How to apply At a glance

Do you have school-leaving university entrance qualifications, for example, a German Abitur or an equivalent qualification (vocational qualification, school leaving qualifications from another country) and have decided to apply for one or more Bachelor’s degree courses at our University? Then you have already taken the first step. Now you need to check whether there are any special requirements for your chosen degree and whether they are relevant for you.

1. Check your requirements

For some degree courses, you need to fulfil additional requirements as well as your university entrance qualifications, for example

You can start a number of degree courses directly after your Abitur and start collecting your application documentation. If you would like to know, for example, how practical work experience or waiting times can be accredited, or how your certificate grades are weighted in detail, you can find out more in our FAQs at the end of the page.

Pre-degree practical placement / internship required

You may be able to undertake your pre-degree practical placement / internship during the semester break.
For further information, please contact the Admissions Office or call 0711 397-3060.

Further information can be found in the detailed application rules.

You will need a pre-degree practical placement / internship for the following degree courses:

  • Automotive Engineering (8 weeks)
  • Automotive Systems (8 weeks)
  • Engineering Education / Automotive Engineering - Mechanical Engineering (12 weeks)
  • Mechanical Engineering (12 weeks)
  • Engineering Education / Mechanical Engineering - Automatisation Engineering (12 Wochen)
  • Engineering Education / Electrical Engineering – Computer Sciences (12 weeks)
  • Buildings, Energy and Environmental Engineering (12 weeks)
  • Engineering Education / Computer Sciences - Electrical Engineering (12 weeks)
  • Engineering Education / Building Services - Mechanical Engineering (12 weeks)

Note

If you completed your Abitur at a technical grammar school or a technical college or have technical vocational qualifications, you do not need to complete a pre-degree practical placement / internship.

Vocational qualifications required

For the following degree courses

  • Nursing/Nursing Management and
  • Nursing Teacher Education

you will need a successfully completed vocational qualification as:

  • nurse for the elderly
  • midwife 
  • children’s nurse
  • nurse.
  • learning disability nurse

Detailed information as to how voluntary social engagement and vocational experience can be accredited can be found in the information on detailed application rules.

2. Register on hochschulstart.de

You can register with Hochschulstart and apply for one or more degree courses at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences.

Please pay attention to the importance of prioritisation in your application:
In order to make sure that you get a place at the Esslingen university of applied sciences case of an admission offer, please set the Hochschule Esslingen to priority 1.

Register on the hochschulstart application portal to obtain your Applicant ID.

Register now via hochschulstart

Tip: Make a note of your BID (Applicant ID) and your BAN (Applicant Authentication Number) for hochschulstart. You will need them during the application process.

3. Register and apply on HEonline

Then register on the HEonline Campus Management System  of Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and apply for one or more degree programmes. When you have submitted your application on HEonline, you can also see it on hochschulstart and can prioritise your choices.

Register and apply via HEonline

Tip: When completing your application, please note that the prioritisation is important.
To make sure you are awarded a place at Esslingen in the event that you receive an admission offer, please put Esslingen at Priority 1.

4. Upload your documents

We need your documents and certificates so that we can process your application. Please upload them onto the HEonline Campus Management System. We must have all your documents by the application deadline at the latest (15 January for the summer semester, 15 July for the winter semester).

Checklist application documents

Upload your documents

Tips:

  • When you are applying for more than one degree programme at Esslingen, you must upload the documents for each degree programme separately.
  • The sooner you upload your documents, the faster we can process them and request any documents you may have forgotten in good time.

5. All done! Now wait for your admission to be confirmed

You can view the status of your application at any time via the HEonline Campus Management System and the hochschulstart portal. You should keep your login details in a safe place.

Tip: While the application process is ongoing, watch out for information sent to you by email about status changes or documents you still have to submit.

At second glance

Detailed information on application, admission restrictions, hardship regulations and legal basis.

FAQs on applications to a Bachelor´s degree course

How and where can I take an orientation test for a degree course?

How and where can I take an orientation test for a degree course?

You can take part in an orientation test under What do I study (was-studiere-ich). You only have to include your certificate of participation with your application – not the result.

