Foreign nationals with a German university entrance qualification are admitted in the same way as German nationals.

German nationals with foreign certificates cannot apply until the certificate has been recognised as a higher education entrance qualification by the:

Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart
Abteilung 7 Schule und Bildung
Postfach 10 36 42
70031 Stuttgart
Telephone +49 711 904-17170
www.rp-stuttgart.de

Foreign applicants with foreign certificates and stateless applicants must first submit a study application to the:

HTWG Konstanz
Studienkolleg
Alfred-Wachtel-Straße 8
78462 Konstanz
Germany
External link opens in a new window:www.studienkolleg.htwg-konstanz.de

The Center for International Students of the Universities of Applied Sciences in Baden-Württemberg (Studienkolleg) will decide whether an assessment test or a German language proficiency test (DSH) must be taken or whether a direct university entrance qualification can be issued.

https://www.htwg-konstanz.de/en/academics/center-for-international-students-konstanz/recognition-of-certificates/procedure

Please allow processing time for the certificate recognition.

After certificate recognition, please also apply via the central application platform External link opens in a new window:www.hochschulstart.de

At HFU, we offer study programmes in both German and English. Our bachelor's programmes last seven semesters, our master's programmes, three semesters. All bachelor's programmes and most master's programmes are free of tuition fees.
However, non-EU citizens taking a full degree in Baden-Württemberg are charged tuition fees of €1500 per semester.
Internal link opens in the same window:More information on tuition fees for non-EU citizens and exemption regulations

There are a number of scholarships that you can apply for. For example, the International Center can award Download file:graduation scholarships as part of the DAAD funding programme STIBET. You can find the Download file:application form here. 

In case of financial emergency, you can also get support from Student Services Freiburg (Studierendenwerk Freiburg), External link opens in a new window:churches and the university's Download file:International Center.

More Information about financial aid and scholarships can be found on our  Internal link opens in the same window:Study Planning page.

If you are interested in completing your entire degree at HFU and want to improve your German skills, we offer HFU Prep, a preparatory semester that allows you to perfect your language skills before starting your actual studies.

Nomination:

If you wish to come to HFU as an exchange student from one of our partner universities, you must be nominated by your home university via email. The nomination deadlines are as follows: 15 October for an exchange semester in the summer semester, and 15 April for an exchange semester in the winter semester.

Application:

For your application, you must prove your language proficiency (German or English, depending on the study programme) - minimum CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) Level B1. You will also need: your transcript, a letter of motivation, a CV, proof of language proficiency, and a passport photo. The application deadlines are 1 November for the summer semester and 1 May for the winter semester.
To our application portal

Course Selection:

The normal workload is 30 ECTS per semester. 1 ECTS equals approximately 30 hours of work per semester (including lectures, preparation, and follow-up). The duration of one weekly contact hour (SWS) is 45 minutes. Guest students at the Furtwangen campus usually take courses from our International Semester - a cross-faculty selection of courses taught in English on the Furtwangen Campus.

If you are studying on the Schwenningen Campus, we recommend the following courses taught in English:

• Download file:HFU Business School.

Some programmes are entirely taught in English. If your German language skills are adequate, you can also attend German lectures. Here you can find all our study programmes. 

If your home university does not have an exchange programme with Furtwangen University and you would like to come to us as a freemover for one or two semesters, please send your application (letter of motivation, transcript and CV) by email to incoming(at)hs-furtwangen.de.

Exchange students are supported by our International Center. You can find the contact persons and their responsibilities further down on this page.

When you study at Furtwangen University, depending on your programme you will study on the campus in Furtwangen, Schwenningen, or Tuttlingen! Information about which campus the programme is held on, can be found in the grey information box on each study programme page.

The academic year at HFU consists of a winter semester and a summer semester. Winter semester lectures start at the beginning of October and run until mid-January. The subsequent exam period lasts until mid-February. Summer semester lectures begin in mid-March and end in late June. The subsequent exam period runs until mid/late July. Lecture-free periods are from mid-February to mid-March and from late July to the end of September. For exchange students and students in English-taught programmes, an orientation program including an intensive German course starts two weeks before lectures begin.

The cost of living in the Furtwangen and Schwenningen region is significantly lower than in large university cities, amounting to around €800 - €900 for accommodation, food, and health insurance. However, to obtain a visa, you must provide proof of a monthly income of €992.

The following examples give you an idea of the costs you should expect: a dorm room on our campuses costs between €280 and €470 per month; a single apartment around €350; lunch in the cafeteria €3.35; a litre of milk about €1.

