HafenCity Universität Hamburg

About HafenCity Universität Hamburg

HafenCity Universität Hamburg (HCU) is Germany's only university dedicated entirely to the built environment and metropolitan development. Established on 1 January 2006 by merging four building and planning departments from three Hamburg universities (HAW Hamburg, HfBK Hamburg, and TU Hamburg-Harburg), HCU was created to consolidate Hamburg's expertise in architecture, engineering, and urban studies under one roof.

The university offers bachelor's and master's degrees across four core disciplines — Architecture, Civil Engineering, Geodesy and Geoinformatics, and Urban Planning — alongside specialised programmes in Metropolitan Culture, Technical Building Services with Digital Infrastructure, Urban Design, and the internationally taught Resource Efficiency in Architecture and Planning (REAP). Research is strongly interdisciplinary and focused on how future metropolitan areas can be designed and developed sustainably.

Approximately 2,500 students are enrolled at HCU, supported by 206 academic staff and 162 non-academic staff. The university moved to its purpose-built campus in Hamburg's HafenCity district in April 2014, a building awarded the HafenCity Gold Standard for sustainability.

Key facts

Founded: 2006
Students: 2,500
Faculties: 3

Europe's only university dedicated entirely to the built environment and metropolitan development

Campus located in HafenCity — Europe's largest inner-city urban development project, a real-world study context

Three fully English-taught master's programmes: Hydrography (Geodesy), REAP, and Urban Design

No tuition fees; semester contribution (€381–€399) includes Hamburg public transport ticket

International applications processed via uni-assist; winter semester intake only

CityScienceLab — an MIT partnership research lab opened in 2015 for urban data and technology research

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

No tuition fees for degree programmes. Hamburg does not charge non-EU tuition fees (unlike Baden-Württemberg or Bavaria from WS 2025/26). Students pay a semester contribution only: €381.00 for Summer Semester 2026 and €399.00 for Winter Semester 2026/27. The contribution includes the HVV public transport SemesterTicket (€208.80–€226.80), welfare services (€101.00), student self-administration (€20.20), SemesterTicket hardship fund (€1.00), and an administration contribution (€50.00).

Admission requirements

International applicants (non-German qualifications) apply through uni-assist e.V. for both bachelor's and master's entry. Applications open from 1 March for winter semester (the only intake available); there is no summer semester intake for first-semester students. Bachelor's applicants must demonstrate German language proficiency (level not published on the public page; check current requirements). Master's applicants must hold a first academic degree with a minimum of 130 credit points (at least 75 from graded achievements); programmes taught in German require German proficiency, while Hydrography (Geodesy), REAP, and Urban Design require English proficiency. APS certificate: Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants should note that HCU processes applications via uni-assist, which requires APS for nationalities subject to the APS requirement (India, China, Vietnam) — verify the current requirement with uni-assist before applying. Individual programme checklists specifying exact language certificate levels are published on the HCU website per programme.

Application deadlines

Winter semester only (no summer semester intake for first-semester students). Via uni-assist (international applicants): 1 March – 15 July for most master's programmes; 1 March – 1 July for Architecture and REAP master's; 1 March – 15 July for bachelor's. Direct applicants (German qualifications): 1 June – 15 July for most programmes; 1 June – 1 July for Architecture and REAP. Admission results communicated at end of July (bachelor's) and first half of August (master's).

Languages of instruction

Most bachelor's and master's programmes are taught in German. Three programmes are conducted entirely in English: the Master's in Geodesy and Geoinformatics (Hydrography specialisation), the Master's in Resource Efficiency in Architecture and Planning (REAP), and the Master's in Urban Design.

Campuses & locations

HafenCity Campus

Henning-Voscherau-Platz 1, 20457 Hamburg. Opened April 2014, purpose-built in the HafenCity waterfront district. Building awarded HafenCity Gold Standard for sustainability.

Living in Hamburg

Hamburg is Germany's second-largest city and a major port and media hub on the Elbe river. The HCU campus sits in HafenCity, Europe's largest inner-city urban development project, making it a living laboratory for the built-environment disciplines taught at the university. Hamburg has a large international student community, excellent public transport (the HVV SemesterTicket is included in the semester contribution), and a strong job market in architecture, engineering, logistics, and media.

Student life & support

HCU is a small, specialist university, which means a close-knit student community centred on studio-based learning and project work. The HafenCity campus location integrates students directly into one of Europe's most ambitious urban regeneration projects. Scholarships for international students include the DAAD STIBET I programme (min. €400/month for 5–6 months), Hamburg Academic Merit Scholarships (min. €400/month), the DAAD Prize (€1,000), and architecture/urban planning-specific grants such as the Neufert Foundation. The Studierendenwerk Hamburg advises on BAföG and financing. Exchange students participate in an orientation week (OE Woche) at the start of winter semester.

International Office: [email protected] International students page →

Accredited Programmes