The transition from high school to college brings many changes—our bridge courses help first-year students fill gaps in their knowledge of math and English and refresh what they’ve forgotten. In addition, here are some reasons to take these courses: Learning in college is significantly different from learning in high school. 

The bridge courses give you a chance to get used to the new style!
If you’ve been out of school for a while, you may no longer be used to concentrating and listening for extended periods of time. The bridge courses let you practice both of these skills again! You’ll get to know your fellow students before lectures even start, make your first connections, and can even form study groups right away! You’ll automatically receive more information about the bridge courses after registering.

English: 

August 31 – September 11, 2026, Mon–Fri: 9:00 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., in-person at the Alt-Saarbrücken campus.

Welcome event for the English bridge courses: August 28, 2026, 2:00 p.m., Room 10.01.07 

Please note: Further information regarding registration, placement tests, and deadlines will follow (subject to change).

Mathematics:

September 14 – October 6, 2026, Mon–Fri: 9:00 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
To take advantage of both in-person and online instruction, the Math Bridge Course will be held online on Mondays and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, it will be held as an in-person session on the Alt-Saarbrücken campus (subject to change).

Mathematics Bridge Course for the Architecture Program: September 14–23, 2026

Mathematics Bridge Course for the Social Sciences: September 24–October 6, 2026

Please note: Further information regarding registration, placement tests, and deadlines will follow (subject to change).

The bridge courses are optional and open to anyone who has applied to study at htw saar—regardless of whether they have already received an acceptance letter or not. Note: For the international degree programs in International Business and Mechanical Engineering, as well as for the International Tourism Management program, only the math bridge course is offered. An English bridge course is not offered for these programs, as the required English proficiency level is already higher than that of the bridge course.

You can find an overview of the courseshere.

Please note that participation in the bridge courses does NOT constitute an offer of admission.

In many fields of study, such as engineering or business, a good command of English is a basic requirement, since English is a required foreign language in most degree programs. To determine whether you meet the required minimum level of B1 (see the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) or perhaps even exceed it, we administer a free, no-obligation test before the courses begin. You can find out where and how to take this test on our course overview page.

A solid foundation in mathematics is essential for nearly all fields of study at htw saar—not only in engineering programs but also in “management disciplines.” In all business programs, a strong foundation in mathematics is required from the very beginning. In the bridge courses, you’ll have the opportunity to review all the topics required for your degree program (Mathematics Bridge Course Syllabus). If you have gaps in your knowledge of these topics, we strongly recommend that you enroll in the course.

How do I choose the right course and register?

On the course overview page, you’ll find which bridge courses are offered for your field of study. For more information, visit brueckenkurse@htwsaar.de 

Further information about the bridge courses can be found in the FAQs.