Hamburg University of Technology
Technische Universität Hamburg
A compact, young engineering university in Hamburg-Harburg with no tuition and one English-taught bachelor's, Engineering Science.
- Students
- 7,383
- International
- 28%
- of students
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1978
About TUHH
Hamburg University of Technology (TU Hamburg, or TUHH) was founded in 1978 and began teaching in 1982, which makes it one of Germany's youngest technical universities. It sits in Harburg, in the south of Hamburg, on a compact campus that mixes old red-brick buildings with newer blocks. About 7,400 students are enrolled, 28% of them international, taught by 111 professors and 802 academic staff (December 2023).
Unlike most German universities, TUHH separates teaching from research. Teaching runs through schools of study, such as Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, and Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics, while research is organised in cross-disciplinary research fields. The university offers 16 bachelor's and 20 master's programmes. Most bachelor's degrees are taught in German. Engineering Science is taught in English, and Computer Science and Data Science are taught in German and English. Since February 2026 TUHH has led the new Cluster of Excellence BlueMat: Water-Driven Materials.
Like other public universities in Hamburg, TUHH charges no tuition to German, EU or non-EU students; everyone pays a semester contribution that includes a public-transport ticket. Most bachelor's programmes admit every qualified applicant who applies on time. TUHH suits students who want a solid, broad engineering education in a major port city and who either speak German well or want the English-taught Engineering Science track.
Why students choose TUHH
No tuition fees for any nationality: the only regular charge is the semester contribution of 400 euros (winter semester 2026/27), which includes a six-month HVV transport ticket for Hamburg.
Engineering Science (7 semesters, 210 ECTS) is taught in English, with 9 specialisations from Advanced Materials to Mechatronics and a 12-week advanced internship.
Most bachelor's programmes, including Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture and Computer Science, have open admission, so every applicant with a valid entrance qualification who applies on time gets a place.
The new Cluster of Excellence BlueMat: Water-Driven Materials, launched on 9 February 2026, puts TUHH at the centre of a national flagship research programme.
Admissions
Winter semester 2027/28 (starting October 2027)
Selectivity
Most bachelor's programmes have open admission: every applicant with a valid university entrance qualification and a complete application is admitted. Only Engineering Science and Engineering and Management (Logistics and Mobility) have restricted places; 10% of these go to international (non-EU) applicants as an advance quota, and 90% of the remaining places are filled through TUHH's selection procedure.
Typical entry requirements
| German Abitur or equivalent | General university entrance qualification; Abitur grade and last four semesters of maths grades are entered in the application |
|---|---|
| Foreign school-leaving certificate | Must qualify for direct university entry in Germany (check the DAAD admission database); otherwise a Studienkolleg assessment test is needed. Applicants with school or university qualifications from China, India or Vietnam need an APS certificate. |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 90 Required for Engineering Science, Computer Science and Data Science: TOEFL iBT 90, IELTS Academic 6.5, or Cambridge CAE/CPE. Not needed with a school-leaving qualification from the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada (except Quebec), Australia or New Zealand. German-taught programmes need German at B2.2 to apply and TestDaF 16 points, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule or DSH-2 to enrol; Engineering Science needs no German for its English-taught specialisations; its three bilingual English-German specialisations also require proof of German. |
Deadlines
- Bachelor's application window, winter semester 2027/28 Non-binding Next deadline · In ~9 months15 July 2027
TUHH's application period for October entry runs from 1 June to 15 July each year; bachelor's programmes start only in the winter semester.
The 1 June to 15 July window is TUHH's standing annual application period for bachelor's programmes starting in October. International students should also allow several months for a visa and, if needed, APS certification.
How to apply
Register on hochschulstart.de to get your applicant ID (BID) and authentication number (BAN), then apply in TUHH's TUNE portal for up to two bachelor's programmes, uploading certified translations of foreign documents if they are not in German or English. TUHH uses the national dialogue-oriented service procedure (DoSV): offers arrive on hochschulstart.de between late July and early August, and you enrol in TUNE after accepting.
What admissions looks for
- A university entrance qualification that gives direct access to a German university; a Fachhochschulreife is not accepted.
- For restricted programmes, a strong school record, with maths grades from the last four semesters part of the application.
- Proof of German at C1 level (TestDaF 16, telc C1 Hochschule or DSH-2) for German-taught programmes, and English at TOEFL iBT 90 or IELTS 6.5 for English and bilingual ones.
- A complete, on-time application: TUHH communicates only through the TUNE portal and offers only through hochschulstart.de.
Tips for applying to TUHH
- 1 Register on hochschulstart.de before 15 July: without your BID and BAN you cannot finish the TUNE application.
- 2 If you do not speak German, Engineering Science is the only fully accessible bachelor's, and without German you can only pick its English-taught specialisations.
- 3 Rank your choices carefully on hochschulstart.de: accepting one offer cancels all your other open applications.
- 4 Start looking for housing early: TUHH itself warns that affordable housing in Hamburg is extremely scarce.
