.png)
How much does University of the Arts Bremen cost for international students?
HfK charges no tuition fees for its Bachelor's, Master's and Diploma programmes; the semester fee is the only charge, and it is the same for German, EU and non-EU students. Fees apply only to non-degree offers: the postgraduate Continuing Education programme in Music costs 1,500 EUR per semester and the Young Students programme 250 EUR per semester. Music applicants pay a 50 EUR fee to take the entrance examination; no application fee is published for Art and Design. Bremen abolished long-term study fees in 2020. HfK does not use uni-assist: international applicants apply directly through the HfK application portal.
The semester contribution is 431.40 EUR for winter 2026/27. Its largest part is the Deutschlandsemesterticket at 226.80 EUR; the rest is 105 EUR for the Studierendenwerk, a 63 EUR administration fee, 34 EUR for the student body and 2.60 EUR for a cultural semester ticket. The State of Bremen plans to lower the Studierendenwerk share from summer 2027 at the earliest, so the amount may change.
| Item | Cost for international students |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's, Master's and Diploma | No tuition fees |
| Continuing Education (Music, postgraduate, non-degree) | 1,500 EUR per semester |
| Application fee, Music | 50 EUR per application |
| Application fee, Art and Design | None published |
| Semester contribution (incl. Deutschlandsemesterticket) | 431.40 EUR per semester |
For your visa you also need proof of funds of 11,904 EUR for the year (2026, Federal Foreign Office), usually in a blocked account.
What are the application deadlines?
| Degree | Intake | Deadline (non-EU) |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Arts (Diploma) | Winter | 15 April (applications from 1 February; in-person entrance exam in May) |
| Integrated Design (Bachelor) | Winter | 30 April (applications from 1 February; entrance exam in June) |
| Integrated Design (Master) | Winter / Summer | 15 May / 11 January |
| Digital Media (Bachelor) | Winter | Usually 1 February to 15 May |
| Digital Media (Master, English-taught) | Winter | 1 April to 31 May |
| Music (Bachelor and Master) | Summer | 1 to 30 November (entrance exams in late January) |
| Music (Bachelor and Master) | Winter | Usually 1 to 31 March, selected majors only – see the deadlines page |
One set of dates applies to all applicants; there is no earlier deadline for non-EU applicants. Every programme requires an artistic entrance examination (portfolio, homework, audition or interview), and the application deadline is the deadline to register for it. In Music, the majors open for each intake change from semester to semester. Proof of good German is required for enrolment in all programmes except the Digital Media Master, which requires English at C1 (TOEFL 95 or IELTS 7).
How many programmes are taught in English?
1 English-taught programme: Digital Media (Master), run jointly with the University of Bremen. HfK students study Media Design and receive a Master of Arts; the University of Bremen track in Media Informatics leads to a Master of Science. Applications open on 1 April and close on 31 May for the winter semester.
All other HfK programmes are taught in German and require proof of good German for enrolment.
About University of the Arts Bremen
University of the Arts Bremen (Hochschule für Künste Bremen, HfK) is a public university of art and music in Bremen, founded in 1873. It had more than 1,000 students from 70 countries in winter semester 2025/26.
It has two faculties: Art and Design, offering Fine Arts, Integrated Design and Digital Media, and Music, offering artistic and artistic-pedagogical training including early music, jazz, composition and historical church music. Art and Design is based at Speicher XI in the Überseestadt and Music at Dechanatstraße in the city centre.
Sources and Maintenance