hardship application and waiting semesters

On this page, prospective students will find information on the admission procedure at Leuphana University in general and on the hardship application and the waiting time regulations in particular.

Leuphana University can allocate up to 2% of places available in a programme of study for cases of exceptional hardship. Within this quota, the recognition of an application for hardship results in immediate admission. Cases of exceptional hardship which call for immediate admission include health issues such as progressive illnesses or disabilities which make a longer waiting period unreasonable. Suitable supporting documents e.g. a medical report must be included in the application.

Preferential admission due to a case of hardship is based on the following criteria:

    1. number of places available in the reserved quota for “hardship cases”
    2. form of illness /disability
    3. number of applicants

Application form

It is recommed to still participate in the regular admission process in case the application for immediate admission is rejected.

At Leuphana Unversity, 10% of the available university places will be given to the highest ranking applicants with the longest waiting time. Waiting time is the time between obtaining a university entrance degree (e.g., Abitur) and the admission to a study programme in Germany, counted as full semesters. A semester is the time between 1 April and 30 September, or 1 October and 31 March. Applicants with longer waiting time will be preferred over applicants with shorter waiting time. If applicants have an equal waiting time, the following criteria will additionally apply: Average mark, civil/military service (if applicable), lot.

Admission limits

Students with special time restrictions, e.g. due to a severe disability or serious illness, can make use of the right of first refusal at Leuphana University. This offers the possibility of priority admission to selected courses before the start of the regular registration procedure. Detailed information on deadlines and required proof can be found here.