Application & Admission
You‘re interested in studying with us, but aren‘t quite sure yet? We hope browsing this section helps you make a decision!
We‘d be delighted to welcome you on our campuses and think that h_da, Darmstadt and the Rhine-Main region have a lot to offer. But see for yourself:
Facts and figures
With 12 departments, over 70 degree programs at the bachelor’s and master’s level, and 16.000+ students, h_da is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Germany. Classes here are practically oriented and our professors and lecturers have at least 5 years of hands-on experience in their field. Most of our professors are linked to regional and international companies so they know exactly which skills are needed in the real world.
In the most recent University Ranking conducted by Wirtschaftswoche, h_da made the top 5 of most-wanted graduates on the job market.
Our key areas of study and research are:
- Engineering Sciences
- Mathematics and Natural Science
- Information Science and Informatics
- Social and Cultural Sciences, Social Work & Economy
- Architecture, Media, and Design
h_da is very attractive internationally and about 20% of our students are international students. This number is much higher than the German average which is about 11% (DAAD/DZHW: Wissenschaft weltoffen 2016, S. 6).
European values
In 2019 an alliance of a total of eight European universities was created of which h_da is a part.This alliance is called “European University of Technology“ (EUt+). In addition to h_da, the following universities are included in the alliance:
- Cyprus Technical University (Cyprus)
- Technical University Cluj Napoca (Romania)
- Technological University Dublin (Ireland)
- Technical University Riga (Latvia)
- Technical University Sofia (Bulgaria)
- Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (Spain)
- Université de Technologie Troyes (France)
The overall idea of the alliance is to “Think Human First“ and the goal is to create networks, strenghten the exchange between these partner universities and create an international campus where European values are the norm and national borders are no longer important.
Semester dates
The winter semester runs from the beginning of September through the end of February, the spring semester lasts from the beginning of March though mid-August (exam periods included). During the months of September and March, our Welcome and Orientation Program as well as our pre-semester German classes for exchange students take place.
Dates of the lecture period (excluding our Welcome and Orientation Program) can be found at h_da.de. We expect exchange students to arrive in Darmstadt/Dieburg at the beginning of September (for winter semesters), and beginning of March (for spring semesters).
Spring 2025 semester:
- start of mandatory Welcome & Orientation Program & (optional) German classes: 4 March 2025
- start of lecture period: 7 April 2025
- end of lecture period: 18 July 2025
- start of exam period: 21 July 2025
Winter 2025/26 semester:
- start of mandatory Welcome & Orientation Program & (optional) German classes: beginning of September
- start of lecture period: 6. Oktober 2025
- end of lecture period: 30. Januar 2026
- start of exam period: 2. Februar 2026
Exam periods
The winter semester runs from beginning of September to the end of February, the spring semester runs from beginning of March to the end of August (exam periods included).
The regular lecture dates (without our Welcome & Orientation Program for exchange students) can be found at h_da.de. Please note that for exchange students like you, the start of the semester is earlier, as you’re expected to take part in our Welcome & Orientation Program:
- beginning of September if you’re coming for the fall/winter semester
- beginning of March if you’re coming for the spring semester
The link above gives you the last day of the lecture period (called “end of the study courses“). After that day, the examination period starts. Here you can see how long the examination periods at the various h_da departments typically last. Please note that there may be slight changes every now and then. Also, if an examination period is rather long, we may find an individual solution for you (especially for project deadlines and term papers).
Department of Architecture
for winter semesters:
The first part of the examination period takes place during 2 weeks after the end of the lecture period; the second part of the examination period takes place in the 5th and 6th week after the end of the examination period.
for spring semesters:
The first part of the examination period takes place 2 to 3 weeks after the end of the lecture period; the second part of the examination period takes place in September.
