- Founded
- 2013
- Students
- 1,200
- Programmes
- 41
- Taught in English
- 40
About Akademie der Polizei Hamburg
The Akademie der Polizei Hamburg is the central police education and training institution of the Hamburg Police (Polizei Hamburg), established in 2013 under the Hamburgisches Polizeiakademiegesetz. It merged the former Landespolizeischule and the Hochschule der Polizei Hamburg into a single academy that covers all three career-level tracks (Laufbahnabschnitte I, II, and III) plus continuing professional development for active officers.
The Hochschule (university division) within the academy confers a bachelor's degree for officers in Schutzpolizei, Wasserschutzpolizei, and Kriminalpolizei via a three-year full-time programme combining academic instruction with two six-month practical placements. A master's track for senior-service candidates is pursued through the Deutsche Hochschule der Polizei (DHPol). The academy also hosts several research institutes, including the Hamburger Institut für interdisziplinäre Kriminalitäts- und Sicherheitsforschung (HIKS, founded April 2023) and the Forschungsstelle Europäisches und Deutsches Sicherheitsrecht (FEDS).
Being a public-sector police academy, enrolment is restricted to candidates selected through the Hamburg Police recruitment process. The institution holds an ERASMUS Charter for Higher Education and participates in ERASMUS+ staff and student mobility with partner police academies in Norway, Poland, Estonia, and other European countries.
Only police-education institution in Hamburg; merger of the former Landespolizeischule and Hochschule der Polizei Hamburg
Confers a state-recognised bachelor's degree for Schutzpolizei, Wasserschutzpolizei, and Kriminalpolizei tracks
Students receive civil-servant trainee pay (Anwärterbezüge) - no tuition costs
Holds an ERASMUS Charter for Higher Education; exchange partnerships with police academies in Norway, Poland, and Estonia
In-house research institutes: HIKS (criminology/security) and FEDS (European and German security law)
Continuing professional development for more than 10,000 active Hamburg Police officers per year
Key facts
- Type
- Fachhochschulen / HAW
- Founded
- 2013
- Students
- 1,200
- International
- Not a conventional international-student intake: admission requires being hired by the Hamburg police (age 16 to 36 at appointment). Per the official career portal, German citizenship or that of an EU member state is required for application, with case-by-case exceptions possible. Of the roughly 1,200 police trainees, many have a migration background with family roots in more than 30 countries.
- Faculties
- 1
- Programmes
- 41
Study programmes
41 accredited degrees at Akademie der Polizei Hamburg, 40 of them taught in English.
Showing 25–41 of 41 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
No tuition fees. Trainees and students are civil-servant recruits (Beamtenanwärter) and receive a monthly training allowance (Anwärterbezüge) from the Hamburg Senate during the programme.
Admission requirements
Admission is exclusively through the Hamburg Police recruitment and selection process (Einstellungsverfahren); the academy does not accept independent applications from civilian or international students. Candidates must pass a multi-stage selection procedure run by the Einstellungsstelle der Polizei Hamburg. APS certificates (required for Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants) and standard university language/qualification requirements do not apply here, as the entry route is employment-based, not an open application to a higher-education institution. For enquiries: [email protected] or +49 40 427 427.
Application deadlines
There is no fixed semester deadline; recruitment is continuous via job postings on stellen.hamburg.de and announced intake phases ('Einstellungstermine'). Selection runs through an online short application, a 30-minute online test, a written aptitude test (test day 1), interview and role play (day 2), and medical plus fitness tests (day 3).
How international applicants apply
Restricted civil-servant recruitment - no uni-assist. Candidates apply via the Polizei Hamburg career channels (karriere-polizei.hamburg.de, jobs posted on stellen.hamburg.de) for the dual Bachelor programme 'Polizei' (Laufbahnabschnitt II) while being hired as civil servants on probation (Beamte auf Widerruf); selection runs online short application -> 30-min online test -> written aptitude test (PT1) -> interview and role play (PT2) -> medical and fitness checks (PT3). Study places are allocated by the employer, not through any university admissions office.
Languages of instruction
German (all degree and training programmes are taught entirely in German)
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Scholarships at Akademie der Polizei Hamburg
4 schemes run or administered by the university. Always confirm current amounts and deadlines on the official page.
BAföG für Polizeistudierende (via Studierendenwerk Hamburg)
Police students at Akademie der Polizei Hamburg are eligible for BAföG (listed explicitly in STW Hamburg's eligible institutions)....
Amount: BAfoeG standard rates (half grant/half loan); Studienstarthilfe 1,000...
Deadline: As early as possible (retroactive to month of application); Studiensta...
bachelor, master
Beamtenbezüge / Anwärtergrundbetrag (Salary as Civil Servant on Probation)
Students at the Akademie der Polizei Hamburg have the status of Beamte auf Widerruf (civil servants on probation) during their stu...
Amount: A7 entry (~1,400-1,600 EUR net/month) progressing to A13 over career
Deadline: Annual application cycles via Polizei Hamburg recruitment
bachelor (Laufbahnabschnitt II), master (Laufbahnabschnitt III)
Hamburg Stipendium (Studierendenwerk Hamburg)
Scholarship for students with migration/refugee background whose parents did not attend university in Germany. 200 EUR/month + ide...
Amount: 200 EUR per month
Deadline: Annual call (2026/27 round closed)
bachelor, master
Stipendienberatung & Datenbanken (STW Hamburg)
STW Hamburg provides free scholarship counseling (BeSt) and maintains lists of 13 Begabtenfoerderungswerke with current deadlines,...
Deadline: N/A (counseling service)
bachelor, master, phd
Campuses & locations
Main campus at Carl-Cohn-Straße 39, 22297 Hamburg
Located at Überseering 35, 7th floor, Hamburg
Living in Hamburg
Hamburg is Germany's second-largest city and a major port and media hub on the Elbe river. It offers a high quality of life, strong public transport (HVV), a large international community, and a vibrant cultural scene including the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. The city is home to several universities and research institutions alongside the police academy.
Student life & support
Students are police recruits integrated into the professional environment of the Hamburg Police. Campus facilities include a library, mediathek, sports and firearms training facilities, and a campus service point. The academy maintains an active social media presence and hosts conferences and professional events open to enrolled students and serving officers.
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