Freemover

Application requirements:

• You are studying educational science, teacher training or another educational discipline, or can clearly explain why studying educational science is the right choice for you
• You speak German to at least B2 level
• You have sufficient financial resources to meet any requirements that may arise when applying for a visa

Application documents

To study at the Faculty as a freemover, we first require you to send the following documents by email to international.ew"AT"uni-hamburg.de:

• Curriculum vitae (1–2 pages, in German or English)
• Statement of purpose (1–2 pages, in German or English)
• Certificate of enrolment from your home university for the current semester
• Current transcript of records (in German or English)
• Proof of German language proficiency, minimum level B2

We will then review your documents and contact you regarding the next steps. You will subsequently need to enrol online at the university. We will inform you about the process by email.

Semester dates

The academic year is divided into a winter semester and a summer semester:

• Winter semester: 1 October to 31 March
• Summer semester: 1 April to 30 September

The actual lecture periods differ from the semester dates:

• Winter semester: usually begins in mid-October and the lecture period ends in late January/early February
• Summer semester: usually begins in mid-April and ends in mid-July

You can find the exact semester dates and public holidays on the university’s website.

Application deadlines

Please email us your application documents by the following deadlines:

• Winter semester: 20 May
• Summer semester: 15 September

The online application via STiNE must be submitted by the following dates:

• Winter semester: 15 July
• Summer semester: 15 January

Entry requirements for a study visit

The majority of courses at the Faculty are taught in German. You must therefore provide evidence of German language proficiency at a minimum of level B2. The language proficiency levels are based on the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) developed by the Council of Europe.

Continuing to learn German in Hamburg

As most courses at the Faculty of Education are taught in German, we strongly recommend attending an intensive German language course before the semester begins. The language courses take place in March for the summer semester and in September for the winter semester.

It is also possible to take German courses at the Language Centre during the semester.

We will provide you with information on course selection once your application has been successful!

You can expect the following costs during an exchange at the Faculty of Education:

• Rent – depending on whether you stay in halls of residence or private accommodation, rent can vary between €300 and €900 per month.
• Insurance – Student health insurance (for those aged up to 30) currently costs around €150 per month with German statutory health insurance providers.
• Food – The cost of food varies depending on your needs. We recommend budgeting at least €200–250 per month.
• Semester fee: The semester fee for freemovers is currently €384 per semester. This includes the Deutschlandticket for local public transport in Germany.
• Visa: Please check with the German Embassy in your home country to see if you need a visa for Hamburg. Costs vary.
• Travel costs

You may incur additional costs, depending on your plans for your semester abroad.

Living in student halls of residence

If you would like to live in student halls of residence during your exchange semester in Hamburg, please complete the “Application Form”, which we will be happy to send you.

The rental periods for a room in student halls of residence are fixed for visiting students and must be stated as such on the application form:

• Winter semester: 1 September to 28 February
• Summer semester: 1 March to 31 August

Only fully completed applications submitted by the deadline will be included in a lottery to decide who is allocated a place in the student hall of residence.

As the number of rooms is limited and experience shows that more applications are received than there are places available, this procedure is unfortunately necessary. The monthly rent, including heating, water, electricity, internet connection and service charges, is approximately 300–480 EUR for a furnished single room in the Studierendenwerk’s halls of residence. A deposit (usually equivalent to one month’s rent) must also be paid upon moving in.

The application deadline for hall of residence applications is 1 June for the winter semester and 1 October for the summer semester of each year.

Living outside a hall of residence

If you do not wish to live in halls of residence, you can, of course, look for a flat or a shared flat privately. On request, we will be happy to send you some links and tips. However, we are unable to offer any further assistance with your search for accommodation!

General information

Course listings are always published at the same time of year in our campus management system, STiNE.

• Winter semester: on 1 August
• Summer semester: on 1 February

You are welcome to view the course listings from previous academic years in STiNE in advance. They are publicly accessible.

Once you have been officially accepted by the Internationalisation Office, we will send you detailed information on course selection and invite you to a digital information session before the start of the semester.

Requirements and options for course selection

If you are enrolled at the Faculty of Education, you must take at least three courses from the Faculty of Education’s course catalogue. Each course is worth at least 2 ECTS credits. In addition, you can agree with the lecturers on an assessment to earn additional ECTS credits.

You may also take more than three courses. In doing so, please ensure that the courses do not overlap in terms of timetabling.

Additional options

You also have the option of taking language courses at the Language Centre (from level B1) or general language courses (beginner courses, levels A1–A2) in various languages. For some courses, a course fee of €50–100 is charged, which you would have to pay yourself.

German courses are available free of charge.

Furthermore, there is also the option of taking courses at other faculties. There are certain restrictions in this regard, which we will inform you about at the start of the course selection process.