For the engineering-pedagogical degree programmes you need the teacher orientation test.

How are my grades weighted on my application?

How are my grades weighted on my application?

The calculation of the selection grade varies depending on the degree programme. The weighting is deposited in the admission regulations of the degree programme.

Can I apply if I haven’t got my certificates yet?

Can I apply if I haven’t got my certificates yet?

Yes. But you still have to send your university entrance certificates before the deadline.

What is the dialogue-oriented service procedure?

What is the dialogue-oriented service procedure?

For all Bachelor degree programmes with restricted admission at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, applications for admission to the first regular semester must be submitted via the national application portal Hochschulstart in the “Dialogue-oriented service procedure - DoSV". You can apply for a maximum of 12 university places.

When completing your application, please note that the prioritisation is important.
To make sure you are awarded a place at Esslingen in the event that you receive an admission offer, please put Esslingen at Priority 1.

Step-by-step guide:

  • First register on hochschulstart.de.
  • You will be given your Applicant Identification Number (BID) and the corresponding Applicant Authentication Number (BAN).
  • Then register on the HEonline Campus Management System and apply for one or more degree programmes.
  • Upload your documents on HEonline.
  • Submit your completed application in the portal.
  • If you are applying for several degree programmes at Esslingen, you only need to register once and then you can submit several applications in the portal.
Is it also possible to send documents by email or by post?

No. Please upload all necessary documents on HEonline by the application deadline. If you fail to do this, these documents cannot be considered.

We will only ask you to send documents by post or email in exceptional circumstances.

What is waiting time?

What is waiting time?

Waiting time means the time that elapses after receiving your university entrance /school-leaving qualifications during which you have not studied at a university. Waiting times are newly calculated for each admissions procedure. 10% of all student places for a Bachelor’s degree course are allocated following waiting time.

I have already made an application to Esslingen University of Applied Sciences.

I have already made an application to Esslingen University of Applied Sciences. Do I have to send in all my documentation again?

Yes. We do not archive applicants’ data for legal reasons.

What do I need to know/do to transfer from another university to Esslingen University of Applied Sciences?

In this case, please contact Student Services/Applications and Admissions to find out how to change to another university.

Student Services/Applications and Admissions

Can I take up parallel studies at the Hochschule Esslingen after receiving my admission?

If you are already enrolled at another university, a second, not consecutive degree is necessary for special vocational, academic or artistic reasons, you can apply to enrol on a parallel degree programme.

To enrol, please complete the appropriate application and then upload it together with all documents listed.

Legal requirements and notes

Academic admission requirements

Academic admission requirements

In order to be able to apply to us, you will need a university entrance qualification (general Abitur or Fachhochschulreife) or subject-related university entrance qualification (Fachgebundene Hochschulreife) that is valid in Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Applicants with school-leaving university entrance qualifications that are only valid in certain federal states will need certification to demonstrate the equivalence or accreditation of their school-leaving qualifications showing their average grade from the regional council (Regierungspräsidium) Suttgart.


Did you take your school-leaving qualifications abroad?

German applicants with school-leaving certificates gained abroad have to get them accredited with their average grade by the regional council (Regierungspräsidium) Stuttgart.

To Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart


 

Foreign applicants with foreign school-leaving qualifications have to get them accredited by the University of Constance (Studienkolleg Konstanz). The University of Constance checks to see whether your qualifications are comparable to German university entrance qualifications and calculates a grade according to the German grading system.

To the Studienkolleg Konstanz (foreign Applicants)

Selection procedures

Selection procedures

Because there are more applicants than there are student places every semester, not all applicants can get a student place. Student places are therefore allocated according to the University’s own selection procedures.

The selection procedures vary according to degree subject:

Technical and management degree courses

Details can be found in the selection statutes for Bachelor of Engineering and Economics (latest version at the end of this page).

Degree courses in the Faculty of Social Work, Health CARE and Nursing Sciences (SAGP)

Further details can be found in the Selection Regulations for Bachelor Social Studies (latest version at the end of this page).


