Starting your studies Starting your studies

Check what documents you will need to submit for registering as a student at HAW Hamburg.

Good to know: You’ll need to submit some documents by post as hard copies. Make sure you keep to the deadline for submission – it’s very soon after you receive your confirmation of admission.

Find out as early as you can about funding options, such as BAföG and opportunities for scholarships. If you want to find a part-time student job, you should start applying now. Check to see if the timetable for your degree course is online, so you can factor it in to your plans.

Good to know: If you are eligible for BAföG, you will start receiving it for each month from the month you submit your application, so make sure you have done this by the month in which you start your degree.

If you don’t have a place to live yet, now’s the time to start looking for an apartment or a room in a shared flat, or to apply for a room in a hall of residence  (Studierendenwohnheim). Try a housing association (Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft) – they can be a good source of a home for a student budget.

Good to know: There’s a shortage of affordable accommodation in Hamburg. Make sure you give yourself enough time to find something!

Complete your registration documents and make sure you submit them before the deadline. You’ll need to pay your semester contribution by the deadline.

Good to know: Ensure you submit all documents required, properly completed, to avoid delays to the registration process

You can refresh and advance your maths, physics, chemistry and/or computer science skills using the viaMINT online learning environment. Once you’ve registered for your degree course, you can log in to viaMINT using your HAW Hamburg account.

How does viaMINT work? Log in on viamint.de (in German only), using either your personal or HAW Hamburg email address, and select your degree course in the "Auswahl einer individuellen Lernoberfläche" dialogue window. You’ll be shown modules with content that is relevant to your course and can work through them.

Some degrees run one- or two-week preliminary courses in subjects such as maths before lectures begin. Why not check if your degree course is one of them? The courses can help you get a great start to your studies.

Make room in your schedule for your welcome and orientation events. They’re important for finding out about your timetable, any groups you may be working in, and who to turn to if you need advice or help. They also represent an opportunity to get to know the campus and the other students on your course.

It’s time to activate your HAW Hamburg online account and set up 2-factor authentication. You’ll need your account for all HAW Hamburg’s online services, such as software and our learning gateway.

Please note: You should use your @haw-hamburg.de email address (in Outlook) to receive official information from HAW Hamburg. You can set up forwarding of all messages to your personal email – this will make sure you don’t miss anything important.

Good to know I: You will soon find everything you need on myHAW - e.g. your student ID, BAföG confirmation, grades and much more. Before you start: Activate your HAW Hamburg account. Then log in to myHAW via the blue ‘SSO access’ tile (no longer with the applicant login at the top right!).

Good to know II: HAW Hamburg provides its students with various tech facilities and resources, including use of Microsoft 365, CoPilot and anti-virus software, wifi, and e-books. Have a look and make use of our resources to help you in your studies.

Make sure that you have an internet-enabled device. At the latest, you’ll find out exactly what tech you need for your degree course in the first few weeks of lectures.

You should also ensure that you have access to HAW Hamburg’s online services and resources, including myHAW, Moodle etc.

Good to know: Eduroam wifi is free of charge and available across all our premises and facilities, and you can also use it at other higher education institutions. You can set it up using the Easyroam app, once you have activated your HAW Hamburg account/Microsoft 365 and set up the SSO login process.

You should now download your student ID and confirmation of Bafög funding – you can do this easily on myHAW, HAW Hamburg’s student services gateway. 

Do you have a disability or a long-term health condition?

We’re here to support you with any challenges you face. Contact HAW Hamburg’s advice services with your questions and support needs, and we’ll do our best to help.

HAW Hamburg’s Family Office can provide support if you need to balance your studies with caring for a child/children or a family member.

If you are able to move to or visit Hamburg before semester starts, take a look at your campus and find out where all the key places are (the library, cafeteria, lecture halls/teaching rooms, etc.). Work out how to get from your accommodation to campus – will you cycle or use public transport, for example?

HAW Hamburg uses the Deutschland Ticket as your semester ticket. You can travel on it from the official beginning of semester – that’s 1 April or 1 October.

Take part in orientation weeks, welcome events and campus tours for your degree course or your campus – they’ll help you settle in.

Good to know I: Try and chat to other students so you can build up a social circle.

Good to know II: From now on, you’ll be getting all the vital information from us via your @haw-hamburg.de email address – so make sure you check it regularly!

Good to know III: Our new students’ support team runs classes for first-semester students delivered by peer tutors – they’re great for helping you find your feet in your course.

Why not follow us on Instagram as we welcome all the new students? We’ve got lots of important info and tips for you as you launch yourself into your studies.

If you couldn’t be in Hamburg in the opening week, make sure you find out key information from other students or contact someone from your course who can help – peer tutors, your academic advisor or course coordinator.

You can apply for your library card online – it’s easy. Once you’ve done that, you can collect it when the HAW Hamburg libraries are open and find out how to borrow books, journals etc. in physical and electronic format.

HAW Hamburg requires all students to complete mandatory online safety training, which gives you important information on action to take in emergencies and other health and safety-related issues. It’s available on Moodle and you complete it on your own.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us using the contact form!