The Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design (Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart) with a student body of approximately 800, is the largest institution of its kind in the State of Baden-Württemberg and is a prominent institution in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is an institution where the Fine Arts and Applied Arts are taught side by side. This approach is based on tradition and reflects the Academy's understanding of its own role in education. The Academy continues to maintain and cultivate this quality.

Members of the teaching staff and students of the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design have included such well-known personalities as Adolf Hoelzel, Willi Baumeister, Johannes Itten and Oskar Schlemmer.

The type of education provided at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design differs from that of institutions specializing in the humanities or natural sciences. It is characterized by a more direct interaction with the teaching staff. The outstanding quality and range of equipment available in the workshops allows students to acquire a variety of practical skills under the guidance of a workshop master. As with all courses in creative subjects, students need to be bold, self-motivated, and show a high degree of initiative.

The Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design offers 14 courses. The art core of these classes is represented by the fine art foundation course as well as the fine art classes, including painting, graphics and sculpture. These classes train art teachers and artists and exert considerable influence on the applied art departments. The fine art departments do not subscribe to a single form of art or a single method of teaching. They offer a number of different artistic approaches. In the applied arts, architecture and design courses, the original focus on manual trades has been abandoned to take into account the demands of industrial production.

A broad spectrum of highly practical courses is now offered for all key professional fields. In addition, there are three restoration courses, concerned with the physical conservation of works of art. Lectures on the history of art, the history of architecture, and the history of design provide cultural background and are open to all students.

State Diplomas (Degrees) can be obtained for Art Education, Industrial Design, Textile Design, Communication Design, Conservation and Restoration of Paintings and Polychrome Wooden Sculptures, Conservation and Restoration of Archeological, Ethnological and Craft Objects, Conservation and Restoration of Graphics and Archival Library Materials, Conservation and Restoration of Wall Paintings and Polychrome Stone.

BA and/or MA degrees can be obtained for Architecture, Conservation of New Media and Digital Information, European Design and Integral Studies.

A special quality of the Academy is that it accommodates both fine and applied arts under one roof. The Academy prides itself on the ability to provide personal tuition, small classes, and well-equipped workshops.

• Courses offered by the art department:
Art Education (secondary school teaching qualification), Ceramics, Glass Design, Graphics, Painting, Sculpture, Stage Set Design

• Courses offered by the architecture department:
Architecture

• Courses offered by the design department:
Communication Design, European Design, Industrial Design, Integral Studies, Textile Design

• Courses offered by the science department:
Conservation of New Media and Digital Information, Conservation and Restoration of Archeological, Ethnological and Craft Objects, Conservation and Restoration of Graphic, Archival and Library Materials, Conservation and Restoration of Paintings and Polychrome Wooden Sculptures., Conservation and Restoration of Wall Paintings and Polychrome Stone.

• Institutes within Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design
- Institute of Book Design and Media Development
- Institute of Museology
- Weissenhof Institute, Interdisciplinary forum of Architecture, Interior Space and Design

Next to the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design

The world-famous "Weissenhofsiedlung" is located next to the Academy. "Weissenhofsiedlung" was built on the Killesberg in Stuttgart in 1927 and it is one of the best examples for the art of the "new architecture" in Germany. With the art director, Mies van der Rohe, 17 architects (such as Le Corbusier, Mart Stam, Walter Gropius, etc.) from Germany, the Netherlands and France etc. created a model housing programme for the modern urbanite. More details you will find at www.weissenhof.de

International Guest Students

The Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design receives considerable interest from all over the world from students wishing to experience life as an exchange student, for one or two semesters, in Stuttgart. Our guest student program is a continuing education program offering both post graduate and graduate students the opportunity to study at the academy without the pressure of taking examinations or pursuing a degree course. As such, students cannot receive grades or accreditation for the studies they undertake as a guest student.

