The general Hochschulreife (higher education entrance qualification, in Germany: Abitur) or an equal preparatory qualification recognised by the agency responsible is required to be admitted to the Bachelor study programme »Fine Arts« with the degree title Bachelor of Fine Arts. Applicants without the general Hochschulreife showing outstanding artistic ability may also be admitted.

A selection commission will assess the presence of exceptional artistic ability by examining an application portfolio submitted by the applicant (for those who have completed the Abitur, e.g. high school graduates) or outstanding artistic ability (for applicants who have not completed the Abitur or other university entrance qualifications).

Applications may only be made for the winter semester of an academic year, usually beginning in October. To apply, please pursue the following steps during the limited application periods mentioned below. 
 

Step 1: Online Application

From 5th February to 5th March, 2019: Please create your applicant account on CampusNet »
As soon as you initiate the application process, you will be given a tracking number to refer to. Please attach your tracking number on the outside of your portfolio.
 

Step 2: Portfolio Submission

The following documents are to be submitted by international applicants: 

1. A portfolio of artistic work completed by the applicant during the past 2 years. The portfolio should contain about 20 works. Please do not send any 3D works (send photoprints or a DVD instead). The portfolio should not exceed the size of DIN A 0 (84 x 119 cm). All work must be signed and dated.
   For the department »Film« should be submitted film work of all types completed during the past two years as DVD video. For longer films, compilations of extracts are acceptable. Draft scripts, storyboards, photographs, drawings, collages, sketchbooks or anything else that clearly shows the working style of applicants should also be submitted.

   For the department »Painting/Drawing« are required a printed out portfolio (CD or USD sticks for digital works or films only) and a certain number of original works. Application portfolios submitted from abroad may contain photo-prints only in the place of original artworks, provided that a written explanation is submitted along with the application portfolio.

2. The printed-out online application

3. Curriculum vitae in English or German language

4. Certified copy of the necessary qualification (school graduation certificate, diploma etc.) and an accredited translation into German or English.

   Chinese applicants are requested to have the translation approved by the academic examinations office of the cultural affairs department at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Peking (APS).

5. A portrait photo

6. Proof of proficiency in the German language by either

   • the German Abitur (university qualification certificate); or

   • attendance at a German school abroad; or

   • attendance at a German-speaking University; or

   • the applicants must provide evidence of having participated in a German language course in compliance with Common European Framework of Reference for Languages incl. grade A2 (approx. 360 study hours) at the Goethe-Institute or another officially accredited language school. If, at the time of making your application, you are still in the process of completing a language course which you will not complete before the ending of the application period, please include this information in your application portfolio.

     During the first two semesters, existing knowledge of the German language must be intensified within the framework of a rigorous language course and a certificate testifying to successful participation must be submitted to the Service Office. For the successful participation in this language course, the students will be awarded with credits for modules in the »Academic Studies«. 

Please write your tracking number on the outside of your portfolio.

The application portfolio must reach the HFBK by 16.00 h on 5th March 2019 at the latest. If you submit your portfolio by mail, please send it not earlier than on the 1st February, 2019. We cannot consider applications submitted late and/or by email, or documents submitted at a later stage.

Address: 
Hochschule für bildende Künste
Lerchenfeld 2
22081 Hamburg, GERMANY 

For portfolios sent from foreign countries: Please claim »no commercial value« on the customs sticker in order to avoid delay!

The receipt of your portfolio at HFBK will be indicated in your CampusNet account.

Personal submission 
On 1st, 4th and 5th of March, 2019, application portfolios can be dropped off personally. They will be accepted between 9.30 and 12.00 and between 13.30 and 16.00 h.

The address is HFBK Hamburg, Wartenau 15. The rooms for submission will be indicated by signs during this period. We would like to point out that applicants should expect to wait a long time, especially on the final day.
 

Step 3: Pick-up of Portfolios

As soon as you have received your selection results in your CampusNet account, please pick up your portfolio at the HFBK Hamburg (please bring the notification of acceptance or rejection) together with the Waiver of Right of ojection.

Pick-up dates:
The exact pick-up dates will be published here soon.
Opening hours: 9.30 to 18.00 h
Venue: HFBK Hamburg, Wartenau 15, 22089 Hamburg

Portfolios that have not been picked up by the last date will be deleted.

If you send any other person to pick up your portfolio, they must bring a written mandate and their identity card.

Application portfolios will not be sent back by mail!
 

And on:

You will find your notification of acceptance or rejection in your CampusNet account by the end of April at the latest.

Your data will be stored for a maximum of 12 months.

After the end of the application period, an entrance examination commission will assess the application portfolios. The commission consists of 3 faculty professors and 2 members of the academic staff with voting rights, and 2 students without the right to vote.

The commission grades the application portfolios into categories: A to E. Applicants who are assigned an A or B can begin their studies in the following winter semester. Applicants who are assigned a C or D have the option of taking part in a clearing procedure. In such cases, when an evaluation by the contents of the portfolio alone is not possible, applicants will be invited to attend an interview. Interviews will generally take place in the second half of April.

Clearing procedure

If students who have been offered a study place do not take it, the HFBK offers a clearing procedure. Students whose portfolios were graded C by the selection commission will be the first to be considered. If more portfolios have been graded C than there are places available, lots will be drawn.