Studying at Universität Hamburg with the IB

Applicants with a non-German school qualification usually need recognition of their foreign educational documents, which can be requested free of charge in the university's application portal within the application deadlines. Applications are made online via the application portal, with no paper documents. Foreign nationals are assigned to one of two groups. The German and EU quota is selected by school-leaving grade (NC). The non-EU quota is selected via a bonus points system in which the foreign qualification grade, converted to the German system, is turned into a point value.

• Applicants who are admitted must prove sufficient German within the enrolment deadline; submitting the proof after the deadline is not possible.
• Proof of sufficient German is an admission requirement.
• German proof is not required if the applicant has already studied successfully for at least 1 year in a degree programme of the same subject area at a German university.
• German proof is not required if the university entrance qualification was obtained in Germany or at a German-language institution.
• German proof is not required for applicants with a first degree from a German-language university.
• Some subjects require additional foreign-language skills; basic English is described as helpful for all subjects.

• Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy use somewhat different criteria for equal treatment with German applicants (details are on hochschulstart.de).

• The university's admissions pages do not mention the IB Diploma explicitly.
• In the non-EU quota, applicants can gain bonus points through very good language skills or subject-specific preparation for study at the university.
• Admission is an offer to study; enrolment usually has a deadline of 7 days, and documents confirming the application details must be uploaded at enrolment, along with proof of adequate health insurance.
• Applicants with an EU/EEA nationality, a family member with such nationality, stateless status, or a German university entrance qualification fall into the German/EU quota; all others fall into the non-EU quota.
• The university offers group advice sessions on recognition of certificates and application, online consultation hours, and individual appointments for international applicants.