Bachelor of Arts at Catalyst

Visa-required applicants

Applicants from countries requiring a visa before entering Germany:

• Priority deadline: 28 February 2026 (includes early enrolment bonus and visa support)
• General deadline: 30 April 2026 (subject to visa processing time)

EU/visa-exempt or post-arrival applicants:

Applicants from EU/EEA, Switzerland, or countries allowing visa-free entry (e.g. USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea):

• Priority deadline: 31 March 2026 (includes early enrolment bonus & guaranteed spot)
• General deadline: 5 June 2026
• Late applications: Until 28 August 2026 (subject to availability)

Priority deadlines & early enrolment bonus

Apply by the priority deadline to secure your place and receive a tuition discount (€1,000 per full academic year).

Early enrolment gives you early access to our visa support service and allows us to plan group sizes and resources in advance.

What does “visa” or “visa-exempt” mean?

All applications must be submitted digitally through our online application portal. Before you click the link though, read on for important information about entry requirements, the admissions process and what you'll need to include in your application.

Entry requirements: Age

We don't have an upper age limit, but we do have a minimum age: 18. To join us you must be 18 years old by the first day of your study programme.

Entry requirements: Language

All our courses are taught in English and applicants must demonstrate a level equal to IELTS 6 (referred to as B2 in Germany and other EU countries). You can either submit an official document confirming your English level, or take our 90-min online test. We do not require German language skills.

Entry requirements: Education

BA (Hons) Degree / HE Certificate: Graduation from high school at a level which would normally permit entry to university in the country where it was gained. This would be A-Levels in the UK and the Abitur in Germany, for example. We do not require specific subjects or academic streams.

If you're over 21 and have experience in the field you're applying to, but don't hold the qualifications mentioned above, contact our Admissions team to discuss.

If you're in your final year of studies, whether that's in high school or a third level course, you can still apply. Instead of your final diploma, please send us a transcript of either your most recent or predicted grades. If the original language of this is not English or German, please also include a translation to English.

Catalyst welcomes students from across the globe. Whether you need a visa or can enter Germany visa-free, we’re here to support your journey every step of the way.

Visit this website to find out your country's visa requirements.

Visa requirements

If you are a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you do not need a visa to study in Germany.

Citizens of Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, San Marino, the UK and the USA can enter Germany without a visa, but must apply for a residence permit within 90 days of arrival to remain legally.

All other international students will need to apply for a student visa before travelling to Germany.

Free Visa support service

While Catalyst cannot apply for your visa on your behalf, we provide a free visa support service to all enrolled international students. This includes:

• A full checklist of required documents
• Guidance on the application process
• Digital document collection and review
• Verification of your educational qualifications (e.g. anabin, HZB)
• A pre-admission eligibility check with an estimated visa success rate and timeline

This service is available after enrolment and is designed to support a smooth and successful visa application process.

Important deadlines for visa-required applicants

• Priority deadline: 28 February 2026
  Includes early enrolment bonus and visa support
• General deadline: 30 April 2026
  (Subject to visa processing times and course availability)

Deadlines for visa-exempt applicants

• Priority deadline: 31 March 2026
  Includes early enrolment bonus and guaranteed place
• General deadline: 5 June 2026
• Late applications: Accepted until 28 August 2026 (subject to availability)

Most undergraduate applications are assessed on a rolling basis and decisions will normally be communicated by email within 2 weeks of receiving a complete application.

We will communicate updates about your application to you by email, using the same address you provide in your application form.

As an accredited arts school in Berlin, Catalyst students are eligible for a range of national and international funding options. Support varies depending on your country of citizenship or long-term residence, and typically applies to full-time Bachelor’s programmes (not to the 1-year HE Certificate).

Below are some funding bodies that have supported Catalyst students in the past:

– Germany: BAföG (available to EU and some non-EU citizens*)
– Iceland: Lín
– The Netherlands: DUO
– Norway: Lånekassen
– Sweden: CSN
– Luxembourg: AIDEFI
– Finland: KELA
– Czech Republic: Česká spořitelna student loans (check with your bank)

*Good news: BAföG may also be accessible to non-German students, including EU citizens and some non-EU applicants, depending on your circumstances.

We recommend submitting your course application well before our final deadline to leave enough time for any funding applications.

Catalyst offers a range of scholarships for students beginning their Bachelor's journey in music, film, acting or visual media. Each award provides a €2,000 tuition fee reduction per academic year, totalling €6,000 over the full three-year degree.

