Hauptstudium (advanced studies)
As a rule, you may transfer to Universität Hamburg to pursue your Hauptstudium (advanced studies) if you have completed the first phase (Grundstudium) of a Diplom, Magister, or State Examination degree program at another higher education institution, and wish to continue your studies in the corresponding program.
This option is only available for these degree programs:
- Dentistry
- Medicine
- Pharmacy
- Protestant Theology.
Hauptstudium—medicine and dentistry
To apply for the Hauptstudium of the medicine or dentistry degree programs, please read the information on applying to the second phase of medicine and dentistry programs (PDF) before you apply.
Application procedure
You must provide proof that you are or were enrolled in the degree program to which you are applying. All online applications must be submitted electronically by 15 July (winter semester) or 15 January (summer semester). Proof of your completed Grundstudium is generally an intermediate examination certificate (e.g., Vordiplom (intermediate examination) or Magister) or a certificate of completed undergraduate studies. If you are applying for the Hauptstudium, you will need to submit proof of your completed Grundstudium by the following deadlines:
- Medicine:
- If you completed your Grundstudium in Germany the proof of your completed Grundstudium has to be submitted upon enrollment.
- If you completed your Grundstudium abroad you have to submit the recognition by the State Examination Office ("Anerkennung durch das Landesprüfungsamt") and graded certificates of achievement to the Faculty of Medicine (UKE) within the application period (see information on applying to the second phase of medicine and dentistry programs (PDF))
- Law: 15 August (winter semester) and 15 February (summer semester)
- Pharmacy and Protestant Theology: with enrollment - for deadlines see application information for higher subject semester and advanced studies (PDF - in German only!) .
Special requirements - Medicine and Dentistry
To apply for the Hauptstudium (advanced studies) of the medicine or dentistry degree programs, please read the information on applying to the second phase of medicine and dentistry programs (PDF) before you apply.
Moreover, the Faculty of Medicine provides a list of frequently asked questions relevant to applicants for the second study phase of the medicine program: https://www.uke.de/studium-lehre/studienentscheidung/medizin/studienbeginn-zweiter-abschnitt-medizin.html.
First stage of studies abroad
If you previously studied abroad and would like to apply for the second part of the degree program in medicine or dentistry, you need to have your prior academic achievements recognized. For medicine, this means equivalent to the first part of the exam, and for dentistry equivalent to the Vorprüfung (intermediate examination).
For medicine, the responsible authority is the state examination office for the healing professions in the state you were born(in Hamburg: www.hamburg.de/landespruefungsamt). If you were not born in the Federal Republic of Germany, the application should be submitted to the local authorities in Düsseldorf:
Bezirksregierung Düsseldorf
Landesprüfungsamt für Medizin, Psychotherapie und Pharmazie
Postfach 30 08 65
40408 Düsseldorf
For dentistry, the examination office of the state in which you first registered for residency (in Hamburg: www.hamburg.de/landespruefungsamt) is responsible. If you reside abroad, the authorities in Thuringia are responsible:
Thüringer Landesverwaltungsamt
Landesprüfungsamt für akademische Heilberufe
Postfach 22 49
99403 Weimar
In addition to proof of recognition from the state examination office, please submit proof of your study abroad so that your grade point average can be converted to the German grading system (see German website for details).
Re-applying for the first semester
If you were enrolled in a hochschulstart.de program (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy) and need to transfer before completing your Grundstudium, you may reapply via hochschulstart.de. You may only apply to hochschulstart.de as a first-time student if you are no longer enrolled on your first degree program when you apply. Please be aware that you will not be admitted to a higher subject semester at Universität Hamburg’s Faculty of Medicine if hochschulstart.de has awarded you a place as a first-time student. This applies even if your academic achievements are recognized.
Special requirements - Pharmacy
You are eligible to apply if you have successfully completed the first part of the pharmaceutical exam or if you have been accepted to take the first part of the pharmaceutical exam for the first time.
You must have been accepted in the current year to take the first part of the pharmaceutical exam for the first time. We assume that any applicant accepted for the first time is currently enrolled in the fourth semester. If you are in your fifth or sixth semester when you apply, and can present proof that you have been accepted for the first time, then you must also submit proof of your first-time status from the proper state examination office or the respective subject advisor from your home university.
To enroll, you do not need to submit proof that you have passed the first part of the pharmaceutical exam if you submit proof that you have been accepted to the first part of the exam; in accordance with Approbation guidelines, you may continue studying without having passed the first part of the pharmaceutical exam.
First stage of studies abroad
If you previously studied abroad and would like to apply for the second part of the exam, you will need to have your prior academic achievements recognized as equivalent to the first part of the pharmaceutical exam.
If you were born in Germany, the examination office responsible for the healing professions in the state in which you were born is the institution responsible.
In all other cases, the Hessian State Office for Health and Care (Hessisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Pflege HLfGP) is responsible.
Re-applying for the first semester
If you are enrolled on a hochschulstart.de program (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy) and need to transfer before completing your Grundstudium due to extenuating circumstances (i.e., serious personal, family, or health issues), you may reapply via hochschulstart.de. hochschulstart.de must recognize your reason as a valid hardship case. Without a hardship application, you may only apply to hochschulstart.de as a first-time student if you are no longer enrolled on your first degree program when you apply. Please be aware that you will not be admitted to a higher subject semester at Universität Hamburg’s Faculty of Medicine if hochschulstart.de has awarded you a place as a first-time student. This applies even if your academic achievements are recognized.
Admission procedure
If admission restrictions apply and the number of applications received exceeds the number of places available, a selection procedure will apply. Available places will be awarded as follows:
- 50% according to the grades achieved to date (Grundstudium results). If applicants have the same grades, the grade point average obtained in the higher education entrance eligibility will be decisive.
- 50% according to the grade point average obtained in the higher education entrance eligibility. If applicants have the same grade point average, the grades obtained to date (Grundstudium results) will be decisive.
Hardship will not be taken into account.
Different selection criteria apply for the medical degree programs. Please see the information on applying to the second phase of medicine and dentistry programs (PDF) for details.
Enrollment procedure
Information about enrollment is provided here: