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 are only possible for the winter semester. The following application steps are required during the application period from February 2, 2021 to March 5, 2021, 4 p.m. (deadline):

Step 1: Online application

Please create an applicant account in CampusNet. As soon as you start your application, it will receive an application number to which you can refer if you have any questions.

Step 2: physical application folder

• Approx. 20 self-made artistic work samples (please submit not only prints but also originals) from the last two years. Of three-dimensional works, please submit only photo prints. All works must be labelled with name and date of creation. The format of the application folder should not exceed DIN A0.
  
• For the major field of study "Painting/Drawing", printed illustrations (DVDs or sticks only for digital works or films) and an appropriate number of original works are required. For applications from abroad, provided that a written explanation is enclosed with the application, original works may be omitted and only photo-prints may be submitted instead.
  
  
• A printout of the online application (in your applicant account in CampusNet -> Application -> Print view -> Strg (Ctrl)+P -> print)
  
  
• Curriculum vitae in German or English language
  
  
• A copy of proof of school or university education; foreign applicants must submit a certified copy of a school or university leaving certificate with a 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. Chinese applicants are requested to have the translation of their certificates certified by the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) of the Cultural Department of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Beijing.
  
  
• A passport photo
  
  
• Proof of sufficient knowledge of the German language.
  (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.)
  
  

Submit the application folder - postal only:

Due to developments, it is not possible to submit the application portfolio in person. Please send us your application portfolio by mail between February 2 and March 5, 2021, no later than 4:00 pm. Please affix your application number clearly visible on the outside of the folder.

All documents must be received by the HFBK Hamburg by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2021 at the latest. Late applications and/or applications received by e-mail or documents submitted subsequently cannot be considered.

Postal address:

Hamburg University of Fine Arts, Lerchenfeld 2, 22081 Hamburg

Urgent recommendation for shipments from abroad: Do not indicate an amount on the customs sticker for "value of shipment" to avoid costs and lengthy formalities!

Step 3: Picking up the application folder

Your application folder can be picked up either personally against presentation of the notification and the waiver of objection or, if picked up by a third party, with a power of attorney and ID card of the person authorized to pick it up on the designated dates.

The dates for the collection of your application file depend on corona-related developments.

You will be notified of the dates for pick-up, as well as the procedure and mandatory hygiene requirements, in a separate email in due course.

Postal delivery of your application portfolio is excluded.

And further:

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

At the end of the application period, an entrance examination committee will examine the application folders. The commission is composed of three professors, two members of the intermediate academic staff with voting rights and two students without voting rights.

The commission evaluates the application folders in categories from A to C. Applicants who are rated A can begin their studies in the following winter semester. Applicants who are graded B have the opportunity to take part in a succession procedure. In those cases in which an evaluation is not possible on the basis of the application file alone, applicants will be invited for an interview. The interviews usually take place from mid to end of April.