Just about anybody can apply to HfG. All applicants must submit a portfolio. If you have a higher education entrance qualification (German Abitur or an equivalent) then you need to prove your artistic talent with your portfolio; but if you do not have a higher education entrance qualification your portfolio can still convince us of your outstanding artistic talent. Please note that special rules apply to the School of Design.

More information here.

If you are interested in studying Art/Design, either in the School of Art or in the School of Design, you should definitely visit our student and portfolio advisory service, offered regularly by both departments. Feel free to just come by – you do not need to register in advance. And preferably bring some of your art/design work with you. Due to the current situation, the study and portfolio advisory in both faculties will only take place digitally in the summer semester 2020. 

Please find out in advance exactly which subject area corresponds to your desired course of study. (See box: Where can I study what?)

So you are ready to apply to HfG? For the admission procedure you will need the usual documents (application form, a copy of your last report) plus your portfolio with self-made artistic and creative works. For the department of design there should be 15-30 works, for the department of art at least 30, gladly more.​
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Special rules for the School of Design

With the Department of Design there are two ways that you can qualify for the entrance exam:
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• 1. With a portfolio/folder of your work
• 2. By independently completing a piece of homework within a set time-frame, see here

If, due to the current situation, you are not yet in possession of a diploma (e.g. high school diploma), a copy of the semi-annual report is sufficient.

Once you have submitted your portfolio, if you receive an invitation to the entrance exam this means that you need to present yourself at HfG for an exam with two to three tasks to be completed within a set timeframe. This is normally followed by a personal interview by the admission committee.

If an entrance examination at the HfG is not possible due to the corona pandemic, applicants will be informed about an online version of the entrance examination.

School of Art

The results of the portfolio review (mid-June 2020, the exact dates of the portfolio review will be announced) will be sent out at the end of June 2020. Due to time constraints, emails asking when these will be announced cannot be answered. We ask for your understanding.

Who can apply?

Admission takes place once a year for the winter semester (Deadline 2020: 14 June for the School of Art; 16 June for the School of Design). Admission criteria are: A German Abitur or equivalent and artistic talent. Artistic talent is assessed by a portfolio of works produced by the applicant and an entrance examination. You should therefore check in one of the student and portfolio advisory service whether you fit in with the creative concepts and objectives of HfG.
​Those students with exceptional artistic talent may also be admitted without a higher education entrance qualification. Someone who has successfully completed higher education studies is deemed to have qualifications equal to an Abitur even if they do not possess such a certificate. Similarly, someone who has completed a basic course within technical college studies, a graded course of studies at a university or a comparable part of studies is also deemed to have a subject-specific certificate of aptitude for higher education.​

You can find further information on university admission criteria under: wissenschaft.hessen.de/studium/zugangsvoraussetzungen/hochschulreife

A foreign school education is checked for equivalence to the German Abitur within the framework of the admission procedure.

What has to be submitted for the application (14 June in the School of Art; 16 June in the School of Design​)?

In 2020 the application for studies at the HfG will be exclusively online. 
​The usual documents are required (copies of certificates, application form) and a portfolio with creative-artistic work of the applicant. For School of Design there should be 15-30 works, for School of Art at least 30, gladly more. If, due to the current situation, you are not yet in possession of a diploma (e.g. high school diploma), a copy of the semi-annual report is sufficient.

What is the procedure for the entrance examination?

Generally, the entrance examinations take place at the end of June (Design) and mid-July (Art). Selected applicants are invited to sit the exams on the merit of portfolios submitted. The entrance exam consists of two or three creative tasks each of which is to be realized in one to two hours on site. Afterwards, applicants present their works to an admissions committee. If an entrance examination at HfG is not possible due to the corona pandemic, applicants will be informed about an online version of the entrance examination.

School of Art

For the entrance examination 2020 only digital portfolios can be submitted.

• Drawings, sketchbooks, pencil drawings, paintings, collages, graphics, prints, sculptures, installations, etc. should be photographed, or scanned and structured in the form of a PDF.
• Photographs should be submitted as PDF files.
• Videos, films, documentations of performances, etc. can be uploaded as mp4. Video data must be playable with a VLC player in any case. Youtube or Vimeo links are also possible. Sound data can be submitted as mp3.
• Video and sound data can be supplemented by explanatory and illustrative PDFs.
• An analogue folder can be filmed and submitted as a video. 

School of Design

For the entrance examination 2020 only digital portfolios or homework can be submitted.

