HELLO

This page is for all those interested in studying and applying to the design programme at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Faculty III – Department of Design and Media.

You will find everything you need to know about admission procedures, work samples, the proficiency test and time schedules on the page below.

Information regarding study-related and career-guidance events are summarised under Events.

Admission Procedures

The study programme in the Department of Design and Media always begins in the winter semester. All our programmes require proof of particular artistic aptitude. Therefore, if you do not have a general matriculation diploma or an equivalent school-leaving certificate, this is no obstacle and should not prevent you from submitting your application to us. In this case, an adapted application and a high score in the practical entrance test will be your starting point – do not be discouraged.
You should register for the admission procedure on the portal https://aufnahme.f3.hs-hannover.de by 15 March and complete your application form for admission to the artistic entrance procedure online. Please print this form and send it, along with your CV, by post to:

Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Faculty III – Dept. of Design and Media
Expo Plaza 2
30539 Hanover

Once you have printed your application form, click on “continue” to activate the upload portal; you will then be able to upload your samples of work. All further steps are explained in detail on the web page.

Click here for information about the general study requirements for the Department of Design and Media.

Information on foreign educational certificates, Uni Assist and language certificates can be found here. Please direct any questions to: d3-abn@hs-hannover.de

Complete the tasks assigned by each study programme (either a portfolio or a letter of motivation). You will find these tasks on the homepage of each respective programme.

Submit your portfolio or letter of motivation in digital form if possible.

You must print and sign (by hand) your application form for admission to the artistic entrance procedure and your CV and submit them by post no later than 15 March. If you do not complete these steps, your application will be incomplete and will not be considered.

Our study programmes:

Would you like to find out about our faculty and take a look at the life of a design student? Click here to see our ongoing offers and special events.

For the programmes in Interior Design, Product Design, FASHION: concept. design. communication. and Scenography – Costume – Experimental Design, a six-week internship is required as a precondition for admission.

ARBEITSPROBEN

After your application and portfolio or letter of motivation have been considered, you will be informed by post whether you have been invited to take part in the following step in the admission procedure: the on-site proficiency test. If so, your letter of acceptance to the admission procedure will include an at-home assignment that you must complete before the proficiency test. The proficiency test comprises a practical component and the colloquium. In the colloquium, you will have a short introductory conversation with fellow applicants, teachers and students from the study programmes.

A few weeks after the colloquium, you will receive a letter containing the number of points you have achieved in the entrance test. If you pass the entrance test, you can register for a study place by submitting an application for admission to the Service Center – Academic Affairs at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, where you will receive notification of approval or refusal. We recommend that you attend a portfolio and study counselling session for your chosen study programme. This will give you the opportunity to meet your future professors in person; moreover, you will receive honest feedback concerning your work. It is important that you do not submit work from any art lessons. We want you to show your talent and creativity regarding topics that are close to your heart.

Information at a glance:

  • Registration in the admission portal
  • Submission by post of the application for admission to the artistic entrance exam and CV no later than 15 March 2024.
  • Upload your portfolio and/or letter of motivation
  • Complete the at-home assignment and take part in the proficiency test
  • 14/15 May 2024: The proficiency test will take place at the Design Center
  • Application for a study place

What can you expect from the proficiency test?

In order to motivate you, we will now explain what you can expect from us. The proficiency test is more than just a test, it is also about making initial contacts. It will give you the opportunity to meet actual students from our university and ask any questions you may have. This year’s scouts have spared no effort in creating a pleasant atmosphere for this event.

Schedule

In the middle of May, you will meet in the lecture theatre at the Design Center and be given a short introduction to the day’s agenda and what you must consider. You will encounter the scouts for the first time, and they will lead you into the rooms for the respective study programmes and remain available to you as contacts. You will receive your artistic assignments from the professors you will later meet again in the colloquia. After the test portion of the event, your assignments will be evaluated by the examiners. At 5:00 pm, your results will be disclosed.

