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The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is home to a total of 19 academic institutions. Of these 19 higher education institutions, 10 are publicly owned, one is church-owned and eight higher education institutions in Hamburg are private.
The fact that there are so many private universities in Hamburg is probably due to Hamburg's historical inclination towards free trade and the greatest possible political independence. As a city to study in, Hamburg has a lot to offer similar to Berlin, with the advantage that the city with its 1.8 million inhabitants is not quite as "crowded" and restless as Berlin.
Here I introduce you to all of Hamburg's private universities and the courses they offer. I also show you which universities in other federal states have branches and campuses in Hamburg.
All private universities at a glance
We have a total of 8 private universities listed in our database.
- Hamburg, Germany
- 10610 Students
- Marketing, Nursing Science, Psychology, Political Science, Social Work, Tourism and Event, Nutritional Science, Human Resources, Sports, Finance, Pedagogy, Business Administration, Legal Sciences, Com…
- Master of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Bachelor of Laws, Master of Accountancy, Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Laws
- 66 Degree programs in the directory
The European Distance Learning University Hamburg (Euro-FH) is a state-recognized private university based in Hamburg. It offers over 200 study programmes in various fields - part-time, flexible, and digital. As part of the Klett Group, it places special emphasis on personal support, innovative learning formats such as the AI learning companion KILEA, and international study options.
Bucerius Law School
University · Private
- Hamburg, Germany
- 849 Students
- Legal Sciences
- Master of Laws, Staatsexamen, Bachelor of Laws
- 3 Degree programs in the directory
Hamburg School of Business Administration (HSBA)
UAS · Private
- Hamburg, Germany
- 1068 Students
- IT Management, Business Administration, Logistics, International Management, Finance
- Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Bachelor of Arts
- 7 Degree programs in the directory
Hamburger Fern-Hochschule (HFH)
UAS · Private
- Hamburg, Germany
- 8136 Students
- Health Management, Legal Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration, General Management, Nursing Science, Logistics, Business Informatics, Pedagogy, Industrial Engineering
- Master of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, Master of Engineering, Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Science, Master of Laws
- 18 Degree programs in the directory
Medical School Hamburg (MSH)
UAS · Private
- Hamburg, Germany
- 5000 Students
- Sports, Psychology, Childhood Education, Art Therapy, Health Education, Medicine, Physiotherapy, Psychotherapy, Human Resources, Social Work, Health Management, Nursing Science, Speech Therapy, Medizi…
- Master of Science, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Master of Education, Staatsexamen
- 29 Degree programs in the directory
Kühne Logistics University (KLU)
University · Private
- Hamburg, Germany
- 343 Students
- Logistics, Business Administration
- Master of Business Administration, Master of Science, Bachelor of Science
- 3 Degree programs in the directory
Brand University of Applied Sciences (BU)
UAS · Private
- Hamburg, Germany
- 381 Students
- Entrepreneurship, Marketing, MBA, Media Design, Media Management
- Master of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Business Administration
- 9 Degree programs in the directory
Northern Business School (NBS)
UAS · Private
- Hamburg, Germany
- 899 Students
- Social Management, General Management, Social Work, Business Administration
- Bachelor of Arts
- 4 Degree programs in the directory
Study programmes at private universities in Hamburg
Hamburg's private universities offer degree programmes in the field of economics in particular. Since Hamburg is home to two private universities as well as a university with partial university status, you can also study law and human medicine in Hamburg, for example.
In addition, there are a number of higher education institutions that are based in other federal states but operate branches in Hamburg. For example, the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, which offers degree programmes ranging from business administration to social work at its Hamburg location.
Here is an overview of the most interesting degree programmes at Hamburg's private universities:
Other universities with campuses and study centres in Hamburg
In addition to the private universities listed above, there are also a number of universities that are not headquartered in Hamburg but have a campus or study centre in Hamburg.
