Akademie für Darstellende Kunst Baden-Württemberg

About Akademie für Darstellende Kunst Baden-Württemberg

The Akademie für Darstellende Kunst (ADK) Baden-Württemberg is a nationally and internationally recognised specialist university for performing arts education, located in Ludwigsburg. Founded in 2007 and accredited as a university in 2017, it offers intensive professional training in Acting, Directing, and Dramaturgy, as well as a cooperative Stage & Costume Design programme with the State Academy of Art and Design Stuttgart (ABK).

The ADK shares a campus with Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and the Animation Institute, forming a unique creative laboratory at the intersection of theatre, film, and digital media technologies. Its purpose-built Bühnenturm (stage tower), designed by architect Martin Zehetgruber, is a multifunctional performance space playable horizontally and vertically from inside and outside.

As a member of European performing-arts networks including E:UTSA, ELIA, mitos21, and EUCREA, the ADK maintains active international partnerships and hosts the student theatre festival FURORE. Class sizes are very small by design; the institution trains a select cohort of performing-arts professionals rather than large intakes.

Key facts

Founded: 2007

Specialist performing-arts university — one of very few in Germany offering Acting, Directing, and Dramaturgy at degree level

Shared campus with Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg: unique theatre-film-digital creative environment

Accredited as a university in 2017; founded 2007

Member of major European arts-education networks: E:UTSA, ELIA, mitos21, EUCREA

Purpose-built multifunctional Bühnenturm (stage tower) for contemporary performance

Very small cohort sizes enabling intensive, mentored artist development

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

No tuition fees for German and EU/EEA students. Non-EU international students pay €1,500 per semester for a first degree and €650 per semester for a second degree, in line with the Baden-Württemberg state non-EU fee introduced in 2017. All students pay a mandatory semester contribution of approximately €131.50 (Studierendenwerk €96.50 + administration/AStA €35).

Admission requirements

Admission is highly competitive and based on artistic audition/aptitude rather than academic grades alone. Applicants for Acting (B.A.) and Directing (B.A.) submit a portfolio and attend audition rounds. Dramaturgy (M.A.) requires a completed bachelor's degree (humanities or equivalent) plus documented practical theatre experience. International applicants are accepted for guest/exchange semesters (not full degree programmes) via bilateral agreements; applications require CV, motivation letter, transcript of records, and two letters of recommendation from the home university. APS certificate is required for applicants whose prior qualification is from India, China, or Vietnam before a student visa can be issued. No specific German-language test threshold is published on the official site, but working proficiency is expected for audition and coursework.

Application deadlines

Acting (B.A.): mid-February each year (e.g. 15 February 2026 for the 2026|27 intake). Directing (B.A.) and Dramaturgy (M.A.): end of March (e.g. 31 March 2026). Exchange/incoming international students: applications due by 5 December of the preceding winter semester for a summer-semester start (April). All applications via bewerbung.adk-bw.de.

Languages of instruction

German is the primary language of instruction. No English-taught degree programmes are offered; international exchange students should have solid German proficiency.

Campuses & locations

Ludwigsburg Campus

Shared creative campus with Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and Animation Institute, Akademiehof 1, 71638 Ludwigsburg

Living in Baden-Württemberg

Ludwigsburg is a Baroque-era city of approximately 95,000 residents in the Stuttgart metropolitan region, Baden-Württemberg. Known for its grand Residenzschloss palace and annual Blühendes Barock garden festival, it is also a significant media and arts hub — home to both the ADK and the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart city centre is reachable by S-Bahn in around 15–20 minutes, giving students access to a major urban cultural scene while living in a smaller, manageable city.

Student life & support

Student life at the ADK is shaped by its small, intensive cohort model. Students work closely with peers from the Film Academy next door, creating cross-disciplinary productions. The Open Academy programme engages local youth with theatre. The Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM awards 2–3 exchange scholarships annually. Equal-opportunity officers and awareness advisors support a fair, inclusive environment. Public performances and the FURORE international student festival are central to campus culture.

International Office: [email protected] International students page →

Accredited Programmes

Master

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus