Clausthal University of Technology

Clausthal University of Technology (CUT) is an internationally renowned institution with strong regional ties. The University has strong traditions of quality education recognized and valued by many national as well as international companies.

Young people enjoy a different and unique way of studying in Clausthal: it is the personal atmosphere and the practice-oriented education that make us distinctive.

Research and education at Clausthal University of Technology are currently focused on Energy and Raw Materials, Natural Science and Materials Science, Economics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering and Process Engineering.

In three innovative centers, the Energy Research Center Niedersachsen (EFZN), the Clausthal Centre of Material Technology (CZM) and the Center of Simulation (SWZ), we aim to link applied research in natural science, engineering and economics.

With about 4,100 students and some 1,050 employees, Clausthal University of Technology is one of the most important economic factors in the western Harz Mountains.

The superb worldwide reputation of Clausthal Universityof Technology is regularly reflected in comparative university rankings where CUT enjoys a leading position.

Beyond that, students and employees enjoy the international atmosphere at Clausthal University of Technology, the extensive nature of the Harz Mountains and the over 60 different sports ranging from skiing to sailing and mountain biking offered by the Sports Institute.

The rich ore deposits in the Harz Mountains were the breeding ground for the economic importance of the region as a center of raw materials production. They formed the roots of the “Clausthaler montanistische Lehrstätte” founded in 1775 from which the internationally renowned “Bergakademie” (Mining Academy of Clausthal) originated in 1864.

Since its foundation, the University has been associated with landmarks of technical progress: sophisticated systems for the use of water power to operate mining and processing machines, the wire cable as well as precise mining surveillance instruments were invented in Clausthal. Famous scientists such as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Arnold Sommerfeld or Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich von Trebra, a friend of Goethe, are connected with the history of Clausthal.

For a long time, education and scientific research were focused on mining and metallurgy, as well as on earth sciences. However, during the 1960s the range of studies was significantly expanded. Major courses of study from Chemistry and Physics to Mathematics and Materials Science all the way to Mechanical Engineering and Process Engineering resulted in structural changes which led to renaming the institution “Clausthal University of Technology” in 1968.

Bridging the gap between tradition and innovation, further pioneering courses of study followed: in the past twenty years, courses were introduced in Informatics, Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Power Systems Engineering, Physics/Physical Technology, and Plastics Engineering, these were followed by courses in Business Sciences such as Industrial Engineering, Business Mathematics and Business Informatics. As a result of this reorientation, the number of students has increased sharply.

The new direction in teaching led to enhanced research activities: in 1986 the interdisciplinary “Forschungsverbund Umwelttechnik (Association for Environmental Engineering Research) was founded from which the CUTEC Institute originated. The CUTEC Institute is a stately research institute with excellent ties to industry. The Arnold Sommerfeld Institute combines Physics and Mathematics to study complex physical systems. Chemists, physicists and engineers work closely together on the production and use of new materials in the Polymer Research Center. With the Center of Simulation Technology (Simulationswissenschaftliches Zentrum) an interdisciplinary scientific institution was created for the study of information technology in science, economy and society. An energy research center, the Energie-Forschungszentrum Niedersachen (EFZN), in Goslar has emerged from Clausthal University of Technology.

Clausthal University of Technology is active in a number of special research fields such as the development of new materials and forms of energy, the improvement of engineering processes by new equipment, as well as in the field of oil and natural gas research or the exploration of textures. For this work, scientists from Clausthal University of Technology have received numerous technology awards. CUT participated in space projects and is also well known for its start-up companies which are offshoots of the University.

Despite all its innovative developments, the core area of teaching and research at Clausthal University of Technology is deeply rooted in the exploitation, refining, storage, distribution, use and reuse of the resources of our earth – be it materials, energy or information. This gives the direction for research in Chemistry, Physics or Earth Sciences, as well as for the Engineering Sciences such as Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Mining/Geotechnical Engineering and Materials Science or Mathematics, Informatics and Economics. The compact size of the University and the fact that facilities and institutes lie within a short distance encourage interfaculty cooperation which is but one reason for the superb worldwide reputation of Clausthal University of Technology.

About 90 professors and over 400 members of research staff as well as 500 technical and administrative employees of about 45 facilities are responsible for teaching and research. Up to one third of the total budget is raised through research. Therefore the non-professorial teaching staff is particularly well developed. Honorary professors and visiting lecturers from industry strengthen our programs of teaching with practice-oriented offers. Overall, the University has more than 1,100 employees, including 100 apprentices. 

• Only complete applications with processing fees paid will be processed. Please read the checklist carefully!!
• Due to the high number of applications, processing applications to study at the TU Clausthal currently takes time. (For applicants who fulfill all criteria to study directly in a Bachelor’s/Master’s program: up to 8 weeks. For applicants who need to attend a language course before their studies: up to 12 weeks)
• As the TU Clausthal, we do not send out confirmations that we have received your application. Please do not call before the time stated above as it will delay the processing time!

To apply for our Master’s Degree Program in Petroleum Engineering, please refer to the Institute of Petroleum Engineering and Natural Gas Technology website.