Before entering Germany, you must apply for a student visa at the appropriate German consulate (this does not apply to citizens of EU and EEA countries). You will need a valid passport, admission from the German university, proof of sufficient financial means, and health insurance. A blocked account with a deposited security amount is required. You can set this up with the Deutsche Bank or through providers such as Expatrio, Fintiba, Coracle. The German consulate can only issue the visa after the responsible immigration authority in Germany has given its approval. Please ensure that your visa is issued for the purpose of studying.

After your arrival, you must register at the local Residence Registration Office ("Einwohnermeldeamt" also known as "Bürgerbüro" or "Bürgeramt") in your place of residence. You should do this in your first week. You will need an ID card or passport (possibly with a visa), a landlord confirmation (known as "Wohnungsgeberbestätigung"), and a completed registration form. After registration, you will receive a certificate of residence, which you will need for example to open a bank account or apply for a residence permit. Whether you have a visa or not, you must register in Germany!

For studying in Germany, you must have health insurance. This insurance obligation lasts until the end of the 14th semester or until the age of 30. Without valid health insurance, you cannot enroll. Students from EU countries can present their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) upon enrollment. Students from non-EU countries must obtain health insurance from a German provider. Click here for information about the External link opens in a new window:statutory health insurance system in Germany. Usually, if you are under 30 and do not have an EHIC, you will choose statutory health insurance. Private health insurance from your home country must be recognised, and you will need a corresponding exemption certificate from a German health insurance company for enrollment. Contacts include Techniker Krankenkasse - TK (Mr. Tobias Hauser, email: tobias.hauser@tk.de) or AOK: www.aok-bw.de/sbh. For the period from your arrival in Germany until the start of the semester, it is best to take out travel insurance (e.g., through Expatrio, Fintiba, Coracle).

Study semester abroad

If you are studying at HFU and would like to study abroad, our International Center (IC) will advise and support you! More information on the IC can be found further down on this page.
Basically, you have two options:

• you apply for an exchange study place at an External link opens in a new window:HFU partner university
• you apply as a "freemover" directly to a non-partner university abroad

General information on higher education systems in other countries can be found in the DAAD country information.

Practical semester and/or thesis abroad

Besides a study semester abroad, you can also do an internship semester abroad to gain international work experience. Almost all of our bachelor's degree programmes include a practical semester as a compulsory internship. Every degree programme has individual regulations for this.

It is also possible to write your thesis abroad – we'll show you which options are available here.

The IC offers HFU students information events on studying abroad every semester. There you can also find out everything about financial support options and funding programmes such as the Foreign BAföG or an ERASMUS+ supplement.

ERASMUS+ is a European Union funding programme. It aims to promote lifelong learning, enable sustainable growth, strengthen social cohesion and European identity and drive innovation. The programme focuses on the topics of inclusion and diversity, digitalisation, political education and sustainability.

Furtwangen University participates in the ERASMUS+ programme and enables students, teaching staff and employees to spend time abroad funded by ERASMUS+ via a broad network of European partner universities.

Scholarships are awarded by the Erasmus Consortium, a central institution of the state of Baden-Württemberg based at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences.

The International Center is the central point of contact for all foreign students and guests of Furtwangen University as well as for students and academics planning a period of time abroad. The International Center is also responsible for the maintenance and further development of international university relations and is the point of contact for all questions relating to the internationalisation of studies, teaching and research.

Team - Responsibilities

Email application is started:Brigitte Minderlein: Head of IC, cooperation, finances, funding programmes, outgoings advice, Erasmus+ Coordinator
Email application is started:Anette Kohler: Deputy Head of IC, Moveon support, outgoings advice, Schwenningen Campus
Email application is started:Ulrike Waldvogel: scholarships, outgoings advice, Furtwangen Campus
Email application is started:Petra Balasta: visiting students, Schwenningen Campus
Email application is started:Julia Hennig: visiting students, Furtwangen Campus, contact for tuition fees for international students
Email application is started:Lucia Schwarz: outgoings advice Schwenningen Campus, nominations, projects
Email application is started:Indra Eckerlin: Academic Service Center, Tuttlingen Campus
Email application is started:HFU-cares-Team: international degree-seeking students

The School of Languages and Cultures (SLC) offers all members of Furtwangen University the opportunity to acquire, improve or deepen their foreign language and intercultural skills.

Over 40 qualified teachers, most of whom are native speakers, teach well over 75 courses per semester to both students and university staff in groups of no more than 23 people. Our aim is to make foreign language teaching modern and innovative by constantly expanding our range of courses and using online modules.

Our School of Languages and Cultures is also a test centre for internationally recognised language tests for German, English and Spanish.

Download file:Flyer School of Languages and Cultures