Dessau International Architecture Graduate School (DIA) Anhalt University of Applied Sciences

DIA – The International Graduate School of Architecture in Dessau – offers a Master’s course in architecture at the graduate level, which is taught in English. The programme started in 1999 with 10 students and has since developed into an internationally known programme with more than 100 students per year from more than 50 countries.

DIA offers an academic education with a strong emphasis on architecture and urban design as integrated disciplines that address technical, economic, ecological, cultural, and theoretical aspects of building and planning.

DIA encourages students to develop sustainable projects on the architectural and urban scale, addressing current European and global challenges such as climate change, limited resources, decreasing biodiversity, and societies in transformation processes, using drawing and model-making skills as a means to communicate their concepts and ideas at a high level.

The teaching staff consists of regulars from the Hochschule Anhalt in Dessau as well as changing international guest lecturers, bringing constant new input to Dessau and strengthening the international network of DIA.

DIA is embedded in an international network of architecture schools in Europe and abroad. It offers exchange possibilities for teachers and students as well as summer schools, excursions, competitions, and participation in ongoing research projects at Hochschule Anhalt and its partner institutions.

In short, the teaching at DIA focuses on:

• developing sustainable approaches to the urban and architectural environment
• using tools of new media and technologies in architecture and urban design to represent clear concepts and ideas
• supporting an interdisciplinary approach to design
• and integrating theoretical approaches in the practice of design.

Our Master's degree meets the academic study requirements set by the Federal Chamber of German Architects (BAK). Our graduates may register in one of the German Chambers of Architects and, after fulfilling the additional requirements of the chamber for registration, they may hold the title of architect.

DIA is also fully recognised within the EU and fulfils the requirements of the UNESCO/UIA Charter for Architectural Education. This means it is an approved degree in architecture for recognition and licensing as an architect worldwide. Of course, additional requirements of chambers or registration boards differ from country to country.

The four semesters of this programme are organised in a way that prepares the student for conducting the thesis in the fourth semester to achieve a Master's degree.

The first three semesters of the programme consist of the following courses:

• Design Studio
• Urbanism
• European Culture, Architectural History and Theory
• CAD/Logic
• Electoral Compulsive Courses, chosen from the varying range offered each semester

During the fourth semester, the student works on an individual Master's thesis under the guidance of a thesis master and a second supervisor, leading to the final presentation.

The course is structured in modules. One module covers an interrelated teaching and learning unit that has to be completed by an examination or by other verifiable study performances. Credits are awarded for the successful completion of every module and the Master's thesis. The number of credits depends on the average workload of the student required for the respective module.

Internships are not part of the curriculum.

Candidates must be in possession of a Bachelor's degree (180 credits) or a Diploma in Architecture awarded after a regular study time of at least three years.

Applicants must also have experience working in the field for at least 12 months after graduating from their Bachelor's or Diploma studies.

An additional requirement is a portfolio of three personal works (academic and professional) of the applicant assessed as "good", at least, by a selection panel of the Department of Architecture, Facility Management and Geoinformation. The selection panel is formed of at least two members of the Study Committee.

For further information on admission requirements and the application process, please visit our website.

322.80 EUR administrative registration fee (including semester ticket)

This fee covers a contribution to the Student Services and Student Union (96 EUR), and a public transport semester ticket.

Please make sure to check our website for the latest information.

Approx. 992 EUR per month (as of summer of 2026)

Limited local student jobs are available to international students, as are student tutor positions at Anhalt University (depending on availability and qualification).

The university offers a limited number of scholarships after the second semester.

The university has an active career centre that supports students as well as alumni.

There is limited capacity in student dormitories run by Student Services Halle (Studentenwerk Halle). Students are requested to file their application for such places at an early stage after admission has been granted. Only online applications can be accepted. Please send your application through the following portal: https://tl1.eu/SWHAL/#home

Additionally, private offers are published on the students' blog and on the private market.
https://www.hs-anhalt.de/en/life/dessau/housing.html

For further information, see:
https://www.hs-anhalt.de/en/life/dessau/housing.html
https://www.hs-anhalt.de/en/international.html
http://www.studentenwerk-halle.de

With its sites at Bernburg, Dessau and Köthen, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences can call upon proud traditions in science, innovation and cultural cosmopolitanism. These traditions guide us in research and teaching and are the backbone of our commitment in the central German region of Anhalt. Since its foundation, Anhalt University has established close links with both national and international research institutions as well as industry partners. Every subject at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences has been developed with the emphasis on practical training and a high standard of education. Project work based on practical application, international practical semesters and practice-oriented final year theses are part and parcel of the day-to-day coursework. Students' ideas are directly implemented in practice. New forms of teaching and e-learning, small study groups, excellent research and first-class contacts offer ideal conditions for a good start to a career either at home or abroad. In the field of research, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences occupies a premier position among German universities and is well placed for attracting third-party funding. Successful application- and transfer-oriented research projects extend their reach across the whole of central Germany. Furthermore, thanks to close industry contacts, many research results are employed directly in practice by small and medium-sized companies.

DIA Graduate School of Architecture has a unique academic as well as geographic position: to study in the famous Bauhaus City Dessau, 120 km (80 miles) south of Berlin, is a treat for any architecture student. In addition, Dessau is embedded in a triangle of old historic German cities like Halle, Leipzig, and Wittenberg.