Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe

Admission to the Diploma in Fine Arts and the teacher-education programme is based solely on passing an artistic entrance procedure - there is no grade threshold (Abitur grade is irrelevant) and no NC. Applicants upload digital work samples via the HISinOne online portal; physical portfolios are presented at the oral examination stage only. Approximately 60 new students are admitted per cycle. International applicants must hold a recognised university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung); Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants are subject to the APS certificate requirement before obtaining a German student visa, though the academy's own admission process does not reference APS explicitly - applicants should confirm with the German consulate in their country. Language of instruction is German; no formal German language level is stated on the public site, but functional German is required for studio participation and academic work. The application window for the winter semester 2026/27 ran 31 March - 20 April 2026.

Undergraduate studies (Diploma in Fine Arts, teacher-education track) and the Kontaktstudium continuing education programme: winter semester only. Application window for WS 2026/27 was 31 March - 20 April 2026. The Master/Educator programme and some continuing education tracks may also admit for the summer semester - check the official portal for the specific cycle.

Direct application - uni-assist and hochschulstart are NOT used. Applications for all undergraduate programmes are submitted exclusively through the academy's own HISinOne online application portal (campus.kunstakademie-karlsruhe.de); admission is decided solely by the artistic selection procedure (digital work samples plus oral examination, approx. 60 places per cycle), winter-semester intake only with an application window in early-to-mid April. International applicants must additionally have the equivalence of their foreign higher-education entrance qualification confirmed by the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart BEFORE applying, and prove German proficiency (TestDaF TDN 3 in all four sections, or DSH-1, or Goethe-Zertifikat B2, or a comparable certificate). Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese nationals require the APS certificate for the visa step.

German is the sole language of instruction for all programmes, including for international students. Prospective applicants must have sufficient German proficiency before enrolment.