Frequently asked questions regarding the online registration (FAQ)

You will find detailed information concerning the required educational qualifications, the application procedure as well as the requisite application documents, along with information concerning the aptitude assessment and the dates on the respective website. Please select your degree programme on the following page.

Yes, you can apply for the coming semester. In this case, please upload a valid confirmation from your school concerning your prospective graduation. We will require the original graduation certificate as soon as you enrol.

Do I have the right educational qualification to study at the HGK (BA or MA)?

BA degree programmes
For the degree programmes in Design and Fine Arts (BA), one of the following qualifications is normally required:

• a certified vocational baccalaureate
• a certified specialized baccalaureate
• a certified upper secondary school baccalaureate
• proof of equivalent education at upper secondary school level obtained otherwise

For the degree programme Arts and Design Education (BA), one of the following qualifications is normally required:

• a certified vocational baccalaureate
• a certified specialized baccalaureate
• a certified upper secondary school baccalaureate
• proof of equivalent education at upper secondary school level obtained otherwise
• an EDK-approved primary school teaching certificate

MA degree programmes
For a Master’s degree programme in Design and Fine Arts (MA), one of the following qualifications is normally required:

• A Bachelor’s degree in the field of study or in a related field.
• A similar, equivalent degree (at BA level pursuant to the “Dublin Descriptors").

For a Master’s degree programme in Arts and Design Education (MA), one of the following qualifications is normally required:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Design Education.
• A similar, equivalently specialized Bachelor’s degree in Design or Art geared towards teaching at upper secondary school level (II).

For admission to a Bachelor’s degree programme in the field of Design and in Fine Arts, candidates do not necessarily have to be in possession of an upper secondary school degree as long as they are able to provide viable proof of exceptional artistic or design-related talent with regard to the professional field in question.

• Information on the Swiss education system under the following link

 Diagram Swiss education system

Please inquire in good time with the head of the degree programme about an interview appointment before applying.
Please select your degree programme from the following page.

For admission to a Bachelor’s degree programme in the field of Design and in Fine Arts, candidates do not necessarily have to be in possession of an upper secondary school degree (diagram Swiss education system (PDF)) as long as they are able to provide viable proof of exceptional artistic or design-related talent with regard to the professional field in question. Please add to the application documents a portfolio, a CV in tabular format, a written request, and a motivation letter. The head of the respective degree programme will decide on the basis of the submitted documents whether sufficient proof has been provided.

You can find the list here as a PDF approved professional fields (in German)

In order to start the application process, you will first have to create a SWITCH edu-ID address.

1. It takes four steps to create a SWITCH edu-ID account:

• Go to the SWITCH edu-ID registration page
• Enter your name, your private email address, and a password.
• After you have created an account, you will receive a confirmation by email
• Click on the confirmation link in the email to activate your account – finished!

2. It is only then that you can register for a degree programme on the application platform.

Please note that you can have only one SWITCH edu-ID account. You will need this ID each time you log in on the application platform.

For further information on the SWITCH edu-ID, access the following link.

A Transcript of Records (ToR) is an official transcript of data that certifies previous academic performances and exam results including the grades and ECTS points awarded.

The following documents each contain a list of required documents

Re a BA degree programme (PDF)

Re a MA degree programme (PDF)

Application to the admission procedure and the aptitude assessment at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW is done exclusively online.

Select your desired degree programme from the list on the FHNW HGK website (1) and click on the grey button “online application” on the right (2). This takes you to the application form.

1)

2)

Applicants who are interested in an advanced semester or wish to switch to a different degree programme are requested not to us the online application but to contact the respective degree programme instead.
If you are interested in an exchange semester, please contact the bWFpbHRvOmludGVybmF0aW9uYWwuaGdrQGZobncuY2g=" target="_blank">International Office.

If you wish to amend an existing application form regarding a specific degree programme, please click on the button “continue application”.
// after the update, January 2023:
If you wish to amend an existing registration form regarding a specific degree programme, please click on the button “online application”.

You will be asked the question: “You already have an application to this programme. Do you really wish to create a new application?” Answer the question with “no”.

The field “matriculation number” only concerns applicants who have already studied at a university or applied university in Switzerland. Applicants who have studied abroad are not required to fill in the field “matriculation number”.

All students receive a matriculation number when they register for the first time at a Swiss university, an applied university, or the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH in the shape of a yellow sticker, which is affixed to the reverse of their qualifying diploma (e.g. upper secondary school certificate). Please upload a copy of this sticker when registering.

1 Home > Open

2 Complete the information shown regarding you as a person

3 Save the data

4 Complete your application

Yes. But you must register for each degree programme separately and also pay the registration fee of CHF 200.- for each programme.

1. Most importantly, you must already be in possession of a SWITCH edu-ID account (see Preparing Online application -> What is a SWITCH edu-ID?). You will need this ID each time you log in to the application platform.