Here is a brief portrait of the universities offering courses in Hamburg:
Fresenius University of Applied Sciences: Fresenius University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest private universities of applied sciences in Germany. In the winter semester 2021/2022, a total of 17,045 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 courses are not only offered as attendance courses, but also as distance learning or evening study courses.
Macromedia University of Applied Sciences: The Macromedia University of Applied Sciences (formerly MHMK, Hochschule für Medien und Kommunikation) is a private, state-recognised university of applied sciences based in Stuttgart. The university was founded in 2006, and a total of 3,833 students were enrolled at the university in the winter semester 2019/2020. The Macromedia University of Applied Sciences offers many degree programmes at its campuses in Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Freiburg, Cologne, Hamburg, Leipzig and Berlin. At the Hamburg campus, for example, the degree programmes Psychology, Management, Journalism and Media Management are offered.
IU International University of Applied Sciences: With over 100,000 enrolled students (winter semester 2022/2023), IU is one of the largest private universities of applied sciences in Germany and the largest private distance learning university in Germany. The university is based in Erfurt, but IU offers its campus study programmes in many other locations throughout Germany. In addition to the campus programmes in Business Administration & Management, among others, the university offers over 100 distance learning programmes as well as a variety of part-time and dual programmes. In Hamburg, the university offers a number of part-time study programmes as well as dual study programmes.
FOM University of Applied Sciences: Alongside Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, FOM is one of the largest private universities of applied sciences and is based in Essen/North Rhine-Westphalia. FOM was founded in 1993. 54,425 students were enrolled at FOM in the winter semester 2019/2020. FOM's degree programmes are aimed at working professionals. Through various flexible time models, the classroom lectures take place parallel to a company job or training. At the University Centre Hamburg, for example, FOM offers the part-time study programmes Business Administration, Business Administration & Business Psychology, Business Law and Social Work.
Study Logistics in Hamburg: All degree programmes at a glance
If you have to study logistics, then study it in the port city of Hamburg, right? Hamburg's private universities offer a wide range of degree programmes in the field of logistics, which are supplemented by degree programmes from universities that have a campus in Hamburg, as well as by distance learning programmes.
Here is the range of logistics study programmes in Hamburg at a glance.
| Course | University | Fees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management/Business Administration, Master of Science On-campus program | Kühne Logistics University | from 28760 € total | |
| Hamburg Logistics Bachelor, Bachelor of Arts Dual studies | Hamburger Fern-Hochschule | ||
| Leadership & Supply Chain Management, Master of Business Administration On-campus program | Kühne Logistics University | from 30750 € total | |
| Logistics Management, Bachelor of Arts Distance learning program | IU International University of Applied Sciences | from 15063 € total from 259 € monthly | |
| Logistics Management, Bachelor of Science Distance learning program | European Distance Learning University Hamburg | from 13872 € total from 289 € monthly | |
| Logistics Management, Bachelor of Science Dual studies | Hamburg School of Business Administration |
You can find more degree programmes in other federal states here: Study Logistics privately: 20 top Academic Programs compared
Dual study programmes in Hamburg
In Hamburg, a few private higher education institutions offer dual study programmes in various subject areas. In particular, the Hamburg School of Business Administration offers a range of dual study programmes in the field of business. In addition, the IU International University of Applied Sciences, for example, offers numerous dual study programmes in Hamburg.
Here are the most important dual study programmes offered by private universities in Hamburg at a glance:
Study part-time: Distance learning in Hamburg
With the European Distance Learning University Hamburg and the Hamburger Fern-Hochschule, two distance learning colleges are located in Hamburg that mainly offer distance learning courses. Advantage: The distance to the occasional face-to-face seminars and exams is not so far.
On the other hand, in distance learning such events take place so rarely that the location of a distance learning university plays virtually no role; especially since most distance learning universities maintain study centres in all major cities.
Here is a selection of interesting distance learning courses:
About the Author Christian Wolf
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