HAW-Hamburg: Applying for a Master's degree course

Special application deadlines

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The deadlines for the following degree courses differ from those outlined above:

European Master of Medical Technology and Healthcare Business Erasmus Mundus
15 November to 15 January (applications for the subsequent winter semester only)

Public Health
1 June–30 September (applications for the subsequent summer semester only)
1 December–31 March (applications for the subsequent winter semester only)

Process Engineering
1 April–15 May (applications for the subsequent winter semester only)
1 October–15 November (applications for the subsequent summer semester only)

Renewable Energy Systems
1 April–15 May (applications for the subsequent winter semester only)

International Business
1 May–15 June (applications for the subsequent winter semester only)

Social and Health Management
1 April–30 September (applications for the subsequent winter semester)

Typical application process

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Winter semester	Summer semester
15 July	15 January	Application deadline
End of July	End of January	HAW Hamburg sends emails to the applicants admitted in the main application process. If you have been admitted through this process, you can now download your offer of admission from myHAW. If you want to accept the offer, you need to send the signed registration form and all the accompanying documents it lists back to HAW Hamburg by the deadline given! Please don't forget to pay the semester contribution by bank transfer!
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. If you have been admitted from the waiting list, you can now download your offer of admission from myHAW (see above for login information; for the subsequent steps see the previous box on successful applicants).
End of August	End of February	HAW Hamburg sends emails to the unsuccessful applicants. If you have not been admitted, you can now download the letter informing you that your application was not successful (see above for login information). Please note: Unsuccessful applicants' documents will be destroyed at the end of the semester.
Until 30 September	Until 31 March	An accepted study place can be returned by 30 September (winter semester) or 31 March (summer semester). For a refund of the semester fee (excluding the administration fee of 50 euros). Please send a written confirmation stating your full name and matriculation number to the Student Admissions and Registration Office.

The path to a Master's degree programme at HAW Hamburg

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You have completed your studies and have a Bachelor's degree in your pocket - congratulations!

After graduating, you now have a wide range of options. You can either start a career or immediately follow it up with a further academic qualification: a Master's degree programme. The Master's programme allows you to create your own individual profile: you have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge or expand it to include other specialist areas. Depending on the degree programme, the Master's course at HAW lasts at least three and at most four semesters and leads to an application-oriented second degree.
The Master's degree programmes further differentiate the broad spectrum of Bachelor's degree programmes at HAW and offer you additional options in the design of your further academic education.

Admission requirements

The first thing you will probably want to know is what qualifications you need to fulfil in order to enrol on a Master's degree programme at HAW Hamburg:

The basic requirement for admission to a Master's degree programme is a first professionally qualifying university degree, normally a Bachelor's degree. Bachelor's degrees from (technical) colleges and universities are generally equivalent. However, to avoid any misunderstanding at this point: not every degree in any subject area automatically qualifies you for every Master's degree programme! Which subject areas are recognised as qualifications is regulated in the examination and study regulations of the Master's degree programme.
In order to be admitted to a Master's degree programme, applicants must also prove their special qualification, i.e. their aptitude for the individual degree programme. How this aptitude is checked varies depending on the degree programme.

After the end of an application period, a selection committee will review all valid applications for eligibility of the preliminary studies for this consecutive Master degree program. A ranking list including all eligible applicants will then be created according to which the available study places will be granted.

Once you have received notification of admission to the Master's degree programme, you must enrol at the Registrar's Office on the specified dates and with the required documents. Further information and a list of the documents to be submitted can be found on your letter of admission.

Conditional Master's admission

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Under certain circumstances, it is possible to be enrolled in the final Bachelor's semester and the first Master's semester at the same time. In this case, admission to the Master's programme is conditional.

In principle, the following applies: The prerequisite for admission to a Master's degree programme is a professionally qualifying university degree (e.g. completed Bachelor's degree) - this is anchored in the Hamburg Higher Education Act. However, the Higher Education Act allows for a change to a Master's degree programme if the first professionally qualifying degree has not yet been obtained due to the absence of single examination results and it can be expected that the degree will be obtained in time for the end of the first semester of the Master's degree programme based on the course of study to date, in particular the examination results to date.

The following applies to the HAW: It is possible to apply for a Master's degree if only single examination results have not yet been achieved in the Bachelor's degree programme qualifying for the Master's degree and the other admission and entry requirements (e.g. language requirements or special subject requirements etc.) have been met.

If you have not yet completed your Bachelor's degree programme, you will need a confirmation from your university stating that you will graduate by the end of the first Master's semester. You can obtain this certificate here. Upload the completed document to myHAW under ‘University entrance qualification or preliminary examination documentation’.

Proof of successful completion of the Bachelor's degree must be provided by the end of the first semester of the Master's degree programme at the latest, otherwise enrolment in the Master's degree programme will be cancelled. If proof of the completed Bachelor's degree has not been submitted to the Registrar's Office by the last day of the semester (March, 31st or September, 30th) at the latest, enrolment in the Master's degree programme will be cancelled at the end of the first Master's semester without further notice.

This only applies to applicants who have completed their Bachelor's degree in Germany. Applicants with an international degree should refer to the application procedure for prospective students with an international degree.

Important note for applicants with 180 CPs (ECTS) for courses which require 210 CPs (ECTS) from the first degree

Applicants whose Bachelor's degree consists of 180 credit points (ECTS) must acquire another 30 credit points at the start of their studies. The individual department decides which courses and examinations must be completed. Applicants will then be temporarily admitted in order to complete the missing 30 credit points. After the end of the first or second semester, the department will inform the Student Admissions and Registration Office and the Faculty Service Office (Fakultätsservicebüro) whether the missing credit points have been acquired and the student may continue with his or her studies.