Bachelor’s Degree

All Bachelor's degree programs at the TU Clausthal are conducted in the German Language. There are currently no admission restrictions. An admission to a study program is ensured by meeting formal requirements.

Master’s Degree

There are currently four Master’s degree programs at the TU Clausthal which are conducted in the English Language. These have admission restrictions and, taking separate criteria into consideration, a committee decides whether a candidate should be admitted to the degree program.

Applying for the Summer Semester as well as for the Winter Semester is possible for all Bachelor's degree programs and Master's degree programs, except for the Master’s program for Petroleum Engineering.

Admission requirements

For admission to TU Clausthal, international applicants need a certificate of their higher secondary education.

Direct Admission to University 
If this international certificate is accepted as an equivalent to a German certificate, the applicant (after taking the DSH, TestDaF or an equivalent German language exam) can be admitted directly to the study program.

Applicants whose higher secondary education certificates are not equivalent may receive direct admission if they – depending on their country of birth and prior school education – provide evidence of one or two successfully completed academic years in their home country.

Admission to University through the Studienkolleg  (Preparatory School)
Applicants with a higher education entrance certificate which is only partially comparable to a German one must take an entrance exam at the Studienkolleg before acceptance to the study program. The Studienkolleg for all Lower Saxony universities is located at the Leibniz Universität Hannover. To prepare for this exam, a 2-semester preparation course is offered which can be taken after passing an entrance exam.  Registration for the one-year preparation course at the Studienkolleg is carried out through TU Clausthal, where applicants must also send their application documents. 

Type of accommodation: Single room in a hall of residenceTwin room in a hall of residenceSingle room in a shared flatTwin room in a shared flatSingle room (hotel)Double room (hotel)

Meals: Value for money breakfast and lunch available in the student restaurant

Average price for lunch in the student restaurant 2.50 EUR

Social and leisure programme: Would you like to use the weekends to venture outside of Weimarß How about a guided tour, an excursion, a concert, game nights, or films in the eveningsß We encourage you to plan your leisure activities as you like and experience an exciting summer together with your fellow students.

Free-of-charge internet access

Pick-up service from railway station / airport

About the City:

Cost of living:

Tradition ...

Thanks to rich deposits of silver, lead, zinc, and copper ores, the Upper Harz Mountain area has been an important mining and smelting centre for centuries. In 1763, Henning Calvör proposed the establishment of a "mathematical school for the most gifted and most capable thinkers among those who wish to become miners and carpenters". Founded in 1775 and elevated to the status of a mining academy in 1864, the Harz Mountain educational institution rapidly achieved an international reputation. Thus, in the mid-19th century, one-half of its students came from North and South America, Southeast Asia, and Australia. 

... with changing times

During the sixties of the past century, as coal and steel were losing their dominating position in German industry, the Mining Academy of Clausthal underwent a process of transformation. The introduction of new major courses of study in chemistry, physics, mathematics, mechanical engineering, all the way to process engineering, resulted in structural changes, which in turn justified renaming of the institution as the "Clausthal University of Technology" in 1968. After bridging the gap between tradition and innovation, further pioneering courses of study were offered: During the 1980's, courses were introduced in computer science, technomathematics, and chemical engineering; these have been followed by environmental and power systems engineering, economathematics, computer science in economics, and industrial engineering during the past few years.

Research and education today

Research and education at the Clausthal University of Technology are currently concentrated on the materials sciences, mechanical engineering, process engineering, information engineering, as well as studies which expressly combine the economic, natural, and engineering sciences to form a well-balanced qualification profile for new professional fields. With about 90 professors, 400 scientific employees, and some 5,000 students, the Clausthal University of Technology possesses a clear-cut structure, which is well suited for interdisciplinary research.

A European Graduate College in the field of polymers is conducted jointly by the Universities of Göttingen, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Clausthal, thus providing an opportunity to perform early research work in an international team. One Sonderforschungsbereich (special field of research), is devoted to metallic materials: "Manufacture from Sheet Metal". One research group is dedicated to the field of "Material-Specific Simulation of Thermal Processes in Production Engineering". The Information Engineering Centre supports the application of computer science in the engineering disciplines. Mathematicians at the Universities of Göttingen and Clausthal cooperate in a research group on number theory. An independent research institute, the Clausthaler Umwelttechnik-Institut (CUTEC), is specialised in the field of environmental engineering and cooperates with the University in teaching and research.

This competency has repeatedly been confirmed by leading positions in rankings which appraise research and education at German universities. With a share of 20 per cent for students and doctoral candidates from foreign countries, the Clausthal University of Technology also occupies a leading position in the international field among German universities.

... practice-oriented

The personal atmosphere for studies, the multitude of university partnerships, the excellent Internet connection in the residence halls, the opportunity to participate in scientific work as a student at the research-oriented Clausthal University of Technology: Features such as these make this school particularly attractive for students. Joint projects between industry and the university demonstrate the special importance placed on applied research, without neglecting basic research.