Hochschule für Öffentliche Verwaltung Bremen

Bremen, Germany

About Hochschule für Öffentliche Verwaltung Bremen

The Hochschule für Öffentliche Verwaltung Bremen (HfÖV) is a state university of applied sciences specialising exclusively in public administration and law enforcement training, operating under the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded in 1979 as an internal vocational college with three departments — police service, general administration, and tax administration — the institution has since restructured around three bachelor's degree programmes and a small master's offering, with all academic units consolidating at its Doventor campus from 2024–25 onwards.

The HfÖV places strong emphasis on practice-oriented, compact study with small cohorts and close ties to public authorities, businesses, associations, and chambers. Its three institutes — the Institut für Polizei- und Sicherheitsforschung (IPoS), the Fortbildungsinstitut für die Polizei im Lande Bremen, and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Crime Investigations and Criminal Justice (CCICJ, awarded 2023) — anchor its research and continuing-education activities in the public-security domain.

All programmes are taught entirely in German and are vocational or public-service in character; most are tied to employment or training contracts with Bremen state authorities. The institution is not a conventional research university and does not advertise open international-student intake; its programmes serve specific civil-service career tracks in the Bremen state system.

Key facts

Founded: 1979

Founded 1979; one of Germany's specialist public-administration universities of applied sciences

Three bachelor's programmes: Police Service (B.A.), Risk and Security Management (B.A.), Taxes and Law (LL.B.)

Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Crime Investigations and Criminal Justice (awarded 2023)

Institut für Polizei- und Sicherheitsforschung (IPoS) as dedicated research institute

Small cohorts with strong practical orientation; close links to Bremen state authorities

Erasmus+ participant; consolidating onto single Doventor campus from 2024–25

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

No tuition fees (state-funded public institution in Bremen). A semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) applies; exact amount not published on the official website. Bremen does not charge an additional non-EU surcharge. International students should verify the current semester contribution directly with the institution.

Admission requirements

Programmes at HfÖV are tied to public civil-service training contracts with Bremen state authorities (police, tax, and administration bodies). Entry to the Polizeivollzugsdienst and Steuern und Recht programmes requires a state-authority training placement; these are not open-admission degree programmes for independent international applicants. The Risiko- und Sicherheitsmanagement (RSM) bachelor's is the most open programme, available as full-time study without a compulsory employer contract; applicants need German-taught Hochschulzugangsberechtigung equivalent. No English-language track exists. APS certificate required for applicants with Indian, Chinese, or Vietnamese prior qualifications before applying to any German university. Full admission conditions are not published on the website; contact the Studierendensekretariat ([email protected]) for current requirements.

Languages of instruction

All programmes taught in German only.

Campuses & locations

Doventor Campus (Site I)

Doventorscontrescarpe 172, 28195 Bremen — main campus; all academic units consolidating here from 2024–25

Niedersachsendamm (Site II)

Niedersachsendamm 78-80, 28201 Bremen

Living in Bremen

Bremen is the smallest of Germany's three city-states, a historic Hanseatic port city on the Weser river with roughly 570,000 inhabitants. It offers a compact, affordable student environment compared to Hamburg or Berlin, with a lively old town (Böttcherstraße, Roland statue — UNESCO World Heritage), strong logistics and aerospace industries, and good rail connections to Hamburg and Amsterdam. The cost of living is moderate; student accommodation through Bremen's Studierendenwerk starts from around €300–400 per month.

Student life & support

The HfÖV is a small specialist institution with a tight-knit cohort profile. Student life is closely tied to the public-service training context: cohorts are small, contact with instructors is personal, and practical placements in Bremen authorities are integral to every programme. A student parliament (Studierendenparlament) and BAföG counselling are in place. Library facilities and psychological counselling services are available on campus. The institution participates in the Erasmus+ programme, offering limited mobility opportunities for enrolled students.

International Office: International students page →

Accredited Programmes

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus