Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany: How a Fachhochschule Differs from a University and Who It Suits

A university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule, FH, or Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, HAW) is a public or state-recognised institution built around practice: a compulsory work placement semester, projects with companies and professors with professional experience outside academia. According to the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), 38.1% of Germany's students were enrolled at such institutions in winter semester 2024/25, and they offer 7,543 programmes for winter semester 2025/26, almost all bachelor's and master's degrees. HAW bachelor's and master's degrees are legally equal to university degrees and give access to master's programmes anywhere if the subject profile matches. For international applicants, getting in is not easier than at a university: the same rules on school certificates, Studienkolleg and language apply.

Below you will find a comparison with research universities, how placements and dual study work, admission, master's and doctoral options, and costs.

What they are called

One type of institution has several names: Fachhochschule (the traditional term), Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (HAW), simply Hochschule, or University of Applied Sciences in English. In some states, technical HAWs are called Technische Hochschule (TH). RWTH Aachen, despite "Hochschule" in its name, is a university.

For an overview of all institution types, including art colleges and private universities, see universities in Germany for international students; this guide covers HAWs only. The reliable check is the institution's entry in the HRK Hochschulkompass, which shows its type and whether it is state-recognised. According to the same portal, most private higher education institutions in Germany are HAWs.

University vs HAW: the key differences

Programme length matters for planning. A seven-semester bachelor's usually means six taught semesters and one placement semester. Three-semester HAW master's degrees are designed for these graduates: together they add up to 300 ECTS credits.

The practical semester

The practical semester (praktisches Studiensemester, Praxissemester) is part of the curriculum, not a side job. You work in a company, public agency or engineering office, and the university credits it as a semester.

The civil engineering bachelor's at Munich University of Applied Sciences shows how it works (see also universities in Munich):

• the placement falls in semester 5 (semester 6 in the cooperative variant);
• it lasts 20 weeks in total, including accompanying courses;
• it can take place in Germany or abroad: construction firms, public authorities, engineering offices;
• the programme's placement officer approves the contract with the company;
• working hours follow the company's rules, there is no holiday entitlement, and you receive a placement certificate at the end.

Students usually find placements themselves. For international students this is the main difficulty: without working German, the range of companies shrinks, even on English-taught programmes.

Do you need a work permit? A placement that is a compulsory part of your curriculum does not require approval by the Federal Employment Agency (§ 15 Employment Ordinance, BeschV). Whether it is paid depends on the company.

Dual study

Many HAWs offer dual programmes in which you alternate study and work at a company; the contract with that company sets your pay and schedule and must be signed before you start, which is hard to arrange from abroad; dual study is more realistic for people already living in Germany and speaking German.

Admission for international applicants

School certificate. The rules are the same as for universities: the institution or uni-assist checks the anabin database. If your certificate does not give direct access, you need a Studienkolleg or a year at university at home. See our bachelor's guide.

Studienkolleg for HAWs. Colleges attached to HAWs run their own course profiles: TI (engineering), WW (business), GD (design) and SW (social sciences). An FSP from such a college usually gives access to HAWs only. If you might want a university later, choose a university college (courses T, W, M, G, S). See our Studienkolleg guide.

Language. For German-taught programmes: DSH-2, TestDaF 4×4 or an equivalent certificate, as at universities; see our guide to German language tests. For English-taught programmes: IELTS or TOEFL as the programme requires.

Pre-study internship. Some HAW engineering programmes require an internship before or during the first semesters (Vorpraktikum). Length and deadlines are set in the programme regulations; check before applying, since completing it in Germany without the right visa is difficult.

Applying. Directly to the institution or via uni-assist, depending on the HAW; see our uni-assist guide.

English-taught programmes at HAWs

If you do not speak German yet, look at HAWs first: they offer more English-taught bachelor's degrees than research universities. In September 2026 the DAAD International Programmes database listed 237 bachelor's programmes taught only in English, 172 of them at universities of applied sciences; at master's level the figure was 449 of 1,582. Most are in business and management, engineering and computing.

Two caveats. An English-taught programme does not change the entry rules: if your school certificate does not give direct access, you still need a year of university at home or a German-taught Studienkolleg. And the placement semester usually takes place in a German company, where the working language is often German. For the full English-language route, see our guide to English-taught degrees in Germany.