- 5 Try the free MINTFIT maths and science tests before you start; TUHH recommends them for its programmes.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
TUHH charges no tuition. Students can apply for BAföG state support (German and some EU students), Studierendenwerk Hamburg scholarships, DAAD scholarships for international students and the dual@TUHH study programme with NORDMETALL partner companies. Students not entitled to BAföG may qualify for housing allowance (Wohngeld).
- 400 euros per semester, including a 226.80 euro HVV semester ticket
- Semester contribution, winter 2026/27
- None, for all nationalities
- Tuition
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (winter semester from October, summer semester from April)
Engineering Science (B.Sc.)
TUHH's only engineering bachelor's taught in English: 7 semesters, a broad core and 9 specialisations, with restricted admission.
Naval Architecture (Schiffbau, B.Sc.)
A German-taught shipbuilding degree in maritime Hamburg, with open admission.
Computer Science (B.Sc.)
Taught in English and German, open admission, and linked to TUHH's HULKs robot football team.
Green Technologies: Energy, Water, Climate (B.Sc.)
A German-taught degree that combines energy, process and water engineering, which TUHH describes as unique in Germany.
Engineering and Management, Logistics and Mobility (B.Sc.)
One of only two restricted-admission bachelor's programmes at TUHH, combining engineering with management.
Research
- TUHH leads the Cluster of Excellence BlueMat: Water-Driven Materials, launched on 9 February 2026, with research areas from mechanical and photonic to energy materials (motto: "If you can do it with water, do it with water!").
- The university runs 2 DFG Collaborative Research Centres and 3 DFG research training groups, and takes part in 2 Clusters of Excellence of the University of Hamburg (as of December 2023).
- TUHH hosts a United Nations University hub, Engineering to Face Climate Change.
- Research is organised in 89 institutes and working groups and 9 research centres.
Schools & faculties
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- School of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics
- School of Process Engineering
- School of Mechanical Engineering
- School of Management Sciences and Technology
- School of Technology and Innovation in Education
- Joint School of Multidisciplinary Studies
Student life
TUHH is small by German standards, and its compact Harburg campus makes it easy to get to know people. Every June the institutes, student union (AStA), student councils and clubs hold a summer festival, where the TUHH brewing club Campusperle serves its own beer. Student clubs include a film club, the choir SingING, the orchestra SymphonING and the HULKs, who compete in international robot football championships. Students also get Hamburg's university sports programme and a public-transport ticket for the whole HVV network as part of the semester contribution.
- Annual TUHH summer festival in June, with beer from the student brewing club Campusperle.
- The HULKs student team competes in international robot football championships.
- Music ensembles SingING (choir) and SymphonING (orchestra), plus a film club.
- Welcome@TUHH and Welcome Weeks help international students settle in, and German courses are offered at several levels.
Housing. TUHH has no guaranteed housing; students look for rooms through Studierendenwerk Hamburg or the private market, and the International Office has an accommodation service for incoming students.
Location
TUHH is in Harburg, a district on the south side of the Elbe in Hamburg, Germany's second-largest city with about 1.9 million people. A direct metro link connects the campus to nightlife areas such as the Reeperbahn and Sternschanze. Hamburg mixes big-city life with a maritime character, from the Elbphilharmonie to the Speicherstadt warehouse district, but rents are high and the university warns that affordable housing is extremely scarce.
Nearest airport: Hamburg Airport (HAM)
Notable alumni
- TW Thomas WiegandElectrical engineer who helped create the H.264, H.265 and H.266 video coding standards; Diplom in electrical engineering (1995)
- PV Paola Vega CastilloCosta Rica's Minister of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications; doctorate in microelectronics
- CG Cuitláhuac García JiménezGovernor of Veracruz, Mexico (2018-2024); doctorate (2004)
- CS Christian SugionoIndonesian actor and model; studied information technology
Frequently asked questions
Does TUHH charge tuition fees for international students?
No. TUHH charges no tuition to any student. Everyone pays a semester contribution, which is 400 euros for winter semester 2026/27 and includes a Hamburg public-transport ticket.
Can I study a bachelor's at TUHH in English?
Yes, Engineering Science is taught in English, with some bilingual specialisations. Computer Science and Data Science are taught in German and English, and all other bachelor's programmes are taught in German.
What German level do I need for TUHH?
For German-taught programmes and for Computer Science and Data Science, you need German at B2.2 to apply and TestDaF 16 points, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule or DSH-2 to enrol. Engineering Science needs no German unless you choose one of its three bilingual specialisations.
When is the TUHH application deadline for 2027?
Bachelor's programmes start only in October. The application period runs from 1 June to 15 July each year, so for 2027 entry the deadline is 15 July 2027.
Is it hard to get into TUHH?
Most bachelor's programmes have open admission, so every qualified applicant who applies on time is admitted. Only Engineering Science and Engineering and Management (Logistics and Mobility) have limited places.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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