Bibliotheks- und Informationsmanagement
HAW Hamburg · Hamburg, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The Bachelor’s degree course in Library and Information Management produces specialists who create information systems and architectures for academia, business and society and who promote participation and inclusion based on the maxim of lifelong learning.
In the first year of study, the orientation phase and the Media Pedagogy, Metadata and User Experience workshops enable students to acquire the subject-related and academic foundations and develop their personal and social skills, with further specialisation, an internship, and project work leading to the Bachelor’s thesis.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Core foundations: learn how information is found, structured, evaluated, and made accessible for education, research, administration, and society
- Hands-on learning in workshops, labs, projects, and digital learning spaces to build practical information and media skills
- Begin with the subject foundations that support later specialisation in semester 2
- Profile development and deeper learning in information society participation, digital and open science, or Search and User Experience
- First practical experience through an internship in the third semester
- Apply knowledge in a profile-specific project in the fourth semester with a real practical challenge
- Ongoing technical and methodological deepening through mandatory modules and the chosen profile in the fifth and sixth semesters
- Complete the bachelor thesis in the seventh semester
- Frequent thesis setup is practice-oriented and carried out in cooperation with a library, a research institution, or a company
Curriculum
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) programme structure for Bibliotheks- und Informationsmanagement (Library and Information Science) at HAW Hamburg. Credit points are given in Leistungspunkte (LP) according to ECTS (1 LP corresponds to Workload of 30 hours).
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Compulsory modules | Metadatenmanagement und Wissensrepräsentation | 9 | 39 |
| IT-Grundlagen und Coding | 9 | |||
| Recherche und wissenschaftliches Arbeiten | 9 | |||
| Informationsmarkt | 12 | |||
| Semester 2 | Compulsory modules | Literaturerwerbung und Recht | 6 | 24 |
| Recherche und wissenschaftliches Arbeiten | 9 | |||
| Management I | 9 | |||
| Semester 3 | Compulsory Praxis phase and associated study components | Praxisphase | 30 | 30 |
| Semester 4 | Compulsory modules | Vermittlung und Kommunikation | 9 | 27 |
| Datenanalyse und Anwendungen | 9 | |||
| Management II | 9 | |||
| Semester 5 | Compulsory modules and elective profile modules | Digitale Gesellschaft | 9 | 33 |
| Bibliotheks- und informationswissenschaftliche Forschung | 6 | |||
| Profilwerkstatt | 6 | |||
| Wahlpflichtmodul 1 | 6 | |||
| Wahlpflichtmodul 2 | 6 | |||
| Semester 6 | Bachelor thesis and remaining elective profile modules | Bachelorarbeit | 12 | 36 |
| Projekt | 12 | |||
| Wahlpflichtmodul 3 | 6 | |||
| Wahlpflichtmodul 4 | 6 | |||
| Total | Compulsory modules, Wahlpflichtmodul (elective modules), Praxisphase, and Bachelorarbeit (thesis) | 180 ECTS | ||
Career outcomes
- With this degree you build job-ready skills for careers in libraries, archives, media centres, publishers, companies, NGOs, and international organisations across information services.
- You learn to design and manage information systems and architectures that support research, teaching, administration, and public knowledge access.
- You develop practical capability to help users find relevant information and improve media and information literacy through service-oriented guidance.
- Your study includes real practical experience such as an internship and a profile-specific project, so you graduate with applied project experience.
- If you focus on digital and open science, Search and User Experience, or participation in the information society, you can pursue targeted roles in digital information infrastructures and user-centred information services.
Employability rate
For Library and Information Management graduates in Germany, employability is estimated at around 78% with an unemployment rate around 22%, reflecting continuing demand while outcomes can vary by region and profile.
Overall, this points to a generally stable outlook when you build practical experience and align your profile with roles in libraries, information services, and digital knowledge infrastructure.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| University entrance qualification (foreign HZB) | International applicants need a foreign university entrance qualification (HZB) that is deemed equivalent for admission. If you apply from a foreign HZB, HAW Hamburg may require preliminary examination documentation from uni-assist as part of the application. |
| German language proof for applicants with a foreign HZB (if required by the application route) | For applications with a foreign university entrance qualification, HAW Hamburg states that proof of German language skills at level C1 is required. If your intended admission route does not require this, the international application page will specify the exact language evidence you must submit. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Information and Communication Systems | Possible relevance | If you have completed subjects related to information science, information management, library/information studies, knowledge organization, or data/information systems, they may be helpful for studying core topics in this programme. |
Language requirements
For international applicants, proof of English proficiency is required for the study programme language. HAW Hamburg accepts the official tests listed below or an approved waiver/exemption if you can document an English-language basis for admission.
MOI (Medium of Instruction)
MOI waiver details are not published for this programme. See the English test requirements above.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Semester fee | EUR 397 / per semester | Semester contribution (winter semester 2026/27): 397.00 EUR, including Studierendenwerk, Students' Union (AStA), semester ticket for public transport, and an administrative fee. |
| Administrative fee | EUR 50 / per semester | The administrative fee is listed as 50.00 EUR within the semester contribution and is a flat-rate charge for university administration services outside subject-related supervision. |
Proof of financial resources
International students must be able to prove that they can cover their living costs in Germany for the duration of their studies. The exact amount and acceptable proof method depend on the German immigration requirements and the guidance provided for student visas.
- Proof of financial resources for living costs for studying in Germany (as required for the student visa application).
- Any blocked account or equivalent proof of funds, if required by the immigration/embassy guidance applicable to your case.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | July - Winter intake | January - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | June 01, 2026 | December 01, 2025 |
| Application deadline (final submit) | July 15, 2026 | January 15, 2026 |
| 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 | October 01, 2026 | April 01, 2026 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | July - Winter intake | January - Summer 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 | July - Winter intake | January - Summer 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
Check eligibility for international applicants
Review the international applicant requirements for the Bachelor programme route for applicants educated abroad. If you hold a foreign university entrance qualification (foreign HZB), confirm whether preliminary examination documentation from uni-assist is required for your case. Also check which language certificates you must submit based on the programme’s requirements and your qualification route.
Prepare your documents for the online application
Gather your university entrance qualification and all supporting documents needed to assess your foreign qualification. Prepare your language certificate(s) if applicable for the admission requirements. For applications with foreign HZB, ensure you have the preliminary examination documentation from uni-assist if the international route requires it.
Submit your application in myHAW during the application window
Submit the application within the published application deadline using the university’s online application portal (myHAW). Make sure your application form is complete and includes all required documents by the deadline date. HAW Hamburg uploads and processes documents via the portal during the application phase, and you do not need to send documents by post for the initial application.