The Maternity Protection Act (Mutterschutzgesetz, MuSchG) has applied to students since 1 January 2018. Since then, students have benefited from full maternity protection insofar as the place, time and procedure of a university-related obligation are compulsory or the student is completing an internship as part of the university’s own training (section 1, paragraph 2.8 of the MuSchG).

So a student can claim protection rights under the Maternity Protection Act and for the university to take appropriate protective measures (such as risk assessments), she should notify TUHH of a pregnancy as soon as possible. Please refer to the information sheet prepared by TUHH, which can be found here.

We have provided further information on the topic of “Being pregnant while at university” and the legal basis below:

• Maternity Protection Act
• Information on the topic of “Benefits during pregnancy” is provided by the Studierendenwerk Hamburg.
• The first point of contact for advice at TUHH is the Student Counselling Centre. The BeSI advisory team at the Studierendenwerk Hamburg will also be happy to help.
• During pregnancy, a student has the right to take a leave of absence from her studies. Further information and the application form can be found here.

To ensure that it is still possible to study despite family responsibilities, TUHH offers various options to organise your studies in a family-friendly way. As part of the admission procedure, you can complete a hardship application. You can also take a leave of absence during your studies for the purpose of raising your children. The leave of absence may be longer than the usual one semester's leave that students are permitted. The TUHH’s Student Counselling Centre is there to help you personally plan and organise your studies.

If you are looking for a contact person to discuss how to manage your studies and family life, you are also welcome to contact the TUHH Family Office. The Studierendenwerk Hamburg also provides relevant information.