Rescue Engineering
Our experience of natural disasters and terror attacks proves that we need professional cooperation and interdisciplinary expertise to respond effectively to emergencies.
Modern emergency response calls for skills across the areas of medicine, safety and rescue technology, and the logistics of major operations.
Responding to emergencies is a sociopolitical task; leaders and specialists in this field therefore need broad, up-to-date knowledge of the associated economic, sociological, psychological and legal issues and managerial competencies alongside their ability to think, take decisions and act in line with good engineering practice.
Your future career
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The multidisciplinary, application-centred qualification with which our graduates leave us provides them with a wealth of career opportunities in management roles across emergency response, major incident and loss management. Graduates might, to name but a few possibilities:
- manage safety procedures at large-scale events
- take on leadership roles in fire departments or other emergency services
- handle logistics and management in cases of major incidents
- deliver expert opinions for health insurers
- develop products and conduct after-sales service for emergency response equipment manufacturers and for biomedical engineering and rescue equipment businesses
- work in specialist journalism and PR
- hold management positions in international aid projects
Course content and structure
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Successful emergency response engineers require high-level, hands-on transdisciplinary competencies. With this in mind, we teach our students key principles in engineering and technology, the sciences, business, economics and sociology alongside providing a comprehensive grounding in all areas of emergency response, including content from training provided to firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
Our curriculum has seven areas, in line with the potential career fields for graduates listed above, and three phases as follows:
- Foundational studies (semesters 1 and 2): Key principles in the sciences
- Specialised studies (semesters 3 and 4): Scientific and engineering applications; business administration
- Advanced specialised studies (semesters 5 and 6): Enhanced exploration of technical, legal and business-related application of competencies in emergency response and hazard control settings
During the internship that takes place in your sixth semester, you’ll gain first-hand experience of engineering-related roles in the field. In your seventh semester, you can specialise by choosing from our range of required electives including operations abroad, disaster management and media and PR work. You’ll complete your degree by writing your Bachelor thesis.
During your course, you’ll have the opportunity to complete stages I and II of a vocational qualification as an occupational safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit). You currently need to complete the sector-specific third stage outside HAW Hamburg.
Your interests and skills
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Success in this degree course requires robust fundamental knowledge of, and a keen interest in, STEM subjects such as physics, maths, chemistry and biology. You’ll do best with us if you can get excited about solving technical challenges and enjoy working in teams. We welcome applicants with experience of volunteering in first aid or volunteer fire brigades.
Interested – but not quite sure yet whether this is the right course for you? Our self-assessment test can help you make up your mind. Take it here:
.Admission requirements
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Higher education entrance qualification
You can apply directly for this course if you hold one of the following qualifications:
- Fachhochschulreife
- Allgemeine Hochschulreife
- Fachgebundene Hochschulreife (subject-specific HE entrance qualification)
- Meister*in (vocational qualification – master tradesperson)
- Fachwirt*in (certified specialist)
Applicants who do not hold a higher education entrance qualification but have completed vocational training (Berufsausbildung) and at least three years of subsequent work experience can apply under Section 38 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act, which sets out special provisions for these applicants (Besonderer Hochschulzugang für Berufstätige).
Find out more at Applying for a Bachelor's degree course / Selection criteria.
Pre-course experience
Students on this course are required to complete 13 weeks of pre-course experience. You don’t need to have completed it before you enrol, but you must have done so by the time you complete your second year of study. We strongly recommend that you fulfil this requirement before you begin the degree course.
International applicants
If you completed your schooling outside Germany and want to study here for a Bachelor’s degree, you need to hold an academic school-leaving qualification which entitles you to admission to higher education; that is, it needs to be comparable to a German Abitur or Fachhochschulreife. The organisation uni assist will check your certificates from school and any degree-level studies to establish comparability. Please note that you are also required to have proof of German at level C1 – for example, in the form of a TestDaF certificate – in order to apply for all Bachelor's degree courses (except Information Engineering).
You can find more information about HAW Hamburg’s application criteria at International applicants.
Application process
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We only accept online applications. Before applying, applicants must register with www.hochschulstart.de. Applications can be submitted between 1 December and 15 January for the following summer semester. This course does not have a winter semester intake.
You can find more information about the application process here: Applying for a Bachelor's degree course. This is also where you can access the online application system during the application period.
More information (in German) about the numerus clausus process and the minimum grades accepted for admission in recent semesters is provided at Applying for a Bachelor's degree course / Selection criteria.
Applications from international applicants should likewise be submitted online during the relevant application period.
We’ve prepared a step-by-step checklist to guide you through the process: International applicants
Questions about selecting a course, applications, admissions and degree courses
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Applications and admissions
Student Admissions and Registration Office (Studierendensekretariat)
Stiftstraße 69, 20099 Hamburg (ground floor)
T +49.40.428 75-9898
studierendensekretariat (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de
Contact us with your questions about applications and admissions
The Information Point is open at the following times:
Monday–Thursday: 10:00 am–1:00 pm
Friday: closed
In-person office hours:
Thursday: 2:00 pm–4:00 pm
Telephone office hours:
Monday and Tuesday: 9:00 am–10:00 am
For general queries about HAW Hamburg degree courses and course choice
Student Counselling Team (Zentrale Studienberatung)
Stiftstraße 69, 1st floor, room 122
20099 Hamburg
T +49 40 42875 9110
Contact form
Office hours
Contact person for applicants with disabilities or chronic health conditions
Meike Butenob/Dieter Röh
Stiftstraße 69, Haus 3, room 37
Tel. +49.40.428 75-7220
inklusion (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de
Contact the department
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Specifically subject-related queries
Student advisor
Professor of pre-clinical emergency response and hazard management
Prof. Dr. Stefan Oppermann
Tel.: +49.40.4 28 75-6269
stefan.oppermann(@)haw-hamburg.de
Professor of pre-clinical emergency response and hazard management
Prof. Dr. Frank Hörmann, MBA
Tel.: +49.40.4 28 75-6279
frank.hoermann(@)haw-hamburg.de
Advice on practical experience:
Prof. Dr. Bernd Kellner
Tel.: +49 40 42875-6220
bernd.kellner(@)haw-hamburg.de
