About Us

Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg / DHBW ) is the first higher education institution in Germany which combines on-the-job training and academic studies and, therefore, achieves a close integration of theory and practice, both being components of cooperative education. With around 33,000 enrolled students, about 9,600 partner companies and more than 230,000 graduates, DHBW counts as one of the largest higher education institutions in the German Federal State of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

The university's official seat is in Stuttgart. Based on the US State University System, the organizational structure of DHBW is unique in Germany for it comprises both the central (DHBW headquarters) and the local level (DHBW locations and campuses). Throughout its nine locations and three campuses, the university offers a broad range of undergraduate study programmes in the field of business, engineering, social work an healthcare. All degree programmes are both nationally and internationally accredited, count as intensive study programmes and are worth 210 ECTS credits. In addition, DHBW offers postgraduate degree programmes with integrated on-the-job training.

The key feature of cooperative (work-integrated) education is the unique combination of theory and practice. The university's curriculum combines higher education and on-the-job training at numerous partner companies, aiming to provide both academic skills and work-related expertise. In that regard, the academic content conveyed in classroom is complemented with workplace experience, so that real-life situations immediately test the effectiveness of classroom theory and vice versa.

With this strategy, DHBW provides a route to sought-after academic qualifications while enabling students to gain extensive practical experience. This allows DHBW graduates to take on challenging tasks early in their professional pathways, helping them to launch their successful careers. DHBW welcomes partner companies and social institutions as equal partners to the university. All partners work together to continuously develop and improve the 'dual study concept' and to achieve mutual goals.

Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University is the first higher education institution in Germany which offers hands-on training integrated into the curriculum. Organized according to the US State University System, DHBW cooperates with numerous universities and enterprises worldwide. This gives our students the opportunity to spend part of their studies (either theoretical or practical) abroad. By adding more internationally oriented degree programmes, DHBW has responded to the increasing demand for internationalization. No matter in which sector one works, internationally-trained employees are in great demand.

All four schools of the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW School of Business, DHBW School of Engineering, DHBW School of Social Work an DHBW School of Healthcare) offer a broad range of nationally and internationally accredited undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes.

Internationalization is a crucial aspect of the modern world education and extremely significant for a successful career start. With an increasingly international curriculum, DHBW promotes cooperation with numerous companies, social institutions and renowned universities all over the world.

At DHBW, we review the structure of our qualifications on a regular basis in order to create advanced international programmes, thus achieving excellence in education.

The university combines practical on-the-job experience and cutting-edge academic learning on an international scale, fosters international exchange programs for students and professors and encourages collaborative teaching and research projects.

By selecting prospective students through partner companies and social institutions, we ensure that top-notch, goal-oriented candidates with an affinity for practice-oriented education study at DHBW.