Hof University Graduate School

Our Graduate School offers excellent value for a moderate tuition fee. Programs designed for students with work experience are at a higher academic and practical level than those open to applicants without such experience. The level of instruction and class discussions is more detailed and application-oriented.

Degrees from these programs (e.g., MBA, MBA and Engineering) can only be obtained by individuals with professional experience. Our international graduates bring valuable professional experience from their home countries and complete internships with us, making them highly valued by German industry. As a result, salaries upon graduation are significantly higher.

The tuition fees of our Graduate School are very competitive, compare, for example, the costs of our programs with those in Germany, the UK, or the U.S. Our drive is to make your studies in Germany a truly valuable experience.

The Graduate School has been active in international continuing education for many years and was among the first universities in Bavaria and Germany to do so. Over time, we have produced many satisfied and successful alumni from all over the world.

We continuously improve and update our programs.

During the theoretical study phase, we offer 12 modules, whereas many other study programs are limited to 10 modules.

Knowledge of German is essential if you intend to enter the German labor market. Our graduates confirm that solid language skills are the ultimate key to securing good job offers. In our programs, German language training is an integrated part of the curriculum. Thus, there is no need for additional or costly extracurricular language courses.

Graduate School programs comprise 120 ECTS credits (not only 90 ECTS), so there is no need to complete extra coursework.

Our programs include an integratedone-year internship, while most other programs offer internships of only about four months. In general, these internships are paid by industry, which further enhances your career prospects.

To ensure a smooth start to your studies in Germany and at Hof University of Applied Sciences, we offer intercultural training as preparation.

Not sure yet? Take a look at the additional advantages of studying at our Graduate School:

• You will be taught by our most experienced professors. In addition, experts from industry and business share their professional insights through courses and guest lectures.
• You will be supported by a dedicated team of staff who exclusively look after Graduate School students.
• Beyond excellent theoretical knowledge transfer, we emphasize practical application. You can gain hands-on experience not only during your internship but also in our modern laboratories. For instance, you can explore Industry 4.0 concepts using a production line connected to SAP.

We recognize that financing studies abroad can be challenging for many international students. Since we want you to focus fully on your studies and achieve your best, we award scholarships to the top 10% of our first-semester students for their second semester.

Even after you begin your internship, we remain connected with you. To strengthen the bond between the university and Graduate School students, we organize special and memorable events such as a weekend cruise.

The application period for the summer semester 2026 is from November 5 to November 30, 2025.
If all other required documents have been submitted by November 30, 2025, you are allowed to submit the APS certificate until January 31, 2026. Once all required documents have been received, the Examination Board will inform you about the admission decision as soon as possible.

If all required documents (except the APS certificate, if applicable) have been submitted by November 30, 2025, you may submit the missing German language certificate until December 15, 2025.2025.

Applicants from India, Vietnam, and China must first apply for an APS certificate. This document is required both for admission to Hof University and for your visa application. Please make sure not to lose valuable time in this process.

We strongly recommend that you start your visa application as early as possible to ensure you can join our on-campus lectures.

For both your visa application and admission to Hof University, you must submit an IELTS test (6.5 or above) or TOEFL test (90 or above).
Medium of Instruction certificates are no longer accepted as proof of English language proficiency for admission to Hof University.

Hof University is not a distance-learning university.
Our teaching concept is based on close personal interaction in an on-campus environment. Direct exposure to the German study and work culture is one of the most important success factors of our programs.

However, we are aware that the visa process may take longer for some of our international students. To support these students in starting their studies with the Graduate School in the winter semester, Hof University has decided to offer hybrid teaching until April 10, 2026. After this date, from April 13, 2026, all lectures will take place on campus only (please refer to the Academic Calender for more information). We expect you to be physically present at Hof University as soon as your visa status allows you to travel to Germany.

Hof University cannot issue any extension letters for late arrivals.

Exams will take place on-campus. Only in very exceptional cases, the student might be able to write the exam online. Students need to seek individual consent by the Examination Board. Approval is given only in individual cases.

We are aware that international students may be unable to arrive in Germany in time due to visa delays.

Therefore, in the first semester, students from the Graduate School may arrive at any time during the semester if their visa has not been issued on time.

We will offer hybrid teaching until April 10, 2026. All classes are planned to be offered in presence only starting from April 13, 2026. If you are unable to arrive by this date, it is your responsibility to catch up on any content and materials you have missed. We cannot integrate students who are still abroad into our on-campus lectures. 

We expect you to be physically present at Hof University as soon as your visa status allows you to travel to Germany.

Yes, we recommend starting your studies this summer semester as we are offering hybrid classes for the first four weeks and you can easily apply for a visa and join us on campus as soon as you have received it.

Upon request, our Housing Office can support you in finding accommodation.
In general, landlords offer only semester-based contracts that start on March 1 or September 1 and last for 6 or 12 months. Rooms are allocated on a “first come, first served” basis. What does this mean? The earlier you book, the more room options you will have. However, once your booking is confirmed, the rental agreement is binding, even if you have not yet arrived in Germany, as the room will be reserved for you.

If you try to book a room several weeks after the semester has started, accommodation provided through the Housing Office may already be fully booked. In that case, you will need to find a room on your own. It is therefore best to book a room as soon as you are certain that you can come to Hof and are ready to commit to the rental agreement.

If you have to cancel your room reservation because you do not obtain your visa or due to any other personal, health, or study-related reasons, you must cancel your reservation immediately.

After your cancellation, the Housing Office will try to find a new tenant for your room. However, if we are unable to find someone, which may happen once the semester has started due to a late cancellation, you will be required to cover the rental costs. In the worst case, you will need to cover the costs until the end of the semester.

Your admission cannot be deferred to a later semester. In case you want to start later, you will have to apply again via Primuss portal during the official application period (application deadlines and requirements).

The Examination Board reviews all incoming applications based on the current criteria for each semester. These criteria may change, so please make sure to stay informed by checking our website regularly. 

The payment deadline is mentioned in your admission letter (January 15, 2026).

If we have no record of your payment on this date, you need to show a confirmation from your bank/ loan sponsor confirming that and when the payment will be made (latest February 17, 2026). 

If you have applied for studying in the summer semester 2026, paid your tuition fee but have not yet received any student credentials or participated in any event of the Orientation Week online or on-campus (e.g. Academic Writing), a partial refund is possible until February 24, 2026. The refunded amount will be the tuition fee minus an administration fee of €500 and any bank charges incurred.

Hof University is a public university. This means that the Graduate School does not aim to maximize profits through its fees, but rather sets them at a level that covers the actual costs of running the degree programs.

You may have noticed that our tuition fees are very moderate, offering an excellent price-performance ratio.

However, because our fees are carefully calculated to cover costs, we are unable to offer full scholarships.

That said, there are some opportunities for partial scholarships. After completing the first semester, top-performing students may apply for partial scholarships funded by companies, institutions such as the DAAD, or government programs.

In addition, we have implemented a special scholarship program for Graduate School students who achieve outstanding academic performance during their first semester at Hof University. The top 10% of students with the highest average grades in their program are eligible for this scholarship. To qualify, students must complete all their credits in the first semester. Successful candidates will be informed automatically during the first quarter of the second semester.