English 
Deutsch - State-recognised since 2007: programme accreditation by AHPGS, formal decision by the German Accreditation Council (Akkreditierungsrat).
- No numerus clausus: admission is decided by an internal review of your profile, not by school grades.
- English-taught master's since 2026: the university opened its first programmes for international students after a change of ownership.
- Campus inside a hospital: the Berlin site sits on the health campus of Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, a maximum-care hospital with around 1,000 beds.
- Scholarships up to 25 percent: tuition reductions apply automatically to the English-taught programmes depending on payment schedule.
- Small cohorts: the university is deliberately small, with named contacts in the examination office.
What is Health Innovation University known for?
Health Innovation University of Applied Sciences is a state-recognised private university of applied sciences in Berlin, founded in 2007. Its subject range is narrow and deliberate: allied health professions, psychology and digital healthcare. Programmes are accredited by AHPGS, with the formal decision taken by the German Accreditation Council. The institutional re-accreditation by the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat) is currently under way.
The university was known until 2026 as IB University of Health and Social Sciences. It was founded by Internationaler Bund, a large German social-work provider. In 2025 it moved to the Global Education Network Group, and since 2026 HIU gGmbH has been the legal operator. Accreditation and existing study contracts were unaffected by the change.
That change of ownership is what opened the university to international students. Before 2026 it taught exclusively in German. The English-taught master's programmes are new, and several are still going through state approval.
Which programmes at HIU are actually taught in English?
Five master's programmes are taught in English: Digital Health (M.Sc.), Health Care Education and Educational Management (M.A.), Physiotherapy (M.Sc.), Organisational Psychology (M.Sc.) and Nursing (M.Sc.). All five are full-time and based in Berlin. Digital Health and Health Care Education are running; Physiotherapy is in accreditation, Organisational Psychology and Nursing are still in state approval.
This distinction matters, and it is easy to get wrong. The programmes listed further up this page are taught in German, not English – they appear in English here because the portal is bilingual, not because the teaching language changed. Applying to Psychology (M.Sc.) or Applied Therapy Science requires German at roughly TestDaF 4 or DSH-2 level.
The same applies to the German-taught Health Care Education bachelor's, the Digital Health bachelor's and the Health Education master's. If you are comparing options across German providers, the portal's subject pages for health education, psychology and occupational therapy show which institutions teach in which language.
The most developed English-taught option is the Digital Health master's: three semesters and 90 ECTS, or a two-semester fast track worth 60 ECTS for applicants who already hold a medical degree. It runs on the Berlin campus with an October start. Its German-taught counterpart, the part-time Digital Health master's, uses block weeks instead and is built for people already working in German healthcare – a useful comparison point if your German is strong enough. Both sit within the wider field of medicine and health technology programmes at German private institutions.
Can international students apply to HIU?
Yes, for the English-taught programmes. Admission to the Digital Health master's requires a relevant degree worth 210 ECTS from a university recognised in the ANABIN database with an H+ or H+/- rating. A 180-ECTS degree also works if an additional 30 credits are recognised and you bring one year of relevant work experience in healthcare.
Language proof is IELTS 6.0 overall or TOEFL iBT 80. Applications need a degree certificate and transcript, a current CV, a passport copy, the language certificate, a statement of purpose, and a short explanation letter if there are gaps in education or employment.
Check your own school-leaving qualification against anabin.kmk.org before applying – the German recognition database determines whether your degree counts directly or needs a preparatory step. Non-EU applicants should also plan three to four months ahead of the intake for the student visa, the blocked account and health insurance. EU applicants need none of this and can enrol directly.
What does it really cost to study at HIU in Germany?
The English-taught Digital Health master's costs 957 € per month, which is 5,742 € per semester and around 17,226 € for the full programme, plus a 250 € admission fee and a 690 € examination fee. Scholarships cut this automatically: 25 percent for annual payment, 15 percent for payment by semester, valid for the whole programme.
Tuition is only part of the bill. Living in Berlin realistically means budgeting for rent, food, transport, health insurance and the semester contribution. Berlin is no longer a cheap city, but it remains below Munich and well below London or most large US campuses. Compared with tuition at British or American private institutions, a German private university of applied sciences sits in a different order of magnitude entirely.
Non-EU students may work up to 20 hours per week alongside their studies. Beyond the university's own scholarships, the DAAD is the main external funding route for international students; EU students may additionally qualify for BAföG or an Erasmus grant depending on their situation.
Is HIU recognised internationally?
The degrees are state-recognised German degrees and carry ECTS credits, which makes them transferable within the European Higher Education Area. Programme accreditation runs through AHPGS, an agency specialising in health and social sciences, with the formal decision taken by the German Accreditation Council. The institutional review by the German Council of Science and Humanities is in progress.
