Application period

Applications for an undergraduate degree programme are again possible from 1 December 2024.

The application deadline for degree programmes in the Faculty of Art is Monday, 17 February 2025, 2 p.m..
The application phase in the Department of Design runs until Tuesday, 11 March 2025, 2 p.m..The entrance examinations will take place digitally and on site in 2025.

Application process

•  1. online registration and upload of application documents and digital portfolio via my.burg-halle.de
• 2. Review of the application portfolios and subsequent feedback from the BURG via my.burg-halle.de
• 3. Entrance examinations & interviews
• 4. Decision on the application with notification by the BURG via the application portal my.burg-halle.de

Important information and documents at a glance

FAQs on applying for the winter semester 2025/26

Information for applicants for an undergraduate degree programme

Information for international applicants for an undergraduate degree programme

Documents for the application

Non-German documents require a certified translation (German or English).

• Statement of intended studies (the document is prepared as a PDF file in the application portal to be filled out and uploaded)
• Curriculum vitae in tabular form
• Proof of higher education entrance qualification
• Applicants without a German higher education entrance qualification (also applies to German-speaking countries): a preliminary examination documentation (VPD) from uni-assist is mandatory (allow at least 4-6 weeks processing time)
• Portfolio (PDF, max. 50 MB)

Portfolio

Requirements: No specific format, content or technique requirements. Your portfolio should reflect your interests, enthusiasm and design skills. You should submit up to 20 pieces of work in the Art department and at least 20 samples of work in the Design department.

Contents could include: Nature studies, sketchbooks, photographs, spatial studies, free works. The compiled sheets should express your interest, your enthusiasm and your eye for the creative realisation of your ideas and observations. Your engagement with topics of the respective field of study does not have to be visible, but can be.

Tips for digital submission: See FAQ for applicants.

Entrance examination

Aim: To determine your artistic and creative aptitude for the chosen degree programme.

Parts of the examination: portfolio review, tests of creative/drawing/design skills, test of study programme-related skills, interview. (see also entrance examination regulations):

Below we have put together a few videos with tips and information on applying to Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle.

General information

In order to start a Bachelor's degree programme at BURG, the following admission criteria must be met:

• The determination of special artistic and creative aptitude for the degree programme. This is determined during the entrance examination (entrance examination regulations). Part of the entrance examination is the submission of a portfolio.
• General higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) or another qualification required for admission to the university (see §27 para. 1ff. HSG LSA). In exceptional cases, this proof may be waived due to outstanding artistic abilities. (Matriculation regulations).
• For international applicants whose higher education entrance qualification was obtained abroad, the following applies: in addition to online registration on the Burg homepage, the submission of ‘pre-examination documentation’ from uni-assist e.V. is required for all applicants, please apply to uni-assist with your certificate documents. https://my.uni-assist.de/

• The association, of which BURG has been a member since 2019, checks the documents and issues a certificate of your higher education entrance qualification (HZB) in Germany. Please submit this preliminary examination documentation (VPD) to us in person on the day of the entrance examination (March) together with the other documents. 

  In the case of a digital entrance examination, please upload the document together with the other required documents to the BURG portal and submit the document you receive to us in any case. 

  Even if you do not have a HZB, you can still apply to the BURG and you can find more information about uni-assist here.

• Sufficient knowledge of the German language must be demonstrated if applicants come from a non-German-speaking country (DSH 2/ TestDaF 4).
• Proof of technical skills and abilities (pre-study internship for design degree programmes, duration 2 to 9 months depending on the degree programme, see tables below)
   

Application process for the Master's degree programme in Art education

1. online registration and upload of application documents and digital portfolio via the application portal.

For the winter semester 2024/25: 23 May - 10 June 2024 (2 p.m. each day)

2. review and evaluation of the application documents. Subsequent feedback by the BURG via the application portal my.burg-halle.de

3. qualified applicants will be invited to an admission interview, which is expected to take place online at the beginning of July. The degree programme will inform you by email about the further process.

