MSH Medical School Hamburg

MSH Medical School Hamburg is a private university with three faculties and has offered medicine leading to the Staatsexamen since 2019. The programme is split across two locations: the first two years are at the campus in Hamburg's HafenCity; the three clinical years are at Helios Kliniken Schwerin; the Praktisches Jahr can be completed there or at other accredited hospitals. Alongside medicine, MSH also offers dentistry, psychology, and health sciences.

This location suits you if you value a fixed clinical partner and small cohorts over a university medicine environment with broad research, and if you are prepared to relocate to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for the clinical phase. Financially, the programme costs €1,500 per month over the first ten semesters, i.e. €18,000 per year, plus €300 per month during the Praktisches Jahr. No public funding is available; you bear the full cost yourself, in addition to living expenses and course materials.

Applications are submitted directly to the university, not via hochschulstart.de, and there is no Abitur grade threshold. The selection process has two stages: a 90-minute written multiple-choice test covering biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics (weighted at 25%), and a 20-minute individual interview with integrated case simulation (weighted at 75%). The TMS and other external tests are not accepted; MSH's own test is mandatory.

Tuition is €1,500 per month during the first and second study phases and €300 per month during the Praktisches Jahr until completion of the third section of the medical licensing examination (as of August 2026). An application fee of €500 per application cycle and a one-time enrolment fee of €100 also apply. Living costs and study materials are not included.

The programme concludes with the German Staatsexamen, which entitles graduates to full medical licensure (Approbation), exactly as at a state university. Within the EU, automatic recognition applies under Directive 2005/36/EC.

From HafenCity to Schwerin

MSH is located in the heart of Hamburg's HafenCity. Administration, library, and lecture halls are at Am Kaiserkai 1; further seminar rooms and the large auditorium are at Großer Grasbrook; laboratories and anatomy rooms are at Am Sandtorkai. Everything is within walking distance; the U4 stops at Überseequartier, and Baumwall and the main station are easily reached. A further campus in Harburger Binnenhafen belongs to the arts and social science programmes, not medicine.

Living in HafenCity itself is practically not an option for students — rents there are among the highest in the city. Realistic alternatives are Wilhelmsburg, Harburg, Barmbek, Billstedt, or the surrounding area served by the S-Bahn. Expect Hamburg-level prices and start your room search early.

Crucially for your planning: from the fifth semester onwards, the clinical phase takes place not in Hamburg but in Schwerin at the Helios Kliniken and in the historic Fridericianum building. Schwerin is smaller, quieter, and considerably more affordable, but it is a genuine change of city. Cohorts are manageable; in small groups and at the bedside, you quickly get to know everyone — an environment where connections form easily and anonymity is barely possible.

How does admission without NC work?

Your Abitur grade does not determine your place. Instead, you go through a two-stage process: a 90-minute university entrance test on natural science foundations, followed by a roughly 20-minute individual interview with case simulation. The interview counts for 75% of the selection score, the test for 25%. Professional experience, a healthcare qualification, or community service can be discussed in the interview.

What are the costs?

MSH charges €1,500 per month for the first and second study phases and €300 per month for the Praktisches Jahr, plus a one-time enrolment fee of €100 and an application fee of €500 per application cycle (as of August 2026). Over the full standard study duration of twelve semesters and three months, the total reaches a substantial five-figure sum — before rent, living costs, and the cost of relocating to Schwerin. Clarify your financing before applying, not after receiving an offer.

Does the programme lead to the German Staatsexamen?

Yes. Medicine at MSH is a state-recognised programme under the medical licensing regulation and concludes with the third section of the medical licensing examination. You can then apply for Approbation. This is not a foreign model or a bachelor-master pathway.

Where is the clinical phase?

Semesters one to four run at the HafenCity locations in Hamburg. From the fifth to the tenth semester you move to Schwerin, where Helios Kliniken serve as the maximum-care clinical partner. The Praktisches Jahr can also be completed there or at other accredited teaching hospitals. Factor this change of location into your plans from the outset — it affects your accommodation, part-time work, and social environment.

How is the programme accredited?

MSH is a state-recognised private university; the medical programme was assessed by the German Science Council and recognised by the competent Hamburg authority. Such accreditations are time-limited and regularly reviewed, so check the current status and its validity period before applying. Medschool Experts advises on NC-free medical programmes in Germany and abroad.