Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung des Landes Thüringen - Standort Meiningen -

About Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung des Landes Thüring

The Thüringer Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung (ThürVFHS) is a public, non-profit administrative institution of the Free State of Thuringia, established by law on 23 April 1994. It operates under the supervision of the Thuringia Interior Ministry and trains civil servants for the higher service (gehobener Dienst) through dual-track study programmes that combine theoretical instruction with mandatory practical placements.

The institution has three departments: Municipal and General State Administration (KSAV) and Tax Administration — both located at the main campus in Gotha — and the Police department (Fachbereich Polizei), which is located in Meiningen. The Meiningen site trains candidates for the elevated police service (gehobener Polizeivollzugsdienst), awarding a Bachelor of Arts in Polizeivollzugsdienst after three years of study.

Study places are open exclusively to civil servant candidates (Beamtenanwärter/innen) selected and sponsored by Thuringian state and municipal authorities. Independent application to the institution as a regular student is not possible; applicants must first be accepted by a training authority (e.g. Thüringer Polizei, district councils). Trainees receive monthly remuneration rather than paying tuition.

Key facts

Founded: 1994
Students: 415
Faculties: 3

Sole provider of police degree training (B.A. Polizeivollzugsdienst) for the Thüringer Polizei

Dual-track structure: theory at Meiningen campus alternates with operational police placements

Trainees are paid civil servants from day one — no tuition fees

International practical placements and integrated international week in the police curriculum

Three-year programme leads to a state-recognised Bachelor of Arts degree

Established 1994 as a state institution under Thuringia Interior Ministry supervision

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

No tuition fees. All accepted trainees are civil servant candidates (Beamtenanwärter) and receive monthly gross remuneration of at least €1,214.24 (police trainees; general administration trainees receive at least €1,552.32 gross from January 2026) plus potential allowances. The institution is a state training academy, not a fee-charging university.

Admission requirements

Admission is not open to independent applicants. Candidates must be selected by a Thuringian public-sector training authority (e.g. Thüringer Polizei for the Meiningen police programme, or district administrations/tax offices for Gotha programmes). For the police B.A., applicants apply to the Thüringer Polizei recruitment process, which includes aptitude tests and interviews. A German Abitur (or equivalent Hochschulzugangsberechtigung) is required. Strong German language proficiency is essential. APS certificate is not applicable — the institution does not admit international students through a standard university application pathway. Examination authority: Thüringer Innenministerium / Prüfungsamt.

Application deadlines

Deadlines are set by each individual training authority (e.g. Thüringer Polizei for Meiningen police places) and vary. There is no central application deadline at the institution itself. Prospective police candidates should check the Thüringer Polizei recruitment portal directly.

Languages of instruction

German only. No English-taught programmes are offered.

Campuses & locations

Standort Gotha (Hauptsitz)

Main campus; hosts KSAV (Municipal and General State Administration) and Tax Administration departments

Standort Meiningen

Police department (Fachbereich Polizei); delivers the B.A. Polizeivollzugsdienst programme for the Thüringer Polizei

Living in the city

Meiningen is a town of approximately 26,000 inhabitants in southern Thuringia, serving as the cultural, judicial, and administrative centre of the region. It is home to the historic Meininger Theater — one of Germany's most traditional theatres and the birthplace of modern director's theatre — and offers a compact, affordable living environment. The city has good rail connections to larger Thuringian and central German cities.

Student life & support

Student life at the Meiningen site is tied to the police training structure: trainees spend theory semesters at the Meiningen campus and practical semesters with operational police units across Thuringia. The programme includes an international week and opportunities for practical placements abroad (other German states or European partner police forces), supporting intercultural competency development. Meiningen's manageable size and relatively low cost of living are suited to trainees on a fixed monthly allowance.

Accredited Programmes

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus