HOW TO APPLY SUCCESSFULLY

To be accepted into the Master of Arts in Labor, Economics and Society (Economic and Sociological Studies),

• a first higher education degree in socioeconomics or an equivalent social sciences or economics degree from a higher education institution; graduates of other degree programs may be admitted provided it may meaningfully serve as the basis for the master of science.
• We cannot exclude the possibility that you may have to read specialist literature in your discipline in English, so you will also need to have sufficient language skills in English, which you can prove to us informally. Use our sample text, add your personal data, and upload a signed copy in the application portal. (See below in the drop-down menu application process: deadlines, documents, records).
• Students who did not complete their first degree in Germany will need to provide proof of sufficient proficiency in German. Find out about the recognized language certificates in German. The Campus Center will be happy to answer any questions you may have. The language certificate does not have to be submitted until enrollment. Written confirmation that you have sufficient knowledge of the German language suffices for the application.

You will find further tips and information on compiling your application documents in the Application procedure and documents section.

If we receive more applications than there are places available, our selection criteria apply.

Applications must be submitted digitally via STINE. Upload all documents there.

If the number of applicants meeting the special admission requirements exceeds the number of places available for the Master of Arts in Labor, Economics and Society (Economic and Sociological Studies), then students are selected in accordance with the following criteria, for which the respective proof must be submitted with the application by the deadline:

a) results of the first university degree and/or current GPA

b) Letter of motivation: explaining choice of program based on given questionnaire This explanation is ranked according to existing evaluation and grading guidelines

c) knowledge of sociology and economics and knowledge of methods as evidenced by the transcript of records

d) completed vocational training or at least 6 years of professional experience

Criteria pursuant to a) and b) will be graded in accordance with the grading scale in the examination regulations. Criterion a) shall be weighted 60 % and criterion b) shall be weighted 40 %. From this, an overall grade shall be calculated.

If the criteria under c) and d) are proven or fulfilled, the overall grade improves as follows:

sociology	economy	methods	vocational training / professional experience
Between 10 and 29 LP/ECTS: improvement of the overall grade by 0.2	Between 10 and 29 LP/ECTS: improvement of the overall grade by 0.2	From 18 LP/ECTS: improvement of the overall grade by 0.3	improvement of the overall grade by 0.3
From 30 LP/ECTS: improvement of the overall grade by 0.5	From 30 LP/ECTS: improvement of the overall grade by 0.5

Available places shall be awarded using the overall grade calculated for the applicants. In case of the same score, a lottery will decide on admission.

Selection is made by a committee after the application deadline.

Students who have completed their first university degree in the calendar year of their application and do not yet have a diploma with the required grade can still be considered in the application process if they have a current transcript of records showing their current GPA.

In such cases, the degree certificate must be submitted without delay. If the degree certificate cannot be submitted by the time of admission, conditional admission will be granted on the provision that you submit your certificate by the end of the first semester (31 March of the following year).

In addition to courses that can be clearly assigned to the disciplines, the following are also recognized:

- ECTS credits from courses that cannot clearly be assigned to the subject of sociology or economics or with aspects of courses and from the bachelor's thesis

- courses at distance learning universities or other summer school programs, virtual universities, semesters abroad, etc., if you have ECTS credits and that were completed at state-recognized universities/universities of applied sciences outside your major (examples: Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern https://www.vhb.org/ Network of Bavarian state-recognized universities where you can complete individual courses)

Submit applications online through the University of Hamburg's application portal.

• Set up an applicant account.
• Complete the online form. You can log in again at any time during the application period.
• Upload the required documents or evidence in the "Document upload" section (see below).

 Please note the following when uploading documents:

• Please merge all documents that consist of several pages, e.g., the transcript of records, into a single file.
• The documents/files should preferably be uploaded as a PDF. This is ensures that they can be opened and displayed correctly. The exception is the form on your knowledge of sociology, economics, and methods. Upload this as a Word document, as you are still working on it.
• Only one file can be uploaded in each upload category.