The so-called “Numerus Clausus” (“restricted admission” or NC) is always calculated at the end of an allocation phase. It shows the selection grade / number of half-years of waiting time of the last candidate on the list to be selected. Thus, the NC depends on the number of applicants, their selection grades and the number of student places available. This means that it is unfortunately not possible to tell you in advance what the NC will be or how good your chances are of getting a student place.

Allocation procedures

Allocation procedures

The available student places are allocated according to the University’s rules for allocating places:

A certain number of places are allocated to the following groups in accordance with the University’s rules for the preliminary allocation of student places (Hochschulzulassungsverordnung (HZVO) ):

1. Von den Zulassungszahlen werden zuerst abgezogen:

  • 8 % (at least 1 place) for foreign candidates who were not educated in Germany, are not citizens of an EU member state, and stateless applicants
  • 2 % (at least 1 place) for candidates who have already completed a degree at the time of the deadline

2. The remaining student places are allocated after the above places have been allocated. 

3. All the remaining student places are then allocated as follows:

  • 90 % according to the result of the selection procedure (see above)

 

The so-called “Numerus Clausus” (“restricted admission” or NC) is always calculated at the end of an allocation phase. It shows the selection grade / number of half-years of waiting time of the last student on the list to be selected. Thus, the NC depends on the number of applicants, their selection grades and the number of student places available. This means that it is unfortunately not possible to tell you in advance what the NC will be or how good your chances are of getting a student place.

Applications in cases of hardship / applications for compensation of disadvantage

Applications in cases of hardship / applications for compensation of disadvantage

1. Hardship application

A hardship application for immediate admission to the degree programme can be submitted informally by entering the appropriate details in the application portal and submitting your

  • justification and
  • supporting documents (e.g. report from a medical specialist)

to Student Services/Applications and Admissions by the application deadline at the latest.

A case of exceptional hardship exists only when the applicant themself has health, social or family reasons which are so serious that they cannot be expected to wait even just one semester for admission, even if particularly strict criteria are applied.

Financial reasons or parental ill-health are not sufficient justification for a hardship application!

A hardship application can be approved as a rule if the following conditions apply: 

Special health-related circumstances which necessitate immediate admission

  • Illnesses that have a tendency to worsen which would mean that the candidate would be highly unlikely to be able to withstand the stresses of the degree course in the future.
  • Disability caused by illness; professional rehabilitation can only be achieved by immediate admission because the disability prevents a meaningful use of the waiting period.
  • Limitation to a particular professional field due to a physical disability; successful rehabilitation is to be expected through the intended degree course.
  • Necessity to break off a previous degree course or professional career due to health reasons; these reasons mean that a meaningful use of the waiting period is not possible.
  • Physical disability; the disability prevents the undertaking of any other reasonable activity until a student place can be allocated.
  • Limitations in the selection of a professional field or in the exercise of a professional field due to illness; these circumstances prevent a meaningful use of the waiting period.

The health-related circumstances must be confirmed by way of a certificate from a medical specialist.

The specialist’s certificate must provide a sufficient assessment of the individual criteria stated in the application. The certificate should contain statements about the cause, severity, course and treatment options for the illness, and a prognosis of how it will progress in the future. It should be phrased so that non-medical people are also able to understand it. Suitable additional supporting documents are a disabled pass, an assessment notification (Feststellungsbescheid) from the Pensions and Benefits Office (Versorgungsamt), a discharge notification from the German armed forces, for example. The certificate must be issued by a medical specialist whose specialist training qualifies them to assess the particular clinical syndrome of the applicant.

Special family or social circumstances which necessitate immediate admission

Appropriate supporting documentation must be submitted.

 

Descendants of German settlers from another (eastern European) country who have moved back to Germany (Spätaussiedlung)

The candidate is a descendant of a German settler from another country (usually a country of the former Soviet bloc) who is now a permanent resident in Germany and had started a degree course in their former country of residence that is similar to the intended degree course. (Candidates must provide documentary evidence of their status as a descendant of a German settler now permanently resident in Germany and of their enrolment in a similar degree course in their former country of residence).

Inability to accept a previously allocated student place

The candidate had previously been allocated a student place but was unable to start the degree course due to compelling reasons beyond their control (especially illness). (Candidates must provide documentary evidence of the compelling reason that prevented them registering for the degree course and their previous letter of admission).

