The Hochbegabtenstudium (, "College for the talented") is a programme in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
that allows students of prerequisite intellectual ability (as shown on
IQ test
An intelligence quotient (IQ) is a total score derived from a set of standardized tests or subtests designed to assess human intelligence. The abbreviation "IQ" was coined by the psychologist William Stern (psychologist), William Stern for th ...
s) to attend college even if they do not hold the
Abitur
''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
. The Hochbegabtenstudium is also called Schülerstudium ("college for school-students") because many of the students, who benefit from it are still enrolled in school, while they attend college.
Requirements
A person wishing to do the Hochbegabtenstudium must be of above average intellectual ability and must as a rule have completed at least 10th grade. However some exceptions from that rule are made for very young students of superior intellectual ability, who are in a lower grade. In most cases a student wishing to participate in the programme must be at least 16 years old, however again exceptions from this rule are made for students of superior intellectual ability some of whom are only 13 or 14 when they enter college.
Notable examples
In 2009 the case of Felix Dietlein made news. The young student of superior intellectual ability received his master's degree in mathematics (from the
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne (german: Universität zu Köln) is a university in Cologne, Germany. It was established in the year 1388 and is one of the most prestigious and research intensive universities in Germany. It was the sixth university to ...
) one month before he graduated from his high school. He was only 18 at this time.
[D. Graalmann: "Hochbegabter Schüler: Ein eifriger junger Mann". Sueddeutsch]
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References
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Sources
* Stefanie Pohl: "Schülerstudium. Was ist das?"
Education in Germany
Academic terminology