3 routes to university study with Indonesian
Indonesian matters for three kinds of study, and each route asks for a different amount of Indonesian.
| Route | Example | Indonesian needed |
|---|---|---|
| Degree taught in Indonesian in Indonesia | KNB scholarship for bachelor, master and doctorate | pass BIPA classes of up to one year first |
| One year of non-degree study in Indonesia | Darmasiswa scholarship of the Indonesian government | conditions change every year |
| Indonesian studies abroad | University of Hamburg, Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia | Indonesian is part of the degree |
KNB stands for Kemitraan Negara Berkembang, the developing countries partnership scholarship of Indonesia's higher education ministry. According to its 2025 guidelines, awardees take Indonesian classes for up to one year and must pass them before their academic studies start. After that, they attend regular classes taught in Indonesian.
Those language classes are called BIPA, short for Bahasa Indonesia bagi Penutur Asing, Indonesian for non-native speakers. A 2017 regulation of the education ministry divides BIPA into seven levels, BIPA 1 to BIPA 7, and many Indonesian universities run BIPA courses, some of them online.
The Darmasiswa scholarship is open to foreign nationals from countries with diplomatic relations with Indonesia. It suits learners who want a year of Indonesian language and culture without a degree.
Proof of Indonesian for university admission
Indonesian has no admission test that universities worldwide use in the way they use IELTS or TOEFL for English. Each university decides which proof of Indonesian it accepts.
The official proficiency test is the UKBI, short for Uji Kemahiran Berbahasa Indonesia. Badan Bahasa, the language agency of Indonesia's education ministry, runs it online. You take it on your own computer, and the result combines a score of up to 800 points with one of seven ratings, from Istimewa at the top to Terbatas (limited). The UKBI measures native speakers too, so it becomes meaningful from a solid intermediate level.
No official conversion of UKBI results to the CEFR exists. The CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, describes ability on six levels from A1 to C2, and studying in Indonesian calls for roughly B2 to C1 as a guide value. For applications outside Indonesia, combine a UKBI result with a CEFR self-assessment using the grid of the Council of Europe.
Ask the admissions office in writing which proof of Indonesian it accepts, for example a BIPA certificate from its own language centre, a UKBI result or a placement test after arrival. Plan your course around that answer.
Academic Indonesian follows bahasa baku and the EYD
Academic texts in Indonesian use bahasa baku, the formal standard. Its spelling follows the EYD, Ejaan Bahasa Indonesia yang Disempurnakan. Badan Bahasa, the national language agency, set the fifth edition by decree on 16 August 2022. For word meanings and standard forms, the reference is the agency's dictionary KBBI, Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia.
| Meaning | Everyday Jakarta speech | Academic Indonesian |
|---|---|---|
| not | nggak | tidak |
| to make | bikin | membuat |
| already | udah | sudah |
| I | gue | saya, or penulis (the author) |
Academic Indonesian builds many abstract nouns with prefixes and suffixes. Penelitian (research) comes from teliti (careful), kebijakan (policy) from bijak (wise) and pengembangan (development) from the root kembang. Methods sections rely on the di- passive: Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara means the data were collected through interviews.
An academic writing course in Indonesian should correct your texts against the EYD rules of 2022 and teach you to check doubtful words in the KBBI. Material written before 2022 may follow the older spelling guide.
Lectures, reading and seminars in Indonesian
A degree in Indonesian demands more than any test measures. You follow lectures, read journal articles and textbooks in formal Indonesian, and take part in seminar discussions.
1 Following lectures
Lecturers teach in formal Indonesian but may switch into colloquial speech for examples. A course that trains both forms prepares you for that switch.
2 Reading derived words
Long derived words such as pengembangan only open up if you recognise the root inside them. Word-family training from the general course pays off in every reading list.
3 Discussing and addressing staff
You address lecturers as Bapak or Ibu, shortened to Pak or Bu, and open emails to them with Dengan hormat, a fixed formal greeting meaning with respect.
Online lessons before arrival let you reach a solid base at home.
You then use the language classes in Indonesia for academic reading, writing and discussion.
From beginner to B2 in Indonesian before a degree
No official hour counts per CEFR level exist for Indonesian. The figures are rough estimates for lessons plus self-study, derived from the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI), the State Department's language school, which plans about 36 weeks of full-time training for confident professional use.
At ten study hours a week, B2 takes about 60 to 85 weeks. A realistic plan therefore starts 12 to 18 months before the degree:
- Start with a general course and reach A2 within the first months.
- Move to formal written Indonesian, prefixes and the di- passive on the way to B1.
- Add short academic texts, summaries and emails to lecturers from B1.
- Take the UKBI or the university's own test if the admissions office asks for it.
Some Indonesian universities offer their BIPA courses online, so you may be able to start with the language centre of your target university before you travel.
Frequently asked questions about online Indonesian courses for university
What Indonesian level do you need for a degree taught in Indonesian?
A degree taught in Indonesian calls for roughly B2 to C1 on the CEFR, the European scale from A1 to C2, as a guide value. Indonesian universities set their own proof of Indonesian. Holders of the KNB scholarship must pass Indonesian classes of up to one year before their degree starts.
Do KNB scholarship holders learn Indonesian before their degree?
KNB scholarship holders learn Indonesian before their degree in BIPA classes, the Indonesian courses for non-native speakers, for up to one year. According to the 2025 KNB guidelines, they must pass these classes before their academic studies in Indonesian begin. The scholarship covers bachelor, master and doctoral degrees.
Is there an Indonesian language test for university admission like TOEFL?
Indonesian has no admission test that universities worldwide use in the way they use TOEFL for English. The official proficiency test is the UKBI, which Badan Bahasa runs online with a score of up to 800 points. Each university decides which proof of Indonesian it accepts.
Which spelling rules apply to academic writing in Indonesian?
Academic writing in Indonesian follows the EYD, the official spelling standard, in its fifth edition from 16 August 2022. Badan Bahasa, Indonesia's national language agency, set it by decree. For word meanings and standard forms, writers check the agency's dictionary KBBI.
Can you study Indonesian as a subject at a European university?
Indonesian can be studied as a subject at some European universities, for example at the University of Hamburg's Asia-Africa Institute within the languages and cultures of Southeast Asia. Such programmes combine language classes with the study of the region. For enrolled students, the language classes are often included in tuition.
How does academic Indonesian differ from everyday Indonesian?
Academic Indonesian uses bahasa baku, the formal standard, while everyday Indonesian in Jakarta shortens or replaces many words. Academic texts write tidak instead of nggak and membuat instead of bikin. They also use many derived nouns such as penelitian (research) and the di- passive.
Sources
The information is based on these sources. Check fees and dates with the provider before you register.
- KNB Scholarship Application Guidelines 2025 (Directorate General of Higher Education, Indonesia)
- Badan Bahasa: decree on the EYD fifth edition (Surat Keputusan EYD V)
- UKBI Adaptif: official Indonesian proficiency test portal (Badan Bahasa)
- University of Hamburg, Asia-Africa Institute: Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia
- Council of Europe: CEFR Self-assessment Grid