Applications will be considered in accordance with the Regulations of the Foundation for University Admissions. These can be obtained on the Internet under Hochschulstart.

2. Applications for compensation of disadvantage

2.1. Application for compensation of disadvantage to improve the grade achieved for the university entrance qualification

It is possible to apply for compensation of disadvantage to improve the grade achieved for the university entrance qualification.

Compensation of disadvantage means that circumstances that prevented the applicant from achieving their university entrance qualifications at an earlier time period may be taken into account. However, these circumstances may not be decided by the applicant him/herself. Appropriate documentary evidence includes, for example, a school or medical assessment that states that the candidate was absent from school for a longer period of time due to illness.

The requirement to submit a school assessment can be waived only when the school is unable to provide such an assessment.

Example: An applicant only attended the school for a short time, so that the school is unable to assess the implications of the circumstances on which the application is based.

In this case, an assessment can also be obtained from an expert who holds a qualification in both teaching and psychology; the applicant must obtain the assessment at their own expense. The expert must have successfully completed a teacher training programme (e.g. by passing both state teaching examinations) and also their psychology training (e.g. be a Diplom psychologist).

Moreover, all the documents on which the school assessment (or the alternative assessment where applicable) is based must be enclosed, e.g. certificate from a medical specialist and school certificates.

When the application is made because the applicant is pregnant, a medical certificate confirming the pregnancy or the birth certificate of the child may be submitted instead of a certificate from a medical specialist. When an application cites a disability of 50 percent or higher, the applicant may submit the assessment notification from the Pensions and Benefits Office together with the disability pass instead of the certificate from the medical specialist.

Other circumstances which can lead to the approval of compensation of disadvantage are also conceivable, especially further special social circumstances, e.g. special financial reasons as well. In such a case, suitable supporting documentation in addition to the school assessment or alternative assessment must be submitted.

Special family circumstances can also lead to compensation of disadvantage being approved. Suitable supporting documents in such a case in addition to the school or alternative assessment are:

birth certificates of children who are minors, or death certificates of the parents and a declaration as to the marital status at that time, or proof of caring for very close relatives, or proof of having changed school several times in the last three years before gaining the university entrance qualification, or other suitable supporting documents.

Furthermore, membership of a national Olympic squad, prospective squad, reserve squad, team squad or 1st youth squad of a national sport association of the German Olympic Sports Federation for at least one continuous year during the last three years before gaining the university entrance qualification can also lead to compensation of disadvantage being approved.

Written confirmation from the national sport association for the discipline must be submitted in addition to the school or alternative assessment.

In addition, other comparable circumstances can lead to compensation of disadvantage being approved.

In such cases, suitable supporting documentation must be submitted in addition to the school or alternative assessment.

2.2. Application for compensation of disadvantage in respect of the waiting time

When considering an application for compensation of disadvantage in respect of the waiting time, circumstances which prevented the applicant from gaining the university entrance qualification at an earlier date will be taken into consideration. The applicant themself must not be responsible for these circumstances, however. Appropriate supporting documents must be submitted, e.g. a certificate from a medical specialist which indicates that the applicant was absent from school for a longer period of time through illness.

In this case, as with the case of an application for compensation of disadvantage to improve the average grade, evidence which supports the grounds for the application (e.g. illness) is not in itself sufficient for the application to be approved. Hence the applicant must additionally show that the delay in gaining the university entrance qualification was due to the stressful circumstances.

The applicant can provide this supporting documentation by way of written confirmation from the school as to the reason for and the duration of the delay in gaining the university entrance qualification, and other documentation suitable for proving the reason for the delay.

All documents which form the basis of the school assessment or the alternative assessment, e.g. certificate from a medical specialist and school certificates, must also be enclosed.

When citing health-related circumstances, the same applies in respect of the supporting medical documentation as for the application for compensation of disadvantage to improve the grade of the university entrance qualification.

When citing other special circumstances, such as further special social circumstances, special family circumstances, other comparable circumstances or membership of an A-, B-, C- or D/C squad of the national sport associations of the various disciplines of at least one year’s continuous duration during the last three years before gaining the university entrance qualification, appropriate supporting documentation must be submitted, as is the case with the application for compensation of disadvantage to improve the average grade.