2. After creating your SWITCH edu-ID, click on the button “Create new application”, that is, if you have not already registered for the respective degree programme. If you wish to complete an already existing application, click on the button “Continue existing application”.

//after the update, January 2023
After creating your SWITCH edu-ID, click on “Online application”. If you wish to complete an already existing application to a degree programme, click on “Online application”. The following question will show up: “You already have an application to this programme. Do you really wish to create a new application?” Answer the question with “no”.

3. You can either fill in and complete your registration form in one go or in several consecutive steps at different times.

• Your entries are buffered automatically. There is no save button.

4. As soon as you have checked your entries, click on the button “Complete data entry”. In this way your entries are saved definitely, meaning you can no longer make any changes on the “Application” tab.

Note: For this reason, please read through your entries carefully and check whether the provided information is correct before finalizing your application.

Changing personal data
Entries concerning personal data such as postal address or billing address can be changed at any time. To do this, please log in to the application portal using your access data. In the tab “Personal details” you now have the opportunity to alter the information concerning your personal data.

Changing application details
Registration details (tab “Application”) can be altered until you have clicked on the button “Complete payment”. For this reason, please read carefully through your entries and check whether the information is correct before finalizing your application.

If necessary, please contact the Administration Office and let us know which details need changing. You will find the address in the confirmation of receipt we sent you by email.

Modifying / Deleting an application to a degree programme
Deleting an application is principally not possible.
If you wish to withdraw your application, please send us an email. You will find our address at the end of the online application form in the tab “Application”; the address is also included in the confirmation of receipt we sent you by email.

If you experience problems when registering, we suggest you use a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge).

If you experience technical problems while registering online for a Bachelor’s degree programme, you can send an email or call the Student Administration Office of HGK FHNW: YWRtaXNzaW9uLkJBLmhna0BmaG53LmNo or by phone +41 61 228 44 33.

If you experience technical problems while registering online for a Master’s degree programme, you can contact the Student Administration Office of HGK FHNW by email YWRtaXNzaW9uLk1BLmhna0BmaG53LmNo or by phone +41 61 228 44 33.

No. Please make sure that you complete your application with all the necessary documents, before the deadline runs out. The application deadlines are absolutely binding and the registration window will be closed as soon as the deadline ends.

• Bachelor’s degree programme: Application deadline 15 February
• Master’s degree programme: Application deadline 15 March

You can withdraw your application and create a new one for the degree programme of your choice. Deleting an application is principally not possible.

-> Please send us an email (you will find the address at the end of the application form in the tab “Application”, or else enclosed in confirmation of receipt we sent you) and inform us that you have decided to withdraw your application.

Yes. Please send us an email. You will find the address at the end of the online registration form in the tab “Application” or else in the confirmation of receipt we sent you by email.

The documents to be submitted depends on the degree programme (either BA or MA) you chose.

• Re a Bachelor’s degree programme (PDF)
  
• Re a Master’s degree programme (PDF)
  

No. If you have quit your studies you will need a balance sheet regarding your exmatriculation. If your university/applied university is unable to provide a final exmatriculation balance sheet, please ask them to provide a provisional one.

A translation is required for each document that is not originally written in German or in English. No translation is required for Swiss certificates.

• Re a Bachelor’s degree programme (PDF)
• Re a Master’s degree programme (PDF)

The registration and processing fee of CHF 100 can be settled with a paper invoice or by credit card. We advise you to pay the registration fee by credit card.

We accept the following cards:

• PostFinance e-finance
• PostFinance card
• Visa
• Mastercard

Continue to payment

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Choose method of payment

Create invoice + complete application

The application fee will not be waived under any circumstances.

If an application has been processed and rejected, the application fee will not be refunded.

If an application was not complete or has been withdrawn, the application fee for the admission procedure cannot be refunded.

We shall only process your application when it has the processing status “Application being checked" / "Data check”. You will then receive a confirmation of receipt by email.

If your application shows the status “Data input” or “Payment”, it means that you have not yet fully completed the application and that we cannot process it at present.

You can check on the processing status of your application any time in the online application portal. The processing statuses read from left to right.

Each application is carefully reviewed and assessed.
You will be informed by email as soon as we have appraised your application. Provided that this has been successfully completed, you will receive an invitation to the aptitude assessment from the respective degree programme.

• Re applications to a BA programme (closing date 15 February) this will be done by mid-March
  
• Re applications to a MA programme (closing date 15 March) this will be done by mid-April
  

In each case, you will find the dates of the aptitude assessment under the corresponding degree programme under the tab "Information on aptitude assessment and dates".

Each degree programme has its very own form of aptitude assessment. Regarding the degree programme you have chosen, you will find information under the respective tab “Information on aptitude assessment and dates”. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact the office of the degree programme or make use of the info events and the Open House for a conversation.