• Sketchbooks, drawings, three-dimensional works, etc. should be photographed, or scanned and structured in the form of a PDF.
• Please submit photos, computer graphics and other digital visualizations as PDF files.
• Videos, animations, etc. can be uploaded as mp4. Video data must be playable with a VLC player in any case. Also possible are Youtube or Vimeo links. 
• Videos can be supplemented by explanatory and illustrative PDFs.

An analogue folder can be filmed and submitted as a video. 

Application deadline (for both departments)

In 2020 the application for studies at the HfG will be exclusively online.
2 June, 2020

• In 2020, the application must be uploaded by June 14, 0:00 a.m. for the School of Art and by June 16, 0:00 a.m. for the School of Design.
• Portfolio and application documents can be uploaded via the upload portal on this website (under construction)

All application documentation must have been received by the university via upload portal  by the application deadline (time limit).​

In the departmental study and portfolio advisory service, prospective students are informed and advised jointly by teachers and students. It takes place continuously from mid-October to the beginning of July. Due to the current situation, both faculties offer online study counselling.

Applicants who already have a degree (Bachelor, etc.) have the opportunity to be placed in a higher semester. This varies from case to case and depends on passing the entrance examination and on whether the university from which they come is equivalent.

Under certain circumstances, the practical part of the entrance examination may be waived after the portfolio review. Please submit your portfolio during the application deadline and enclose the completed application form. Please note on the application form that you are a »Überwechsler_in«.

The placement in a higher semester will be decided after the successful completion of the entrance examination or in October after the start of lectures. We strongly recommend you to visit our study and portfolio advisory service.

In the case of foreigners and stateless persons, the foreign university entrance qualification or equivalent foreign educational certificates will be checked by the university during the application process for equivalence with the German university entrance qualification. Please submit your certificates together with the other required documents and your portfolio. By decree the Minister of Science and Art regulates jurisdiction, the principles for concurrence, and procedures for evaluating foreign university entrance qualifications and equivalent foreign educational certificates. In particular the decree can also entail applicants having to attend a preparatory course and undergo an assessment test. As part of the admission procedure, this test can be conducted by the Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG) Offenbach, but only in relation to a course of study there.

In order to be admitted, foreign applicants must prove that they have a sufficient knowledge of German. There are the following possibilities:

School of Art and Design: DSH-2, TestDAF-4, Certificate »telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule«
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The result must be verified by 1 September at the latest. If you cannot prove sufficient German language skills by September 1, you cannot begin your studies in the winter semester of the examination year despite having passed the entrance examination! However, as the successful entrance examination is valid for three years, you can start your studies within this period in each case in the winter semester, as long as you can prove that you have sufficient knowledge of German.

Prospective international students as exchange students

If you are studying at a university abroad and would like to spend one or two semesters at the HfG, please contact the International Office, team.internationales@hfg-offenbach.de.

Take a look at the short filmic portraits and you will get this information first hand. HfG students tell how they came to the HfG, what motivations they had for applying, what drives them; they tell about university life and their plans for the future. To this end, they open their studios and workshops, reflect on their working methods, talk about their ways of finding ideas and present their previous and current works. Each of these films works out individual focal points and depicts different facets of study at the HfG. All episodes together form a mosaic-like overview of the diversity of a course of study at the HfG Offenbach.

APPLICATION
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Do I need to register for the student and portfolio advisory service?
The Student and portfolio advisory service is open to everyone free of charge. Due to the current situation, both departments only offer online study and portfolio advice. Further information are listed here.

Should I submit my portfolio online or by post?
The application for studies at the HfG in 2020 is exclusively online. In 2020, the application must be uploaded by June 14, 0:00 a.m. for the School of Art and by June 16, 0:00 a.m. for the School of Design. Further information here.

What should be included in the application dossier?
For the admission procedure, the usual documents (certificates, application form) as well as a portfolio with self-made artistic and creative work examples are required. For School of Design, the number of works should be 15-30, for School of Art at least 30, gladly more. More information here.

Must I submit originals, or can I send photos of my works?
The application for a study at the HfG in 2020 is exclusively online. If you have any questions regarding the folder design, please visit the student advisory service.

• The exact submission requirements for School of Art are: Drawings, sketchbooks, pencil drawings, paintings, collages, graphics, prints, sculptures, installations etc. should be photographed, or scanned and structured in the form of a PDF. Photographs should be submitted as PDF files. Videos, films, documentations of performances etc. can be uploaded as mp4. Video data must be playable with a VLC player in any case. Youtube or Vimeo links are also possible. Sound data can be submitted as mp3. Video and sound data can be supplemented by explanatory and illustrative PDFs. An analogue folder can be filmed and submitted as a video. 
• The exact submission requirements for School of Design department are: Sketchbooks, drawings, three-dimensional works etc. should be photographed, or scanned and structured and summarized as a PDF. Please submit photos, computer graphics and other digital visualizations as a PDF file. Videos, animations etc. can be uploaded as mp4. Video data must be playable with a VLC player in any case. Youtube or Vimeo links are also possible. Videos can be supplemented by explanatory and illustrative PDFs. An analogue folder can be filmed and submitted as a video. 

Do I submit my documents using Uni Assist?
No. Please upload your documents via the upload portal (under construction) of the HfG. Your documents will be checked at the HfG during the admission procedure.

Must I attend a preparatory program?
Should the review of the documents you submitted and the result of the entrance examination require you to first attend a preparatory program, HfG will register you for the preparatory program in Frankfurt.

Which course on the preparatory program must I attend?
As a rule, you must attend the G-course.

In what form should I send my certificates?
Certificates must be submitted in certified form and officially translated into German or English. Please make sure that the certification is clearly visible on the scan/photo. More information here.

What questions should I answer on my application form?
The application form must be answered in detail, in particular the second page. The answer to the question about your motives depends largely on you as an individual, and your chosen subject, and should provide a general picture of yourself, your experiences to date, and your motives for wishing to study at HfG Offenbach. Should there be insufficient space, please use an additional piece of paper.

LANGUAGE

​In what language are the courses given?
Generally speaking, courses are taught in German. By arrangement, professors can also give practical courses in English. However, all theoretical courses are in German.

What level of German is necessary?
Applicants must supply evidence of DSH-2 or Test DAF-4 or the certificate »telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule« by 1 September at the latest. There will be no enrolment in October 2020 without proof of sufficient language skills. Please make sure that you arrange the appropriate language courses and examinations in good time! If you are unable to provide proof of sufficient German language skills by 1 September, you can begin your studies up to three years later.

Is it necessary to submit the APS certificate?
Yes, Chinese applicants must submit the APS certificate!

Must the application letter be in German?
No, it is not absolutely necessary to write the application in German. Further information​ here​.

DEADLINES

What do I do once I have submitted my portfolio?
Once you have submitted your application, we will view your portfolio and decide whether to invite you to take the entrance exam. We will contact you by email around 4 to 6 weeks after the deadline for submission.

When is the application deadline?
The deadline for applications in 2020 is 14 June for the School of Art Faculty and 16 June for the School of Design.

​When do entrance exams begin?
As a rule, entrance exams take place at the end of June (School of Design) and mid-July (School of Art). Exact dates and more detailed information is given here.

When will I receive confirmation to register for a visa?
Around 4 to 6 weeks after the deadline for submitting portfolios you will receive a confirmation by email on whether you have been invited to take the entrance exam. Should you live outside Europe, you will also be informed by email. Please note that you should make your visa application before you apply, so that the user is granted in time for the entrance exam.

COSTS

What costs are involved?
As currently there are no tuition fees in Hessen, you will only pay a semester fee. In winter semester 2020/21 this will be EUR 268,42. This includes a public transport ticket – allowing you to use buses and local trains free of charge. More detailed information here.

How high are tuition fees?
There are currently no tuition fees charged in Hessen. See above.

STUDY

What are halls of residence like, and can I apply for a place in one as an incoming student?
The halls of residence are managed by the student administration (Studentenwerk) Frankfurt. As only a limited number of places are available it is advisable to apply early. More information is available here.

Is there a Masters course?
No, Offenbach University of Art and Design is currently still offering the equivalent of a BA (Diplom).

Will my Bachelor’s degree be credited?
The Admissions Board, in conjunction with the Review Board, decides whether your Bachelor’s degree will be credited during the admission procedure, or in October after the beginning of lectures. Information here.

What faculties are there?
There are two, the School of Art and the School of Design. Both offer various subject areas.​

• The School of Art offers the following: Stage Design, Communications Design, Art, and Media.
  More information on the School of Art is available here.
• The School of Design offers the following subject areas: Integral Design, Visualisation and Materialisation, Intercultural Design, Furniture Design and Products in Public Space, Technical Products and Product Systems.
  More information on the School of Design is available here.

How can I specialise?
​As soon as you have enrolled in one of the two faculties you can choose your theoretical and practical courses at the beginning of the semester. Naturally, in choosing your courses you influence the focus of your studies. The entire system is kept open so that you can change your specialisation at a later date, but it is advisable to settle on a special area as soon as possible.