It is not possible to improve the grade gained for university entrance qualification through disability compensation.

Applications will be considered in accordance with the Regulations of the Foundation for University Admissions. These can be obtained on the Internet under Hochschulstart.

Selection procedures for applicants who are tied to a specific location in the public interest

Selection procedures for applicants who are tied to a specific location in the public interest

This applies to candidates who belong to the national Olympic squad, prospective squad, reserve squad, team squad or 1st youth squad of the German Olympic Association. The candidate must provide certification that he/she is a member of one of these squads from the German Olympic Association.

Preliminary selection

Preliminary selection

Candidates’ applications will be given preferential treatment if they have fulfilled a period of service in one of the following categories: military, community or civilian service, work as a development helper, voluntary social or ecological service year, or have cared for a dependent child or relative, and before or during this period service applied for and were allocated a student place but were unable to start their degree course due to their commitment to the relevant service.

To be considered under this preliminary selection procedure, the candidate must reapply for the same degree course and include documentary evidence of the service fulfilled (e.g. certification of the service, family registration certificate) and a copy of their previous letter of admission. A draft notice does not count as proof of having fulfilled the service. Applicants may only claim a student place under the preliminary selection procedure during the period after completing the service and until a second selection procedure has taken place.

For new applications for the summer semester, the period of service must end at the latest on the 28th February, for the winter semester at the latest on the 31st August.

Waiting time

Waiting time

Waiting times are calculated on the basis of half-years. Every completed half-year since the completion of your university entrance qualifications is automatically counted towards your application as long as, during this time, you were not enrolled at any university or university of applied sciences in Germany. The maximum waiting period that can be calculated is 16 half-years.

Legal basis

Legal basis

The legal basis for the gathering of data in application procedures

Compulsory fields in the application forms for a student place are mandated by the Ministry of Science regulations for the allocation of student places to degree courses at a university or university of applied sciences that have limited places (Hochschulvergabeverordnung).

Individual data are gathered and processed on candidates for a student place, students, and examination candidates for the University’s administrative purposes in accordance with the above-mentioned Ministry of Science regulations and in conjunction with § 4, para. 1, clause 1 of the federal state data protection laws (Landesdatenschutzgesetz).

Data privacy information for students

Compulsory fees/contributions

Administration fee and Student Services Organisation subscription

As a rule, students on degree programmes at Esslingen must pay the following mandatory fees and subscriptions each semester by the deadline set:

  • Student Services Organisation subscription
  • Student Association subscription
  • Administration fee

Details on the amount due and how to pay are published at the appropriate time in Esslingen’s portal.

Tuition fees

No tuition fees

In Baden-Württemberg, the following groups are not required to pay tuition fees.

  • German students
  • students who are nationals of a member state of the European Union or another signatory state to the Agreement on the European Economic Area
  • international students who have a German university entrance qualification.

Applicants for a second degree

Students who have already completed an undergraduate degree or a consecutive Master’s degree, have to pay tuition fees of 650 Euros per semester.


International students

Students who are not nationals of a member state of the European Union or another signatory state of the Agreement on the European Economic Area are fundamentally required to pay tuition fees. The fees for international students are EUR 1,500 per semester. The law provides for a few exceptions, however, whereby international students are exempt from tuition fees. If you fulfil these criteria and provide us with the appropriate documentation to prove this in due time before you enrol, you will not have to pay the tuition fees for international students.

Application form for exemption from payment of tuition fees

Form for exemption from payment of tuition fees

Please submit the form and relevant documentation together with your application portfolio. These must arrive before the application deadline. 


Note: It may be possible to be exempted from the payment of tuition fees during a sabbatical semester, a compulsory practical semester or if you have disabilities. Further exemptions may be made in certain exceptional circumstances for international students. Further information can be found under the Ministry for Science, Research and Art (Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst)

Admission and selection procedure

The admission and selection procedure of Esslingen University of Applied Sciences is laid down in the following Statutes:

apply

Interested? Find out more! about our degree programmes