Application for and admission to studies
Choosing where to study
Choosing where to study is a decision that requires careful consideration and it is important to obtain all the necessary information in good time. This applies in particular for individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses, as they are usually dependent on support.
On this website and associated pages, we aim to provide a detailed overview of what Heinrich Heine University (HHU) offers for students with health impairments.
We would be pleased to answer any further questions you may have by telephone, or during consultation hours. All information you disclose to us is subject to confidentiality obligations and will be treated accordingly.
If we are unable to help, we will do our best to point you to someone who can.
Application for and admission to studies
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf offers a broad spectrum of study programmes. In general, the following applies: HHU does not offer any teacher training courses and a good level of English language proficiency is a requirement for all study programmes offered by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. In addition, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities offers combined bachelor’s study programmes with so-called major and minor subjects in addition to single-subject study programmes. You can find more information on the websites of the individual study programmes and in the corresponding study and exam regulations.
If you have questions about how a specific study programme is organised or study conditions, we recommend that you contact the advisory service for the specific subject. You can find the contact details on the pages of the individual study programmes. The Departmental Student Committees can also provide information.
Hardship case applications
Under certain circumstances, it may be advisable to submit a so-called hardship case application. The prospective student needs to prove that they cannot wait for admission due to serious health, social or family reasons. Affected students will then be admitted irrespective of the “average grade” and “waiting period” selection criteria due to this exceptional situation.
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf reserves 2% of study places for such cases. As a special case request, the hardship case application forms part of the main study application and must generally be submitted at the same time as the online application. The deadlines for applications are 15 July for the winter semester and 15 January for the summer semester every year.
If you (subsequently) decide to switch to a different study programme, a hardship case application can only be approved if the study programme switch has become necessary due to a new disability.
We have summarised information about hardship case applications in a PDF:
Information about hardship case applications
Please note: Students at HHU who submit a hardship case application to the Registrar’s Office currently do not automatically receive feedback about whether the submitted documents are complete and whether they can expect their application to be approved or rejected. We therefore recommend that you contact the Registrar’s Office about the processing status of your application before the deadline (summer semester: 15 January, winter semester: 15 July). Documents submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.