Your application to HAW Hamburg begins with choosing the right degree. Once you have decided, you can then apply for one degree course.
The application procedures differ depending on the degree (Bachelor or Master) and the course of study. Please refer to your degree course's web page for more information on the exact admission requirements and any differences in the application deadlines. There you can also find out whether admissions take place in the summer or winter semester.
You can obtain information about the application procedure and the formal prerequisites from the Student Admissions and Registration Office.
Typical application process
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| Winter semester | Summer semester | |
| 15 July | 15 January | Application deadline |
From the beginning of August | From the beginning of February | HAW Hamburg sends emails to the applicants admitted in the main application process. |
Mid-August to the beginning of lectures | Mid-February to the beginning of lectures | HAW Hamburg sends emails to the applicants admitted from the waiting list. |
End of August | End of February | HAW Hamburg sends emails to the unsuccessful applicants. |
Until 30 September | Until 31 March | If you give up your study place, your semester contribution will only be refunded (excluding an administrative fee of €50) when you return any semester documents that have been sent to you and submit a declaration of withdrawal to the Student Admissions and Registration Office by 30 September or 31 March. |
myHAW application portal
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The myHAW application and student portal at HAW Hamburg manages the university's application process, degree course organisation, and examinations. In order to apply successfully, you need to register with myHAW and then activate your account.
Depending on the degree course, you may need to take additional steps before registering. You can check whether this is the case on the Bachelor's and Master's application pages or on the degree course page.
Visiting students, auditing students and guest auditors
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In addition to those enrolled as students at HAW Hamburg, other individuals can also attend courses at the university.
Proof of health insurance coverage
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Please be sure to obtain proof that you have health insurance coverage well ahead of time. Please read our information about health insurance and about sending us proof of coverage.
Change in study location or degree course
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What if you've realised that you don't like the subject you're studying, or that it isn't what you expected?
- Are you enrolled at another university and want to switch to HAW Hamburg?
- Do you want to switch degree courses within HAW Hamburg?
In both cases you have to apply again!
Changing degree courses after the first two semesters or for the second time
If you change degree programmes within HAW Hamburg after the start of the third semester or for the second time, you must outline your personal reasons for wanting to change in a separate document in the event that you are admitted.
You didn't pass the exams at your university?
If you are a university student and have failed an exam prescribed by the examination regulations, you cannot continue your studies at a Hamburg university in the same degree course. Nor can you continue your studies in another degree course if the subject matter of the failed exam is also prescribed by the examination regulations for this degree course.
Recognition of previous study credits, placement in a higher semester
If you want to apply for a higher semester when changing degree courses you need a placement certificate, which needs to be submitted with your application. The individual departments are exclusively responsible for assigning credit for previously completed studies or exams. Please contact the chair of the Examinations Committee or the degree course advisor for your degree course (under 'Contact department') well in advance of submitting your application. When planning the timing of your application, please also remember that these individuals will probably not be available during the lecture-free periods.
International students with a study visa
If you are an international student with a study visa and you want to switch degree courses (or possibly universities), you can only do this in the first three semesters without getting into difficulty with the agency responsible for immigration. A change after the third semester is only possible if your previous studies and exams are recognised by the new degree course at the new university and you are placed in a higher semester.
Once you have changed to the new degree course you need to go immediately to your local immigration office to have your 'purpose of stay' changed. The new degree course needs to be entered in your passport, even when your visa is still valid.
For a higher semester
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Below you will find information on applying for a higher semester in degree programmes at HAW Hamburg. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Admission and Registration Office
1. application
Applications must be submitted via the HAW Hamburg application portal: myHAW.
Online registration and application is only possible via this portal within the regular application deadlines.
If you are not yet studying at HAW Hamburg, please create a new application account. If you are already studying here, please log in with your student account and do not create a new application account.
2. general application deadline
In the summer semester: 15 January
In the winter semester: 15 July
By the end of the application deadline (receipt of the application in the applicant portal), the application form must be complete and include all required documents.
You will need a placement certificate (see point 6.) from the receiving degree programme confirming that you can be admitted and to which higher semester.
3. documents required for the application
For a complete application you will need
- University entrance qualification
- Certificate of placement
- Language certificate if applicable (for applications with a foreign HZB)
- If applicable, preliminary examination documentation from uni-assist (for applications with a foreign HZB)
You can upload all documents to myHAW during the application phase and submit them later if necessary. No documents need to be sent to the Registrar's Office by post.
4 Admission capacities and selection criteria
The number of available study places in degree programmes with restricted admission is calculated for the respective subject-related semester within the standard period of study from the difference between the set number of admissions and the number of enrolled students assigned to this subject-related semester. The university determines the number of available study places. An application is only possible up to the penultimate semester of the standard period of study (example: for a Bachelor's degree programme with a standard period of study of 7 semesters, an application is possible up to a maximum of 6 semesters).
When applying, all previous achievements in the desired degree programme must be taken into account.