If you are interested in studying a Master of Arts degree at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design, Masters Programs are available in; Architecture, Integral Studies, Media Conservation or European Design. All other streams of study offer the German degree ‘Diploma’.

What is a Guest Student?

Guest students do not receive grades or accreditation and are not permitted to take part in examinations. As a guest student you may be enrolled for a maximum of two semesters and during your stay you are permitted and encouraged to participate in class activities and workshops at the academy, although first preference is given to fully enrolled and scholarship students. Unfortunately there can be no guarantee of a studio space for students in the guest student programme.

Who to contact:

The Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design has many departments each with its own administrating office. In order to apply for guest student status at the Stuttgart Academy of Art and Design you should first contact the relevant Department Secretary (Fachgruppensekretariat) or academic staff member responsible for the area in which you wish to study. He or she will then be able to help you with your enquiries. You will find the list of contact persons here (in Pdf format). NB: DO NOT contact the Office for Foreign Affairs (Büro für Auslandsbeziehungen) or Admissions Office (Studentensekretariat) for information, please only contact the relevant persons as listed in the Pdf.

Fees

As a guest student you are expected to pay an administration fee of 150 € per semester.

Other costs and responsibilities

It is important to note that as a guest student of the academy you will be responsible for all practical and financial aspects of your stay in Stuttgart. Please contact the Department Secretary for your area of study, for advice on how to find accommodation, insurance, visas and transport. There are no reductions on public transport for guest students.

Visa

Visas are a very important part of overseas visits. As a student in the Guest Student programme it is your responsibility to find out what kind of visa you will require for the duration of your studies in Germany.

There are various institutions that offer advice on how to obtain a visa from your country, for example the German Federal Foreign Office (www.auswaertiges-amt.de), follow the links>English> Welcome to Germany>Coming to or staying in Germany>Visa regulations. Or you can visit the website of the German Academic Exchange Service 3(www.daad.de) and follow these links>English>Information for foreigners>Living in Germany>Entry and Residence, for further information. It is very important that you find out about your visa requirements well in advance, as the processing times for visas can vary greatly from country to country.

Important: When applying for a visa you will be asked for a letter of invitation from the ABK Stuttgart. Once you have been accepted into the Guest Student programme you may request an invitation letter from the Admissions Office. Please see contact information below, under the heading ‘Enrolment’.

Language requirements

Courses at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design are held in German. You are expected to have at least basic knowledge of German and to have a proficient level of English, both oral and written, in order to participate in courses and class work.

How to Apply

Applications may be submitted throughout the year. If you are applying for a study period of two semesters you must apply before the winter semester deadline for the full academic year which begins in October of every year. Deadlines are as follows:

The following documents must be submitted with the application form and are to be sent to the Department Secretary responsible for your area of study (as seen in the Pdf):

• An official transcript of records from your home university or education certificates Detailed CV (Europass-Standard: CVTemplate_en_GB.doc or Europass+CV.csp
• Portfolio (with at least eight examples of your work)
• Letter of motivation
• 2 passport photos
• Guest Student application form (to be downloaded here in Pdf format)
• Applications should be sent via post (preferably) or email.

The documents enclosed must be officially certified copies. Once all information has been received and your application has been accepted you will receive a certificate of registration. If your home university requests a letter of acceptance, please contact the Department Secretary responsible for your area of study.

The Department Secretary or academic staff whom you contact will make your application officially known to the Admissions Office/Student Registrar’s Office, which you should visit on your arrival. See below for contact details and opening times.

Enrolment: Please make sure you visit the Admissions Office/Registrar’s Office (Studentensekretariat) at least one day before your classes begin.

Ms. Rita Afani
T +49. (0)711.28440-107

Email address: afsa@abk-stuttgart.de

Neubau II/ Building F, ground floor, room number 0.05 (new building)
Admissions Office opening hours:
Mo: 9:00 – 12:00
Tue: by appointment only
Thur: 9:00 – 12:00; 13:30 – 16:00