The Dresden University of Fine Arts is a public university of fine arts in Dresden, Saxony. The Dresden University of Fine Arts is a historic public academy of art that combines fine art, set and costume design, theatre production crafts, conservation and restoration, art therapy, theory and advanced art studies. Its institutional development includes 1680 — an early institutional predecessor, a Dresden school for drawing and painting. 1764 – the Haupt-Kunst-Akademie was founded in Dresden by the Saxon court. Its academic profile today consists of fine arts, painting, sculpture, new media, stage setting, costume design, theatre design, scenic painting, theatre sculpture, makeup, conservation and restoration, art therapy, art history, theory and aesthetics. The importance of the site is that the facilities on Brühl’s Terrace and Güntzstraße in Dresden offer studios, workshops, stages, laboratories, exhibition spaces and conservation facilities close to the state’s art collections, museums, opera, theatres, archives and heritage institutions in the city.

The course portfolio contains 4 undergraduate entries and 2 postgraduate entries in this master file. Subject combinations that fall under a parent degree have been consolidated. Examples of undergraduate programs are Fine Arts, Art Technology, Preservation and Restoration, Stage Setting and Costume Design, Theatre Design and later entries are Art Technology, Preservation and Restoration, Stage Setting and Costume Design, Theatre Design. Postgraduate study includes Art Therapy and Meisterschüler Advanced Study and Art Therapy, Meisterschüler Advanced Study Each course is still a parent qualification and specialisations are written into the course entry rather than being falsely represented as degrees. Three ten-semester university Diplom programs, an eight-semester applied Theatre Design qualification, postgraduate Art Therapy, Meisterschüler study and defined doctoral fields are recorded according to their different award structures.

The admission is controlled at the program level. Applicants are assessed through portfolios, practical work, artistic aptitude examinations, interviews, preliminary placements or scientific evidence according to program-specific online procedures. Conservation, theatre craft, postgraduate and doctoral routes have additional subject and experience requirements. Applicants must choose the language of instruction, entry semester, subject prerequisites, selection procedure and document route prior to submission. International School or University Qualifications External evaluation, certified translations, APS documentation where applicable or other proof of academic equivalence may be required. Master’s committees may require module descriptions, portfolios, writing samples, professional experience or interviews. Entry to doctoral study is separate to entry to bachelor's or master's study . It usually requires a viable research proposal , eligible supervision and formal acceptance by the responsible faculty .

Winter semester contribution published 2026/27 € 354.91 Regular first-degree study is normally free of tuition fees; Art Therapy requires an additional €350 per semester, and second-degree or long-term study may require statutory semester fees of €350 or €500. The institutional charges do not include rent, health insurance, food, learning materials, residence formalities, project costs or personal travel. If provided for by the relevant law or program regulation, special tuition may be provided for continuing-education, distance-learning, joint, second-degree, or long-term study formats. Funding (e.g. BAföG for eligible students, Deutschlandstipendium, DAAD and Erasmus+ mobility support, foundations, research employment or university-specific awards) is available, but each funding application is evaluated separately from admission.

Career preparation is in line with the university’s subject mix and is not a guarantyd placement scheme. Internships, applied projects, research assistantships, employer events, language development, entrepreneurship services, international mobility and a thesis developed in cooperation with an external partner can all help to improve professional readiness.