Application deadline: May 15, 2026, 12:00 p.m. (noon!)

Application procedure: via online portal

Nomination deadline & procedure: There is no preliminary nomination procedure for partner universities. Students should upload a letter of nomination to the application portal with their application documents by May 15, 2026, 12:00 noon at the latest.

Application documents:

Please upload the following documents for your application to our online application portal:

• Curriculum vitae
• Passport photo
• Scan of your identity card or passport
• Portfolio (PDF, max. 15 pages)
• Letter of nomination from your university

Please provide an email address in the online form where you can be reached permanently and reliably.

Selection process & acceptance/rejection

In mid-June, selection committees will decide whether to accept or reject your application.

You will be notified by the beginning of July at the latest.

Summer semester 2026:     April 13, 2026 - July 27, 2026

Winter semester 2026/27:   October 12, 2026 - February 11, 2027

Summer semester 2027:      April 12, 2027 - July 26, 2027

Closure: Christmas/New Year: December 23, 2026 – January 4, 2027

Public holidays in the 2026/2027 academic year (schools, universities, and the academy, shops for daily necessities, banks, etc. will be closed)

• October 3, 2026 – German Unity Day
• November 1, 2026 – All Saints' Day
• December 25 & 26, 2026 – Christmas
• January 1, 2027 – New Year's Day
• January 6 – Epiphany
• March 26, 2027 – Good Friday
• March 29, 2027 – Easter Monday
• May 1 – Labor Day
• May 6, 2027 – Ascension Day
• May 17, 2027 – Whit Monday
• May 27, 2027 – Corpus Christi
• August 15, 2027 – Assumption Day

You can study at the academy as an exchange student in the following degree programs:

• Fine Arts
• Art Education
• Interior Design (Bachelor & Master)
• Architecture and Art (Master)

In fine arts and art education, studies are organized in classes that work across semesters.

In total, the academy has 19 classes in fine arts and 5 classes in art education, each led by professors (m/f/d) who represent an individual approach to contemporary visual arts.

These are supplemented by 22 study workshops, seminars, and lectures in art history, philosophy, and didactics, as well as the library and the nude drawing studio with corresponding courses. The workshops, seminars, guest lectures, and excursions, as well as the three open project classes (Contextual Practice, Sound & Experiment, and Artistic Writing and Research) are open to students of all disciplines. Fine arts students can also easily apply for art education classes.

Approximately 800 students are currently enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. Each student (m/f/d) is assigned to a class of their choice, which they select as part of the admission process.

Regular students must present a B1 certificate - German at the AdBK.

We strongly recommend that exchange students speak German and/or English at this level, as otherwise you will not be able to benefit from your exchange and we will not be able to organize your exchange. However, you do not need to present a language certificate.

At the AdBK, many of the professors teach in English or in a bilingual system. If the class is taught in German, most professors (m/f/d) also give feedback in English during individual supervision, and/or fellow students will support you and translate.

In the study workshops, you can get guidance and feedback in English (and often other languages) almost everywhere.

Theory courses are usually held in German. The International Office will inform you about the theory/art history/philosophy courses offered in English.

Currently, the AdBk cannot offer language courses. You are welcome to find out about various offers here.

1.    Living at the Studierendenwerk

a.    Application

There are a very limited number of places in student halls of residence that the International Office can allocate to incoming students. If you are interested in a room in a student hall of residence, please tick “I am applying for a room at the Studierendenwerk” on your application form. Places are allocated by lottery. We can only provide dormitory rooms for about one-fifth of international students.

Please note that you can only apply for a room through the AdBK and not directly through the Studierendenwerk! This is reserved for regular students only and will not be successful!

b. Size, cost, amenities, and location

The rooms provided by the student union are approximately 15 m² in size with a private bathroom and kitchenette, located approximately 30 minutes from the academy by public transportation, mostly in the Josef-Wirth-Weg residential complex, and cost approximately €450 to €500 per month.

Please note that the rooms are fully furnished but otherwise not equipped. You will not be provided with crockery, bed linen, or towels. Detailed information on these so-called service package rooms, which are made available to exchange students, can also be found directly here at the Studierendenwerk.

c.    Confirmation and rental agreement

The academy will inform you whether or not you have been allocated a room in the hall of residence (if you have applied) together with your admission letter.

The Studierendenwerk will then contact you directly:

In mid-July for the winter semester and at the end of January for the summer semester, you will receive a so-called declaration of acceptance from the Studierendenwerk, which you should sign and return immediately to secure your place in the dormitory. You will then receive the rental agreement, which you should also sign and return immediately, together with a request for payment for 3 months in advance. If you are unable to pay everything in advance, you can inform the Studierendenwerk.

c. Subletting

During the winter semester, the rental period is usually longer (until March 31) than desired, as the semester generally ends in February. You can (but do not have to) sublet your dorm room to anyone enrolled at a university in Munich, regardless of which university or college they are enrolled at. Please arrange the subletting directly with the subtenant (m/f/d) and send this form to the Studierendenwerk.

