Current changes to the application process for summer semester 2021 due to the corona pandemic
What are the application deadlines for summer semester 2021?
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For summer semester 2021, the standard application deadline applies:
Summer semester: 1 December–15 January
The deadlines for some degree courses are different. You can find more information on the specific degree course page. Please also note that the application deadlines are the final deadlines. Applications received after these closing dates will not be considered.
What should I do if I haven't received my Bachelor's degree and want to apply for a Master's degree course?
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There has been no change to the existing process because you are permitted to provide proof of your Bachelor's degree up until the end of the first semester of your Master's studies.
When do I have to provide proof of my language skills?
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Applicants who were unable to complete particular German language tests by the application deadline due to the coronavirus situation can submit proof of completion until 1 March 2021. However, the application must include proof of the level attained up until that point.
Applicants who are residents of Mainland China or Iran and who were unable to complete particular English language tests by the application deadline due to the coronavirus situation, either online or where they are located, are required to submit proof of completion by 1 March 2021. However, the application must include proof of the level attained up until that point.
Please note that various providers of English language testing are now offering online tests. For summer semester 2021 we will accept the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and the IELTS Indicator Test.
What do I do if I am unable to provide certified copies of my documents for the preliminary review documentation (VPD) generated by uni assist?
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Due to the current circumstances, HAW Hamburg has switched to an entirely online process with uni assist for summer semester 2021, which means that you do not have to submit certified copies.
If you are admitted, you will be required to submit the certified copies of your certificates to the HAW Hamburg Student Admissions and Registration Office by 1 March 2021. Please note that the preliminary review documentation (VPD) for winter semester 2020/21 or summer semester 2021 is valid for one year only. This means you can use this VPD for the current application process and the subsequent one.
When do I have to submit my Graduate Record Examination (GRE) results for my Master's application?
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The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) can currently be completed online and applicants are required to submit their results by the usual deadline.
Applicants who are residents of Mainland China or Iran and who are unable to submit their GRE results during the application period due to the coronavirus situation, either online or as hard copies, are required to do so by 1 March 2021.
When do I need to submit my certified copies?
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The Hamburg Customer Service Centres provide officially certified copies by appointment. We also accept certified copies from the schools and universities that have issued your certificates, as well as notarised copies.
At the current time, we anticipate that applicants who are residents of Germany will be able to submit certified copies by the deadlines.
Applicants who are residents of other countries can submit their certified copies by 1 March 2021.
When does summer semester 2021 start?
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Summer semester 2021: 1 March 2021–31 August 2021
Lecture period: 22 March 2021–16 July 2021
(Alternative dates for degree courses in the Department of Nursing and Management and the Department of Public Management: 15 March 2021–16 July 2021)
First day of lectures: 15 March 2021 / 22 March 2021
Last day of lectures: 16 July 2021
Your application to HAW Hamburg begins with choosing the right degree. Once you have decided, you can then apply for one degree course.
The application procedures differ depending on the degree (Bachelor or Master) and the course of study. Please refer to your degree course's web page for more information on the exact admission requirements and any differences in the application deadlines. There you can also find out whether admissions take place in the summer or winter semester.
You can obtain information about the application procedure and the formal prerequisites from the Student Admissions and Registration Office.
Application deadlines
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Winter semester: 1 June–15 July
Summer semester: 1 December–15 January
The deadlines for some degree courses are different. You can find more information on the specific degree course page. Please also note that the application deadlines are the final deadlines. Applications received after these closing dates will not be considered.
Typical application process
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Winter semester | Summer semester | |
15 July | 15 January | Application deadline |
From 24 July | From 27 January | HAW Hamburg sends emails to the applicants admitted in the main applications process. |
Mid-August to the beginning of lectures | Mid-February to the beginning of lectures | HAW Hamburg sends emails to the applicants admitted from the waiting list. |
End of August | End of February | HAW Hamburg sends emails to the unsuccessful applicants. |
Until 31 August | Until 28 or 29 February | If you give up your study place, your semester contribution will only be refunded (excluding an administrative fee of €50) when you return any semester documents that have been sent to you and submit a declaration of withdrawal to the Student Admissions and Registration Office by 31 August or 28/29 February. |
myHAW application portal
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The myHAW application and student portal at HAW Hamburg manages the university's application process, degree course organisation, and examinations. In order to apply successfully, you need to register with myHAW and then activate your account.
Depending on the degree course, you may need to take additional steps before registering. You can check whether this is the case on the Bachelor's and Master's application pages or directly with the degree course.
Change in study location or degree course
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What if you've realised that you don't like the subject you're studying, or that it isn't what you expected?
- Are you enrolled at another university and want to switch to HAW Hamburg?
