Application Visual Communication

You can apply to study Visual Communication if you have a general higher education entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur or master craftsman's certificate) and can prove your artistic aptitude.

You can also be admitted to study Visual Communication at the Kunsthochschule Kassel without a general higher education entrance qualification if you are invited to take the entrance examination and can demonstrate outstanding artistic/design talent.

The course can only be started in the winter semester.

Admission requirements

• Proof of artistic/design aptitude (portfolio with work samples)
• Proof of general higher education entrance qualification
• An application without a general higher education entrance qualification is possible if you are invited to the entrance examination and can prove outstanding artistic talent
• If you do not yet have a school-leaving certificate, you can provisionally send a simple copy of your last half-year report; the school-leaving certificate must only be submitted after you have passed the entrance examination

If you have obtained your school-leaving certificate abroad and wish to apply, please follow the instructions under Application for international students. Application procedure (*updated on February 15, 2024*) The prerequisite for an invitation to the entrance examination is a timely registration by March 15 and subsequent application by April 15 of the respective year at the latest. All documents for the application, including the artistic/design portfolio, must be submitted online.

Stage 1 - Registration
Registration for the application must be made by email between February 15 and March 15. You can download the registration form here
or in the info column. The form contains all further information relevant to the application.

Step 2 - Application with digital portfolio
In the next step, you will receive an invitation email at the beginning of April to upload your digital portfolio (PDF). In this email, we will provide you with all further information relevant to the submission of the digital portfolio. Please check your email inbox and, if necessary, the spam folder assigned to your email address by April 4 at the latest. The invitation email will be sent to the address you used to register. Your portfolio and other application documents (see also "Application documents" and "Portfolio preselection") must be submitted by April 15.

Stage 3 - aptitude test
We will review your application by mid-May and select the applicants who will be invited to the entrance exam. This takes place at the beginning of June and the invitation to the entrance exam is sent by email. Applicants who are not invited to the entrance exam will also be informed by email by mid-May.


Application documents

• Digital portfolio with work samples (as PDF, max. 25MB)
• curriculum vitae
• Letter of motivation (1 page)
• Copies of the general higher education entrance qualification (if the certificate is not yet available, please submit a copy of your last semester report)

Portfolio preselection
You apply to us with a digital portfolio (PDF). This portfolio should contain a free selection of around 15 to 25 samples of your own artistic and/or creative work. There are no requirements on the part of the degree program. We recommend that you make your particular interests and skills clear through the composition of your work.

There is no need to submit a conventional portfolio or data carrier.

Questions about the application procedure
Answers to many questions about the admission procedure for the Visual Communication degree program, the portfolio, the entrance examination, the art academy and the degree program can be found in the FAQ PDF(download link) or in the info column.

Questions that are not answered in the FAQ can be sent to this email address: aufnahme-viskom[at]kunsthochschulekassel.de