Higher education entrance eligibility at the University of Hamburg

If you successfully completed your Abitur at a German school, then you automatically have a general higher education entrance qualification entitling you to apply for all bachelor’s and undergraduate programs at the University of Hamburg. See an overview of all degree programs offered at the University of Hamburg.

Please note that an Abitur obtained at a German school is valid regardless of whether it is from a vocational school (Fachgymnasium or Wirschaftsgymnasium) or a secondary school (Gymnasium), unless the higher education entrance eligibility is subject specific.

According to Section 37 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (Hamburgisches Hochschulgesetz, HmbHG), you also have higher education entrance eligibility if you obtained a Meister (master craftsperson) or Fachwirt (certified specialist) qualification, or completed comparable advanced vocational training.

If you have successfully completed a degree at a German higher education institution or university of applied sciences, you also have general higher education entrance eligibility.

A degree can only be used as general higher education entrance eligibility if the graduation date is before the end of the respective application deadline.

If you passed the intermediate exam (Vorprüfung or Zwischenprüfung) at a German university of applied sciences with an above-average grade (among the top 25% in your class), you have general higher education entrance eligibility and can apply for any program at the University of Hamburg.

Please note: This does not apply to the new bachelor’s degrees offered at universities of applied sciences, as they do not include a Vorprüfung (intermediate examination).

According to Section 38 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (Hamburgisches Hochschulgesetz, HmbHG), you can obtain subject- and university-specific higher education entrance eligibility at the University of Hamburg by passing a placement test, provided you meet certain requirements. 

If you have been enrolled at a German higher education institution for at least one year and successfully completed all coursework in the first two required semesters, you will obtain subject-specific higher education entrance eligibility for that degree program or for a degree program in the same field at another higher education institution in Hamburg.

With this type of higher education entrance eligibility, it is only possible to apply for a higher subject semester of a degree program. An application for the first semester of a degree program is therefore not possible.

The university of applied sciences entrance qualification („Fachhochschulreife“) is only valid for the following two degree programs at the University of Hamburg (the linked information are only available in German):

• Business Engineering B.Sc.
• Socioeconomics B.A.

Note on the university of applied sciences entrance qualification certificate

The following note is important in your final certificate for the university of applied sciences entrance qualification: „Entsprechend der Vereinbarung über den Erwerb einer Fachhochschulreife in beruflichen Bildungsgängen – Beschluss der Kultusministerkonferenz vom 05.06.1998 – berechtigt dieses Zeugnis in allen Ländern der Bundesrepublik Deutschland zum Studium an Fachhochschulen.“

If such a note is missing or if you have acquired the school-based part of the university of applied sciences entrance qualification and the practical part, e.g. through a voluntary social year, you must have your university of applied sciences entrance qualification recognized by the School Information Centre ( Schulinformationszentrum (SIZ)) before applying. Please note that this recognition may take some time. A certificate that only certifies the school-based part of the university of applied sciences entrance qualification does not constitute proof of the university of applied sciences entrance qualification.