Hochschule Anhalt

About Hochschule Anhalt

Hochschule Anhalt is an independently constituted public university of applied sciences in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Its official legal notice identifies it as a public-law corporation under the supervision of the state ministry responsible for higher education. The institution was founded in 1991 as Fachhochschule Anhalt and adopted its present applied-sciences identity in 1998. The university operates as one institution across Köthen, Bernburg, and Dessau rather than as three separate universities. Köthen contains the principal administrative address and has a strong engineering and technical orientation. Bernburg brings together natural and life sciences with economics and related fields. Dessau draws on the city's design and architectural setting, including its association with the Bauhaus, for study in architecture, design, construction, and geoinformation. This distributed structure is important when choosing a program. Teaching, specialist facilities, advising, housing searches, and daily student life are generally centered on the campus assigned to the degree. Prospective students should therefore evaluate the program and its location together rather than assuming they can move freely among campuses. The official 2026 study portal lists 33 bachelor's and 40 master's programs, including full-time, dual, part-time, and continuing-education formats. The institution remains active, with enrollment procedures and an academic calendar published for winter semester 2026/27 and summer semester 2027.

Bachelor's applicants need a recognized higher-education entrance qualification equivalent to an applicable German university entrance credential. Master's applicants need a recognized first academic degree, with subject background and any grade or credit requirements set by the individual program. Certain continuing-education courses require professional experience, while dual-study options require a contract with a relevant company. Applicants without a conventional entrance qualification may have a route through a program-specific assessment procedure if they meet the stated vocational-training and professional-experience conditions. The application route depends on the applicant's qualifications. Applicants with German entrance credentials generally use the university's SSC portal. Applicants holding foreign educational qualifications generally apply through uni-assist, subject to stated exceptions such as certain Studienkolleg or official credential-evaluation cases. Applications and enrollment are paperless; documents are uploaded online. Typical materials include the qualifying school credential or first degree, curriculum vitae, identification, language evidence, and any program-specific documents. There is no safe university-wide application deadline to apply to every course. The current application page directs candidates to the individual program page for its application period, and some programs use different calendars or selection procedures. The university's 2025 enrollment regulations give general deadlines of 15 September for winter entry and 15 March for summer entry, but course-specific deadlines can be earlier and remain controlling. For winter 2026/27, admitted students generally complete enrollment from 15 July through 30 September; the stated summer enrollment period is 15 January through 31 March. Applicants should verify teaching language and required scores on the chosen course page. German-taught programs normally require recognized advanced German evidence. English-taught programs accept several test types, but no single institution-wide minimum score is published on the general admissions page.

Hochschule Anhalt awards bachelor's and master's degrees across engineering, computing, natural and life sciences, business, agriculture, architecture, design, surveying, and related applied fields. The academic mix varies by location: Köthen concentrates much of the engineering and technology provision; Bernburg combines agriculture, natural sciences, food-related subjects, and business; Dessau is prominent in architecture, design, construction, and geoinformation. The university's applied-sciences mission emphasizes practical and professionally relevant learning. Depending on the program, this may include laboratory work, design studios, projects, internships, collaboration with practice partners, or a dual-study arrangement. Dual options require an appropriate contract with a company for the duration specified by the course. Continuing-education and part-time programs may require professional experience and can follow different fee structures from regular full-time study. Language must be checked at program level. The university states that its bachelor's programs are taught in German except for the B.A. International Business. It also offers several English-taught master's programs, while other master's degrees require German. Applicants to German-taught programs normally need an accepted German qualification such as DSH-2, TestDaF level 4 in every component, or an accepted equivalent. English-taught courses accept evidence such as IELTS, TOEFL, TELC, PTE, or a comparable certificate, but the required score is determined by the particular program. The breadth of the catalog should not obscure program-specific differences. Entry background, required prior coursework, professional experience, aptitude procedures, start semester, application window, and campus can all vary. The individual degree page and applicable study regulations should be treated as the controlling sources.

Key Highlights

• Public university of applied sciences founded in 1991
• One institution operating across Köthen, Bernburg, and Dessau
• Official 2026 study portal lists 33 bachelor's and 40 master's programs
• Köthen is the university's principal administrative address

Student Life & Environment

Student life is distributed among three relatively distinct campus communities. Students normally organize their housing, transport, activities, and support services around the location of their degree. The university directs students to campus-specific information for Bernburg, Dessau, and Köthen rather than presenting the three cities as a single compact campus. Residence-hall accommodation is managed through Studentenwerk Halle, not guaranteed by admission to the university. The university warns that places are limited at all three locations and that waiting lists may occur. Applying early is therefore prudent, but students should also examine private apartments and shared flats. Private rentals are often unfurnished, may impose a minimum rental period, and can separate basic rent from utilities and other charges. International students need a fixed residential address for local registration and later residence-permit administration; temporary hotel or short-stay accommodation does not meet that purpose. Academic and personal support includes general student advising, International Office guidance, university sports, libraries, psychosocial and other counseling routes, and student representation. The Careers Service provides workshops, training, lectures, and individual counseling, including services in English for international students. Its support covers career orientation, application documents, interviews, internships, and job searches. Because services and events can be campus-specific, students should confirm where an appointment or activity takes place before making plans.

Location & Surroundings

The database record places the university in Köthen, which is accurate for its principal administrative address, but students may actually study in Köthen, Bernburg, or Dessau. The assigned campus depends on the degree program. Applicants should verify the location before budgeting for housing or planning a commute. Köthen is the institution's traditional engineering and technology location and houses its administrative center. Bernburg's Strenzfeld campus is associated particularly with natural and life sciences, agriculture, and business. Dessau's academic identity is closely connected with architecture, design, construction, and surveying, in a city internationally associated with the Bauhaus. The three locations are separate cities, so a program based at one should not be treated as if it were located on a unified metropolitan campus. The university explicitly recommends against mixing modules across campus sites in its exchange-course guidance. Housing is likewise organized by location through residence halls, housing providers, and the private rental market. Prospective students should compare local housing availability, transport needs, and the setting of the relevant department rather than making a decision from the Köthen record alone.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The university does not publish one universal price that safely describes every student's cost for 2026/27. A semester contribution is mandatory for enrollment, but the amount and any additional course fees are shown on individual program or enrollment documents. Some continuing-education and international master's programs charge separate program fees. A second-degree fee of €250 per semester may apply to students who have already completed a German degree at the same new level, subject to the university's stated exceptions. Applicants should therefore use the fee shown for their exact program and entry semester rather than relying on an older general figure. Living costs are separate from university charges. Residence-hall places are limited and require an application to Studentenwerk Halle. Private alternatives include shared flats and apartments, which are often unfurnished. Rental advertisements may distinguish basic rent from a total including utilities, while internet, insurance, and Germany's broadcasting contribution may remain additional. International students must also arrange qualifying health insurance for enrollment and should budget for visa, residence, travel, and initial housing expenses where applicable. Career preparation reflects the institution's applied focus but should not be interpreted as a guarantee of employment or salary. The Careers Service offers free workshops, training, lectures, and counseling for career planning, application documents, and interviews. It also directs students toward internships and job opportunities, with English-language support available to international students. Programs may add projects, laboratories, internships, design work, or company-linked dual study, giving students different forms of practical experience. No current institution-wide graduate salary, placement rate, or named-employer outcome was found in the selected official sources, so applicants should ask the relevant department about recent program-level outcomes.