HAW Hamburg

International applicants must have their foreign qualifications assessed through uni-assist, which issues a preliminary review document (VPD) required for the HAW Hamburg application. Applicants from India, China, and Vietnam must additionally hold an APS certificate, which must be submitted to uni-assist alongside the VPD request. If the foreign school qualification is not directly recognised, applicants may complete a one-year Studienkolleg preparatory course. For non-EU applicants, admission to oversubscribed programmes uses a points system based on GPA, practical experience, language skills, and prior university study (specific programmes such as Information Engineering and Mechanical Engineering have their own criteria). Language certificates are required; specific proficiency levels depend on the programme (German-taught programmes typically require B2 or higher; English-taught programmes require proof of English proficiency). Applicants are advised to begin preparing at least three months before the application deadline, as the uni-assist pre-screening process takes approximately six weeks.

Winter Semester (starting October): applications open 1 June, deadline 15 July. Summer Semester (starting April): applications open 1 December, deadline 15 January. Applications are submitted exclusively via the online portal myHAW. Applications received after the deadline cannot be considered. Some programmes may have individual deadlines - check the specific degree course listing.

VPD via uni-assist - international applicants with foreign qualifications must have their higher education entrance qualification formally evaluated by uni-assist (preliminary review documentation / VPD; APS certificate required from China, India, Vietnam when applying for the VPD, ~6 weeks processing) and then submit their application through HAW Hamburg's own myHAW portal (plus hochschulstart.de registration for DoSV degree courses); non-EU study places are awarded by a points-based selection committee.

The majority of HAW Hamburg's bachelor's and master's programmes are taught in German, requiring German language proficiency (typically B2-C1 level). A growing number of master's programmes and some bachelor's electives are offered in English. The university explicitly waives tuition for international students in most degree courses. German language courses are available for international students through the university's language learning support services.