These scholarships are designed to support motivated individuals with a clear creative drive, whether you're telling untold stories, exploring underrepresented perspectives, or taking a bold step into a new field. Alongside financial assistance, recipients join a collaborative community of storytellers, artists and changemakers across disciplines.

Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis, and places are limited – so we recommend applying early. They are compatible with standard and extended payment plans, but not with the Early Enrolment Bonus.

As a scholarship recipient, you’ll also contribute to Catalyst’s creative community through 16 hours per month of Storytelling & Events activities, shaped around your interests and schedule.

Share two pieces of original work that you have created using a DAW program. These tracks can be composed from new recordings, samples, or a combination of both, and should demonstrate that you can perform basic DAW operations (such as applying plug-in effects). We welcome music in any genre, sound art or other audio production, but we do not accept DJ mixes. 

Share a film that you have created. This could be something completed already or you can create a totally new project in response to one of the following prompts from our Film Production tutors:

• Show abuse of power on the smallest possible scale
• Use sound instead of visuals to depict a massive disaster
• Make us fall in love with a terrible person

We welcome work in any genre and are more interested in your ideas and general approach than in a highly polished end result.

The film should be 3 minutes or less. If the running time is longer, please make a selection of which part(s) you want us to view. For projects created collaboratively, be sure to specify your role in the production.

You can submit either writing or film work.

Film work:
Share one film that you have created. We welcome work in any genre and are more interested in your ideas and general approach than in a highly polished end result. The film should be 3 minutes or less. If the running time is longer or you would like to share more than one project, please make a selection of which part(s) you want us to view or edit them into a showreel clip. For projects created collaboratively, be sure to specify your role in the production.

Writing work:
Share a sample of your writing with us. We’d be happy to see film treatments, scripts, plays or other forms of creative writing. Make a selection and save it into a PDF file with up to 5 projects maximum, spread over 10 pages maximum. All text should be in the English language.

We want to see you performing on screen. Pick one monologue from our 2026 audition selection*. Rehearse it and when you’re ready, record it. We’re interested in your potential as an actor, which means we’re not focusing on the production values. In other words, don’t worry too much about the background or camera quality.

We review every tape submitted to us and after we have reviewed yours, we will contact you by email about the second round of the audition process. If you make it to this round, you will be asked to submit another audition tape (and sometimes a third) in response to feedback from our Acting department.

Include a Written Statement of motivation telling us why you’d like to join our community at Catalyst(450-500 word PDF). Why did you choose this course and what do you hope to achieve during your studies? What are your ambitions for your creative career? What has influenced your creative path so far? What obstacles have you faced on this journey and how can we help you face any challenges in school?

*monologue scripts are available directly on the application form or can be requested as a PDF from admissions@catalyst-berlin.com

Show us your creative work. We welcome work in diverse media and are happy to view it in various formats. Here are some suggested guidelines:

• 2D images (e.g. photography, illustration, graphics, CGI, painting): 5-12 images
• Time-based work (e.g. video, animation, music): 3 minutes maximum. For longer or multiple works, create a showreel or let us know which sections you would like us to review.
• Online portfolio (e.g. if you already have a website): link to site
• 3D work (e.g. sculptures, installations): photo documentation of the work, 5-12 images

The above should not be viewed as a checklist. We don’t expect applicants to have experience in every medium. The format of your portfolio doesn't have to be hi-tech. Former students have shared examples of their creative work with us via Instagram or blogging platforms (such as Wordpress or Tumblr).

Share a series of photographs that you have created. This could be an existing body of work, or you may produce a new project specifically for this submission.

We are looking for work that demonstrates your interests, perspective, and approach to documentary photography. Your images might explore people, places, objects, or events - large or small. We welcome projects in any style, from traditional photo essays to more experimental approaches. What matters most is your ideas and the way you use photography to tell stories or raise questions, rather than technical perfection.

• Make sure that the total file size for any attachments does not exceed 25MB or our system will not let you submit your application.
• Motivation letters and portfolio examples must be your own work—AI-generated content is not accepted.
• If your application is incomplete, lacks depth, or does not appear to be created with genuine intent, we may request a revision or reject the application. In such cases, applicants will have the opportunity to resubmit with the required improvements.
• We may contact you for further clarification before making a final decision on your application.