Psychotherapist; application for determination of an equivalent degree

Students who have been admitted to a Master's degree program in Bavaria with a Bachelor's degree that is not recognized under professional law can apply for the equivalence of their degree to be established.

The prerequisite for completing a Master's degree course recognized under professional law and admission to the psychotherapeutic examination is either

• a Bachelor's degree that has been determined to meet the professional requirements, or
• an equivalent degree whose learning outcomes meet the requirements of the Psychotherapists Act (PsychThG) and the licensing regulations for psychotherapists (PsychThApprO).

You can find out whether you have a degree from a Bachelor's degree course recognized under professional law from the university of your Bachelor's degree course, which, in the case of recognition under professional law, has the assessment notice from the competent authority. Recognition under professional law is also often already noted on your Bachelor's certificate, Bachelor's diploma or transcript of records.

Without the successful completion of a Bachelor's degree course recognized under professional law, access to a Master's degree course recognized under professional law is only possible with an equivalent degree whose learning outcomes must meet the legal requirements for a Bachelor's degree course recognized under professional law, this applies in particular to the practical work assignments of §§ 12 to 15 and all competences and knowledge areas of Annex 1 (to § 8 number 1) PsychThApprO. Whether this is the case is decided by the Bavarian university or equivalent institution of higher education offering the Master's degree course in its own responsibility in the admission procedure.

Proof of an equivalent degree is also required for admission to the psychotherapeutic examination. For this purpose, you must also submit a certificate from the competent authority of the federal state in which the university offering the Master's degree course is located (in Bavaria: the State Examination Office of the Government of Upper Bavaria) confirming the equivalence of your Bachelor's or Diplom degree.

An equivalent degree according to § 9 para. 4 PsychThG exists if its learning outcomes meet the requirements of the PsychThG and the PsychThApprO, in particular the requirements of §§ 13 to 15 and Annex 1 of the PsychThApprO.

You must have been finally admitted to the professionally recognized Master's degree course at a Bavarian university or equivalent institution of higher education (you must have a certificate of enrollment).

The course can only be completed at universities and higher education institutions that are equivalent to a university.

The application for determination of an equivalent degree must be submitted to the State Examination Office for Medicine, Pharmacy and Psychotherapy of the Government of Upper Bavaria if the university admitting to the Master's degree program is located in Bavaria. The application must be accompanied by the evidence specified therein.

If documents are submitted by post, no originals are to be submitted, but officially or notarized copies. The documents submitted in paper form will be destroyed after electronic recording.

In order to ensure sufficient lead time for processing, the State Examination Office recommends submitting the application as soon as possible after final admission to the Master's program, but no later than six months before the registration deadline for the psychotherapeutic examination (May 10 or December 10).

The average processing time is one to three months.

depending on administrative costs: EUR 60.00 - 80.00

In order to be admitted to a Master's degree course recognized under professional law, all content of the Bachelor's degree course regulated in the Psychotherapists Act and the Licensing Regulations for Psychotherapists must already have been completed as part of the Bachelor's degree course. Subsequent qualification is not possible.

The universities and equivalent institutions of higher education are responsible for deciding on admission to the Master's degree course. If you have any questions regarding admission to the course, please contact the university or equivalent institution of higher education at which you would like to complete your studies.

• The following documents are required:
  • Certificate of enrollment in the current Master's degree program at a university/equivalent university in Bavaria
  • Confirmation from the host university of the modules completed in the B.Sc. degree program in accordance with Annex 1 PsychThApprO
  • Proof of identity (certificate of name change, if applicable)
  • Certificate and transcript of the degree to be examined - in the case of foreign-language certificates additionally in German translation
  • Transcript of Records - for foreign-language certificates additionally in German translation