- Founded
- 2020
- Students
- 500
- Programmes
- 5
About Berufliche Hochschule Hamburg (BHH)
Berufliche Hochschule Hamburg (BHH) is Germany's first public cooperative university of applied sciences, founded in 2020 and admitting its first cohort in winter semester 2021/22. It operates on a unique study-integrated dual education model (studienintegrierende Ausbildung) in which students simultaneously earn a recognised vocational qualification and a bachelor's degree from the same institution - completing both in four years (4.5 years for nursing).
BHH offers nine bachelor's programmes across business administration (seven B.A. specialisations including bank management, insurance, industrial management, marketing, wholesale, foreign trade, and SME management), computer science (B.Sc.), and applied nursing science (B.Sc., introduced winter semester 2024/25). Teaching takes place across three integrated learning venues: cooperating companies (~250 regional partners), a linked vocational school, and the university itself. Students receive a training salary from their cooperating company from day one; there are no tuition fees.
The institution is small and young - its first cohort of approximately 70 graduates received bachelor's degrees at Hamburg City Hall in August 2025. Enrolment was reported at over 500 students as of mid-2025, with a planned steady-state of around 1,000 students. BHH holds an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education and has been eligible for Erasmus+ student and staff mobility since June 2025.
Germany's first public cooperative university combining a full vocational qualification with a bachelor's degree in four years
Students earn a training salary from day one - no tuition fees
~250 regional industry partners across banking, insurance, IT, trade, and nursing
No numerus clausus (NC) - admission through company placement, not grade competition
Erasmus+ eligible institution since June 2025 for student and staff mobility
First graduates received degrees at Hamburg City Hall in August 2025
Key facts
- Type
- Berufsakademie
- Founded
- 2020
- Students
- 500
- Programmes
- 5
Study programmes
5 accredited degrees at Berufliche Hochschule Hamburg (BHH).
Showing 1–5 of 5 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
No tuition fees at BHH (public institution, Hamburg state). Students receive a training remuneration from their cooperating company throughout the programme. A standard semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) may apply - exact amount not published on the official site; check at time of application.
Admission requirements
Admission to BHH is indirect: applicants must first secure a training contract with one of BHH's ~250 cooperating companies in Hamburg. The company selects the candidate, signs training and study contracts, and then enrols the student at the university. A general university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung / Abitur or equivalent) is required. There is no numerus clausus (NC). German language proficiency at C1 level is mandatory for all degree-seeking students. International applicants from India, China, and Vietnam must also hold an APS certificate (Akademische Prüfstelle). The dual model is not suited to students seeking a conventional full-time university place - a cooperating company placement is a hard prerequisite. Applicants should contact study counselling ([email protected]) and review current partner companies on the BHH website.
Application deadlines
There is no central application deadline: admission runs exclusively through a cooperating company, where applicants apply for a combined study-and-apprenticeship place; once the company signs both an Ausbildungsvertrag and a Studienvertrag it registers the student, and teaching starts each winter semester (nursing programme: 4.5 years). International applicants need German at C1 level because modules are taught in German.
How international applicants apply
dual model via partner company - there is no central application to BHH at all; candidates apply for a combined apprenticeship-and-study place directly at a cooperating company, which signs both a training contract (Ausbildungsvertrag) and a study contract (Studienvertrag) and then enrols the student. Only prerequisite is a higher education entrance qualification; international applicants additionally need C1 German and an APS certificate (India/China/Vietnam). uni-assist, hochschulstart and a direct university portal are not used or documented.
Languages of instruction
German (C1 required for all degree-seeking students). Select modules available in English for Erasmus+ exchange students only.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Campuses & locations
Anckelmannstraße 10, 20537 Hamburg; teaching also distributed across ~250 partner companies and the linked vocational school (BS11)
Living in Hamburg
Hamburg is Germany's second-largest city and its primary port and trading hub, located on the Elbe river in northern Germany. It is a major economic centre for logistics, media, aerospace, and IT, and hosts a large number of international companies - well-suited to the BHH dual model where students work with industry partners. The city has a strong quality of life, a vibrant cultural scene (Elbphilharmonie, Speicherstadt, Reeperbahn), and excellent public transport. Hamburg is among the more expensive German cities for cost of living.
Student life & support
Because BHH students spend a significant portion of their time working at partner companies alongside university and vocational school study, student life differs from conventional university experience. The institution has an AStA (student union) and participates in Erasmus+ mobility. BHH holds a 'Familie in der Hochschule' family-friendliness certification. Educational pathway coaching (Bildungsweg-Coaching) supports all students during the first 18 months. Given the institution's small size and young age, extracurricular infrastructure is still developing.
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