One programme carries an additional marker worth knowing about: the German-taught Psychology master's is aligned with the requirements of the German Association of Psychologists (BDP) and qualifies graduates to apply for the EuroPsy certificate, which is recognised across European psychology associations.
The university does not hold AACSB, EQUIS or AMBA accreditation – those are business-school frameworks and do not apply to its subject range. It is a member of the German association of private universities and of the Hochschulverbund Gesundheitsfachberufe.
Where is HIU located in Germany?
The university runs four study centres: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart. All English-taught programmes are in Berlin, which is also where the leadership, the central secretariat and the examination office sit.
The Berlin campus is on the grounds of Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin in the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district – a green, park-like 96-hectare site in the east of the city, connected to the S-Bahn and U-Bahn network. The city centre and the Ostkreuz nightlife district are reachable in around 15 minutes by train.
Berlin is the most practical German city for someone who does not yet speak German: English works in most everyday situations, the international community is large, and Tegel's successor BER connects directly to most European capitals. Rents have risen sharply, but the city remains cheaper than Munich. For an overview of the alternatives, see the private universities in Berlin.
How does the application process work at HIU?
There are no fixed application deadlines. Applications run year-round through an online form, and the admissions team responds to arrange a conversation. What is fixed are the intakes: the English-taught Digital Health master's starts on 1 October, the German-taught Psychology master's on 1 April.
For non-EU applicants the binding constraint is not the university but the visa. Budget three to four months between the admission letter and the intake: appointment at the German mission, blocked account with the required annual sum, proof of health insurance. Starting the application six months ahead is not excessive.
Career prospects: can I work in Germany after graduating?
Yes. Non-EU graduates of a German university receive an 18-month residence permit to look for work matching their qualification, and can move to an EU Blue Card once they have an offer that meets the salary threshold. A German degree is the cleanest route into the German labour market.
The healthcare sector is a realistic target. The Federal Employment Agency lists sustained shortages in health professions, and digital health roles – consultant, health data analyst, clinical process manager – are growing as the sector digitises. The Berlin health-tech ecosystem sits directly around the campus.
One caveat that international students underestimate: clinical and patient-facing roles require German, usually at B2 to C1 level, regardless of the language your degree was taught in. English-only career paths exist mainly in consulting, health tech and research. Learning German alongside the degree is not optional if you plan to stay in care delivery.
For whom is HIU the right choice – and for whom not?
HIU is a good fit if …
- … you hold a health or medical degree and want to specialise in healthcare digitalisation
- … you meet IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 80 and do not yet speak German
- … you want a small cohort with direct access to teaching staff rather than a large anonymous campus
- … you plan to stay in Germany after graduating and want a state-recognised German degree
- … you are a qualified medical doctor and want the two-semester fast track
Less suitable if …
- … you want an English-taught bachelor's – all undergraduate programmes are taught in German
- … you need a programme with a guaranteed start date; several English-taught master's are still awaiting state approval
- … you are looking for a research-heavy university with doctoral awarding powers of its own
- … you want to study outside Berlin – the other three centres teach in German only
- … you need a fully online or distance programme; all programmes require attendance
Frequently asked questions about Health Innovation University
It is private and state-recognised (staatlich anerkannt). In Germany that means the state has verified the institution meets the standards of a public university of applied sciences, and its degrees carry the same legal status. It charges tuition, unlike most public German universities.
It depends on the programme. The five English-taught master's programmes require IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 80 and no German. Every bachelor's programme and the remaining master's programmes are taught in German and require roughly TestDaF 4 or DSH-2. For clinical work in Germany after graduation you will need German regardless.
The degrees are accredited German degrees with ECTS credits, which makes them straightforward to transfer within Europe. Outside the EU, recognition depends on your national authority – many use WES or an equivalent evaluation service. Check with the responsible body in your country before you enrol.
Non-EU students on a student visa may work up to 20 hours per week during term. EU students face no such restriction. Berlin's healthcare and health-tech sector offers relevant working-student positions, though most patient-facing roles require German.
Yes. The English-taught programmes carry automatic tuition reductions of 25 percent for annual payment or 15 percent for payment by semester, valid for the full programme duration. External funding runs mainly through the DAAD, which offers a range of scholarships for international students in Germany.
It was founded in 2007 by Internationaler Bund (IB) and carried that name. In 2025 ownership moved to the Global Education Network Group, and in 2026 the university was renamed Health Innovation University of Applied Sciences. Programmes, degrees and existing study contracts continued unchanged.
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