Department of Media
Animation & Game:
for winter semesters: 3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
for spring semesters: 1 week after the end of the lecture period
Expanded Media:
3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
IMC:
4 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Information Science:
2 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Motion Pictures:
4 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Online Communication/ Online Journalism:
2 weeks after the end of the lecture period (project deadlines may be later than that)
Department of Social Sciences
Applied Social Sciences:
for winter semesters: until the end of February
for spring semesters: until the end of July
Information Law:
3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Business Psychology:
3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Risk Assessment and Sustainability Management (RASUM):
3 weeks after the end of the lecture period
Our Welcome & Orientation program: A whole month!
info sessions • welcome dinner • classes on German language and culture • fun activities in Darmstadt • trips to other cities (Frankfurt am Main, Heidelberg, Marburg)
Start: Beginning of March (for spring semesters), and beginning of September (for winter semesters).
Semester contribution
h_da does not charge any tuition fees. However, every student is required to pay a so-called semester contribution. By paying this contribution, students are granted an official student status in Germany which entitles them to a range of discounts in every-day life (such as tickets for the movies, the theater, the opera and other events). What's more, as a student you receive a so-called semesterticket, i.e. a public transport travel pass you can use in almost any busses, trams and regional trains in all of Germany. Without this student travel pass, using the public transport in Germany would be much more expensive.
Exchange students pay a reduced semester contribution (excluding the part for administrative services). Currently, the amout of the reduced semester contribution is 287 euros per semester (as of January 2024); the amount is raised by a couple of euros every so often.
Semester travel pass
Students in Germany are handed out a so-called semesterticket, i.e. a public transport travel pass, which is not only valid in Darmstadt and Dieburg but in all of Germany. No, this is not a joke: After paying a semester contribution you're entitled to use almost any busses, trams and regional trains in the whole country throughout the better part of your exchange semester for free. This way, you can not only explore the Rhein-Main region (Frankfurt, Mainz, Wiesbaden etc.), but other cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. And since Hessen is so very centrally located, all of these cities are quite easy to reach. How great is that! Please note, though, that you're allowed to use regional trains only (RB, RE, S-Bahn), but no express trains (EC, IC, ICE, Flixtrain) and no coaches (Flixbus). Your Germany-wide semester pass will be valid throughout these periods:
- winter semester: 1 October through 31 March
- spring semester: 1 April through 30 September
For exchange students, the semester starts in March and September - this is when our Welcome & Orientation Program and our German classes take place. For the month of March or September you can either purchase a so-called Deutschland-Ticket (D-Ticket) or a RMV Ticket valid in Darmstadt only as a weekly or monthly tickets at these locations:
- Darmstadt Central Station (address: RMV-Mobilitätszentrale, Am Hauptbahnhof 20a, bus/tram stop: Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof)
- Darmstadt city center (Luisenplatz) (address: HEAG mobilo Kundenzentrum, Luisenplatz 6, bus/tram stop: Luisenplatz)
If you opt for a Deutschland-Ticket (D-Ticket), please note that it is a monthly subscription and that you need to cancel it before the 10th day of a month (otherwise you will automatically be charged for a Deutschland-Ticket in the next month). A D-Ticket for March should be cancelled by 9 March, a D-Ticket for September should be cancelled by 9 September.
You can buy the ticket through the different regional transportation associations (for example, FahrplanerApp, HVV oder RMVgo) or through the Deutsche Bahn app. Some apps require you to have a German addess and differ in the payment methods they offer. Please check which app lets you buy the ticket. Please note: The ticket has to be bought electronically and shown on an app; there are no paper versions of the ticket.
We‘ll be there for you!
We offer
- assistance wth your visa application and other administrative matters
- scholarship opportunities for students from certain partner universities
- an international campus – about 20% of h_da students are international students
- a public transport travel pass valid in busses, trams and regional trains in all of Germany. The world is your oyster!
Application procedure
The steps you need to take to apply at h_da depend on the status of your home university. Your home university is
a partner university of h_da
not a partner university of h_da
Check our interactive world map to find out whether your home university is a partner university of h_da or not.
