Application Bachelor “Fine Arts”
Below you will find all the important information about the application process for the Bachelor’s degree program in “Fine Arts”: admission requirements, digital submission of the application portfolio, selection process, acceptance of the study place, and enrollment. Please read all the information carefully to ensure that your application is complete and submitted on time.
You can complete the Bachelor’s program in the following areas of specialization: Stage Design, Sculpture, Design, Film, Graphic Art/Photography, Time-Based Media, and Painting/Drawing.
Please note: By the application deadline on March 5, 2026, your questions must be received by us no later than March 3, 2026, so that they can be answered before the application deadline.
Application period + –
February 4 to March 5, 2026, 4 p.m. (deadline)
Applications are only possible for the winter semester.
Requirements for admission + –
Students who demonstrate a special artistic aptitude in an entrance examination in accordance with Section 37 (3) of the Hamburg University Act are entitled to study the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program.
The decision on the existence of the special artistic aptitude is made by an entrance examination commission on the basis of the conception as well as the design and realization ability in the chosen artistic media. The entrance examination committee decides on the basis of the submitted work samples whether the special artistic aptitude is present.
In addition to the special artistic aptitude, proof of sufficient German language skills by international students must be provided.
Submit your digital application portfolio online + –
Please create an applicant account in HISinOne. As soon as you start your application, it will receive an application number to which you can refer if you have any questions. Once you have entered and submitted your application in HISinOne, an upload link will be available in the inbox of your applicant account.
Upload your digital artistic application portfolio with works* from the past two years along with the documents listed below, summarised in one PDF document:
Curriculum vitae in German or English language
A proof of school and if applicable university education**
Proof of sufficient knowledge of the German language***
The file size is limited to 8 GB. It is no longer possible to submit a physical application portfolio. Late, incomplete and/or by e-mail received applications or subsequently submitted documents cannot be considered.
All documents/work uploaded with the digital application portfolio will be considered for your application to the HFBK Hamburg. Links to external platforms will not be considered.
*This can include digitized drawings, paintings, photos, PDF files, videos, films, documentation of performances etc. For the “Film” department, cinematic works of all kinds should be submitted, ideally in full running time, not in the form of trailers. Also welcomed are script drafts, storyboards, photographs, drawings, collages, sketchbooks, or similar examples.
You don’t have to spend any extra money to have your application portfolio professionally digitized. Simply use your smartphone or photo camera to document your work.
**Foreign applicants must submit a copy of a school or university leaving certificate with a certified translation in German or English, unless the original certificate was issued in German or English. If you do not receive your certificate until after the application period, please submit a copy of your semi-annual report. Applicants from China, India and Vietnam are requested to have the translation of their certificates certified the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) of the Cultural Department of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in their country.
***Proof is provided by presenting the certificate of completion of school or university education at a German-speaking institution or by presenting the certificate of one of the language examinations for university attendance recognized by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder). Certificates of participation in German courses in accordance with the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages” up to and including level A2 (approx. 360 teaching hours) at the Goethe-Institut or another language school are also accepted as sufficient proof. In this case, these language skills must be intensified during the first two semesters in an intensive language course. If you are still attending a language course at the time of application and only complete it after the application deadline, please indicate this in your application folder.
Selection procedure + –
At the end of the application period, an entrance examination committee will examine the application folders. The commission is composed of three professors, one member of the intermediate academic staff with voting rights and two students without voting rights.
If the admission committee is not already able to make a clear decision based on the digital portfolio, you may be invited to a short personal interview with your physical application file (application file with the original artistic works). The interviews usually take place from mid to late April.
The commission evaluates the digital application portfolios and decides on admission.
The decision on admission to the program is made by the end of April of the application year at the latest.
Please refrain from making inquiries until then!
You will find all information and decisions in your applicant account in HISinOne.
Your application data will be stored for a maximum of 12 months.
Acceptance of the study place and enrollment + –
After passing the entrance examination, applicants receive admission to the University of Fine Arts Hamburg. Admission is only valid for the following winter semester.
Enrollment is carried out in accordance with the enrollment, part-time, and visiting student regulations of the HFBK Hamburg.
In order to enrol successfully, you must first accept the study place. The deadline for accepting a place will be stated in the letter of admission. To do this, log in to the application portal HISinOne with your access data and go to your application. There you will now find the “Accept place” button. If you are unable to start your degree programme, you also have the option to decline the place here.
Once you have accepted the place, you can enrol online at the start of the enrolment period.
You will be asked for further information and documents relevant to enrolment.
If the place is not taken up, the admission expires and a complete application must be submitted by the next application deadline.
If you do not pass the entrance examination, you can submit a complete application by the next application deadline.
University transfer students/Recognition of academic achievements + –
If you would like to transfer from another university, please apply as a first-year student using the application process described above. Admission is only possible for the first semester.
Study or examination credits already earned in Germany or abroad can be submitted for recognition after admission by June 15 using this form. Once you have been admitted to the program, you can apply for recognition of your (prior) study achievements. Crediting of (previous) academic achievements is only possible upon your application. You can only apply for recognition of academic achievements once for the entire study program: at the beginning of your 1st semester.