Faculty of Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Halle is a mid-sized location with a long academic history and comparatively low living costs. The programme was reformed in 2003 and has since been taught as a reformed standard curriculum: the division between the pre-clinical and clinical phases is retained, but clinical references and practical elements are introduced earlier. With around 223 places per academic year, course groups remain manageable.

The university hospital is the largest hospital in Saxony-Anhalt with around 1,000 beds and is the last port of call for the region in many specialties. This means a broad patient spectrum without several large institutions at the same location competing for the same cases. Halle suits you if you value a manageable cohort, short distances and affordable rents more than the size of the location.

Places are allocated nationally via hochschulstart.de: 30 per cent through the top-grade quota (Abiturbestenquote), 10 per cent through the additional aptitude quota (Zusätzliche Eignungsquote) and 60 per cent through the university's own selection procedure. Halle divides its selection procedure into two sub-quotas in which the Abitur grade and the aptitude test are weighted differently; a recognised vocational qualification earns additional points. The Abitur grade plays no role in the aptitude quota.

No tuition fees are charged; only the semester contribution is payable. The exact weightings are set out in the university's current selection statutes.

Standard curriculum across two sites

Halle teaches in the standard curriculum. The programme spans twelve semesters plus examination time and is structured into four pre-clinical semesters, six clinical semesters and the Praktisches Jahr. The winter semester is the sole entry point. Teaching is distributed across two sites: the institutes and dentistry at the Medizin-Campus Steintor on Magdeburger Straße, and clinical training primarily at the university hospital in Kröllwitz.

Teaching and practice

The faculty emphasises early patient contact and interprofessional learning together with other health professions, a field in which Halle has been active in research for years. For practical skills, the Dorothea-Erxleben-Lernzentrum provides simulation rooms, skills training and digital formats. The university hospital is the largest hospital in Saxony-Anhalt: you see maximum-care medicine without being lost in an anonymous large cohort.

Praktisches Jahr and degree

The Praktisches Jahr is completed at the university hospital or at one of the affiliated teaching hospitals in central Germany, including the BG Klinikum Bergmannstrost in Halle, the AMEOS Klinikum Bernburg, the Asklepios Klinik Weißenfels and hospitals in Wittenberg. Examinations follow the nationally uniform Approbationsordnung in three parts: the First State Medical Examination after the pre-clinical phase, the Second before the Praktisches Jahr, and the Third as an oral and practical examination afterwards. Having studied in Germany, no additional recognition procedure is required when you apply for your Approbation.

A proper city with moderate rents

Halle has around 228,000 inhabitants and, with Martin Luther University, one of Germany's oldest universities. Unlike Greifswald or Homburg, you are studying in a genuine city, but at rents significantly below the level of Hamburg or Munich. The Gründerzeit-era Paulusviertel is popular among students, though affordable old-building flats are available in several districts.

Two sites, one tram network

Your daily routine moves between the Medizin-Campus Steintor near the city centre and the university hospital in Kröllwitz above the Saale. Halle's dense tram network — historically the first electric one in Europe — connects both sites comfortably. The Saale meadows and Peißnitz island are directly alongside the hospital campus, the city's main green space for recreation.

Surroundings and connections

Leipzig is quickly reachable by train and considerably expands the range of entertainment and cultural options; Leipzig/Halle Airport lies between the two cities. Halle itself has its own identity through the Handel Festival and the Kunstmuseum Moritzburg. As a rail hub in central Germany, the city is well connected from almost every direction.

Is the medical programme in Halle a model programme?

No, Halle teaches in the standard curriculum. After four pre-clinical semesters, the First State Medical Examination takes place, followed by the clinical semesters. Practical formats and interprofessional teaching are nonetheless firmly embedded in the curriculum.

Where does teaching take place?

At two sites. The institutes and dentistry are located at the Medizin-Campus Steintor on Magdeburger Straße, close to the city centre. Clinical training takes place primarily at the university hospital in Kröllwitz. Both sites are connected by tram.

How high is the NC in Halle?

There is no fixed figure: cut-off values are determined each year by the number of applicants and the outcome of the procedure. Allocation runs via hochschulstart through the top-grade quota, the additional aptitude quota and the university's own selection procedure, into which results from the Medizinertest have been incorporated since the winter semester 2025/26. Current values are published by the university; we do not handle applications to German state faculties.

What is the Dorothea-Erxleben-Lernzentrum?

It is the faculty's training centre for practical medical skills. There you practise examination techniques and emergency procedures on simulators, alongside skills training and digital teaching formats. It is named after the first woman to earn a doctoral degree in medicine in Germany, who received her doctorate in Halle.

How expensive is life in Halle?

Halle is one of Germany's more affordable cities, particularly for housing. Student accommodation from the Studierendenwerk and shared flats in old-building districts are comparatively accessible. Specific figures vary by location and time, so check current rates directly with the Studierendenwerk.