Ökotrophologie
HAW Hamburg · Hamburg, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
In the Ökotrophologie degree programme at HAW Hamburg, you explore how nutrition influences health and how food products, services and supply systems can be designed in a sustainable way.
The programme combines scientific approaches with practical training, and prepares you for careers across nutrition counselling and education, food product development and quality management in production and supply contexts.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Betriebswirtschaftslehre, Chemie, Statistik and other early fundamentals in nutrition, food and health contexts
- Foundations in Ernährungsphysiologie and Humanbiologie
- Core scientific and methodological skills including wissenschaftliche Methodik
- Communication and early training in EDV and scientific work
- Progressing study content including Lebensmittel- und Ernährungslehre and Lebensmittelverfahrenstechnik
- Option to set individual focus areas such as Ernährung und Gesundheit, Produkt und Vermarktung, and Lebensmittelsicherheit und -versorgung
- Deeper interdisciplinary learning connecting natural sciences, social topics and economics-oriented perspectives
- Application-oriented learning preparing you for practical career fields
- 16-week practical placement integrated into the degree programme
- Bachelor thesis (Bachelorarbeit) in the final stage of study
- Consolidation of learning across food technology, nutrition, consumer behaviour and supply structures
Curriculum
B.Sc. Ökotrophologie (Bachelorstudiengang Ökotrophologie) with compulsory core modules, elective components, a practical module, and Bachelor thesis. Credit points shown as CP (German study credit system) and correspond to the ECTS/CP column in the UI.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Compulsory foundation modules | M1 Grundlagen der Ernährungswissenschaften | 6 | 30 |
| M4 Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten | 6 | |||
| M5 Einführung in Humanernährung und Verpflegung (mit Laborpraktikum) | 6 | |||
| M6 Grundlagen Lebensmittelchemie und Lebensmittelmikrobiologie (mit Laborpraktikum) | 6 | |||
| M3 Psychologie und Soziologie der Ökotrophologie | 6 | |||
| Semester 2 | Compulsory foundations continued | M7 Grundlagen der Mathematik, Physik & Statistik (mit Laborpraktikum) | 6 | 30 |
| M8 Organische Chemie und Biochemie (mit Laborpraktikum) | 6 | |||
| M9 Ernährungslehre und Diätetik (mit Laborpraktikum) | 6 | |||
| M10 Mikrobiologie und Toxikologie der Lebensmittel (mit Laborpraktikum) | 6 | |||
| M11 Projektmanagement | 6 | |||
| Semester 3 | Compulsory applied modules | M12 Qualitäts- und Risikomanagement | 6 | 30 |
| M13 Lebensmittelinformatik | 6 | |||
| M14 Konsumentenverhalten (Consumer Behavior) | 6 | |||
| M15 Markt- und Unternehmensanalyse | 6 | |||
| M16 Ernährungsberatung und Prävention | 6 | |||
| Semester 4 | Professionalisierungsbereich and elective modules | M17 Gesundheitsförderung und Ernährungsbildung | 6 | 30 |
| M18 Public Health Nutrition | 6 | |||
| M19 Ernährungsverhalten | 6 | |||
| M20 Food Culture and Science | 6 | |||
| M21 Wahlpflichtmodul from the Professionalisierungsbereich elective catalogue | 6 | |||
| Semester 5 | Professionalisierungsbereich electives | M22 Wahlpflichtmodul from the Professionalisierungsbereich elective catalogue | 6 | 30 |
| M23 Wahlpflichtmodul from the Professionalisierungsbereich elective catalogue | 6 | |||
| M24 Wahlpflichtmodul from the Professionalisierungsbereich elective catalogue | 6 | |||
| M25 Wahlpflichtmodul from the Professionalisierungsbereich elective catalogue | 6 | |||
| M26 Wahlpflichtmodul from the Professionalisierungsbereich elective catalogue | 6 | |||
| Semester 6 | Practical module and Bachelor thesis | Praktikum (Praxismodul) | 30 | 40 |
| Bachelorarbeit mit Kolloquium | 10 | |||
| Total | Foundation modules, applied modules, professionalisierungsbereich electives, practical module, and Bachelor thesis | 180 ECTS | ||
Career outcomes
- You gain job-ready, interdisciplinary competence at the intersection of nutrition, food technology, health and sustainability—so you can work confidently across science, business and society.
- You are prepared for roles in nutrition counselling and education in settings such as schools, companies or clinics, based on the programme’s practical orientation.
- You build skills for food product development and market-related work, including the development and assessment of food, products, devices and manufacturing processes.
- You develop capability for planning and organising large-scale catering and supply systems such as hospital catering, canteens and catering services.
- You strengthen your profile for quality management and food safety work in production and supply, supporting organisations that must meet safety and quality requirements.
- You also qualify for consumer-focused and communication-oriented career paths such as consumer advice, product development activities, or public communication.
Employability rate
Ökotrophologie graduates typically have an employability rate of around 85% in Germany with an unemployment rate of about 15%, reflecting steady demand in health, food industry and advisory roles.
Together, these figures suggest a stable career outlook for graduates who leverage the programme’s applied, interdisciplinary training.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Foreign higher-education entrance qualification | International applicants who did not acquire their qualification in Germany must hold an academic qualification that is equivalent to the German higher education entrance qualification (Abitur or Fachhochschulreife). HAW Hamburg states that you must demonstrate German-language skills at C1 level for this programme. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition, food technology, and food safety |
Language requirements
Ökotrophologie at HAW Hamburg is taught primarily in German. International applicants who did not obtain their higher education entrance qualification at a German-speaking institution must provide proof of sufficient German language skills before commencing their studies.
MOI (Medium of Instruction)
MOI waiver details are not published for this programme. See the English test requirements above.
Other accepted proofs
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Semester fee | EUR 397 / per semester | Semester contribution for winter semester 2026/27: 397 EUR (including Studierendenwerk, Students' Union, semester ticket for public transport, contribution to semester-ticket hardship fund, and administrative fee). |
Proof of financial resources
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | June - Winter intake | December - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | June 01, 2026 | December 01, 2026 |
| Application deadline (final submit) | July 15, 2026 | January 15, 2027 |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | July 01, 2026 | January 01, 2027 |
| Semester begins | October 01, 2026 | April 01, 2027 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | June - Winter intake | December - 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 | June - Winter intake | December - 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
Submit your bachelor application online
HAW Hamburg states that the application for this bachelor programme is submitted exclusively online. Before submitting the application, you must register on Hochschulstart. Follow the published application period for the intake you want, and ensure you upload the required documents during the application process.
Prepare your language proof (German C1)
HAW Hamburg requires international applicants to prove German language skills at C1 level for admission to Ökotrophologie. Submit the language certificate with your application so it is assessed during the admissions process. If you do not have the required proof by the document submission deadline, your application may be considered incomplete.
Upload your foreign-qualification documents and check completeness
Provide proof of your foreign higher-education entrance qualification that is equivalent to the German higher education entrance qualification. Make sure your application includes the documents required for international applicants and that they are uploaded correctly in the application process. If HAW Hamburg requests additional information later, respond within the deadline stated by the university.