Demand for highly competent health professionals is increasing within today’s rapidly changing healthcare field. This Master’s degree course seeks to meet that need.
 

• Taught in English and German
• 25 places
• Interdisciplinary and modular courses
• Individual research project in the third semester
• Real-world-centred course
• Application-oriented research in centres of excellence – for example, Competence Center for Health; Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management Research and Transfer Centre; Applied Life Science Technologies and Environmental Research Research and Transfer Centre
• The Department of Health Sciences cooperates with other higher education institutions internationally

This course is primarily directed at:

• Graduates (BSc/BA or Diplom, or equivalent) in subjects from the health, social or human sciences
• Other graduates in health/healthcare with a strong interest in public health, healthcare research, epidemiology and policymaking

This Master of Science in Health Sciences is a two-year consecutive degree course (4 semesters, 120 CP in total) which builds directly on a first degree. It provides participants with the scientific and practical skills to undertake research in the field of health sciences. As an interdisciplinary programme, the course trains students to interact with healthcare researchers and practitioners, policymakers, public administrators, healthcare funders, NGO staff, industry managers and diverse population groups in order to drive informed and evidence-based decision-making and promote equity in health and healthcare. Students gain a comprehensive understanding of research methods and their use in the fields of healthcare, disease prevention and health promotion, as well as experience in empirical, data-based research.

The first two semesters (60 CP) consist of modules conveying skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods: Concepts and Dimensions of Health Sciences and Public Health, Basic Statistics and Basic Epidemiology, Research Methods, Ethics and Epistemology, Digitalisation and Communication in Health Sciences, Diversity in Health, Family and Community Health Research, Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Research Interests, Research and Project Management, Advanced Biostatistics, Health Policy and Health Economics Research, Occupational and Environmental Health Research, Health Promotion and Health Behaviour Research, Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Pandemic Control.

The course’s third semester, devoted entirely to research and training, allows you to apply and practice the competencies acquired. You will be part of a research project conducted either at HAW Hamburg or at another relevant institution and focusing on public health and healthcare. In this way, you will gain practical skills and experience working in a team and will learn how to generate evidence in a real-life research project, which will be supervised by a professor and accompanied by meetings for scientific exchange.

The course culminates in your Master’s thesis, which gives you the opportunity to formulate a meaningful research hypothesis and research question, choose a study design suitable for addressing the problem at hand, run the appropriate analyses in accordance with rigorous scientific standards, and draw upon the findings to make recommendations for practice.

The admission requirements are as follows:

• A first university degree in the field of health sciences providing qualification for professional practice with at least 180 ECTS or an equivalent university degree 
• Diploma supplement/Transcript of records
• Proof of proficiency in English at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference as stipulated in section 7, paragraph 2 of the General Admissions Regulations [HAWAZO])
• For students without a German university entrance qualification, proof of sufficient German language skills at the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (valid certificates)

Lectures are held in English and German. The research semester (third semester) will be undertaken in Germany and therefore requires very good German skills. The Master's thesis can be written in English or German.

Submitting additional documents increases your chances of being selected:

• Proof of additional experience or qualifications – for example, volunteer work in charity organisations working in the paramedics area, care facilities, hospitals or hospices, or certificates in the area of public health
• Letter of motivation

Selection criteria

Places on the course are awarded according to a ranking list. The rankings are determined via the awarding of points in accordance with the following criteria:

• Final grade for the first university degree
• Specialised knowledge in line with the academic objectives of the Master’s course
• A written explanation of why the applicant wishes to attend the course (letter of motivation)

The ranking list is based on the total number of points. If several applicants have the same number of points, the successful applicants will be drawn at random. A selection committee will award places on the basis of the ranking list.

The degree course admits students for the winter semester only. The application period is 1 June to 15 July.

Applications for all Master's courses must be submitted online. The online application system is only activated during the application period. It is not possible to apply outside of this time. You can find more information at Applying for a Master's degree course.

Alternatively, you can contact master-application( (at) )haw-hamburg (dot) de.

Obtaining your VPD (international students):
On behalf of HAW Hamburg, the organisation uni assist will assess whether your school and university certificates qualify you to study at HAW Hamburg. They will issue a document called a VPD (Vorprüfungsdokumentation) with the result and a grade converted to the German system.

Please take the following steps to receive a VPD document from uni assist before you apply to HAW Hamburg: 

• Register and create an account.
• Search ‘Study Offers – Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Hamburg – Master – alle Fächer’.
• Complete your uni assist application, following the procedure outlined.
• Within 4 to 6 weeks, you will receive the result. If it is positive, uni assist will issue you a VPD, which you then include with your application to HAW Hamburg.

Submitting Your Application:

• Complete the application form and upload all the necessary documents to the HAW Hamburg application portal to apply for the degree course.
• If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact master-application( (at) )haw-hamburg (dot) de