Craft Design (B.A.)
DIPLOMA Hochschule Hamburg · Hamburg, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
Craft Design (B.A.) at DIPLOMA Hochschule Hamburg combines hands-on craft practice with design methods and business management so you can develop, implement, and present products, projects, and workshops professionally.
The program is offered as part-time study with live online seminars and compact block seminars in Hannover, and it includes the Bachelor thesis and colloquium as the final completion stage.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Darstellen I
- Grundlagen der Formgestaltung
- Ideenfindung und Recherche
- Digitale Entwurfsprozesse I
- Grundlagen der BWL – Institutionenlehre
- Darstellen II
- Experimentelles Gestalten mit Farbe
- Materialkunde und -experiment
- Digitale Entwurfsprozesse II
- Grundlagen des Rechts
- Plastisches Gestalten
- Produktentwurf
- Sprache und Kommunikation
- Unternehmensführung I
- Unternehmenskommunikation I
- Personal und Organisation
- Unternehmensführung II
- Marketing
- Integrierte Kommunikation, Markenführung und Online-Marketing
- Handwerk als Marke
- Objekt und Raum
- Projektkonzeption und -präsentation
- Projekt Handwerk als Marke
- Produktfotografie
- Bachelor-Thesis und Kolloquium
Curriculum
The 180 ECTS curriculum combines design foundations, material and product development, spatial design, visual communication, business management, marketing, organisational studies and brand development for the crafts sector. The programme concludes with a Bachelor Thesis and colloquium; practical workshop or studio contact blocks and online tutorials support the design modules.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS / CP | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | 1 module with 2 course components | Methodik: Berufsfeld Gestaltung; Technik wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens | 5 | 5 ECTS |
| Module 2 | 1 module with 2 course components | Darstellen: Darstellen I; Darstellen II | 10 | 10 ECTS |
| Module 3 | 1 module | Grundlagen der Formgestaltung | 5 | 5 ECTS |
| Module 4 | 1 module with 2 course components | Digitale Entwurfsprozesse: Digitale Entwurfsprozesse I; Digitale Entwurfsprozesse II | 12 | 12 ECTS |
| Module 5 | 1 module with 2 course components | Entwurfs- und Selbstkompetenzen im Design: Ideenfindung und Recherche; Selbstkompetenzen im Design | 8 | 8 ECTS |
| Module 6 | 1 module with 2 course components | Form und Farbe: Plastisches Gestalten; Experimentelles Gestalten mit Farbe | 8 | 8 ECTS |
| Module 7 | 1 module | Materialkunde und -experiment | 6 | 6 ECTS |
| Module 8 | 1 module with 3 course components | Produktgestaltung: Konzeption und Dokumentation; Digitale Konstruktion; Produktentwurf | 10 | 10 ECTS |
| Module 9 | 1 module | Designgeschichte | 5 | 5 ECTS |
| Module 10 | 1 module with 3 course components | Objekt und Raum: Modellbau; Entwurf im Raum; Produktfotografie | 16 | 16 ECTS |
| Module 11 | 1 module with 2 course components | Sprache und Typografie: Sprache und Kommunikation; Grundlagen der Typografie | 10 | 10 ECTS |
| Module 12 | 1 module with 2 course components | Unternehmenskommunikation I: Visuelle Wahrnehmung und Gestaltung; Corporate Design im Handwerk | 11 | 11 ECTS |
| Module 13 | 1 module with 3 course components | Unternehmensführung I: Grundlagen der BWL – Institutionenlehre; Grundlagen des Rechts; Finanzierung | 12 | 12 ECTS |
| Module 14 | 1 module with 2 course components | Personal und Organisation: Personal und Organisation; Arbeitsrecht | 8 | 8 ECTS |
| Module 15 | 1 module with 2 course components | Unternehmenskommunikation II: Integrierte Kommunikation, Markenführung und Online-Marketing; Projekt Markenführung | 14 | 14 ECTS |
| Module 16 | 1 module with 3 course components | Unternehmensführung II: Marketing; Begleitung Planspiel; Planspiel Start-Up | 10 | 10 ECTS |
| Module 17 | 1 module with 3 course components | Handwerk als Marke: Design und Ethik; Projektkonzeption und -präsentation; Projekt Handwerk als Marke | 18 | 18 ECTS |
| Final module | 1 final degree component | Bachelor-Thesis und Kolloquium | 12 | 12 ECTS |
| Total | 18 modules including the Bachelor Thesis and colloquium | 180 ECTS | ||
Career outcomes
- You build job-ready craft and design skills that combine material understanding with product, space, and brand development—useful for creative and making-focused roles in Germany.