Master's degrees after or at a HAW

A HAW degree opens university master's programmes. The KMK model regulation on accreditation dropped the distinction between "FH" and "university" programmes: a master's can be "application-oriented" or "research-oriented" regardless of institution type. Access requires a first professional degree plus the programme's specific requirements.

The 300-credit rule. Bachelor's and master's together should normally total 300 ECTS. That gives these scenarios:

A programme may also require minimum credits in mathematics or core subjects.

Doctorates after a HAW

Possible, and there are more routes than before. According to CHE, the Centre for Higher Education, four models exist:

1. A HAW graduate doing a doctorate at a university, the longest-standing route.
2. Cooperative doctorates run jointly by universities and HAWs, with HAW professors as supervisors.
3. State-wide doctoral associations of HAWs, as in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
4. Limited own rights for individual HAWs or research centres, as in Hesse and Bavaria.

According to CHE, 12 of the 16 states have legislated for HAW doctoral rights; at the time of its review, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony had not. Only research-strong units receive the right, not the whole institution.

What it costs

Public HAWs follow the same fee rules as universities in their state. In Bavaria, TUM and Hochschule München already charge non-EU students, so check the fees page of each HAW:

For the visa you show $13,584 (€11,904) a year for living costs, usually via a blocked account. See also our overview of tuition-free study in Germany.

Comparing two HAW programmes: a checklist

Programme titles look alike across institutions while content differs. Before applying, open the programme regulations (Studien- und Prüfungsordnung) and the module handbook and note:

1. ECTS volume and number of semesters, which determine which master's you can join.
2. When the placement semester falls and what you must complete first, often a set number of passed modules.
3. Whether a Vorpraktikum is required and by when.
4. Module languages: even in an English-taught programme, the placement and some courses may be in German.
5. Programme accreditation and the institution's state recognition, a must-check for private HAWs.
6. Which master's logically follows, at the same institution and at universities you might move to.

If two programmes look the same, choose the one whose placement and follow-on master's fit your goal better, not the one closer to a big city.

Who should choose which

If you are comparing research-oriented technical universities, see our profiles of TUM and RWTH Aachen. English-taught programmes at both types are covered in our guide to English-taught degrees in Germany.

Common mistakes

• Treating a HAW as a "college" or second-tier institution. HAW bachelor's and master's are full academic degrees.
• Choosing a HAW Studienkolleg when you plan to attend a university. Its FSP usually gives access to HAWs only.
• Forgetting the placement semester in your timeline. Seven semesters instead of six means another half year of living costs.
• Ignoring the 300-credit rule. A six-semester bachelor's often needs extra modules for a three-semester master's.
• Expecting to find a placement without German. Many companies work in German even when the programme is in English.
• Not checking a private HAW's state recognition. Without it, the degree is not equivalent to a public one.

FAQ

Next step

First decide which master's programme or job you want after your bachelor's, then choose the institution type that serves that goal. Check the institution type, programme length and placement semester in the Hochschulkompass, and your certificate's status in anabin. For the wider picture, see studying in Germany.

StudyU does not decide on admission or allocate places: the institution does. Shortlisting HAW and university programmes that fit your profile, planning your admission route and preparing documents are provided under an agreement with StudyU.

Sources

• HRK: statistical data on degree programmes, winter semester 2025/26 — checked 23.09.2026
• HRK Hochschulkompass: types of institutions — checked 23.09.2026
• KMK: model regulation on programme accreditation (MRVO) — checked 23.09.2026
• CHE: HAW doctoral rights by state, Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science: HAW doctoral association — checked 23.09.2026
• Munich University of Applied Sciences: practical semester, civil engineering, general placement rules — checked 23.09.2026
• Employment Ordinance (BeschV), § 15, Framework Act for Higher Education (HRG), § 44 — checked 23.09.2026
• studienkollegs.de: types of Studienkolleg and courses — checked 23.09.2026
• Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science: fees for international students — checked 23.09.2026
• German missions: proof of funds, Hochschule München: fees for non-EU students — checked 23.09.2026
• DAAD International Programmes database: English-only programmes by institution type — query run 23.09.2026
• Exchange rate: ECB, 23.09.2026, €1 = $1.1411

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