4. decision on the application with notification by the BURG via the application portal my.burg-halle.de in the first half of July 2024.

Industrial design

Recommended areas: Wood, metal or plastics processing, graphics, design, model making; craft or commercial apprenticeship with comparable activities can be recognised as a pre-study internship

Industrial design / Product Design/Ceramics and Glass 

Recommended areas: Porcelain manufactories, porcelain studios, ceramic workshops, potteries, ceramic manufactories, porcelain & ceramic manufacturers/factories (here in the area of modelling & production),
Glass workshops and glass manufacturers, glass blowers, equipment manufacturers for laboratory glassware (here in the area of modelling and production), Design studios or agencies in the field of product design

Industrial design / design of playing and learning

Recommended areas: Wood, metal or plastics processing, graphics, design, model making; craft or commercial apprenticeship with comparable activities can be recognised as a pre-study internship. Knowledge and experience in the social or educational field are also advantageous

fashion design

Recommended areas: Sewing, tailoring, crafts - ready-to-wear, costume/theatre workshops or vocational training in the above-mentioned areas

textile design

Recommended areas: Textile printing, paper printing, foil printing, textiles (general), weaving, embroidery, knitting, design studio, room textiles, clothing textiles, technical textiles, home textiles. Recognised as a pre-study internship if you have completed vocational training: Textile draughtsman, technical draughtsman, pattern maker, printer, weaver, hand weaver, knitter, embroiderer, tailor, carpenter, interior decorator

Interior architecture

If you have completed vocational training, this is recognised as a pre-study internship: Cabinet maker, builder and cabinet maker, building craftsman / finishing trades, shop fitter. At least 3 months must be completed at the start of the programme, the rest can be completed during the lecture-free period in the first year of study

communication design

Recommended areas: Communication-orientated companies e.g. publishing house, design office, trend research, advertising or media agency, photo studio etc./ Basic knowledge of photography and computer skills

Multimedia | VR-Design 

Recommended areas: Advertising agency, PR agency, or corresponding department of a company, or completed vocational training in the print or media sector/ basic knowledge of image editing, DTP and web design

Studying at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle is tuition-free. This applies up to the first professionally qualifying degree (Bachelor) and for studies in a subsequent consecutive degree programme (Master), which leads to a further professionally qualifying degree. Studies in the Faculty of Art leading to the Diplom and Staatsexamen degrees are also tuition-free.

Semester fee

The semester fee for the winter semester 2024/25 is 275.40 euros and is made up of the general semester fee (90 euros), the fee for the semester ticket (177.40 euros) and the student body fee (8 euros). The semester fee is paid by direct debit during re-registration. A signed basic direct debit mandate is required for this.

Exemption from payment is possible in the case of a severe disability (semester ticket fee) or a leave of absence (full semester fee).

Semester ticket

Since the 2017/18 winter semester, Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle has offered a semester ticket that is valid for all students and is compulsory. It allows students to use the S-Bahn, train, tram and bus throughout the MDV area around the clock. The student ID card is valid as a ticket.

Information on the semester ticket

Information on the Deutschlandticket can be found here.

For certain courses at BURG, non-matriculated persons can also be admitted as guest students without proof of a university entrance qualification. The respective department decides on the available places in the study programmes based on the workshop and training capacity. Simultaneous enrolment as a student and guest student is not possible. Students may not take part in university examinations and guest studentship cannot be credited towards a subsequent degree programme.

What do I have to do as a guest student?

In order to be accepted as a guest student at the BURG, a separate application must be submitted. Before submitting the application, the lecturer of the respective course must sign the application. The application must be submitted by 30 September at the latest for the winter semester and by 31 March for the summer semester. Guest auditor status ends at the end of the semester without formal de-registration.

Guest lectureship for the third stage of life

In principle, guest lectureships are open to all interested parties and primarily serve the purpose of further education. A high school diploma is not a prerequisite, as a guest student does not aim to obtain a degree. As there are no age restrictions, all interested parties are invited to complete a guest student programme at the BURG.

