Language skills
What level of German do I need to have?
If you want to study in a degree course that is taught in German and you did not receive your school-leaving certificate in Germany, you need to prove that your German skills are sufficient. HAW Hamburg accepts the following certificates and proof of ability:
- Goethe-Institut C1 certificate
- TestDaF (a minimum score of 16 points, with no less than 4 points in each part of the test)
- telc C1 Hochschule
- DSH2 or DSH3 (German language exam for university entrance) from a German university (DSH1 is not accepted)
- Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD) from the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (second level)
- Kleines or Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom from the Goethe-Institut
- Vocational qualification from Germany
- Certificate of completion of seventh grade at a German school
- Degree in a language-related subject with German as the first language
- Certificate of Studienkolleg completion
- Completion of the preparatory course with a grade of at least 4 in German
You can find more information about the language tests at www.sprachnachweis.de
What level of English do I need to have?
If you want to study in a degree course that is taught in English and English isn't your native language, you need to demonstrate that your English skills are sufficient. Please check the specific requirements on the webpage of the particular degree course.
HAW Hamburg accepts the following certificates and proof of ability:
- TOEFL test
- IELTS
- Cambridge certificates
- Higher education entrance qualification from a school in an English-speaking country
- Proof of at least two years of successful study at a university in an English-speaking country
Other language certificates may also be accepted. Please note that your certificate should not be older than two years. Please check the web page of the degree course you wish to study to find out which certificates are accepted and how many points or what level you are required to have. Most study programmes refer to §7 of our HAWAZO, which refers to a bpb list, which you can view here. Please note that only those countries that have English as their official and/or national language by definition are taken into account.
Note: Even if your degree course is offered in English, you may still need to demonstrate proficiency in basic German in your application. You can find more information on the degree course webpage.
Note about the Toefl test: Please don't have your Toefl certificates sent directly to HAW Hamburg from ETS. You need to include them in your application documents.
