Private Berufsakademie Fulda

Hessen, Germany

About Private Berufsakademie Fulda

Private Berufsakademie Fulda – University of Cooperative Education is a small, state-recognised private academy in Fulda, Hessen, offering accredited Bachelor's degree programmes exclusively via the dual-study (duales Studium) model. Students split each week between two days of academic instruction at the academy and three days of practical work at a partner company, earning both a degree and professional experience within three years.

The academy holds ISO 9001:2015 quality certification and receives state recognition from the Hessian Ministry of Science and Arts (Hessisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst) for all its Bachelor's awards. Class sizes are deliberately kept small (approximately 10–20 students per cohort) to enable personalised mentoring and close ties with cooperating businesses.

All programmes are taught in German. Because enrolment depends on securing a training contract with a partner company first, the academy is primarily accessible to applicants already working or placed with a cooperating employer in the Fulda region.

Key facts

State-recognised Bachelor's degrees (B.A., B.Sc., B.Eng.) via dual cooperative-education model

Small class sizes of 10–20 students enabling close mentoring

Tuition fees typically covered by the partner employer, with monthly training allowance paid to students

Approximately 85% of graduates secure employment before completing the degree

ISO 9001:2015 certified institution

Programmes in Mittelstandsmanagement, Sozial- und Gesundheitsmanagement, Smart Production and Digital Management, and Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

Partner companies typically cover all tuition fees and pay students a monthly training allowance (Ausbildungsvergütung), the exact amount being agreed individually with the employer. Students may also apply for BAföG. A supplementary study-financing option of €3,000–€30,000 is available through Deutsche Bildung (income-contingent repayment). No semester contribution amount is published on the official site.

Admission requirements

Applicants must hold an Allgemeine Hochschulreife, Fachgebundene Hochschulreife, or Fachhochschulreife, or a secondary school diploma combined with at least three years of completed vocational training (average grade 2.5 or better). Master craftspeople and qualified professionals without Abitur may also be eligible under German BBiG provisions. A binding dual-study training contract (Ausbildungsvertrag über Duales Studium) with a partner company is mandatory before enrolment. Holders of foreign qualifications must provide official recognition documents issued for the state of Hesse. No separate language certificate threshold is stated on the official site; however, all instruction is in German, so a strong command of German is implicitly required. APS certificate is not mentioned (the academy does not appear to have a dedicated international admissions pathway).

Languages of instruction

German (all programmes taught in German)

Campuses & locations

Fulda Campus

Rabanusstraße 40–42, 36037 Fulda, Hessen

Living in Hessen

Fulda is a Baroque city of around 72,000 inhabitants in central Hessen, roughly equidistant between Frankfurt and Kassel. It is well connected by rail (ICE stop on the Frankfurt–Berlin main line) and offers a high quality of life with affordable rents, a compact historic centre, and easy access to the Rhön Nature Park. The wider Fulda region hosts a mix of mid-sized industrial and healthcare employers that align with the academy's cooperative-education model.

Student life & support

Because of the dual-study format, the student experience at BA Fulda is closely tied to workplace rotations rather than a traditional campus life. Small cohort sizes (10–20 per group) foster close peer networks. Approximately 85% of students have employment secured before completing their degree, according to the institution. Fulda city offers cafes, restaurants, theatres, hiking and cycling routes in the surrounding Rhön, and good rail links to Frankfurt for wider leisure options.

Accredited Programmes

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus