Fresenius University of Applied Sciences: Bachelor, Master & MBA — On Campus

What is Fresenius University of Applied Sciences known for?

Fresenius University of Applied Sciences is a private university recognised by the German state of Hesse, operated by Hochschulen Fresenius gemeinnützige Trägergesellschaft mbH and part of the Carl Remigius Fresenius Education Group. It traces back to the chemical laboratory founded by Carl Remigius Fresenius in 1848 and is among the largest private universities in Germany.

The institution began as a working analytical laboratory that trained its own chemists. That origin still shapes the profile: teaching happens on the equipment and with the methods used in practice afterwards. State recognition as a university of applied sciences followed in 1971. Unlike a German Universität, a Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften focuses on applied teaching and does not award doctorates.

Two quality markers matter for international applicants. The German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat), the body that reviews private universities in Germany, has reaccredited the institution for ten years – the longest term the procedure allows. In addition the university is system-accredited, meaning it accredits its own degree programmes through an audited internal quality system rather than submitting each programme to an external agency.

Several institutions share the Fresenius name but are legally separate. The Fresenius University Heidelberg has its own operating company and is recognised by Baden-Württemberg, not Hesse. Charlotte Fresenius University is a full university with the right to award doctorates. AMD Akademie Mode & Design and the Carl Remigius Medical School are departments of Fresenius University with their own profiles. Degrees carry the name of the awarding institution.

Which programmes at Fresenius are actually taught in English?

Around twenty degree programmes are taught fully in English – four bachelor's programmes and sixteen master's programmes. They sit in business and management, computer science, industrial engineering, real estate, logistics, health economics and the life sciences. Everything outside those fields is taught in German.

Bachelor's programmes in English (six semesters, on campus):

• International Business Management, B.A. – Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hamburg or Munich
• Computer Science, B.Sc. – Cologne
• Industrial Engineering and Management, B.Eng. – Cologne
• Biomedical Sciences, B.Sc. – Idstein

Master's programmes in English cover International Business Management, International Management for non-business graduates, Marketing & Brand Management, E-Commerce & Logistics, Industrial Engineering and International Management, International Real Estate Management, Computer Science, International Health Economics & Pharmacoeconomics, Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Bioanalytical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Biochemical Engineering and an MBA. Two further programmes – Sustainable Design Management and Security and Disaster Management – run bilingually.

No English-taught option exists in education, social work, psychology, physiotherapy, speech therapy or the other therapy subjects. Applicants interested in those fields need German at TestDaF level 4 or DSH-2 and should plan a preparatory language year.

Can international students apply to Fresenius University?

Yes. International applicants apply directly to the university – there is no central admission service – and need three things: a recognised school-leaving certificate, proof of language ability in the language of instruction, and, for non-EU citizens, a student visa. There is no numerus clausus; admission is decided on documents and a personal interview.

Recognition of school-leaving certificates. Germany assesses foreign qualifications through the anabin database of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education. Where a certificate does not grant direct university entrance, the route runs through a Studienkolleg ending in the assessment examination. Fresenius operates its own Studienkolleg NRW, which removes the usual bottleneck of finding a place at a state-run college.

Language proof. English-taught programmes require a recognised English certificate; the exact threshold is set per programme, so the requirement should be checked on the programme page before applying. German-taught programmes require TestDaF 4 or DSH-2.

Visa and finances. EU and EEA citizens need no visa and no proof of funds. Non-EU applicants apply for a student visa at the German mission in their home country and must prove they can cover living costs, normally through a blocked account holding 11.904 € for 2026, released at roughly 992 € per month. German health insurance is compulsory and must be in place before enrolment.

What does it really cost to study at Fresenius University in Germany?

English-taught bachelor's programmes cost 950 € per month, around 34.900 € over six semesters including the final examination fee. English-taught master's programmes cost 880 € per month, between roughly 11.300 € and 21.800 € depending on length. The MBA is charged at 1.250 € per month over two semesters.

Living costs come on top and usually exceed tuition over a full degree. Budget roughly 1.000 € per month, which is what the blocked account assumes. The spread between campuses is significant: a room in Munich or Frankfurt costs far more than in Idstein, where rents sit well below the big-city level. Public student health insurance adds around 130 € per month.

Working alongside studies is possible. Non-EU students on a student visa may work 140 full days or 280 half days per year without further permission; EU citizens face no restriction. Student assistant jobs at the university itself are exempt from that quota.

Scholarships include the national Deutschlandstipendium, university-run partial scholarships and DAAD programmes for international students. None of them cover full tuition, so they reduce rather than replace the funding requirement.

Compared with the United Kingdom, Australia or the United States, the figures sit in the lower middle. Compared with public German universities, which charge only a semester contribution of a few hundred euros, they are high. That trade-off is the core decision: private tuition buys admission without a numerus clausus, small groups and a programme taught in English, not a cheaper degree.

Is Fresenius University recognised internationally?

Yes, through the standard German framework. The university is state-recognised, its degrees are official German academic degrees, and it is institutionally accredited by the German Council of Science and Humanities with a ten-year term. Degree programmes are covered by the university's own system accreditation under the supervision of the German Accreditation Council.

For use abroad, three documents matter. Every degree comes with a Diploma Supplement in English describing the qualification and the German system. Credits are expressed in ECTS, which transfers across the European Higher Education Area. For recognition outside Europe, the national ENIC-NARIC centre of the destination country is the competent authority; Germany's is at the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education.

What the university does not have is the right to award doctorates – standard for a German university of applied sciences. Graduates aiming at a PhD pursue it in cooperation with a doctorate-granting university. Within the group, Charlotte Fresenius University holds that right in psychology.

Note for regulated professions: recognition of a German degree for professional practice abroad is decided by the professional body of the destination country, not by the accreditation status of the university. This applies in particular to health and therapy subjects.

Where is Fresenius University located in Germany?

The university teaches at eight campus locations plus an online campus: Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Idstein, Munich and Wiesbaden. The Heidelberg campus belongs to the separately recognised Fresenius University Heidelberg.

English-taught programmes run mainly in Cologne and Berlin, with the life science masters based in Idstein and health economics in Wiesbaden. That narrows the choice considerably for international applicants: the campus follows the programme, not the other way round.

Cologne is a city of around a million people in the Rhine-Ruhr area, well connected by high-speed rail and half an hour from Cologne/Bonn airport, with media, insurance and chemical industries and a large international student population. Berlin offers the widest English-speaking everyday environment in Germany and the largest start-up scene, with living costs that have risen sharply. Idstein is a small town near Wiesbaden and Frankfurt airport – quiet, inexpensive, and demanding at least basic German for daily life. Munich and Frankfurt offer the strongest job markets at the highest rents in the country.

An overview of the regional landscape is available on the page for private universities in Hesse.

How does the application process work at Fresenius University?

Applications are submitted online and accepted year-round – there is no fixed deadline as long as places remain. The process runs from online application through document review to a personal interview, after which the study contract is issued. Non-EU applicants then apply for the student visa.

Documents. School-leaving certificate with certified translation, transcripts, curriculum vitae, language certificate, passport copy, and for master's applications the bachelor's degree with transcript of records. Design programmes additionally require a portfolio.

Interview. The selection interview covers motivation and subject aptitude and is held online for applicants abroad. It replaces the grade-based selection used at public German universities.

Timing for non-EU applicants. Plan three to four months between the letter of admission and the start of the semester. Visa appointments at German missions are the usual bottleneck, and the blocked account must be opened and funded before the appointment. Applying six months ahead of the intended start is realistic rather than cautious.

Career prospects: can I work in Germany after graduating?

Yes. Graduates of a German university may apply for an 18-month residence permit to seek employment under section 20 of the Residence Act, with unrestricted work rights during that period. Once a qualifying job contract is signed, the permit converts to a work permit or an EU Blue Card, which opens a path to permanent residence.

How realistic that is depends on the field and on German. Engineering, IT, natural sciences and health economics are shortage occupations where English-speaking roles exist, particularly in larger companies and research-heavy industries. In business administration, marketing and media, competition is high and working German is usually expected even where the job is advertised in English. Studying in English and working in Germany are two different language requirements – the second is the harder one.

The university runs a career service with company partnerships, and compulsory practical phases in many programmes produce the first contacts. Those placements are also where German gets learned in practice.

For whom is Fresenius University the right choice – and for whom not?

The university suits applicants who want an English-taught degree in business, IT, engineering or the life sciences, who cannot or do not want to compete for a numerus clausus place at a public university, and who can fund private tuition alongside living costs. It suits others less well.

Fresenius University is a good fit if …

• … your field is among the twenty English-taught programmes and you want to start without a German language year
• … your school-leaving certificate needs a Studienkolleg and you want that step at the same institution
• … you value small groups and laboratory access over the lowest possible tuition
• … you intend to stay in Germany after graduation and want compulsory practical phases built into the degree

It is a poor fit if …

• … you want to study education, social work, psychology or a therapy subject – none of these is available in English
• … tuition is the deciding factor: public German universities charge a semester contribution instead of fees
• … you want a PhD track, since the university does not award doctorates
• … you need a fully online degree – the online campus is mainly German-language and works with scheduled live sessions, not self-paced study
• … you are counting on part-time work to finance the degree: 140 working days a year will not cover 950 € of tuition plus living costs

Frequently asked questions about Fresenius University