Required documents in the "Document upload" section:

1.  Degree certificate and transcript of records for your first degree

   Upload your bachelor’s degree or Diplom diploma including your degree certificate and transcript of records with your grade point average here.

   If the degree was not earned in Germany and not provided in German or English, you must provide a translation.  The certified version must be submitted at the latest when you enroll (usually in September). Add an explanation of the grading system used (extracts/copies from the internet or other sources are acceptable).

   If you do not yet have a degree certificate, submit a current transcript of records with your grade point average.

   If you have studied several degree programs, upload these as well.

2. Informal confirmation of proficiency in English Use the sample text below and add in your personal information:

   Please upload a signed informal statement declaring your English proficiency. Use the sample text below and add your personal information.

    

   “I hereby confirm that I am sufficiently proficient in English to follow academic courses, read specialist literature, and take oral and written examinations on the topic in English.

    

   Place, date and signature”

3. Letter of motivation based on a questionnaire

   Use this questionnaire to upload your written explanation for choosing to continue your studies, especially this master's program.

3. Knowledge of sociology, economics, and methods      

Upload the completed Angaben über Kenntnisse in Soziologie, VWL und Methoden as a Word document and attach a description of the course if the title is not indicative of the discipline. Refer to any attachments provided in the form.

4. Professional experience

Upload here, if available, proof of your vocational training, professional activities, other relevant practical activities, and scientific publications.

5. Curriculum vitae

Upload a tabular CV in German or English.

6. Applicants with foreign qualifications: informal written confirmation of applicant’s German proficiency

Upload an informal, signed declaration of your German language skills here and use the sample text below with your added personal details. The required language certificate is due only upon enrollment in the degree program (usually around September) and received by the University's Campus Center. Contact the Campus Center if any details need to be changed.

"I, first name last name, hereby confirm that I have sufficient knowledge of the German language in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the University admission bylaws. I am aware that I will have to submit the required proof during the enrollment process.  

Place/date and signature”

Please note:

Documents that have not been uploaded to the application portal by the official application deadline (1 May–15 June) cannot be considered in the application process.

Contact form for substantive questions about the online application: www.uni-hamburg.de/zulassungsfragen

In the event of technical difficulties, contact the Regional Computing Center using the STiNE support form in the application procedure.

Hardship application and reasonable accommodations

Special applications and semester waits

By submitting a hardship application for health reasons or extenuating personal circumstances, you can specify the circumstances that warrant your immediate admission to the degree program. Ten percent of places are allocated via this hardship quota. A further 2% of study places are awarded to top athletes. These special applications must be submitted directly to the Campus Center. You can find detailed information on special applications on the Campus Center website.

Applicants who wish to claim semester waits can do so directly in the STiNE online application. No separate application is necessary.

If you have any questions regarding requests for reasonable accommodations, contact the Office for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses at the Campus Center.

Notification of the application results

The letters of rejection/admission will be made available to you in your STiNE account under the menu item “Dokumente” together with the enrollment application. Check your account on the dates provided by the Service for Students (SfS) / Campus Center, Alsterterasse 1. You have to submit your completed enrollment application including the documents stated in the letter of admission to the Services for Students / Campus Center by the given deadline (7 days). If you miss this deadline, you will no longer be entitled to the place you have been offered!

Bylaws Regarding the Special Conditions of Admission for Degree Programs in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences—(see the currently valid bylaws Sections 1,9 for the Master of Arts in Labor, Economics and Society (Economic and Sociological Studies))

-  Bylaws on selection procedures and criteria for the degree programs of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences—(See the currently valid bylaws B,9 for Master of Arts in Labor, Economics and Society (Economic and Sociological Studies))

Questionnaire / Letter of motivation / written explanation for the application (PDF)

Further application information from the University of Hamburg's Campus Center

Contact for questions about the application requirements and selection criteria: For questions about the application process, the required documents, and the selection procedure, etc. that are not answered on this website and in the FAQ, please send an email to masterinfo-sozoek.wiso"AT"uni-hamburg.de

Contact for questions regarding the online application: Campus Center Instructions—applying online for a degree completion grant

Contact form for technical questions about the online application: STiNE Support Form