interviews, data analysis, literature review, assistance with the organization and management of events, administrative support, technical services support, conducting experiments, working in labs, or assistance with book processing and interlibrary loans.