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Deutsch Who this German-taught PA Bachelor suits – and what you need to get in
This programme fits health professionals who want to step up clinically while studying alongside work in Germany. Typical profiles include: a registered nurse or medical assistant with several years on the ward aiming to move into a Physician Assistant role; an operating department or anaesthesia technician looking to formalise skills with an academic degree; or a trainee in a regulated healthcare apprenticeship in Germany who wants to start the apprenticeship-integrated route from the 2nd training year.
Admission requirements
Teaching language and study mode: the course is taught in German and runs part-time with limited on-campus weekends (Cologne, Regensburg, Potsdam; Hamburg from 2026) plus regular evening classes online.
- Higher education entrance: Allgemeine Hochschulreife, fachgebundene Hochschulreife, Fachhochschulreife – or an equivalent foreign higher education entrance qualification.
- Plus a completed vocational training in a regulated healthcare profession. For the apprenticeship-integrated model: higher education entrance is required and you can start from the 2nd year of training.
- Admission without Abitur: a passed Meister examination (or equivalent) and completed healthcare training; or lower secondary education (Sekundarstufe I or equivalent) plus completed healthcare training and at least two years of professional experience.
- No equivalency test is required if your completed training is in one of these fields: nursing (general), health and paediatric nursing, geriatric nursing, medical assistant, operating department assistant, anaesthesia assistant, paramedic, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medical laboratory assistant, medical radiology assistant, or medical functional diagnostics assistant. Other eligible applicants complete an equivalency test.
- International applicants: foreign school-leaving certificates and completed healthcare trainings can be admitted if they are recognised as equivalent to the German requirements. Certified translations may be needed.
- Language: instruction, materials and exams are in German; you must demonstrate very good German for academic study and clinical communication. The university specifies German as the language of instruction.
- Credit for prior learning: a recognised completed healthcare training can be credited with 60 ECTS toward the 210 ECTS degree.
Personal requirements
Success in this blended, work-compatible format depends on strong self-management. Expect three to five on-campus weekends per semester and online evening sessions roughly three times per month; the rest is structured self-study and practice projects in a healthcare setting. You should plan for regular study slots during the week and additional time at weekends, align with a part-time job schedule, and keep up with readings in German medical terminology.
- High self-organisation and perseverance for sustained independent study.
- Realistic time planning with your employer for peak phases (exams, projects).
- Confident academic reading and writing in German; clear communication with patients and teams.
- Reliable internet and a quiet space for evening classes and exam preparation.
- Readiness to apply theory in your workplace or another medical facility for the required practice projects.
If you live abroad, ensure you can attend the mandatory on-site weekends at your chosen campus and that your German is sufficient for clinical contexts and assessment.
What will you study in the Physician Assistance at Döpfer University of Applied Sciences?
The programme is taught in German. You need strong German communication skills to follow lectures, participate in seminars and treat patients in clinical settings. Over 210 ECTS you build a broad medical foundation, practise clinical skills in structured practical projects and complete the degree with a Bachelor’s thesis. Döpfer is a Fachhochschule (a German university of applied sciences) and is staatlich anerkannt (state-recognised).
Biomedical foundations and clinical basics: You start with Anatomy and Physiology and progress to Pathology/Pathophysiology and Public Health. These modules provide the scientific basis for later clinical decision-making.
Scientific work, ethics and law: You learn academic writing and evidence-based practice, coupled with professional ethics and medical law. This equips you to evaluate guidelines critically and to document and justify delegated procedures safely.
Diagnostics and core clinical skills: Diagnostic methods and medical history taking (Anamnese) train you to assess patients, interpret findings and prepare indications for physicians. Pharmacology/Toxicology/Microbiology support safe medication management and infection prevention.
Clinical disciplines: You cover Internal Medicine; Surgery/Orthopaedics/Trauma surgery; General Practice/Primary Care; plus selected specialties such as Gynaecology, Urology and Paediatrics. Advanced modules include Geriatrics, Neurology, Psychiatry as well as Anaesthesia and Emergency Medicine.
Practice projects and thesis: A structured series of practice projects (Basic Skills, Internal Medicine, Surgery, General Practice and a Wahlfach elective) ensure transfer into real clinical routines. You conclude with a Bachelor’s thesis (including colloquium), evidencing your ability to address clinical questions to international academic standards.
Electives: Choice elements are concentrated in the advanced practice project (Wahlfach), allowing you to deepen skills in a clinical area that matches your current workplace or career goals.
Academic quality and recognition: The programme is accredited and follows the Bologna system with ECTS credit points. As a Fachhochschule, Döpfer emphasises application and close links to practice; staatlich anerkannt confirms the degree is awarded under public law in Germany.
How does studying in the Physician Assistance work?