- Do you want to switch degree courses within HAW Hamburg?
In both cases you have to apply again!
Changing degree courses after the first two semesters or for the second time
If you change degree programmes within HAW Hamburg after the start of the third semester or for the second time, you must outline your personal reasons for wanting to change in a separate document in your application.
You didn't pass the exams at your university?
If you are a university student and have failed an exam prescribed by the examination regulations, you cannot continue your studies at a Hamburg university in the same degree course. Nor can you continue your studies in another degree course if the subject matter of the failed exam is also prescribed by the examination regulations for this degree course.
Recognition of previous study credits, placement in a higher semester
If you want to apply for a higher semester when changing degree courses you need a placement certificate, which needs to be submitted with your application. The individual departments are exclusively responsible for assigning credit for previously completed studies or exams. Please contact the advisor for your degree course (under 'Contact department') well in advance of submitting your application.
International students with a study visa
If you are an international student with a study visa and you want to switch degree courses (or possibly universities), you can only do this in the first three semesters without getting into difficulty with the agency responsible for immigration. A change after the third semester is only possible if your previous studies and exams are recognised by the new degree course at the new university and you are placed in a higher semester.
Once you have changed to the new degree course you need to go immediately to your local immigration office to have your 'purpose of stay' changed. The new degree course needs to be entered in your passport, even when your visa is still valid.
Applying for a higher semester
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If you want to apply for a higher semester, you will need a placement certificate from the degree course you are applying to. This is a confirmation that you can be placed in a higher semester and which semester this should be. This is based on the number of credit points that apply towards the desired degree course. You can find more details on the degree course pages. Please submit the placement certificate to the Student Admissions and Registration Office following completion of your online application and before the application deadline.
Visiting students, auditing students and guest auditors
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In addition to those enrolled as students at HAW Hamburg, other individuals can also attend courses at the university.
Information for international applicants
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As an international applicant you need to fulfil additional requirements in order to apply to HAW Hamburg. These include providing proof of your German or English skills on the one hand, and having your school leaving certificate or university degree recognised.
For international students, the allocation of study places also takes place according to particular selection criteria. Up to 10 per cent of the available study places for Bachelor's degrees are reserved for applicants from non-EU states. Applicants from EU states, on the other hand, are treated in the same way as German applicants in the application process.
Information for applicants with a disability or chronic illness, or other hardship-inducing circumstances
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- Prospective students with a disability or chronic illness who are required to take an artistic aptitude test or an entrance examination as stipulated in section 38 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act may be eligible to request that their disability be accommodated in the testing process.
- Applicants with significant health issues can increase their chances of being admitted by submitting a hardship application in accordance with HAW Hamburg's Hardship Policy. This also applies to applicants who are limited to studying in Hamburg for social or financial reasons.
You can find additional information on the Studying with a disability or chronic illness page.
Officially certified copies
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If you require an officially certified copy and are in Hamburg, please contact only:
- The school that issued the transcript
- The customer service centres at the Hamburg District Offices or the Hamburg Ministry of the Interior
- A notary public
If you are in another German state, please contact only:
- The school that issued the transcript
- The municipal or district administrative offices
- A notary public
If you are in another country, please contact only:
- The issuing school/university or the Ministry of Education
- A German embassy or consulate
- The agencies and notary publics authorised to provide officially certified copies in the country
German federal agencies with an official seal are also permitted to provide officially certified copies.
An officially certified copy must include the following:
- A statement declaring that the copy is the same as the original (certification declaration)
- The original signature of the certifying person
- An embossed seal, which usually contains an emblem. A simple stamp will not suffice.
Please note:
Copies certified by health insurance companies or churches will not be accepted. We expressly note that church seals and stamps from lawyers, credit unions, health insurance companies and banks are not officially certified copies in the sense of Section 33 paragraphs 1 and 4 of the Hamburg Administrative Procedures Law or the stipulations of the Federal Administrative Procedures Law.
Binding requirements for an officially certified copy
If the copy consists of several individual pages, it must be proven that each page comes from the same certificate. It is sufficient to include the certification declaration and signature on one page only, provided that all of the pages are stacked, stapled and overlapped in such a way that part of the seal appears on each page. Of course, each page can also be certified. If this is the case, please ensure that your name is listed on each page of the original. If it is not listed on each page it needs to be included in the certification declaration, together with a note about what kind of certificate the document is.
If both the front and the back of a page contain copied material and the content of both sides is relevant, the certification declaration must refer to both sides of the page (e.g. 'This is to certify that both the front and back sides of the copy are identical to the original.') If this is not the case, each side must be certified separately.
If the officially certified copy does not fulfil the above requirements, your higher education entrance qualification, your first university degree or your vocational training/apprenticeship cannot be recognised.