Guest student programme for refugees

To gain an insight into a German art university, such as the BURG, to deepen your knowledge of the German language or to get a taste of whether the respective degree programme corresponds to your individual interests, a guest student programme is a welcome introduction. Guest studentships at the BURG are free of charge for refugees. If you have any questions or are interested, please contact Teresa Falkenhagen, Phone: +49 (0)345 7751-533, ed.ellah-grub@negahneklaf

Fees and costs

In accordance with the fee regulations of Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle, the following fees are charged for one semester as a guest student: 50 euros for participation in theory courses and 250 euros per semester for all other courses and forms of teaching.

Would you like to know more about Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle and studying at BURG? No problem! Here is a list of dates and events where you can get to know the university:

• Burg Summerschool
  
  ... the four-day summer school of Burg Giebichenstien Kunsthochschule Halle for prospective students.
  
  Next date: 24 to 27 September 2024
• Portfolio counselling
  
  ... is offered four times a year in the afternoon.
• The study information day at the BURG 
  
  ... gives students the opportunity once a year to be guided through the workshops and receive advice from teaching staff about studying at the BURG.
  
  Next date: 9 January 2025 (Further information can be found here.)
• Annual exhibition of the BURG 
  
  … this weekend in midsummer is always the best time to visit the BURG. Every year, the students present the findings and results of their creative work. All studios are open and all questions about studying are answered at the information stands for prospective students.
  
  Next date: 12 and 13 July 2025
• BURG Homerun 
  
  ... brings the students of our art academy to your grammar school or secondary school. The students will present all the degree programmes in art and design, show their own projects and answer any questions pupils may have about their studies.
  
  If you as a teacher are interested in a presentation, please contact the Study Information Centre at any time: ed.ellah-grub@ofniduts
• The BURG sketchbook 
  
  … can be used for doodling and recording. Equipped with key data and impressions of studying art and design at the BURG, we are also happy to send you the sketchbook in return for postage.
• BURG Buddy Day 
  
  ... takes place once per semester. Here you can be introduced to the degree programmes of your choice. Students present their degree programmes and can answer your individual questions. Portfolio counselling is also possible. 
  
  Next date: Date to follow
• The special lectures at the Jour Fixe 
  
  ... on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. have become a permanent fixture in everyday university life during the semester. Internal and external speakers present projects, theses and points of view on a wide variety of topics. Afterwards, discussions continue over snacks in Café Konsum. The event is open to the public - prospective students are welcome!

General regulations

• Basic Regulations Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle;
  1st Amendment Statutes to the Basic Regulations of BURG
• Entrance examination regulations
• Matriculation regulations
• Fee regulations of the Studentenwerk Halle; 
  Basic regulations of the Studentenwerk Halle
• Guidelines for protection against discrimination
• Evaluation regulations
• Doctoral degree regulations

study and examination regulations

• Study and Examination Regulations for Diplom courses in the Faculty of Art
• Examination Regulations Art Education; Study Regulations Art Education
• Master's examination, entrance examination and study regulations for art studies programmes
• Study regulations for postgraduate art programmes and master's degree programmes

Applications

• Application for admission to change university
  Leaflet Admission Change of University
• Application for postgraduate studies in art
  Information sheet postgraduate studies in art
• Application for guest student status
• Application for second student status
• Application for acceptance as a doctoral candidate in the Department of Art
• Application for admission to the doctoral programme in the Department of Art

If you change universities before completing your second year of study, you will generally have to take the entrance examination.

Anyone who has completed the intermediate examination or 120 CP in a comparable degree programme at a German art academy or university can apply to the examination board of the respective degree programme for degree programmes in the Design department. The examination board reviews the documents received and invites candidates who appear suitable to an interview

Components of the application

• A portfolio showing previous coursework. Maximum A4 format, no digital media (exception: applications for the MM|VR Design study course)
• Transcript or extract of grades for the coursework completed to date, if possible with the corresponding module descriptions
• Letter of motivation of no more than one page explaining why you wish to continue your studies at BURG