Bilingual Bachelor’s Program (BiBa) in Computer Science
A special degree program, only in Magdeburg!
BiBa is a bachelor’s degree program in computer science which is taught bilingually (German / English) where you have to be fluent in only one of these languages when you enroll, but will be a full-fledged computer scientist with a high proficiency in both English and German when you finish.
What is our BiBa all about?
Our goal is to prepare you for a career in Computer Science, in particular to be able to work on topics of utmost importance to humanity and society in multinational teams.
- You will be proficient in German and English, both for your professional life and your integration in German society and industry. Our aim is that you will have a command of these two languages and will even be able to switch languages mid-sentence! COMMUNICATION IS KEY – GO FOR IT!
- You will have taken the same required courses in computer science as those in a regular computer science program. Your „minor“ subject will typically be German. You will take a couple of elective courses, less than in a regular program, but this will not curtail your preparation for working in your profession as a computer scientist. You will be able to attain a good livelihood - COMPUTING PAYS!
- You will be able to work on the truly important „grand challenges“ of our time, because these are not confined to a single country, but can only be tackled through multinational teams – which generally work in English, while all-important small talk is done in the regional / national language. Examples of the topics of such „grand challenges“ include the environment (global warming), cyber security, and artificial intelligence. COMPUTING WITHOUT BORDERS!
You will be able to work within Germany, or abroad in collaboration with German partners. Alternatively, you will be able to continue your education in a Master’s degree or even a doctorate in Germany or abroad.
Prerequisites and Eligibility - UPDATED for WINTER TERM 2026/27
If you want to start your studies in our new programe, you have to fulfill the following three prerequisites:
1. You are proficient in either German OR English
- This is the new and special aspect of our program
- Proficient means you have to have attained at least the level of B2 in the European Reference Framework for Languages in your stronger language – if you are reading this English page, your stronger language is presumably English. In this case, you will take German courses for four semesters to get up to speed, i.e., B2, in German. During these four semesters, all your computer science courses will be in English. In semesters 5 and 6 you will take some of your computer science courses in German, others in English.
You can find the different language certificates we accept on the following website:
https://www.ovgu.de/unimagdeburg/en/International/Incoming+_+Ways+to+the+University/International+Students/Full_Time+Studies/General+Requirements-p-107050.html
2. You need to have an academic level corresponding to a German „Abitur" or the British A-Levels.
If your school leaving certificate is not equivalent, there are several ways to get up speed: e.g.
- Take part in a Preparatory Year (Prep Year), called a „Studienkolleg“ in Germany.
- In some cases, you can attend University in your home country for a year or two, taking certain courses, and then apply to our BiBa program. You can find information on what is needed with your school leaving certificate on the following page https://www.uni-assist.de/en/tools/check-university-admission/
3. Eligibility assessment:
Since this is a special study course, we want to find the students that fit best into our program. Therefore, we have included an eligibility test, which you will have to pass in order to be admitted to the program. In the eligibility process you need to collect 8 points, by submitting proof of your special interest in the the program. This includes:
- For international applicants without German Abitur: a good TestAS result both in the core module and the subject module. (max 6 points)
- For applicants with a German Abitur: Good grades in math / computer science and natural science subjects. (max 6 points)
- optional proof of specific skills: internships, working experience, certificates, participation in competitions (max 5 points)
- optional proof of language skills: German language skills beyond level A1 (max 5 points)
Please find detailed information on the admission criteria in our study and examination regulations.
If you have any questions on what you need to do to get into the program, please feel free to contact us at our hotline (see our contact data on the right-hand side of this page).
More information on the application process as well as formal requirements for Bachelor admission on University website.
Apply now!
Application Window-of-Opportunity
You can apply for admission to the program starting in October between mid-April and mid-July. For most interntional applicants, application works via uni-assist. Please stay tuned here or with our newsletter (which you can get by sending us a message on our hotline).
Do Come Prepared: German Course of 50 hours to attain the level A1
Once you have decided you want to come to Magdeburg to take the BiBa course, but don’t know any German at all, you will have to take a crash-course to get you up to the level of A1. Indeed, we highly recommend coming to Germany with an A1 certificate under your belt. This corresponds to roughly 50 hours of lessons in most courses and countries. Please find a way to take this locally, for example at a “Goethe Institut“.
The challenge is to get a visa for Germany in time – you will have to take care of this yourself, and depending on your country of citizenship, this may take some months, or even many months. Please contact us on our hotline if you want to go down this route anyways.
