Study Health Sciences: All Bachelor & Master degrees at private universities in Germany at a glance

Which university is the best?

Study programmes in health sciences are offered by numerous private universities in Germany. Unfortunately, I cannot give you a general answer as to which university is the best for you. When choosing your university, pay attention not only to the location, but also to the size of the university, the overall range of studies, the tuition fees and the study content & specialisation options of your desired degree programme.

Here is a brief portrait of a number of universities with degree programmes in the health sciences:

Fresenius University of Applied Sciences: Fresenius University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest private universities of applied sciences in Germany. In winter semester 2020/2021, a total of 14,910 students were enrolled at the university. The Fresenius University of Applied Sciences is located in Idstein, Hesse, and also has campuses in Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Berlin and New York. The university mainly offers degree programmes in the fields of economics and natural sciences. Special feature: Many degree programmes are not only offered as attendance programmes, but also optionally as distance learning or evening study programmes.

Carl Remigius Medical School: The CRMS is part of the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences and thus one of the largest private universities in Germany. The Carl Remigius Medical School is located in Idstein, Hesse, and offers degree programmes in Frankfurt am Main, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich and Idstein. In addition to Bachelor's programmes such as Physician Assistance and Medical Education, CRMS offers a number of Master's programmes, such as the M.Sc. Naturopathy & Complementary Medicine.

IU International University of Applied Sciences: With over 100,000 enrolled students, IU is the largest university in Germany. The university is based in Erfurt, but IU offers its campus study programmes in Erfurt, Berlin, Bad Honnef. In addition to the campus programmes in business administration and management, among others, the university offers more than 80 distance learning programmes as well as a large number of part-time and dual study programmes.

SRH University of Applied Health Sciences: The SRH University of Applied Sciences is a private, state-recognised university of applied sciences based in Gera/Thuringia. The university was founded in 2007, and a total of 1,241 students were enrolled at SRH Gera in the winter semester 2019/2020. In addition to Bachelor's programmes in Ergrotherapy and Speech Therapy, the university offers a B.Sc. in Physiotherapy. Special feature: the Bachelor's degree is offered both as a training-integrated and training-accompanying degree programme and as a full-time degree programme.

RFH – University of Applied Science: The RFH University of Applied Science is a private, state-approved university of applied sciences located in Cologne. Founded in 1985, the university had a total of 6,203 students enrolled in the 2019/2020 winter semester. In addition to a Bachelor in Business Law, the university offers, for example, an MBA in International Business in Cologne.

German University of Prevention and Health Management: The DHfPG is a state-recognised, private university of applied sciences based in Saarbrücken. The university was founded in 2001 and has since offered a range of dual study programmes for the healthcare sector. In the winter semester 2020/2021, a total of 7,911 students were enrolled at the university. The DHfPG offers bachelor's degree programmes, for example in fitness economics, sports economics, fitness training, health management and nutrition counselling, as well as master's degree programmes, for example in sports and health management.

IST University of Management: The IST University of Applied Sciences is a private, state-recognised university of applied sciences based in Dusseldorf. In WS 2020/2021, a total of 3,464 were enrolled at the university. The IST University offers Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes as well as university certificates in the subject areas of Sport & Management, Fitness & Health, Tourism & Hospitality as well as Communication & Management. The degree programmes are organised as dual degree programmes as well as distance learning programmes.

IB University of Health and Social Sciences: The IB University of Applied Sciences is a private, state-recognised university of applied sciences based in Berlin. The university was founded in 2006; in WS 2019/2020, a total of 762 students were enrolled. In addition to degree programmes in occupational therapy and speech therapy, the university also offers a full-time degree programme in physiotherapy.

Bachelor of Health Sciences without NC: Prerequisites at a glance

The special thing about studying at private universities: In almost none of the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes is there an admission restriction by numerus clausus. Motivation and commitment play more of a role here than the grade on the transcript. For many of the degree programmes, you will therefore still have to write an application and take part in a selection process - especially for the medical degree programmes. In some cases, you will also have to complete internships before starting your studies.

Exemplary for the admission requirements, here are the requirements for the B.Sc. Physician Assistance at Carl Remigius Medical School:

• You have the General Higher Education Entrance Qualification (Abitur), this entitles you to study at all universities and in all federal states.
• Or you have the subject-specific higher education entrance qualification, this entitles you to study in the corresponding subject area and in the federal states shown on the certificate.
• Or you have the University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification, this entitles you to study at a university of applied sciences or in a stepped course at a university in the federal states shown on the certificate.

Alternatively, you can also be admitted without Abitur or University of Applied Sciences Entrance Qualification. This is not only possible at the Carl Remigius School, but at almost all private universities that I present to you here. The following is a prerequisite for studying without an Abitur:

• You have passed a master's examination.
• Or you have a qualification in accordance with the Ordinance on the Access of Vocationally Qualified Persons to Higher Education Institutions in the federal state of the higher education institution, i.e. either a qualification from a vocational advanced training of about 400 hours, a qualification from a technical school or a vocational or administrative academy, or a passed final examination in a state-recognised training occupation followed by at least three years of professional activity and passing a separate higher education entrance examination.

In addition, for admission to the B.Sc. Physician Assistance, you provide proof of 120 hours of nursing internship in the field of inpatient nursing. The nursing internship can be made up in the course of the first two semesters upon written application.

In addition, all CRMS applicants undergo a university selection procedure.

Career prospects & salary

Career prospects for graduate health economists
© APOLLON University of Health Care Management

The career prospects for a degree in the health sciences are, of course, as varied as the degree programmes I present to you here.

Depending on the degree and the degree programme, you will work, for example, in hospitals, at insurance companies, at health authorities, in care facilities and, of course, in practices. Many graduates are also active in research, either at universities or in pharmaceutical companies.

The possible salary in the health industry depends on numerous factors: of course, the federal state, the degree, the degree programme and also your work experience. As an example, I show you here average salaries of typical professions in the health sciences:

For graduates with a degree in health sciences, the average gross annual salary is likely to be between 30,000 and 50,000 euros, depending on the federal state and professional experience.

Distance learning in health sciences

Distance learning and online study programmes have been particularly trendy since 2020 because they allow flexible study from home. Distance learning courses are particularly popular among working people who want to complete an academic Bachelor's or Master's degree part-time.

Interesting universities with distance learning courses in the health sector are, for example, the APOLLON University of Health Care Management and the IUBH International University of Applied Sciences. The latter offers numerous distance learning courses ranging from health management to physiotherapy.

Here are the best distance learning courses in the health sector.

Here are the best distance learning courses in the field of health sciences at a glance:

Dual degree programme in health sciences

In the field of health sciences, a particularly large number of dual degree programmes are offered by private universities. Dual degree programmes are usually completed with a double degree, i.e. they conclude with a Bachelor's degree and a vocational degree, for example.

In some universities, the Bachelor's degree is taken over by the student.

At some universities, the practical company even pays the tuition fees, for example in the dual study programme at the IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Here is an overview of the best dual study programmes in the field of health sciences: