Allocation of university places

The University Admissions Act (Hochschulzulassungsgesetz, HZG) requires places to be awarded in accordance with the following ratios:

The preliminary allocation (advance quotas) must be as follows:

• 10 % for international applicants (excluding applicants with German qualifications and EU nationals and equivalent prospective students)
• 5 % for designated hardship cases
• 3 % for persons without a regular schooling university entrance qualification
  
• 2 % for top athletes cases

The remaining places for freshmen must be awarded as follows:

• preselection
• 90% to applicants chosen in accordance with the TUHH selection procedure
• 10% to waiting-listed applicants.

Selection in accordance with TUHH selection procedure (including waiting-listed admissions)

Prospective students run through the TUHH's in-house selection procedure, which takes into account the Abitur or university entrance exam grade and the prospective student's application. In general, admission to study at the TUHH will depend on the average grade of your university entrance qualification and your grades in mathematics during the last two years at school. Information can be found here (only in German).

The order of precedence of waiting-listed applications is determined by the number of half-years (defined as the period from April 1 to September 30 of one year and from October 1 to March 31 of the next) that have elapsed in full between the applicant gaining his or her university entrance qualification and the semester for which he or she has applied to study.

(Example: Abitur May 8, 2017, application to study in winter semester 2019/20 = a waiting period of 4 semesters, being the full half-years Oct. 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018, April 1 to Sept. 30, 2018, Oct. 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019, April 1 to Sept. 30, 2019; the winter semester beginning on October 1).

From the total waiting period in half-years semesters in which the applicant was enrolled at another university will be subtracted. A maximum waiting period of 7 half-years is recognized.

Preselection (of applicants doing military, civilian or development service, a voluntary social or ecological year, or caring for a child or another family member)

§ 7 HZG states that applicants in these categories may be given preferential treatment. Applicants who fulfill the requirements are preselected for the number of university places available.

Preselection presupposes that you apply for admission at the next opportunity after the end of your service. Documents required for preselection are a copy of the notification of admission (Zulassungsbescheid) and original documents to prove that you belonged to one of the above-mentioned categories (such as a service certificate).

Advance quota for applicants from abroad (10 % of places)

Persons who are not  EU-nationals (including Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland), not international applicants with a degree from a German school abroad and also not international applicants with a German "Abitur" or equivalent prospective students can gain admission within this quota. A seperate application is not necessary. Please apply only by using the online application procedure.

Advance quota for hardship cases (5 % of places)

A hardship application is a precautionary application for exemption from the general selection criteria. That is why case law imposes strict requirements for recognition of hardship. Hardship criteria may include special social and family circumstances and health considerations of the applicant's that require her or him to take up the specified course of study immediately. The hardship application must be submitted during the online application and by July 15. An incomplete hardship application with, for example, missing documents will not be considered. The special rules for hardship application will give more information (PDF in German).

Advance quota for persons without a regular schooling university entrance qualification (3 % of places)

Persons without a regular university entrance qualification from a school can gain admission within this quota. A seperate application is not necessary. Please apply only by using the online application procedure.

Advance quota for top ranking athletes (2 % of places)

Athletes who are A, B, C or D/C listed at federal level as members of a top-level sports association that is affiliated to the German Olympics Sports Federation who are entitled to train for a discipline catered for by the Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein Olympic Training Center and therefore need to study in Hamburg may qualify to do so via this quota. To do so, apply by July 15 enclosing a letter of confirmation from the Olympic Training Center.

Applicants for a Second Degree Course

Even if you have already completed a (first) degree course at a German university, university of applied science (Fachhochschule), teacher training college, etc., you must still go through the TUHH's in-house selection procedure.

A procedural grade will take the place of the university entrance qualification grade, based half on the first degree grade and half on the university entrance qualification grade.

Please submit (upload during the online application) in every instance

• your university entrance qualification certificate
• your first degree certificate and the transcript of records. If you do not have gained your first degree up to the time of application deadline but you will gain it up to the semester start at TUHH please submit a "Prognosebescheinigung" from your university.
• and the detailed explanation of why you want to study for a second degree.

Special University Entrance Qualification as per § 38 HmbHG

If you have qualified to study at the TUHH by means of an entrance examination, you will be ranked at the advance quota for persons without a regular schooling university entrance qualification. Further details are available here (pdf in German) or from the Admissions Office. Information in general can also be found at this website.