Your home university is a partner university of h_da
Step 1. Application at your home university:
You have to apply for a spot in our exchange program at your home university. The International Office of your home university will give you details on the selection criteria and application deadlines. If you‘re applying as an Erasmus student, your home university will tell you exactly what to do in order to receive an Erasmus grant.
Step 2. Nomination through your home university:
Once you have been selected by your home university, your home university will nominate you for a stay with us. This means they will send us your name, email address and details on your study program, so we can get in touch with you. The nomination deadlines are 15 April for winter semesters and 15 October for spring semesters (your home university knows about our deadlines, as we are in constant contact)
Step 3. Online application at h_da:
After we receive your nomination, we will get in touch with you and send you a link so you can apply online. This email is typically sent out in mid-April for winter semesters, and mid-October for spring semesters, respectively. Applying online means you will have to fill in an application form and upload certain documents such as a provisional learning agreement, a CV and a language certificate, among others.
Our application deadlines are
- 1 May for winter semesters
- 1 November for spring semesters
We will inform you about whether or not you have been accepted by the department you applied for by the end of June for winter semesters, and the end of December for spring semesters.
Your home university is not a partner university of h_da
We may be able to welcome you, even if your home university is not a partner university of h_da. In that case, you do not have to apply for a spot at your home university, but you need to apply at h_da directly. Just send us an email incoming.int@h-da.de, asking to apply online. Please note, though, that studying with us as a visiting incoming student, or “free-mover student”, you are not entitled to an Erasmus grant (if your home university takes part in the Erasmus program, that is). Also, we cannot offer spots to free-mover students every semester.
Academic qualification
We do not expect a specific GPA or academic score from you. However, we do expect you to have the required academic and/or artistic skills needed for the courses you'd like to take at h_da. We will also check your application for overall consistency, i.e. the classes you select should make sense considering your study program.
Design/Media:
If you apply to the Design or Media Department, we will review your artistic skills in more detail. This is why in order to apply for the Design or Media Department, you're required to hand in a portfolio of your work.
Language requirements
We recommend a B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in English or German (depending on whether you apply for an English-taught or a German-taught program at h_da). For more details on the CEFR, see translation of the CEFR into other languages and the self-evaluation grid available in multiple languages. Here you'll find a rough estimate about the total number of hours typically required to reach the different CEFR levels.
In some cases and for some departments, a B1 level according to the CEFR may be sufficient. Please note, though, that if you have a B1 level, your scores should be closer to a B2 level than to an A2 level.
Many (non-European) language certificates do not categorize your level according to the CEFR. Here's what they correspond to:
- CET (China):
CET-6: sufficient
CET-4: may be considered sufficient* - Cambridge Certificate:
160 (Grade C) or higher: sufficient
140-159: may be considered sufficient* - IELTS:
5.5 or higher: sufficient
4.0-5.0;: may be considered sufficient* - TOEFL iBT:
72 or higher: sufficient
43-71: may be considered sufficient* - TOEFL ITP:
543 or higher: sufficient
460-542: may be considered sufficient* - TOEIC Reading and Listening:
785 or higher: sufficient
550-785: may be considered sufficient* - TOEIC Speaking and Writing:
310 or higher: sufficient
240-308: may be considered sufficient*
*Please note: Your result should be closer to a B2 level than to an A2 level.
Partner privilege
Students from our partner universites are prioritized: You may apply even though your home university and h_da do not have an agreement/contract (you'd be what's called a free-mover student in that case), but please understand that students from our partner universities are prioritized.
More information for you:
You want to know what it's like at h_da? Check out our podcast!
The Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern (Virtual University of Bavaria) offers online classes for free. Check out their program.
Contact
Marina Zielke (she/her) &
Ronja Schneider (she/her)
Incoming exchange students advisors
+49.6151.533-68014
+49.6151.533-60022
incoming.int@h-da.de
Office: C23, 02.10