English 
Deutsch Who this dual Bachelor suits and what you need to bring
This German-taught, practice-integrated degree in Düsseldorf is designed for you if you want to qualify as a licensed nursing professional in Germany and earn an academic degree at the same time. Typical profiles include: recent school leavers aiming for a structured entry into nursing with paid practice blocks; internationally trained healthcare assistants looking to formalise and upgrade their skills in the German system; or career changers with patient-facing experience who seek a university pathway into professional nursing.
Admission requirements
To enrol, you need a recognised higher education entrance qualification and a contract with a practice partner. Key points at a glance:
- General higher education entrance qualification or entrance to a university of applied sciences, or an equivalent recognised school-leaving certificate (foreign diplomas must be recognised as comparable for entry to German higher education).
- Dual format: an employment contract with a cooperating healthcare provider is required; the university supports the search via its partner network.
- Health suitability for nursing training and a recent police clearance certificate; documented measles immunisation.
- Admission without Abitur/Fachhochschulreife: possible for professionally qualified applicants under the North Rhine-Westphalia regulations for vocationally qualified applicants; typically requires a completed vocational training programme (min. two years) plus several years of relevant work experience.
- No numerus clausus. Motivation, interest in nursing and social commitment are part of the selection.
- Teaching language: German. You must demonstrate advanced German proficiency suitable for university study and patient communication. Applicants with foreign qualifications apply with proof of German at a level appropriate for healthcare studies.
Personal requirements
The programme combines on-campus study with substantial work-based training. It is full time and comparable to a full working week. During practice blocks you follow the rota of your employer; during theory blocks you attend classes and complete self-study and assessments. Success in this format requires reliable self-organisation, resilience and realistic time planning across semesters and practice shifts. You should be comfortable studying scientific texts and documenting care in German, and you need the communication skills to interact with patients, families and interprofessional teams. If you apply from abroad, make sure your German is strong enough for study materials and clinical communication, and plan for sustained study alongside employment over several semesters.
What will you study in the Care and Health at Fliedner University of Applied Sciences Dusseldorf?
The programme is taught in German. You need university-level German and must present proof of proficiency during application; the university specifies accepted certificates in its process. Academically, you combine nursing science with intensive practice blocks to qualify both for a bachelor’s degree and for work as a state-recognised nursing professional in Germany.
Foundations of nursing science and evidence-based practice: You explore nursing as a profession and academic discipline, learn research methods, and practise evidence-based nursing (EBN) to plan, justify and evaluate care decisions in complex situations.
Professional nursing process and clinical decision-making: You work through assessment, planning and design of nursing processes, including the use of assessment tools, participation in diagnostic and therapeutic measures, and safe workflows across acute, long-term and community care.
Interpersonal, team and patient collaboration: You train professional communication with patients and families, collaboration in intraprofessional teams, and counselling, information and instruction tasks that are essential to person-centred, resource-promoting care.
Risk, burden and complex care: You address nursing for people with risks, burdens and impairments of health, including complex cases, and transfer research insights into practice while reflecting occupational stress and interprofessional cooperation.
Developing nursing practice: You examine how academically trained nurses contribute to the healthcare system, drive quality development in practice fields, and strengthen the role of nursing within organisations and society.
Electives and practical learning: Choice typically arises through your placement settings and projects (e.g. acute hospital, long-term care, ambulatory services), rather than classic classroom electives. Skills Lab training supports the transition from theory to practice.
Practical phases and thesis: This is a dual, practice-integrated degree with guided practice blocks and a practical final examination. You complete a bachelor’s thesis. Fliedner is a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences) and staatlich anerkannt (state-recognised), ensuring your academic credits and qualification are formally recognised.
How does studying in the Care and Health work?
You study on campus in Düsseldorf in a dual model with alternating theory and practice blocks. Teaching is in German, with small groups, close supervision and Skills Lab sessions. Assessment combines written, practical and oral formats, plus a bachelor’s thesis and a practical final exam in the field.
