Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung, Polizei und Rechtspflege Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

About Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung, Polizei und Recht

The Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung, Polizei und Rechtspflege des Landes Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (FHöVPR M-V), popularly known as FH Güstrow, was founded in 1991 and operates under the authority of the Interior Ministry of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is the central state training institution for public service personnel in the state, qualifying junior staff for ministries, courts, police departments, and municipal administrations.

The institution offers three dual, practice-oriented degree programmes — Public Administration (LL.B.), Police Service (B.A.), and Court Administration/Rechtspflege (Diplom-Rechtspfleger) — each lasting three years and combining theoretical study at Güstrow with practical placements in state authorities. Students are immediately appointed as probationary civil servants (Beamte auf Widerruf) upon enrolment and receive a monthly stipend of approximately €1,530; there are no tuition fees.

The compact campus at Goldberger Straße 12–13 in Güstrow houses all teaching and training facilities — lecture halls, library, gymnasium, shooting ranges, sports fields, police training areas, a cafeteria, and approximately 450 dormitory places — within a single walkable site. The number of study places is calibrated to state workforce needs, resulting in strong post-graduation employment prospects within Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's public sector.

Key facts

Founded: 1991
Students: 517
Faculties: 3

State-sponsored dual study: students become probationary civil servants on day one and receive ~€1,530/month stipend with no tuition fees

Three focused degree tracks: Public Administration (LL.B.), Police Service (B.A.), and Court Administration (Diplom-Rechtspfleger)

Compact single-site campus with on-campus dormitories from €115/month, cafeteria, and all training facilities

Intake calibrated to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state workforce needs — strong guaranteed employment prospects within the state public sector

Founded 1991 as the successor institution to the GDR-era training school; sole state-level public-service training institution for the state

European partner institution exchange programme available alongside practical training phases

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

No tuition fees. Students are enrolled as probationary civil servants and receive a monthly stipend of approximately €1,530 gross. There is no semester contribution or enrollment fee reported on the official site.

Admission requirements

All programmes are state-controlled dual-study civil-service tracks. Applicants must hold German Abitur or Fachhochschulreife (or equivalent), be German citizens (EU nationals may be accepted subject to civil-service law), and meet age limits (maximum 34 years at study start; 37 for severely disabled applicants). Selection involves a multi-stage process: document review by the Central Selection and Placement Service, medical fitness assessment (including vision standards for police), and a two-day written and oral selection examination (dictation, cognitive/performance test, sports test, presentation, and interview). This institution does not offer open admission for international students in the conventional sense — enrolment confers civil-servant-on-probation status under German public-service law. APS certificate requirements (India/China/Vietnam) are not applicable here as the admission pathway is a state civil-service appointment, not a standard higher-education application.

Application deadlines

Applications for the 2027 intake open in summer 2026 (per official site as of June 2026). Specific deadlines are published at www.fh-guestrow.de/bewerbung. Applications for 2026 intake are closed.

Languages of instruction

German only. All programmes are taught exclusively in German; no English-medium tracks are offered.

Campuses & locations

Güstrow Campus

Main and only campus; Goldberger Straße 12-13, 18273 Güstrow. All teaching, training, and residential facilities on one site.

Living in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Güstrow is a historic town of approximately 29,000 residents in the Rostock district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, around 60 km south of Rostock. Known as 'Barlachstadt' since 2006 after sculptor Ernst Barlach, the town features a well-preserved Renaissance palace (Güstrow Palace), a brick-Gothic cathedral housing Barlach's famous 'Floating Angel', and a compact historic old town. The surrounding region offers lakes, forests, and proximity to the Baltic Sea coast. The FH campus is a 10-minute walk from the old town centre.

Student life & support

The campus is self-contained: dormitory rooms (approximately 450 places, shared double rooms with shared bathroom, from €115/month), cafeteria, library, gymnasium, fitness park, sports fields, shooting ranges, and a student club are all within walking distance. The institution reports exchange opportunities to partner institutions across Europe. The small cohort sizes (roughly 460–517 students total) mean close interaction with faculty and fellow students. Güstrow is a quiet provincial town rather than a major student city, but the Baltic coast and Rostock are readily accessible.

International Office: [email protected]

Accredited Programmes

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus