Schlossstrasse 31
63065 Offenbach Hesse
Deutschland
T +49 69 800590
@hfg-offenbach.de
The HfG Offenbach is an art and design university in the Frankfurt am Main region. Its mission is to create an open space for critical thinking and innovation—a learning environment where an open creative society is shaped.
The university offers an interdisciplinary, experimental, and project-based curriculum without a traditional master class structure. Artistic conceptualization, theoretical and scientific reflection, and diverse workshop opportunities are central to its teaching approach. The flexible curriculum encourages independent and transdisciplinary connections, which supports both fine art and applied art studies.
Studying art at the University of Art and Design Offenbach am Main
The HfG Offenbach offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program. From the first semester onward, students have the flexibility to shape their individual academic focus, selecting the teaching areas in which they wish to deepen their expertise. The MFA curriculum is structured around three core pillars: art (spanning 13 artistic/design disciplines), theory (including history of art, media theory, and philosophy & aesthetics), and practice (advanced skill development in workshops and laboratories). Students have the freedom to choose from the university’s full range of practical and theoretical courses, integrating them into a broad elective framework.
The MFA can be studied in two variants: as an MFA or as an MFA with a larger theoretical component (Theory+). The standard period of study is four semesters / two years (120 CP).
The MFA allows informal part-time study.
The language of instruction is German; a part of the courses is offered in English.
There are no tuition fees; the semester fee is approximately EUR 350.
Currently around 600 students are enrolled in the art department, and around 50 full-time staff teach in the following areas and workshops:
Artistic teaching areas: Communication Design, Drawing, Electronic Media, Experimental Spatial Concepts, Fashion, Film, Graphic Design and Illustration, Painting, Performance in the extended context, Photography, Sculpture, Stage and Costume Design, Typography / Type Design
Theoretical teaching areas: History of Art, Media Theory, Philosophy & Aesthetics
Practical courses/workshops: AI lab, Art Laboratory, Audio Engineering, Bookbinding, DTP Design, Fine Art Printing, Laboratory Art Ceramics (HPM), Online Publishing, Photo techniques, PrePress and Industrial Printing, Robotic lab, Screen Printing, Sound, Tailoring, VideoLab, Visual Informatics, Workshop Stage and Costume Design
Application requirements
Applicants generally need:
—a first degree in art (e.g. Bachelor, at least 210 CP).
—German language skills at level C1/DSH 2 (or a school graduation in German), alternatively the combination of German B2 and English C1.
—A portfolio with around 30 own works.
—A detailed letter of motivation.
—It is recommended to contact 1–2 professors in the preferred teaching areas.
—International students from outside the Schengen area will need to show financial reserves in order to apply for a study visa; please inform yourself accordingly.
How to apply and when?
Annually online from May 10–25 to start studies in the winter semester (October). We recommend to visit the online portfolio and study consultation appointments.
Information about dates and the admission process are available on www.hfg.jetzt.
If you have further questions, please write to Silke Willig, willig@hfg-offenbach.de.
