- Founded
- 1971
- Students
- 15,000
- International
- 17.7%
- Programmes
- 82
- Taught in English
- 11
About Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen - THM
Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) is a public university of applied sciences (Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften) in the state of Hessen, founded on 1 August 1971 through the merger of three state engineering schools in Gießen and Friedberg. It is one of Germany's largest universities of applied sciences, operating across three main campuses in Gießen, Friedberg, and Wetzlar, with six additional branch offices across central Hesse.
THM offers over 80 degree programmes - 39 bachelor's and 44 master's courses - across 12 departments covering engineering, natural sciences, business, health, and social sciences. The institution follows a practice-oriented study model with close ties to regional industry in the economically active Rhine-Main corridor.
The university enrolls approximately 15,000 students (with some institutional sources citing over 18,650 including all enrolment forms), of whom 2,732 are international students from more than 110 countries as of winter semester 2024/25. THM's International Office provides dedicated support for incoming and outgoing students, exchange programmes, and career integration.
Founded 1 August 1971; one of Germany's largest public universities of applied sciences
Three campuses in Gießen, Friedberg, and Wetzlar across central Hesse
Over 80 degree programmes: 39 bachelor's and 44 master's courses across 12 departments
2,732 international students from more than 110 countries (WS 2024/25)
Applications processed via uni-assist; dedicated 'Prepare & Start' pathway for international students with indirect university entry qualifications
No non-EU tuition surcharge; Hessen public universities remain tuition-free for all students in standard programmes
Key facts
- Type
- Fachhochschulen / HAW
- Founded
- 1971
- Students
- 15,000
- International
- 17.7% (2,755 of 15,573 students, summer semester 2023, Statistisches Bundesamt; THM itself reports 2,732 international students from over 110 countries)
- Faculties
- 12
- Programmes
- 82
Study programmes
82 accredited degrees at Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen - THM, 11 of them taught in English.
Showing 1–24 of 82 programmes
Admissions & fees
What it costs
THM is a public university in Hessen; tuition is free for all students (EU and non-EU alike) in standard bachelor's and consecutive master's programmes. Students pay a per-semester contribution (Semesterbeitrag) that covers student services, the AStA (student union), and a public-transport semester ticket (Semesterticket) valid across the Rhein-Main area. The exact contribution amount is set each semester; students should check the current figure on the THM enrolment pages. Hessen has not introduced non-EU tuition surcharges (unlike Baden-Württemberg); no additional tuition fee applies based on nationality.
Admission requirements
International applicants for bachelor's and master's programmes apply via uni-assist for credential pre-screening before THM processes the application. For bachelor's entry, a recognised university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung) is required; German-taught programmes additionally require a minimum B2 certificate at application and DSH-2 before enrolment. For master's programmes, a completed bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required, with the same German language thresholds for German-taught courses. APS certificate is mandatory for applicants whose prior qualification was issued in India, China (incl. HK/Macau), or Vietnam before the visa application. The 'Prepare & Start' preparatory programme is available for international applicants who hold an indirect university entrance qualification and are targeting engineering or computer science programmes.
Application deadlines
Applications for degree programmes are submitted via uni-assist; specific cut-off dates vary by programme and intake. The 'Prepare & Start@THMplus' preparatory programme publishes explicit deadlines: winter semester - 1 April to 15 July; summer semester - 1 October to 15 January. For exchange student applications, THM asks home institutions to nominate students by stated partnership deadlines (consult the International Office). Students are advised to verify current deadlines on the uni-assist portal and the THM International Office pages.
How international applicants apply
Used. International bachelor applicants submit applications via uni-assist (My assist portal); uni-assist pre-checks all documents and forwards them to THM - no separate THM application is needed. German nationals / EU qualifications and German university degrees use the THM Portal instead. Application requires German B2; enrolment requires DSH-2 or equivalent. Studienkolleg Mittelhessen applications also run via uni-assist.
Languages of instruction
The majority of THM's programmes are taught in German. Applicants for German-taught programmes must demonstrate a minimum B2 language certificate at application and DSH-2 (or equivalent) before enrolment. A growing number of master's programmes are taught in English; language requirements for those programmes are stated on each programme page. The Language Center (Sprachenzentrum) at Gießen and Friedberg campuses offers German-as-a-foreign-language courses, English, French, Spanish, and Chinese, as well as Cambridge B2 First and TOEIC preparation.
Entry requirements, intake dates and language levels differ for every degree.
Scholarships at Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen - THM
1 scheme run or administered by the university. Always confirm current amounts and deadlines on the official page.
Student accommodation
What Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen - THM publishes about housing. German universities do not allocate rooms themselves, so the links below are where applications actually go.
Rooms are allocated by
Studierendenwerk Gießen
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
Housing is not directly managed by THM; students are directed to the Studierendenwerk Gießen (student services organisation) for dormitory applications and private housing advice.
Campuses & locations
Main administrative campus; address Wiesenstraße 14, 35390 Gießen. Houses the International Office (Building A13) and central administration.
Second main campus; hosts engineering and applied sciences departments.
Third main campus in the optics and precision-engineering hub of Wetzlar.
Living in Gießen
Gießen, the main campus city, is a mid-sized university city of around 90,000 inhabitants in central Hesse, situated approximately 60 km north of Frankfurt am Main. The city has a long academic tradition - Justus Liebig University Gießen (a major research university) also operates there - giving it a lively student atmosphere. Gießen is well connected to Frankfurt by regional rail (S-Bahn/RE, ~40-50 minutes) and lies close to the Vogelsberg mountains and Lahn river valley, offering outdoor recreational opportunities. Friedberg (a smaller town of ~30,000) and Wetzlar (~70,000, historically significant for the optics industry with Leica cameras) host the other two campuses.
Student life & support
THM's International Office runs a structured welcome programme for incoming international students, including mandatory orientation days (typically in April for the summer semester), pre-arrival meetings, and the International Buddy Programme pairing new arrivals with continuing students. The International Career Center (ICC) supports career integration and internship placement. Housing is not directly managed by THM; students are directed to the Studierendenwerk Gießen (student services organisation) for dormitory applications and private housing advice. The Language Center provides German-as-a-foreign-language courses at various CEFR levels for international students. Regular social events, including an International Stammtisch and campus sports programmes, support community building across the three campuses.
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