Teaching takes place in German – plan for patient-facing language
All courses, exams and on-site sessions are delivered in German. You should be confident in clinical German to interact with patients and clinical staff. The university specifies German as the sole teaching language; bring proven advanced skills to succeed.
A part-time model designed around your job, with four campuses
The study model is berufsbegleitend (part-time alongside work) over 6 semesters; an ausbildungsbegleitend track (alongside vocational training) runs over 8 semesters from winter 2025/26. You choose one campus: Cologne, Regensburg or Potsdam; Hamburg joins from summer 2026. Cologne is a major Rhine metropolis with large hospital networks; Potsdam sits just outside Berlin in a lakeside setting with healthcare and research nearby; Regensburg is a historic university city with a compact medical ecosystem; Hamburg is a northern port city with a wide hospital landscape.
Blended learning with few on-site weekends and guided self-study
You attend 3–5 on-site blocks per semester, typically scheduled at weekends. Around three evenings per month you join virtual classes (usually Tuesdays and Thursdays from 18:00). There is no formal attendance obligation, but participation is recommended. Learning uses flipped-classroom elements: acquire basics via scripts and videos, then deepen skills with experts in live sessions. Supervision is described as intensive during self-study phases to support working professionals.
Assessments aligned with practice and a final thesis
Performance is assessed across modules and practice projects and culminates in a bachelor’s thesis with colloquium. Expect a mix that tests theoretical understanding, application in clinical contexts and your ability to evaluate evidence for patient care.
What enrolment means if you live outside Germany
This is an on-site programme with recurring campus weekends in Germany. If you are a non-EU applicant planning to relocate, you will need to organise residence and the usual formalities for studying and working in Germany. The programme’s structure assumes access to a German healthcare workplace for the practice projects.
What does the Physician Assistance cost?
For the standard part-time track over 6 semesters, tuition is €550 per month. If you study alongside vocational training over 8 semesters, tuition is €285 per month in semesters 1–4 and then €550 per month in semesters 5–8. An optional one-semester compact prep course is available at €240 per month. Over the regular 6-semester route, this equates to tuition of roughly €19,800 in total.
Tuition is charged monthly. Additional costs can arise for learning materials and travel/accommodation during on-site weekends at your campus. The university offers individual advice on financing and employer cooperation models; some employers in healthcare co-finance further education when study content aligns with your role.
Living costs depend on the city. As a guideline for student life in Germany, plan roughly €900–€1,200 per month for rent, food, transport and insurance, with Hamburg and Cologne at the higher end, Potsdam mid to high (close to Berlin), and Regensburg moderate. Your actual budget will vary with housing and working hours.
What careers and recognition does the Physician Assistance offer?
The degree is awarded by a state-recognised (staatlich anerkannt) university of applied sciences and is formally accredited until 2030. With 210 ECTS under the Bologna framework, the qualification is transparent for employers and universities in the EU and widely understood internationally. ECTS credits and accreditation signal quality assurance and facilitate admission to related master’s degrees.
As a Physician Assistant you work under medical delegation. Typical roles include:
- Inpatient and outpatient care in hospitals (internal medicine, surgery, anaesthesia/emergency units)
- General practice and specialist clinics, including medical care centres
- Rehabilitation and day clinics; dialysis centres
- Practice management support, quality documentation and coordination roles
- Bridging roles between nursing, therapy and medical teams in multidisciplinary settings
In Germany and across the EU, demand for academically trained Physician Assistants is growing, particularly where clinics optimise medical workflows. Salaries vary by setting, federal state and experience; your clinical specialty and employer (public vs. private) have the largest impact.
Who is the Physician Assistance right for – and who not?
This programme targets healthcare professionals who want to expand delegated medical responsibilities while continuing to work. The blended, low-presence design supports career progression without pausing employment.
- You already work in a regulated health profession and want broader medical competencies.
- You prefer a practice-centred university of applied sciences approach with structured clinical projects.
- You need a part-time study model with few on-site weekends and regular online evenings.
- You value an accredited bachelor’s with 210 ECTS that can lead into specialised master’s studies.
- Your employer supports further training, or you can align projects with your current workplace.
Equally important: there are scenarios where this course will not fit. Read these carefully before you commit from abroad.
- The programme is taught exclusively in German. Without advanced clinical German, you will struggle in class and in patient contact.
- You cannot relocate or travel to Germany for 3–5 on-site weekends per semester at one of the campuses.
- You are looking for a path to become a medical doctor. This degree prepares for PA roles under delegation, not for licensure as a physician.
- You prefer a full-time, campus-daily experience. The design assumes self-study and employment alongside study.
- You seek the lowest possible tuition in Germany. Private universities charge more than most public universities, though still below typical UK/US fees.
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