Applying for the study programme Fine Arts (Diploma)

The application process for the Faculty of Design at the HfK takes place during the application period via the application portal. The University of the Arts makes its application portal available to all applicants. 

The HfK maintains email contact with you via your application account during the application process and informs you in a timely manner about dates, processes, necessary documents and tasks.

Your digital portfolio should consist of artistic works (drawings, objects, photographs, films, animations, sound, etc.) that provide an insight into your previous working methods and approach to art. Your desired focus of study should also be reflected in the selection and weighting of your work samples. 

The recommendations for this are:

If possible, these can be summarised in a PDF portfolio with around 20 digital images of art works that you have created yourself. The recommended size of all submitted files is a maximum of 250 MB. Your PDF portfolio should ideally be no larger than 50 MB. Digital images in JPG format should not be larger than 5 MB each if they cannot be combined into a PDF. For example, you can scan your work or take photos with your smartphone or camera and upload them in JPG format. 

For objects, for example, you can try taking photos from different perspectives and supplement them with notes about the materials used. Extracts of sketchbooks can also be submitted digitally and count as one work. Please title your files with your name and the title of the work and attach a list of your submitted works. We are aware that photos or scans do not exactly represent the original. This is taken into account by the examiners.

You don't have to spend any additional money to have a professional digitise your portfolio!

If the length of all submitted time-based, media works is longer than 10 minutes, we also recommend a marked compilation with concise excerpts which does not exceed a total length of 5 minutes. Please upload your moving image works to well-known playback platforms, sharing sites or a server and only send us the link to the work. Don't forget to provide the password if the work is password protected. 

The uploaded works may no longer be changed after the application deadline. This means that the last date on which a file was changed or uploaded to the respective site or server must be before the submission deadline. If this is not the case, the work will not be taken into account in the application. Based on the results of the uploaded work, you will be invited to take the entrance exam. The entrance examination for the Fine Arts course is held at the Bremen University of the Arts, Am Speicher XI 8. 

The examination committee will have a personal conversation with you to supplement and deepen their insights gained from the submitted artistic work. 

If you have passed the entrance exam, you will receive a notification by email and will take part in the allocation process for the available study places. If you receive a rejection letter, it remains to be seen whether the Bremen University of the Arts can allocate you a study place in the follow-up procedure. 

Be patient, we guarantee that no study place will remain vacant.

Application procedure – key information in brief

Department 1, Office for Students, is the central contact address for all questions relating to applications, admissions, studies and examinations. From the study organisation to the application and admission process, enrolment and de-registration, to questions about taking a leave of absence from your studies, information about study and examination regulations/registrations, questions about BAföG as well as guest and secondary students: you will find advice and support here.

Please note that proof of German language skills is a mandatory enrolment requirement. Foreign applicants to study at the University of the Arts must prove that they have a good knowledge of the German language in oral and written communication. Further information about the language certificate can be found below.

• Info for foreign applicants (PDF – German)
• FAQ proof of language skills (PDF – German)
• Application to waive proof of language skills (PDF – German)