- Founded
- 1948
- Students
- 1,300
- Programmes
- 25
- Taught in English
- 2
About Fachhochschule Wedel
Fachhochschule Wedel (FH Wedel) is a state-recognised private university of applied sciences located in Wedel, Schleswig-Holstein, at the western edge of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Founded in 1948 as a technical teaching institute in Lübeck, it relocated to Wedel in 1963 and received Fachhochschule status in 1969. As a family-owned, non-profit private institution, it is one of the oldest private universities of applied sciences in Germany.
FH Wedel concentrates on three disciplinary areas - Computer Science (Informatik), Engineering (Technik), and Business (Wirtschaft) - with a deliberate focus on interdisciplinary programmes that combine IT with engineering and management. It offers around 20 study programmes at bachelor's and master's level, including one fully English-taught master's programme (M.Sc. IT Engineering). Class sizes are intentionally small, and the university maintains close ties to industry through 91 dual-study partners and strong internship networks.
The campus spans approximately 20,000 square metres and accommodates around 1,200-1,300 enrolled students. The institution is privately funded through tuition fees, regional government allocations, and third-party contributions, and charges tuition fees unlike most public German universities.
One of the oldest private universities of applied sciences in Germany, family-owned and operating since 1948
Three focused departments (Computer Science, Engineering, Business) with strong IT-engineering interdisciplinary programmes
English-taught M.Sc. IT Engineering - the only fully English-language degree programme, open to international applicants without German
Small class sizes and rolling admissions - no fixed application deadline for most programmes, decisions within days
APS certificate mandatory for applicants from India, China, and Vietnam (in lieu of standard uni-assist VPD)
Located on Hamburg's S-Bahn network - direct suburban rail access to Germany's second-largest city in under 30 minutes
Key facts
- Type
- Fachhochschulen / HAW
- Founded
- 1948
- Students
- 1,300
- International
- Not published. Official profile pages give total enrolment only (about 1,200-1,300 students on a single campus) and describe international partnerships and guests without stating a percentage.
- Faculties
- 3
- Programmes
- 25
Study programmes
25 accredited degrees at Fachhochschule Wedel, 2 of them taught in English.
Showing 1–24 of 25 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
FH Wedel is a private institution and charges tuition fees. As of winter semester 2024/25, bachelor's programme fees are approximately €2,010 per semester and master's programme fees are approximately €2,730 per semester (non-EU applicants pay a surcharge of €500 per semester on top of these amounts). A mandatory student services contribution (Studentenwerksbeitrag) of approximately €89 per semester and a Germany semester ticket (Deutschlandsemesterticket) of approximately €208.80 per semester are charged in addition to tuition. Payment in instalments is available from the second semester onward. Tuition fees are not waived for international or non-EU students.
Admission requirements
International applicants must hold a qualifying higher education entrance certificate (Abitur equivalent) for bachelor's entry, or a relevant bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 2.9 (German scale) for master's entry. Applications from outside Germany are processed through uni-assist, which issues a Preliminary Review Documentation (VPD). Applicants from India, China, and Vietnam are required to obtain an APS certificate instead of the standard uni-assist VPD; the APS and a full transcript of records must be submitted before applying at FH Wedel. Admission decisions are typically issued within approximately three weeks of a complete application. There is no numerus clausus; selection for bachelor's programmes is based on grades in relevant subjects plus motivation letter and CV for applicants with a GPA below 2.5. Applications for the English-taught M.Sc. IT Engineering are accepted for both winter semester (start October) and summer semester (start April).
Application deadlines
No fixed application deadlines are published for most programmes - rolling admissions with decisions typically within a few days of a complete application submission. For the English-taught M.Sc. IT Engineering: winter semester starts 1 October, summer semester starts 1 April. Students requiring a visa are advised to begin the process at least six months before their intended start date to allow time for uni-assist/APS processing (allow several weeks) and visa appointment scheduling.
How international applicants apply
Direct portal - applications are submitted through FH Wedel's own Bewerberportal and study places are allocated in order of arrival (rolling admission, no NC). No uni-assist process is documented on the application FAQ or the international pages.
Languages of instruction
German is the medium of instruction for all bachelor's programmes and most master's programmes. One master's programme (M.Sc. IT Engineering) is taught entirely in English. German proficiency at DSH-1 level is required for IT, Computer Science, Technical Computer Science, and IT Security programmes; DSH-2 is required for all other German-taught programmes. The English-taught M.Sc. IT Engineering requires English proficiency at B2 level (CEFR); a medium-of-instruction letter does not suffice - a recognised certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, or equivalent) is required.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Scholarships at Fachhochschule Wedel
3 schemes run or administered by the university. Always confirm current amounts and deadlines on the official page.
Biesterfeld / Hapag-Lloyd Master scholarships (IT-oriented masters)
Up to four scholarships per year for students in computer-science-oriented master programmes; secures financing of tuition fees an...
Amount: tuition financing for up to four semesters
master
Deutschlandstipendium der FH Wedel
300 EUR/month for high-performing, engaged students and incoming students; income-independent, not offset against BAfoeG, no repay...
Amount: 300 EUR/month
Deadline: e.g. 15 September for the winter semester award round
bachelor, master
Grohe Stipendium
Two annual scholarships covering tuition fees for Industrial Engineering (Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen) students, worth roughly 11,50...
Amount: tuition fees, approx. 11,500 EUR total
Deadline: 1 June annually
bachelor
Student accommodation
What Fachhochschule Wedel publishes about housing. German universities do not allocate rooms themselves, so the links below are where applications actually go.
Rooms are allocated by
Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein
Not by the university. Apply to them directly, and expect a waiting list.
The university's housing page
Deadlines and application forms are published here, and they change every intake.
Open housing pageRoom types mentioned
What that page describes. Availability varies by intake.
From the university
The Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein provides student services including counselling and canteen facilities.
Campuses & locations
Single campus in Wedel, Schleswig-Holstein, approximately 20,000 sq m; near Hamburg S-Bahn line
Living in Wedel
Wedel is a small town of approximately 33,000 inhabitants in Schleswig-Holstein, situated on the south bank of the River Elbe directly on the western border of Hamburg. It is served by Hamburg's S-Bahn (suburban rail) network, making Hamburg city centre reachable in under 30 minutes. Students benefit from Hamburg's extensive cultural, employment, and social infrastructure - the city is Germany's second-largest and a major port, media, and technology hub - while Wedel itself offers a quieter, lower-cost living environment relative to Hamburg proper.
Student life & support
With around 1,200-1,300 students, FH Wedel has a tight-knit campus community. The alumni association, Wedeler Hochschulbund e.V. (founded 1981), maintains strong links between graduates and current students and supports industry networking. The university offers scholarships including the Deutschlandstipendium, a Partnerstipendium for bachelor's and master's students, and the Grohe Stipendium. On-campus facilities include IT laboratories, robotics and virtual reality labs, and an Industry 4.0 research environment. FH Wedel assists incoming international students with accommodation information, an orientation guide, and transport pass arrangements; on-campus housing is not provided directly by the university. The Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein provides student services including counselling and canteen facilities.
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