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How much does Potsdam University of Applied Sciences cost for international students?
FH Potsdam is a public university in Brandenburg and charges no tuition fees for its regular Bachelor's and Master's programmes. Every student pays a semester contribution.
| Item | Cost for international students |
|---|---|
| Regular Bachelor's and Master's programmes | No tuition fees |
| Semester contribution | 379.68 EUR per semester (80 EUR Studentenwerk + 21.88 EUR student body + 51 EUR enrolment fee + 226.80 EUR Deutschlandsemesterticket) |
| uni-assist VPD (foreign certificates) | 75 EUR |
| Further-education Master's: Archival Science / Social Management | 1,500 EUR / 1,600 EUR per semester |
The further-education Master's programmes are part-time programmes for professionals and are not suitable for a student visa.
No tuition does not mean no proof of funds. For the student visa you still need to show 11,904 EUR for the year, usually in a blocked account, and that money has to be transferred months before the semester starts.
What are the application deadlines?
Applicants with a foreign school-leaving certificate or degree first apply to uni-assist for a preliminary review documentation (VPD), which costs 75 EUR and usually takes four to six weeks. With the VPD, you then apply for your programme directly in FH Potsdam's MyCampus portal. If your VPD will not arrive before the deadline, contact FH Potsdam's application service before the deadline. Deadlines depend on the programme:
| Degree | Intake | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's with restricted admission (e.g. Social Work, Civil Engineering, Communication Design) | Winter | Usually 15 July (some programmes also need registration at hochschulstart.de) |
| Bachelor's with open admission (e.g. Interface Design, Product Design) | Winter | Enrolment period on the programme page (Design programmes: 15 June to 15 July) |
| Design (MA), German or English track | Winter | Aptitude test registration by 15 June; application 15 June to 15 August |
| Design (MA), German or English track | Summer | Aptitude test registration by 15 December; application 15 January to 15 February |
| Sustainable Social Work: Child/hood and Family (MA) | Winter | See the programme page |
| Higher-semester entry / change of university | Winter / summer | 15 July / 15 January |
Check the exact dates for your programme on its FH Potsdam page before applying, and request your VPD early to leave time for the visa.
How many programmes are taught in English?
Almost all programmes at FH Potsdam are taught in German, and international applicants need German at C1 level (e.g. DSH-2, TestDaF TDN 4 or telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule), at the latest by enrolment. FH Potsdam offers English-taught tracks in two Master's programmes, for which no German is required (basic German is recommended):
| Programme | Study format |
|---|---|
| Design (MA), English track with specialisations in interface, communication and product design | On campus; restricted admission with an aptitude test (portfolio and project proposal) |
| Sustainable Social Work: Child/hood and Family (MA), English track | Full-time (4 semesters) or part-time; blended, with weekly attendance days on campus (Thursdays and Fridays) plus block weeks, and online study in between |
For the English tracks you need English at B2, for example TOEFL iBT 75, IELTS 6.0 in every component, Cambridge B2 First with 160 points or PTE Academic 59. Because Sustainable Social Work combines on-campus days with online study, check with FH Potsdam that the full-time format meets the requirements for your student visa.
About Potsdam University of Applied Sciences
Fachhochschule Potsdam (FHP) is a public university of applied sciences in Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, founded in 1991. It had 3,578 students in winter 2025/26 and teaches on one campus in the north of the city.
FHP has five departments: Social and Educational Sciences; City, Building and Culture (architecture, conservation and restoration, arts management); Civil Engineering; Design; and Information Sciences. Its Interface Design programme and the European Media Studies programme, run jointly with the University of Potsdam, are particularly well known.
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