2.    Private accommodation & Searching options

If you don't get accommodation from the Studierendenwerk, don't worry! Here are some other ways to find accommodation yourself:

a.    Private Accommodation service – This platform is offered by the Studierendenwerk, but it does not involve student residence rooms. Instead, it is a service provided by the Studierendenwerk that brings landlords and tenants together.

b.    In addition to the student union's dormitories and the rooms offered through the private accommodation service, the student union has compiled a list of other reputable offers and websites, which you can find here as additional accommodation options.

c.    As the International Office, we are also happy to share your apartment search in the AdBK's general, open mailing list. To do so, please send us your explicit permission to include your email address in the aforementioned mailing list, a short text about yourself, your desired rental period, how much rent you can afford, etc. to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Academy does not require you to earn a specified number of ECTS credits. However, the requirements of your home university are particularly relevant in this regard. Please check with your home university to find out exactly how many ECTS credits you need to earn during your stay abroad.

1. Fine Arts / Art Education 

Since we publish the course catalog approximately four weeks before the start of the semester and many students need to create a learning agreement (LA) earlier, we recommend creating the learning agreement as described below and then creating a so-called learning agreement change after the start of the semester.

Classwork (name of professor as per admission): 15 ECTS
Project work/exhibition (name of professor as per admission): 5 ECTS
Theory/philosophy*: 3 ECTS
Art history*: 3 ECTS
**Study workshop 1: 2 ECTS
Study workshop 2: 2 ECTS
Study workshop 3: 2 ECTS
Total: 32 ECTS

*We will inform you about the theory/philosophy/art history courses offered in English as soon as they are available. Please actively ask lecturers (m/f/d) at the first meeting whether you need to submit a seminar paper or whether there are other requirements for receiving full ECTS credits.

**All study workshops can be found here, so that you can already make a choice.

2. Interior Architecture

On the homepage of the Interior Architecture programme you will find detailed information on the modules and courses offered.

Overview:

Bachelor: Module and Course Overview / Timetable - in German only

Master: Module and Course Overview / Timetable - in German only

If you have any questions about the content of the courses, please contact Georg Brennecke, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

3. Architecture and Art

The Master's programme Architecture and Art is aimed at design-oriented students who have completed a Bachelor's degree in architecture. The prerequisite is a pronounced interest in building culture, the design process as well as interdisciplinary work in an artistic environment in order to consolidate and deepen this during the Master's programme. The teaching content of the degree programme is predominantly project-oriented. Further information can be found in the module handbook (in German only).

Every semester students must take two modules:

1. Free format Architecture and Art (15 ECTS credits) (modules 1-3a)

These modules are designed as interdisciplinary research and artistic work.

2. Architectural Project work (15 ECTS credits) (modules 1-3b)

These modules are architectural project works. Based on a clearly defined work structure, theses, strategies or design concepts are examined, developed and completed. Essentially, urban planning, construction, building envelope, technology, function and atmosphere are dealt with.

If you have any questions about the content of the courses, please contact Maribel A. Sengewald / Julian Weckenmann (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

In order to enroll you, we require an electronic notification from a statutory German health insurance provider; otherwise, we are unable to enroll you.

If you come from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, or a country that has a social security agreement with Germany, you can easily arrange this notification through one of the health insurance companies listed below, or directly here through Techniker Krankenkasse (TK).

Students from non-EU/EEA countries with which Germany has no social security agreement must provide proof of adequate health insurance coverage for Germany or take out student health insurance in Germany with a health insurance company.

This is only required up to the age of 30. For the required proof of health insurance, students should contact a statutory German health insurance company. Examples and contacts for German health insurance companies can be found below.

Further information can also be found here at the DAAD.

Health insurance companies you can contact:

Registration of residence

If you are staying for longer than 90 days, you must register your residence immediately, but no later than two weeks after your arrival, even if you have a visa.

If you live in the Munich city area, you can find all the information you need here.

Required documents:

• Registration form
• Confirmation from your landlord

If you live in a Munich Student Union dormitory, you will automatically receive this confirmation.

• Identity card / passport

Registration is free of charge. The registration confirmation is sometimes required by other institutions/authorities, as well as when applying for a residence permit at the “Ausländerbehörde”. (see Visa & Residence Permit)

Please note that the place of residence you specify in Germany is automatically considered your primary residence in Germany.

If you leave Germany, please deregister your place of residence.

1. Visa

The Visa Navigator of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany helps you quickly and easily find out whether you need a visa.

If you require a visa to enter Germany, you must apply for one in your home country at the German embassy or a German consulate general (contact details can be found here) or online at the “Auslandsportal”.
Please apply for your visa immediately after receiving your letter of admission, as it can take several months for a visa to be issued. Please note that even if you do not require a visa, you may still need to apply for a residence permit!

2.    Residence permit

Are you not from an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland and are you studying at the AdBK? Then you need a residence permit. You can easily apply for a residence permit online. Before you can apply for a residence permit, you must register your place of residence!

You can find more useful tips on the Study in Germany website. If you have any questions, the International Office will be happy to help.

Welcome to Munich!

After your arrival, please report to the office to pick up your student ID card. The office is located on the ground floor of the new building.

During the first week of the semester, the International Office organizes a Welcome Day, which includes meeting your tutor and a tour of the academy, including the workshops, classrooms, cafeteria, and library. You will receive more detailed information in advance by email.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the International Office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We are delighted to have you here!