University of Wisconsin–Madison
Back to Top

Hamburg University of Applied Sciences GE3

Houses line the riverbank of Hamburg. They are all close together and tall, with docks coming off some houses into the river.
View of the Hamburg city skyline with a body of water in the foreground. It is nighttime.

Germany, Hamburg

In the North of Germany and in the heart of Europe, Germany’s second largest city offers excellent quality of life and international flair. If you like to spend your leisure time outdoors, then you will love Europe’s “greenest” city with its lake and canals and beautiful parks. For those of you who love culture, Hamburg’s museums, theatres and its world-famous concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie, will inspire you.

Improve your German and earn credits toward your engineering degree through this program, which offers you the opportunity to take classes alongside students from Germany and all over Europe at HAW Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany. The program at HAW Hamburg is run through the Global Engineering Education Exchange (Global E3), a consortium of over 70 universities in the U.S. and abroad working together to provide students with the opportunity to study internationally.

Learning Objectives

We have overall Goals and Expectations for Study Abroad Participants, covering the personal, academic and professional aspects of study abroad. Additionally on this program, you can:

  • Strengthen German language skills, as well as cultural competency and awareness

  • Navigate new educational systems, as well as new learning and teaching styles

  • Take advantage of academic strengths in:

    Automotive & Aeronautical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering & Production Management

  • Observe German perspectives on academic disciplines

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to providing quality study abroad and domestic study away programs for every UW-Madison student. We work strategically to identify, address, and remove barriers that may prevent participation and to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for students. Our staff actively engages with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds and prioritizes the continuous development of our knowledge and cultural competence. We also recognize the importance of increasing access to study abroad for historically underrepresented student populations. We are committed to diversity and inclusion so that every student can engage with and understand their identity through a new lens and continue to develop and make progress on their personal, professional, and academic goals.

Sustainability

We recognize that the future of study abroad, domestic study away, and international internship programming requires a Commitment to Sustainability. We are devoted to examining, developing, and improving sustainability in all our endeavors, aligning with campus priorities and following through with UW-Madison's climate action and Resilience Commitment. Join our efforts and learn more about how to study abroad sustainably.

Request Information

Join our email list to receive program updates-including application notices, scholarship information, and more!

Eligibility

  • Open to UW Madison degree seeking Engineering students in good academic standing. Students must be admitted into their specific major (ie: ME, CEE, etc), but cannot study abroad in their last two semesters. Special permission may be granted to study abroad in second to last semester.

    Participants on this program must take at least half engineering, science and/or math courses. 

  • 3.0 cumulative GPA
  • Previous German language study recommended but not required. Students wanting to take courses in German will need to have at minimum 4th semester German and a 3.0 GPA in those German language courses. 

  • Sophomore, Junior, Senior
  • Good academic and disciplinary standing
  • At the time of application and the semester prior to participation, UW-Madison students must be currently enrolled. Transfer Students to UW-Madison need to be currently enrolled at their home institution

Advising Location

Program Structure

Exchange & Direct Enroll

Subjects

HAW offers courses in most equivalent UW Engineering majors as well as courses in renewable energy, IT, and life sciences. HAW does not generally offer liberal studies courses. 

Classroom Language

German, English

Housing

Responsible for arranging your own housing, Apartments, Residence Hall

Program Duration

Spring semester: Early March through mid July

Academic Year: Early September through mid July 

Application Deadline(s)

Year 2026-27 2/20/2026 Cost Details
Spring 2026-27 8/21/2026 Cost Details
Year 2027-28 2/19/2027 Cost Details

Future durations will be posted at a later date.

APPLY NOW

 

In today's global marketplace, there is an increasing need for broadly educated engineering graduates with cross-cultural skills, international understanding and proficiency in more than one language. The College of Engineering is committed to providing international opportunities that will assist engineering students in obtaining these important skills. With more than 20 programs, including many with instruction in English, our programs help you gain flexibility, adaptability, confidence and crosscultural skills for the job market and fulfill your desire for learning and adventure.

HAW is a large university that specializes in engineering, IT, renewable energy, and life sciences. It offers technical classes, but has very few liberal studies courses (if any). Review engineering/technical courses in English offered at HAW (choose 'Programmes in English') and additional technical courses in German. Availability of German language courses varies by semester.

Preliminary course selection will take place in the HAW Hamburg application. You will receive your final course schedule during orientation week. In addition to enrolling in courses, students will enroll in the corresponding exam about a month before the exam period. You will enroll in courses alongside degree seeking and other international students taught by local and international faculty. Courses in Germany typically meet for longer blocks of time and fewer times a week than courses in the United States. Grades are based on fewer components, usually a final project, paper, or exam. This system allows for less scheduled course time and more self-paced study. You should expect to schedule out your own studies and contact faculty with questions as they arise. Syllabi aren't readily available in Germany. Please be prepared to submit your course equivalent requests after you arrive in Germany.

Participants on this program must take at least half engineering, science and/or math courses. 

Please be mindful of the semester dates, as they do not align with the typical US calendar. Students are required to be onsite for the duration of their program.

Affiliate Institution(s)

GE3 Hamburg Webpage Exchange Student Information

Program Web Pages

Programmes in English

Course Equivalents

Use the links below to see a list of courses that past students have taken on this program and the UW equivalents. Note: This list only includes pre-approved courses for your program and may not be an exhaustive list of courses, departments or equivalents. Courses may not be available the semester you are abroad. You will receive instructions on the course equivalent process after acceptance. View Course Equivalents