Insofar as there are admission restrictions for the 2nd and further semesters, §§ 13 to 15, § 17 and §19 HAWAZO apply accordingly for the allocation of study places, whereby the selection criteria are regulated in the corresponding admission and selection regulations.
Students who were enrolled at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) in the past and have been exmatriculated for the purpose of temporarily studying abroad, caring for a child, completing a period of service in accordance with Article 12a of the Basic Law or for a comparable purpose will be given preferential admission to the relevant degree programme in the semester corresponding to the level of performance achieved.
5 Notifications for applicants
In order to be informed about the current status of your application, please log in to the application portal with your account. If, for example, your application is incomplete and has therefore been ruled out, you will be provided with more detailed information in the application portal. You will also receive an e-mail notification to the e-mail address you entered in your application as soon as the status of your application changes.
6 Recognition of previous academic achievements in the individual degree programmes
As a rule, the chair of the examination board/study counselling of the relevant department at HAW Hamburg is responsible for the recognition of previous academic achievements. Contact details can be found in the respective degree course information. Please use the required form to apply for categorisation.
Please also submit the following documents to the responsible department:
- current transcript of records / transcript of records
- module handbook
- Proof of registered achievements, if applicable
7. application with a foreign university entrance qualification
Applications from the 2nd semester onwards are also made via uni-assist for applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification.
Applicants with a foreign university entrance qualification must also provide proof of German language skills at level C1. Information on this can be found on our website ‘Language skills’.
Information for international applicants
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As an international applicant you need to fulfil additional requirements in order to apply to HAW Hamburg. These include providing proof of your German or English skills on the one hand, and having your school leaving certificate or university degree recognised.
For international students, the allocation of study places also takes place according to particular selection criteria. Up to 10 per cent of the available study places for Bachelor's degrees are reserved for applicants from non-EU states. Applicants from EU states, on the other hand, are treated in the same way as German applicants in the application process.
Information for applicants with a disability or chronic illness, or other hardship-inducing circumstances
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- Prospective students with a disability or chronic illness who are required to take an artistic aptitude test or an entrance examination as stipulated in section 38 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act may be eligible to request that their disability be accommodated in the testing process.
- Applicants with significant health issues can increase their chances of being admitted by submitting a hardship application in accordance with HAW Hamburg's Hardship Policy. This also applies to applicants who are limited to studying in Hamburg for social or financial reasons.
You can find additional information on the Studying with a disability or chronic illness page.
Explanation of the status information in "myHAW"
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| in preparation | The status in preparation indicates that an application has been saved in myHAW, but the application has not yet been submitted by the applicant. In this status, the application is not yet being processed further by the university. |
| received | The application has been submitted but has not yet been processed by the Registrar's Office. In this status, the application can no longer be changed. If this is desired, the application must be ‘declined’. |
| received withdrawn | Applications that are still in ‘received withdrawn’ status, i.e. not yet being processed by HAW Hamburg, can be declined by applicants. The reasons for this are
Applications with the status ‘received withdrawn’ no longer take part in the application process. Applicants can resubmit withdrawn applications within the programme-specific application deadline. |
| valid | The application was received on time and has been processed by the university. The application will take part in the award procedure. |
| excluded | The application was excluded after examination by HAW Hamburg and will no longer take part in the procedure. This may be the case, for example, if the application was not submitted in the correct form or on time. |
| admission offered | Applicants are offered a study place by HAW Hamburg. The offer must now be accepted in the myHAW portal by clicking on the ‘Apply for enrolment’ button to enrol online. It is important to accept the study place within the deadline and to submit the specified documents in paper form to HAW by the deadline. |
| temporarily excluded | This status occurs when applicants have to submit additional documents. As a rule, the administrator will explain the reason for this in the information field - for example, ‘Document XY is still missing’. Applicants can find the information field in their myHAW account. The missing documents can only be submitted within the respective application deadline. If this is not done, you will be excluded from the procedure. |
| admission currently impossible |
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| admitted | You have received a letter of admission. Now click on ‘Apply for enrolment’ in the myHAW portal to enrol online. It is important to accept the study place within the deadline and to submit the specified documents in paper form to the HAW by the deadline. |
| admission withdrawn | The applicant has actively returned the admission offer from HAW Hamburg by clicking on ‘admission withdrawn’ in the myHAW account. Applications with the status ‘admission withdrawn’ will no longer take part in the application process. |
| request for enrollment submitted | The applicant has decided to accept the study place offered by HAW Hamburg and to apply for enrolment. |
| request for enrollment in progress | Your documents have been received and are being checked by the Registrar's Office. Enrolment is currently being processed. There is no guarantee that your documents are complete or correct. |
| request for enrollment accepted | The applicant has received a study place at HAW Hamburg and has been enrolled. You will receive your access data for your myHAW student account by e-mail within one week of the status change. The Deutschlandsemesterticket will be made available to you digitally. |
| admission offer expired | The applicant has allowed the deadline for enrolment to pass without enrolling. This status is irreversible and the offer of admission for a study place is forfeited. |