Teaching language and proof of proficiency
All courses run in German. To enrol, you need advanced German language skills and must submit an accepted proof of proficiency; the university specifies which certificates it recognises during the application process.
Study model and where you will study
This is a dual, on-campus degree in Düsseldorf. You study at the Fliedner University campus and work with a cooperating practice provider. Düsseldorf is a Rhine-Ruhr metropolis with a strong healthcare sector, international links (airport DUS) and many clinical and community care facilities that serve as practice partners.
Learning format, group sizes and support
Teaching combines lectures, seminars and simulation-based training in a modern Skills Lab. Cohorts are intentionally small for personal feedback. The programme emphasises guided reflection phases to connect real patient care with evidence and theory, strengthening your professional judgement.
Assessments and exams
You can expect a mix of written exams and assignments, practical assessments in skills and clinical scenarios, project or research work, oral examinations, a practical final examination and the bachelor’s thesis.
Enrolment as a non-EU student
This is an on-campus, German-taught programme with employment at a practice partner. The university communicates the required steps and documentation during application and enrolment; follow its guidance closely for timelines and formalities.
What does the Care and Health cost?
Tuition in the first study year is €498 per month, with a planned 2% annual increase. Fees include registration and exam charges. Over the standard duration, your total outlay depends on the yearly adjustments; plan for rising costs per year rather than a flat sum paid upfront from abroad.
Dual study financing: You are employed by a cooperating practice provider and typically receive a monthly salary of about €1,400–€1,800 during practice phases, which substantially offsets tuition and living expenses. The university also highlights scholarship options; details and eligibility are communicated during the admissions process.
Payments from abroad: Private universities in Germany commonly accept international transfers or SEPA direct debit once you have a German bank account; clarify the practicalities early if you relocate. Living in Düsseldorf comes with mid-to-high living costs for Germany; rent is the largest item, followed by health insurance, transport and food.
What careers and recognition does the Care and Health offer?
The degree is awarded by a state-recognised university of applied sciences and follows the Bologna framework with ECTS credits (210 ECTS in the database record). That means international comparability for study periods, and formal eligibility for related master’s degrees in Germany and across the EU.
Professional recognition in Germany: As a dual nursing degree with integrated practice and final practical examination, it prepares you for work as a staatlich anerkannte Pflegefachperson (state-recognised nursing professional). This is the regulated nursing role in the German healthcare system.
Career fields in Germany, the EU and beyond include:
- Registered nursing roles in hospitals (medical-surgical, internal medicine, surgery), rehabilitation and long-term care
- Ambulatory and community nursing, primary care teams, prevention and health promotion
- Specialised areas such as intensive care, oncology, geriatrics or psychiatric nursing (often via post-graduate training)
- Quality management, practice development and education roles in healthcare providers
- Pathways into leadership or further study (e.g. master’s in nursing science, public health, healthcare management)
Salary levels vary by region, employer and specialisation. In Germany, collectively bargained hospital roles offer transparent pay bands, with supplements for shifts and experience.
Who is the Care and Health right for - and who not?
This programme suits you if you want a hands-on nursing career in Germany, value scientific thinking in daily care, and prefer learning in small groups with structured practice blocks. It combines evidence, skills and patient contact from the first semesters onward.
- You aim to qualify as a state-recognised nursing professional in Germany
- You are comfortable studying and working in German in clinical teams and with patients
- You want a dual model with paid practice phases and close supervision
- You appreciate Skills Lab training and evidence-based nursing
- You seek a bachelor that also opens doors to related master’s degrees
There are also clear boundaries. The programme has firm language and on-site requirements, and it is not a fit for every profile.
- You do not have the German proficiency needed for university-level study and clinical communication
- You cannot relocate to Düsseldorf and take up employment with a German practice partner
- You are looking for a 100% online or distance-learning programme
- You expect public-university-level tuition fees; private universities charge monthly tuition
- You seek access to other regulated professions (e.g. physician) that require different degrees
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