Universität Hamburg

The University Universität Hamburg is the largest institution for research and education in northern Germany. As one of the country’s largest universities, we offer a diverse range of degree programs and excellent research opportunities. The University boasts numerous interdisciplinary projects in a broad range of fields and an extensive partner network of leading regional, national, and international higher education and research institutions. Sustainable Science and Scholarship Universität Hamburg is committed to sustainability.

All our faculties have taken great strides towards sustainability in both research and teaching.

Excellent research

As part of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments, Universität Hamburg has been granted clusters of excellence for 4 core research areas: Advanced Imaging of Matter (photon and nanosciences), Climate, Climatic Change, and Society (CLICCS) (climate research), Understanding Written Artefacts (manuscript research) and Quantum Universe (mathematics, particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology).

An equally important core research area is Infection Research, in which researchers investigate the structure, dynamics, and mechanisms of infection processes to promote the development of new treatment methods and therapies.

Excellent University

Furthermore, alongside 10 universities and 1 university alliance, Universität Hamburg was named a University of Excellence and was deemed a "flagship university."

Outstanding variety: 180-degree programs

Universität Hamburg offers more than 180-degree programs within its eight faculties:

• Faculty of Law Faculty of Business
• Economics and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Medicine Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Mathematics
• Informatics and Natural Sciences
• Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement
• Faculty of Business Administration (Hamburg Business School).

Universität Hamburg is also home to several museums and collections, such as the Herbarium Hamburgense, the Geological-Paleontological Museum, the Loki Schmidt Garden, and the Hamburg Observatory.

History

Universität Hamburg was founded in 1919 by local citizens. Important founding figures include Senator Werner von Melle and the merchant Edmund Siemers. Nobel Prize winners such as the physicists Otto Stern, Wolfgang Pauli, and Isidor Rabi taught and researched at the University. Many other distinguished scholars, such as Ernst Cassirer, Erwin Panofsky, Aby Warburg, William Stern, Agathe Lasch, Magdalene Schoch, Emil Artin, Ralf Dahrendorf, and Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, also worked here.

Application Documents

When applying for a bachelor or state examination program, no paper documents need to be submitted to Universität Hamburg. Paper documents that are sent to the campus center will be disposed of. If your application requires a review of documents, you will be prompted to upload them in the online application form. If you can submit your application without uploading, your application requires no documents!

Requirements for First-Year Students

• Higher education entrance eligibility
• Foreign language proficiency
• Additional program-specific admission requirements

To enter the Federal Republic of Germany, you normally need an entry visa. Make sure you apply for this visa in good time at the German diplomatic mission in your home country. EU nationals and nationals of certain countries (e.g., Australia, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Canada, Liechtenstein, South Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States) do not need a visa to enter Germany.

Visa Information for International Applicants

Universität Hamburg recommends that you apply for a university applicant visa directly after you receive confirmation of your applicant status. This way you can enter Germany in time for the beginning of your studies.

What visa can university applicants use to enter Germany?

As an applicant, you can apply either for the university applicant visa or a student visa to enter Germany. To apply for a student visa, you will need to provide proof that you have been offered a university place (i.e., your acceptance letter). You can apply for a university applicant visa if you have applied to Universität Hamburg and have received confirmation of your application.

Visa Information for International Exchange and Visiting Students

As a rule, you should apply for a visa to enter Germany as soon as you receive written confirmation of your studies from Universität Hamburg (invitation, letter of confirmation).

Important: If possible, apply for a visa for the entire intended duration of your stay in Germany. This is possible if you wish to stay in Germany for a maximum of 12 months. Your visa will then be valid for your entire stay, and you can avoid having to pay for a residency permit in Hamburg.

Universität Hamburg Among Top 10 Leading German Universities

• In the twentieth issue of QS World University Rankings 2024, Universität Hamburg ranked number 10 nationally and 205 internationally. The evaluation covered 1,500 scientific institutions around the world, including 50 in Germany.
• Universität Hamburg ranked 101st internationally for its research network and 7th in Germany.
• Universität Hamburg improved significantly in the category "Employer Reputation," from 465th to 340th. For this, the reputation of Universität Hamburg graduates in the corporate sector was evaluated.
• The QS World University Rankings are published annually and, alongside The Ranking and the Shanghai Ranking, are one of the 3 largest international higher education ranking evaluations.