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Verwaltungshochschule

Hochschule der Bundesagentur für Arbeit - Staatlich anerkannte Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft in Mannheim und Schwerin (University of Applied Labour Studies of the Federal Employment Agency)

Mannheim,  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Founded
2006
Students
500
International
2.0%
Programmes
3
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Admissions & fees

What it costs

No tuition fees are charged. Bachelor's students receive a monthly stipend of €1,925 (increased from €1,895 in May 2026) plus annual bonus payments and capital formation benefits (Vermögenswirksame Leistungen). Students are employed by the Federal Employment Agency during their studies. Semester administrative contribution amount is not published on the official site.

Admission requirements

Admission to the bachelor's programmes is not via a standard university application portal. Applicants must apply through the Federal Employment Agency's recruitment portal (BA-Karriere). Selection is conducted by regional employment agencies and typically opens approximately one year before the September start date. Entry requirement is Allgemeine Hochschulreife (Abitur) with a grade average of 2.9 or better, or Fachhochschulreife with 2.4 or better, or equivalent qualifications recognised by the relevant state authority. Professional qualifications may also confer access under applicable state higher education law. A selection process (aptitude tests and interviews) is carried out by regional agencies. German language proficiency is required as all programmes are taught in German; acceptable certificates include TestDaF, DSH, and Goethe-Zertifikat. The institution does not publish a dedicated international admissions pathway; international applicants should contact the student services office directly. APS certificate is not mentioned on the official site, but Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese applicants planning to use foreign secondary qualifications should expect the standard APS requirement to apply.

Application deadlines

Applications open approximately one year before the programme start in early September each year. Specific deadlines are published via the Federal Employment Agency's BA-Karriere job portal and vary by regional agency. No fixed central deadline published on the official website.

How international applicants apply

Not applicable - dual study via employer (Bundesagentur fuer Arbeit). HdBA does not appear on the uni-assist member list and has no international application route: its own Bewerbung page states that a direct application for a study place at the university is NOT possible ('Eine Bewerbung um einen Studienplatz direkt bei der Hochschule ist nicht moeglich'). Admission runs exclusively through employment with the BA: students sign a dual-study training contract (Ausbildungsvertrag ueber das duale Studium) with their local Agentur fuer Arbeit before the study programme starts in September, receive a monthly salary (currently EUR 1,925), and the multi-stage selection is carried out by the regional BA agencies starting about one year ahead. Applications are only accepted online via the BA-Bewerbungsportal against advertised study-place openings. The university's International Office serves outgoing students and guests (Auslandspraktika, Erasmus+), not degree-seeking internationals.

Languages of instruction

German (all bachelor's and master's programmes are taught in German). Website available in English.

Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.

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