German as a Foreign Language (DaF)
German as a Foreign Language
Free German courses for international h_da students
The h_da offers a number of language courses from levels A1 to advanced levels for international students in online and in-person formats, including those exclusively available to students at the faculty of Media. For all inquiries not covered by the information below, please write an email to german@h-da.de.
For you to find the course most suited to your levels, we require you to take a brief online proficiency test at Deutsche Welle. When signing up, please put your results down in this form (PDF) and send it to the address provided above.
Next course: (level A1.1 onsite in Dieburg & online)
- start date: 19th October 2026
- enrolment period: 12th October 2026 to 29th October via my.h-da.de/ (you can still sign up after the classes have already started!)
- onsite in Dieburg: Mondays from 8.30 – 11.45 a.m. & online Thursdays from 6.00 - 7.30 p.m.
- the course ends on 25th January 2027 with a final exam. Regular attendance (75 % of the course) is mandatory to be eligible for the exam.
=> 72 UE (Lesson Units)
Note: if you are unable to take a class you already signed up for, please immediately reply to your acceptance email and cancel your participation so somebody else has the chance! Once you have started the course - stay on.
- enrolment period: 28th September to 11th October via my-hda
- start date: 27th October 2026
- offered during summer semester and winter semester
- on-site on Campus Darmstadt
- there will be online courses as well for some levels
- takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays (twice a week)
- always from 14.15 – 17.30 p.m.
=> 78 UE (Lesson Units)
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We need to know which language level you are at. The language center will sort you in the appropriate level according to which courses you attended before. If you have not yet completed a German course at Hochschule Darmstadt you have to take an online test by Deutsche Welle via https://learngerman.dw.com/de/placementDashboard
Upon your application, we try to find a place for you in a course that is appropriate your test results. However there is no guarantee to have a place. If you have applied via my-hda, send the form with your test results directly afterwards to german@h-da.de
The form can be found here: https://sprachen.h-da.de/fileadmin/Sprachenzentrum/Bilder/Deutsch/Aktuelles/WS_2026_DaF_Online_Test_Deutsche_Welle.pdf
If you have applied via my.h-da, send the form with your test results within the enrolment period to german@h-da.de. (no screenshot of the results!)
These courses are aimed at h_da students of the Master of Electrical Engineering, Erasmus+ students and international students from English-language degree programmes at the university.
The next courses will start in March 2027 (enrolment period: February 2027).
Applicants who have not yet successfully completed a GFL course at h_da must complete a German online test by Deutsche Welle in addition and submit the results via german@h-da.de This rule also applies if your last GFL course was a long time ago or when skip levels (between A1.2 and B1.1). The deadline for submitting the form with the results is the end of the registration period.
The Language Centre offers a self-learning programme for German as a foreign language (CEFR reference framework: A1 to C1), which interested students of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences can register for free of charge.
Please note: This offer is free of charge for you – but not for us. We pay for it! If we see you do not take use of the licence, we must take you off the course and you cannot get another licence later on.
Informal registration by the 15th of each month at the latest for the following month at german@h-da.de.
All info about DUO and the application process can be found here.