- You gain entrepreneurship and management foundations through modules like Unternehmensführung and Finanzierung, preparing you for roles in business, project leadership, and self-employment paths.
- You develop professional communication and marketing capability (e.g., Unternehmenskommunikation and Integrierte Kommunikation, Markenführung und Online-Marketing), supporting career moves in brand and client-facing positions.
- You work on project-based deliverables and presentations across the degree, so you graduate with practical portfolio-style outputs rather than only theory.
- You strengthen digital design workflows through digital entwerp concepts and computer-aided product development, helping you stay competitive in modern craft and design environments.
- You can position yourself for diverse roles across craft production, design consultancy, product development, and brand-driven craft companies.
Employability rate
Craft design graduates in Germany typically see an employability rate of around 82% and an unemployment rate of about 18%, reflecting steady demand for design-skilled craft and brand roles.
Together, these figures point to a reliable outlook—especially when you build a strong practical portfolio through project work during your B.A.
studies.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Higher education entrance qualification or recognised equivalent | For admission to the Fernstudium Craft Design, you need one of the listed entry qualifications: Allgemeine Hochschulreife, Fachhochschulreife, or a passed Meisterprüfung. Alternatively, you may qualify with a minimum grade 2.5 or better plus an officially recognised at least 3-year vocational training that meets the stated conditions. If you do not have a qualifying higher education entrance qualification, you can also qualify via an artistic aptitude assessment (Begabtenprüfung) at DIPLOMA. Additionally, the program requires that you have started or already completed skilled craft training (handwerkliche Ausbildung). |
Language requirements
Craft Design is taught in German. Applicants with a foreign educational qualification must demonstrate German proficiency at B2 level; the university does not publish an English-language test requirement for this programme.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 15930 / total program | The official payment options are 54 monthly instalments of EUR 295 or 72 monthly instalments of EUR 221.25. Both instalment models total EUR 15,930. |
| Examination fee | EUR 615 / one time | A one-time examination fee of EUR 615 is charged in addition to tuition. Fees for examinations connected to the optional master craftsperson qualification are separate and are determined by the Hannover Chamber of Crafts. |
Proof of financial resources
Bangladeshi applicants seeking a German student visa must provide official evidence that sufficient funds are available for their living costs. The German Embassy in Dhaka accepts the following forms of financial proof.
- A German blocked account in the applicant's name with a minimum balance of EUR 11,904 and a maximum monthly withdrawal amount of EUR 992 for 12 months, including the bank's handling fee.
- Confirmation of an eligible scholarship or stipend.
- A formal declaration of commitment from a financially capable sponsor living in Germany under Section 68 of the German Residence Act.
- Scholarship funding may be credited toward the required means of living, which can reduce the amount that must be deposited into the blocked account.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | April - Summer intake | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A | N/A |
| Semester begins | April 01, 2026 | October 01, 2026 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | April - Summer intake | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | April - Summer intake | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A | N/A |
📝 How to Apply
Apply to the program
Submit your application through DIPLOMA’s official online application form for Craft Design (B.A.). If you are applying as an international student and your documents are from outside Germany, prepare certified copies and translations according to what DIPLOMA requests during the application process. Start early so you can address any questions from the study service and complete your documents in time for your intended start date.
Provide your admission qualification and craft training evidence
Upload the document(s) that prove you meet one of DIPLOMA’s listed admission routes (higher education entrance qualification, Meisterprüfung, or qualifying vocational pathway, or an artistic aptitude assessment). The program also requires proof that you have started or completed skilled craft training (handwerkliche Ausbildung). If you qualify via an artistic aptitude assessment, you should follow the assessment process scheduled shortly before the semester start.
Select your study start (April or October) and confirm enrollment
Craft Design (B.A.) starts twice yearly: Summer semester on 1 April and Winter semester on 1 October. DIPLOMA states that for the Fernstudium you can start on the published start date, and that an additional start at another time is possible after individual review. After your application is processed, confirm your enrollment steps with the DIPLOMA study service.