FAQs on applying for a Bachelor's degree

In a nutshell: Firstly, you must register on the dosv.hochschulstart.de platform. You will receive an applicant ID (BID) and an applicant authentication number (BAN). You then register in the HdM application portal (for new applicants: https://bewerbung.hdm-stuttgart.de/bewerbung; for HdM students: https://selma.hdm-stuttgart.de). Have your BID and BAN from hochschulstart.de ready for the application in the HdM application portal. Complete the application and upload the required documents and applications. If you have any problems, please use the information pages of the platform dosv.hochschulstart.de and the help on the HdM website. Please note that you should not submit your documents and applications by post, but only online via our application portal. Applications for Bachelor's degree programmes submitted by post cannot be considered.

The application process opens around mid-May for a winter semester start and around mid-November for the summer semester.

The application deadline is 15 July for the winter semester and 15 January for the summer semester. By the application deadline, you must have both registered via dosv.hochschulstart.de and uploaded and submitted all your applications, including documents and applications, on the application portal of the Hochschule der Medien.

Information on the admission procedure and the allocation of study places can be found here.

You can apply if you have successfully completed a general higher education entrance qualification, entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences or a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification. Please check whether the following special cases apply to you:

• Information on higher education entrance qualification through vocational qualification
• Information for foreign applicants or German applicants who have obtained their higher education entrance qualification abroad
• Information for second degree applicants

We have compiled all the required documents in a checklist. Please note the information for special cases and programme-specific requirements.

You can only submit your application if you have answered all mandatory questions and uploaded mandatory documents.

Yes, in this special case you may submit your school-leaving certificate after the application deadline (15 July). However, you must upload a confirmation from your school to the HdM upload portal by the deadline or submit the declaration provided in the upload portal. As soon as you have received your certificate, replace this document in the upload portal.

You can submit a provisional certificate from the IHK or HK, which certifies that you have successfully completed your vocational training. You must then submit the final certificate after you have received it.

You can apply for up to three different Bachelor's degree programmes at the Hochschule der Medien. Your applications will be treated independently of each other.

Please note: If you are applying for a second degree programme or for admission to a higher semester, you can only apply for one degree programme

You can apply for admission to a higher semester - but there are a few things you need to bear in mind. You can find more information here.

If you have already completed previous studies or would like to change your degree programme, you must enclose proof of your previous academic achievements with your application. Your old/current university will issue you with this certificate.

If you are currently enrolled in the third or higher semester, you must provide proof of academic counselling. You can contact either the Central Student Advisory Service at the HdM or your chosen degree programme.

Before you enrol on a new degree programme, you must submit proof of exmatriculation from your old degree programme.

The first offers of admission will be sent out via the hochschulstart.de platform within 2–3 weeks of the application deadline. Subsequent places may then be allocated.

If your application is successful and you have received an offer of admission, you can accept your place via hochschulstart.de. Please note: An offer of admission is only valid until you receive a higher-priority offer.
Once you have accepted a place, you will receive the HdM’s letter of admission via hochschulstart.de, containing information on the next steps in the enrolment process. Enrolment is completed with the issue of your student ID card, which will be sent to you by post together with your enrolment certificate and further information.

Please note: The admission letter will specify a specific period for enrolment – do not miss this deadline, otherwise your offer of admission will no longer be valid!

It is not possible to accept an offer of admission and defer your place in order to start your studies in a later semester.

Exception: If you are currently completing a period of service (e.g. FSJ, FÖJ or Federal Voluntary Service) or are on parental leave, you can ‘defer’ an offer of admission on hochschulstart.de. With this deferred offer, you can then apply for admission to the course for the semester following the end of your service.

Your documents will be completely deleted once the application process has been completed.

Application for professionally qualified applicants 1: In addition to the required documents, you must include written proof of a guidance interview at a university (see Section 58(2)(5) of the State Higher Education Act (LHG)).

Please contact the HdM’s Central Student Advisory Service to arrange the mandatory guidance interview.

Application for professionally qualified applicants 2: You may apply for a Bachelor’s degree programme if you have completed at least two years of vocational training relevant to the subject area of your intended degree programme and have, as a rule, three years of relevant professional experience.
In this case, the prerequisite for an application is written proof of a consultation at the Hochschule der Medien, as well as a passed aptitude test at the University of Konstanz (LHG §58 2,6).
Please note: The application to register for the aptitude test must be submitted to the Hochschule der Medien by 1 March of each year.

Further information
:- Statutes of the Hochschule der Medien regarding the aptitude test for professionally qualified applicants (as of 30 January 2015)
- Information on the aptitude test at the University of Konstanz

If you have any questions, please contact the HdM’s Central Student Advisory Service.

An offer of admission remains valid until you receive a higher-priority offer. If this does not happen, the offer remains valid and you have until the end of the coordination phase to accept or decline the offer of admission.

There is no fixed minimum period for which admission offers remain valid. An offer may lose its validity after a few minutes if a higher-priority offer arrives during that time. However, an offer may also remain valid for the entire coordination phase if no higher-priority offer arrives or if the admission offer received is already the highest-priority offer.

Under the new DOSV system on hochschulstart.de, it is not possible to hold more than one valid offer of admission at a time. Only the offer with the highest priority is valid at any one time. Offers with lower priority expire as soon as a higher-priority offer is received.