Agenda

  • Welcoming address in the lecture theatre
  • The scouts will accompany you into the rooms for the respective study programmes
  • Disclosure of the assignment
  • Start of the colloquia
  • Display of results
  • You may pick up your samples of work
  • Barbecue for everyone
  • Announcement of results

Assignments

On the morning of the entrance test, you will be given up to three artistic assignments which you must complete according to the professors’ instructions.

Colloquium

The colloquium is a component of your test. While you are working on your practical-artistic assignments, you will be picked up by a scout in order to meet with approx. three other fellow applicants, three professors and two students. Many applicants worry about this part of the test, but there is no need for concern. We would simply like to get to know you a bit better. The session will take around 15 minutes.

The point system

As listed, the points are awarded from the four criteria of the entrance test: the work samples you have submitted, the at-home assignment, the colloquium and the on-site work sample. The submitted work samples represent the first obstacle and your first opportunity to earn points. The evaluation system is based on the following principle: three professors will award one to three points (or five points in the colloquium) for each stage of the entrance test. Therefore the work samples, the at-home assignment, the assignments completed on the day of the entrance test and the colloquium will yield a chance at 45 possible points. If you earn three points for your work samples, you will be invited to the proficiency test. If you achieve 15 points, you will have passed the entrance procedure.
For proof of extraordinary artistic skill, i.e. for those applicants without a high-school diploma or other form of acceptance for post-secondary study, at least 40 points are required.

Congratulations! You’ve made it!

​You have passed your entrance test and have now finally been accepted to study at the best university in the world. Your introductory week will begin in a few days, and we would like to give you a special welcome. These first four days will be guided by us, the scouts, so you will see some familiar faces. To give you an initial impression of what to expect, we would like to name the main topics:

You will get to know your scouts, make contacts and become acquainted with the building and workshops. Furthermore, you will receive important information for your period of study.

The first semester week of 2024 will take place from 23 – 26 September at the Design Center at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Expo Plaza 2. We will meet at 10:00 am in the atrium.

Programme

  • Official welcome at 10:00 am at the Design Center
  • Welcome address for each study programme
  • Campus tour with the scouts
  • Introduction to the services and workshops

Studying at HsH

Our gallery shows what it is like to study at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

What are the districts of Hanover, and what makes Hanover so great?

Hanover is great for so many reasons. You can get anywhere, including our campus, by bicycle in just a short time. Did you know that Hanover has the most green space in all of Germany? It’s hard to believe when you look at the admittedly rather grey inner city. But even the city centre is transformed into a cosy haven at Christmastime, when several Christmas markets open. Thanks to the Shopping Queen television series, Hanover has also become a wonderful shopping destination, particularly the district of Linden, whose small, unique stores often host the shopping-tour team featured in the series. Try it out for yourself. Hanover is also known for having Europe’s highest density of kiosks. In fact, tours and even cultural events now take place at various kiosks. Your scouts will guide you and other students on your first kiosk tour in the first week of the semester. Hanover’s art, culture, gastronomy and night life are just as diverse as in other cities. The nights are long.

HERRENHAUSEN-STÖCKEN

Tram: 4,5
approx.: 45 minutes

Herrenhausen is a quiet neighbourhood. The Herrenhäuser Market has recently been updated and now offers several shopping facilities such as Edeka, Rossmann and a baker. And let’s not forget the brewery, where the popular Herri is made!
In addition, the fantastic location cannot be ignored: residents are less than five minutes from the Herrenhausen Gardens.
By tram, it takes 10 minutes to reach the city centre. By bike, the path through the Georgengarten is definitely worth a visit.

NORDSTADT

Tram: 4,5,6,11
Bus: 121, 200, 100
Travel time to Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts: 25 minutes with tram line 6.

Nordstadt is another district with many students. It is centrally located, and residents can reach the city centre in just 5-10 minutes by bike. The Georgengarten is nearby as well. As the neighbourhood is teeming with students, there are many pubs, restaurants and cafés.

