International Relations
Covid-19 Update
From 1 July non-EU citziens are allowed to enter Germany for study purposes, however, persons travelling from a risk area need to be in a 2-week home quarantine. Since Germany does not have any quarantine hotels, we do not accept students coming from a risk area since a quarantine in the student dormitory is not doable. You can find a list of the risk areas here.
In order to ensure that the Corona health instructions from the German government are followed, DHBW Ravensburg plans for a blend of face to face teaching and on-line teaching for at least our fall term.
About the DHBW
The Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (known in Germany as the DHBW) is the first higher education institution in Germany to integrate academic studies with workplace training. Founded in March, 2009, the DHBW traces its roots back to the Berufsakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg which was launched in 1974. Today the university continues with the highly successful tradition of cooperative education. The core principle of dual education at the DHBW is the three-month cycle, whereby students alternate their time between the university and their partner company, thus acquiring both academic skills and work-related experience. Our partner companies recruit their students and provide them with a work placement for the duration of their Bachelor studies. As employees of a company or institution, DHBW students receive a monthly salary, paid in during both theory and practical phases; the students are therefore, financially independent from the first semester onwards.
All undergraduate study programs are nationally recognized and count, due to the integrated work place training, as intensive degree programs offering 210 ECTS points in three years (six semesters). The courses are taught by full-time DHBW professors, guest lecturers of other universities, as well as freelance trainers, consultants and executives, who provide cutting-edge knowledge and expertise from their respective professional fields. Small classes of no more than 30 students ensure close supervision. Being the key feature of efficient learning, it encourages motivation and contributes to successful learning outcomes.
Due to their profound knowledge and valuable work experience, DHBW graduates enjoy excellent prospects on the labor market and are highly employable. Over 80 percent of our students are given full-time contract of employment by their partner companies upon graduation.
The DHBW also offers postgraduate degree courses with integrated on-the-job training.
The DHBW Ravensburg
The DHBW is a state-run university with over 34,000 students spread over 12 locations and campuses throughout the state of Baden Wuerttemberg. One of the locations is the DHBW Ravensburg, which currently has about 3,900 undergraduates enrolled as regular students and a strong network of 1,200 partner companies.
The DHBW Ravensburg, with its business campus in Ravensburg and the engineering campus in Friedrichshafen, is situated in the heart of the countryside between the Allgaeu and Lake of Constance, close to the Austrian and Swiss borders. The DHBW Ravensburg offers an attractive study place, in one of Germany´s most popular holiday destinations. Our region of Upper Swabia has great scenery, no matter if you are looking for meadows, vineyards, orchards, lakes or the Alps, you will find it here. The bigger cities of Munich, Stuttgart, Basel and Zurich can each be reached within about two hours by train.
The former free imperial city of Ravensburg, with 50,000 inhabitants, is the region’s economic and main shopping hub. The main square, the Marienplatz, is the ideal starting point from which to explore the city. Take a leisurely stroll through the town’s pedestrian areas, or combine a browse through the shops with a tour of the historic medieval town.
Exchange Students at the DHBW Ravensburg
Each year the DHBW Ravensburg welcomes around 80 international exchange students from our partner universities around the world. Our exchange students are enrolled in our full-time International Study Program, which is taught exclusively in English. International students attend a mix of lectures with our German students and courses developed solely for our exchange students. We operate in quarter terms, which means that each course is finished within approximately 12 weeks. A maximum of 30 ECTS points can be awarded in each quarter. Depending on the requirements of your university, fewer courses can be undertaken. Exchange students enjoy the flexibility of beginning their studies at the DHBW Ravensburg in October, January, April or July and can stay for three, six, nine or twelve months.
All exchange students need to have sufficient language skills in German or English (at least B2 level in accordance with the levels of language competence of the Common European Framework of Reference and the UNIcert System). For exchange students with good German language knowledge internships can also be arranged.
Interested students should contact the International Office at their university.
The following movie is a project of exchange students at the DHBW Ravensburg from all over the world. They show their vision of the year 2058.
Degree Seeking Students at the DHBW Ravensburg
In order to be a full-time student in any of the study programs offered by the DHBW, prospective students first need to apply for a traineeship at any of our partner companies. If you have a company interested in employing you, which is not yet a partner, please contact the Head of Department for the study program you are interested in. The partner company must not necessarily be operating in Germany, but there are some prerequisites that need to be fulfilled. It is not possible to apply directly to the university. The academic year begins on October, 1. However, each partner company has its own admission procedures and application deadlines. It is worth considering that many companies recruit their DHBW students more than a year in advance.
International applicants should have a school-leaving certificate, corresponding to at least the German Abitur. Foreign academic credentials need to be verified.
The DHBW Ravensburg does not offer any study programs taught entirely in English. Applicants need to show German language proficiency of at least C1 according to the CEFR.
Since winter semester 2017 / 2018 universities in Baden-Württemberg are charging tuition fees to the amount of 1.500 Euro per semester for international students who are non-EU / EEA-residents. According to federal law there will be provided some exemptions. For further information about the tuitions fees, please read more here.