Hochschule Harz, Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften

About Hochschule Harz, Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften

Hochschule Harz began in October 1991 as Fachhochschule Harz, initially enrolling students in business administration, tourism, and business information systems in Wernigerode. Automation and Computer Science followed in 1992, while the Administrative Sciences campus in Halberstadt began teaching in 1998/99. The institution now operates as one university across those two locations. Its official legal notice identifies it as a public-law corporation supervised by the responsible ministry of Saxony-Anhalt. The university’s structure is straightforward: Automation and Computer Science and Business Studies are based principally in Wernigerode, while Administrative Sciences is associated with Halberstadt. This division matters when comparing programs because study location affects housing, transport, and the immediate academic community. Applicants should therefore check the campus shown in the current program list rather than assume every subject is available in Wernigerode. The academic profile emphasizes professionally oriented teaching and applied subject combinations. Computing and engineering sit alongside business, tourism, consumer psychology, sustainability, and public-sector administration. The current catalog includes conventional full-time degrees as well as dual or institution-linked variants and selected continuing-education formats. This makes Hochschule Harz a practical option for applicants who value a defined professional field and a smaller two-campus environment. It is less suitable for someone seeking a broad English-language portfolio: the university states that instruction is predominantly German, with only a limited number of degree programs fully taught in English.

Admission is program-specific. For a first degree, the university accepts recognized German higher-education entrance qualifications, including the general or subject-specific Abitur and Fachhochschulreife, or an officially recognized equivalent. Master’s applicants must document a bachelor’s degree, university diploma, or another qualifying prior higher-education award. Dual routes additionally require the relevant agreement with a cooperating organization, while individual programs may impose language, subject, practical-experience, or other requirements under their own regulations. For winter semester 2026/27, applicants with German educational credentials had deadlines of July 15, 2026 for restricted-admission programs and August 31, 2026 for open-admission programs. As of August 20, the latter application window was therefore still open. Applicants with foreign educational credentials had earlier winter deadlines: June 15, 2026 for restricted programs and July 31, 2026 for open-admission programs. They apply through uni-assist rather than the university’s standard application route. These dates should not be reused for a later intake without checking the live admissions page. Admission-free does not mean that entry qualifications can be omitted: applicants still need a valid university entrance qualification and a complete, timely application. Restricted programs use the procedures prescribed by Saxony-Anhalt, and some internationally oriented programs require language evidence. The standard digital application commonly calls for the entrance certificate, curriculum vitae, and identity document, with additional evidence depending on the degree, prior studies, and study format. Applicants should consult both the central admissions page and their program’s current regulations before submission.

Hochschule Harz awards bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The 2026 program list covers business administration, marketing, tourism, business information systems, computer science, media informatics, industrial engineering, smart automation, sustainability, business psychology, public administration, administrative economics, and administrative digitalization. Graduate options include Data Science, Business Consulting, Finance, Accounting, Controlling, Taxation and Law, Tourism and Destination Management, consumer psychology and market research, digital administration, public management, media and game design, and Technology and Innovation Management. Applicants should use this list as a guide rather than assume every option admits in every semester. The portfolio includes multiple study models. Several bachelor’s programs have dual variants that require a relationship with a cooperating employer, while public-administration subjects may offer institution-linked routes. Some master’s programs have three- and four-semester versions, and selected public-management or digital-administration courses are designed for working professionals. Program pages and the relevant examination or admissions regulations determine the exact entry qualification, duration, campus, and application cycle. Most programs are taught in German. The university’s international-applicant FAQ identifies Technology and Innovation Management and Business Consulting as its English-taught degree programs, while separate English-language courses are available to exchange students. International applicants should not interpret an English program title as proof that the entire degree is taught in English. Academically, the choice of campus follows the disciplinary structure. Most computing, engineering, business, tourism, and psychology programs are in Wernigerode; public administration and related management programs are primarily in Halberstadt. Research themes published by the university include information and communication technologies, climate adaptation, Industry 4.0, administrative modernization, sustainable management, market psychology, tourism, and demographic change.

Key Highlights

• Public university of applied sciences and public-law corporation in Saxony-Anhalt
• Founded in Wernigerode in October 1991
• One institution with campuses in Wernigerode and Halberstadt
• Three academic divisions: Automation and Computer Science, Administrative Sciences, and Business Studies

Student Life & Environment

Student life differs between the two campuses. In Wernigerode, the university describes a campus-centered environment with a dining hall, student accommodation, sports, music, cinema, celebrations, and student-led activities. The Studierendenrat represents student interests, while student initiatives provide routes into cultural, political, technical, sporting, and international engagement. Halberstadt students share the same university services but study at the Domplatz campus, so their daily setting is less concentrated around the Wernigerode residential campus. Accommodation is not automatically provided. Studentenwerk Magdeburg operates halls on the Wernigerode campus and the university points Halberstadt students toward private-room and apartment placement. As an indicative current example, Wohnheim 2 in Wernigerode lists shared-apartment rooms at €211–€256 per month and one-room apartments at €300–€320, including utilities, internet, and television. These are property-specific advertised rates, not a guarantee of availability or a university-wide housing price. Support extends beyond recreation. Student Services handles enrollment and other study administration, while the university describes accessibility and family-study advising. The Career Service assists students and graduates with career orientation, application preparation, job and internship searches, and connections to regional and national employers. Prospective students should compare housing and commuting options for their assigned campus before accepting a place.

Location & Surroundings

The university has two sites in the Harz region of Saxony-Anhalt. Its Wernigerode campus is at Friedrichstraße 57–59 and hosts most business, computing, and engineering study. The Halberstadt site is at Domplatz 16 and is associated primarily with Administrative Sciences. Applicants should treat these as separate day-to-day study locations, not neighboring buildings, and confirm the campus attached to their program. Wernigerode offers the more self-contained campus arrangement. Official student housing is located on campus, and Wohnheim 2 is served by local bus routes 1 and 4 at the Hochschule Harz stop. The semester ticket covers city buses in Wernigerode and Halberstadt, Halberstadt trams, and specified Harzer Verkehrsbetriebe regional services; it does not cover train travel. The two-location model creates different trade-offs. Wernigerode offers immediate access to campus facilities and residence halls, while Halberstadt places administrative-sciences students at a central Domplatz address. Students planning cross-campus activities should examine actual transport times and costs rather than assume the semester ticket makes rail travel free.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The university’s international-applicant guidance states that regular study does not carry tuition fees, but students pay a semester contribution. The official fee page current in August 2026 lists €132 per semester for Wernigerode and €123 for Halberstadt, including the Studentenwerk contribution, a €32 semester ticket, and a €10 student-body contribution. Different rules or charges can apply to continuing-education programs, so applicants should check the fee category of the exact course rather than generalize from standard full-time degrees. Housing and daily living costs are separate. As one current benchmark, Studentenwerk Magdeburg’s Wohnheim 2 in Wernigerode advertised shared-apartment rooms for €211–€256 per month and one-room apartments for €300–€320, including utilities, internet, and television. This reflects one residence and does not establish a typical private-market budget. Availability, deposits, food, insurance, study materials, and travel still need to be budgeted individually. The semester ticket covers listed city and regional public-transport services in the Harz area but excludes trains. This distinction matters for students who expect to commute between cities or travel beyond the bus network. Career support is service-based rather than an employment guarantee. The Career Service provides career orientation, application-document review, workshops, access to internship and job advertisements, and events connecting students with regional and national employers. The available official sources do not publish verified graduate salary, placement-rate, or employer-outcome statistics, so prospective students should assess career fit through the curriculum, practical components, employer partnerships, and the German-language requirements of their intended field.