BOTHFELD-VAHRENHEIDE

Information will follow soon

VAHRENWALD LIST

Information will follow soon

MISBURG ANDERTEN

Information will follow soon

BUCHHOLZ KLEEFELD

Information will follow soon

MITTE

Information will follow soon

LINDEN

Tram: 9, 10, 17
Bus: 200, 120, 700
Travel time to Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts: depending where you board, it takes around 5-10 minutes to reach Steintor or

Kröpke and 25 minutes to get to Expo Plaza with tram line 6.

Most of our students live in Linden; the area buzzes with life. Divided into Linden-Nord, Linden-Süd and Linden-Mitte, the district extends from Schwarzer Bär to the Linden Marketplace to the end of Limmerstrasse, where people like to meet up to enjoy cold outdoor drinks in the summer and visit the many cafés in the wintertime. Linden is a good place to live and is generally affordable, though rents are currently increasing. There are shops, bars and cafés on nearly every corner.

AHLEM-BADENSTEDT DAVENSTEDT

Information will follow soon

SÜDSTADT BULT

Information will follow soon

RICKLINGEN

Information will follow soon

KIRCHRODE BEMERODE WÜLFERODE

Information will follow soon

DÖHREN-WÜLFEL

Information will follow soon

HSH FAK. III

Information will follow soon

LAATZEN

Information will follow soon















“The good thing about a longer tram ride to the university is that I can read a book in peace.” Lea S., 2nd semester

Let’s not kid ourselves: even in Hanover it has now become quite hard to find an apartment or shared flat. A tip: start looking early! As it seems practically impossible to find a place in the popular neighbourhoods, many people are moving to Ahlem or Calenberger Neustadt. These districts are next to Linden, so they are a bit quieter but just as central.

More information:

It’s particularly important for design students to know what projects there are in Hanover, so you can participate and take your first steps. Over the past few years, a growing community has developed that organises great exhibitions, even in unusual locations such as the Ihme-Zentrum. Once-abandoned places are now experiencing a rebirth thanks to the young art scene and have become venues for unconventional concerts, installations and performances. There are no bounds to the creativity here. These events are often initiated by collectives such as Connector. A relatively new spot is the Hafven, a co-working space in Nordstadt where you can and should give your creativity free rein. The SNNTG Festival and the Fuchsbaufestival were also initiated by creative students who bring together Hanoverian art & music & performances & installations. You see, there are many exciting projects and organisations just waiting for your creative contribution! If you decide to come to Hanover, you will become part of a growing, creative art scene that is known internationally. We’ll probably see you soon at the Platzprojekt, where we can talk about new art spaces.

Questions? We can answer them!

Q: I would like to attend the portfolio guidance session, but I’m in the middle of preparing for my school-leaving exams. This means I don’t have much time to devote to creativity or the portfolio I’ve just put together. Is it worth going to the session if my portfolio is incomplete?

A: Yes, the guidance session is always worth attending. Bring a few of your projects with you and see how others have handled and prepared their own portfolios. You will definitely find the feedback helpful and valuable.

Q: Must I provide proof of an internship position with my application documents at the artistic proficiency test on 15 March, or can it be submitted at a later date?

A: You won’t have to show proof of an internship position on 15 March. The application does not actually take place in March. Rather, you are submitting only an application for admission to the artistic entrance test. If you pass the entrance test, you won’t apply for a study place until June/July, when you will submit your application documents and the proof of an internship position.

Q: When will I be notified whether I have been given a study place?

A: You will submit your portfolio no later than 15 March. The entrance test will take place in mid-May. If you achieve a sufficient number of points, you will be offered a study place in June: you must apply for this place by 15 July. After 15 July, you will be notified whether you have been given a study place. However, it may happen that you are not offered a study place right away, but later on in what is known as the waiting-list procedure.

More answers to your questions are available HERE

Questions?