The Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (German: ''Duale
Hochschule Baden-Württemberg'', DHBW) is an institution of
higher education
Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education.
The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
with several campuses throughout the state of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It offers
dual-education (or also
cooperative education
Cooperative education (or co-operative education) is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience.
A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op" or work-study program, provides a ...
) bachelor's-degree programs in cooperation with industry and non-profit institutions in the areas of business administration, engineering, and social services. In 2011, it started a limited master's program.
History
The DHBW is the direct successor to the ''Staatliche Berufsakademie Baden-Württemberg''. The first Berufsakademie was founded in 1974 as a new type of educational institution and recognized by the state of Baden-Württemberg in 1982. It grew quickly to include seven institutions at eleven different locations. By 2009 the combined student enrolment across all institutions had reached 23,409 students, involving around 8,000 cooperative education partners and over 90,000 graduated alumni. On March 1, 2009, all institutions in the state of Baden-Württemberg were consolidated to form the ''Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg''.
Mission
The institution's core mission is to provide application-oriented education that aligns theoretical instruction with practical professional requirements. Key elements of this mission include the structured cooperation between the university and its partner organizations, the promotion of international exchange, and the support of diversity and equal opportunity within the academic environment.
The university's mission encompasses the following key principles:
* Integration of Theory and Practice: Combining academic instruction with practical training phases in partner organizations.
* Collaborative Partnerships: Working closely with corporate and social institutions to co-develop and continuously improve educational programs.
* Internationalization: Promoting global cooperation through exchange programs and international collaborations.
* Commitment to Diversity and Equal Opportunity: Fostering an inclusive environment that values diversity and provides equal opportunities for all members.
The university aims to ensure that its graduates are equipped with both academic qualifications and relevant work experience in their respective fields.
Dual studies
DHBW offers job integrated learning (JIL) programs only. Job integrated learning (JIL) defines those work integrated learning (WIL) programs with compulsory internships, in which the student has to be employed by a single company during the complete duration of the study program and in which lectures and internships are geared to maximize applied learning and the transfer of knowledge. Therefore, the recruitment is exclusively done by the cooperative education partners, while the DHBW only has to verify the
higher education entrance qualification. The three-year dual education program is divided into three-month phases alternating between the college and the cooperative education partner. The college phases provide traditional undergraduate education while the other phases provide insight and work experience in the field of the cooperative education partner. The dual education program operates on a non-stop, twelve-month schedule. Students are granted vacation days as stipulated in the three-year
employment contract
An employment contract or contract of employment is a kind of contract used in labour law to attribute rights and responsibilities between parties to a bargain.
The contract is between an "employee" and an "employer". It has arisen out of the old m ...
signed by the student and the cooperative education partner at the beginning of the program.
In 2011 the school introduced a
Master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
curriculum. It is mostly limited to DHBW
alumni
Alumni (: alumnus () or alumna ()) are former students or graduates of a school, college, or university. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for groups of women, and alums (: alum) or alumns (: alumn) as gender-neutral alternatives. Th ...
.
Currently the DHBW offers 21 courses of study with about 90 branches from the sections economic science, technics and social science.
Partner companies in the field of
information technology
Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...
are, e.g.,
SAP,
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
The Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) is an American multinational information technology company based in Spring, Texas. It is a business-focused organization which works in servers, storage, networking, containerization software and ...
,
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
,
Atos
Atos SE is a European multinational information technology (IT) service and consulting company with headquarters in Bezons suburb of Paris, France, and offices worldwide. It specialises in hi-tech transactional services, unified communicat ...
and
Accenture
Accenture plc is a global multinational professional services company originating in the United States and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, that specializes in information technology (IT) services and management consulting. It was founded in 1 ...
. Examples in
engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
are
Airbus
Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Pan-European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate Airbus Defence and Space, defence and space and Airbus Helicopters, he ...
,
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
,
Bosch,
Freudenberg and
Ziehl-Abegg.
Campuses and satellite campuses
International
The Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, DHBW) engages in international academic cooperation through institutional partnerships, mobility programs, and participation in European and global networks. The university is a participant in the Erasmus+ programme and maintains bilateral agreements with institutions in Europe, North America, Asia, and other regions.
Several campuses offer structured exchange programs, including English-language modules and semesters for incoming students. These programs are designed to align with the dual study model and are integrated into the academic calendar of the respective locations.
DHBW is a member of the EU4DUAL alliance, a consortium of European institutions focusing on dual education formats. Administrative and advisory services for international students and staff are coordinated through the university's Central International Office and local international offices at individual campuses.
References
External links
Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State UniversityDuale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, HeidenheimDuale Hochschule Baden Württemberg, HeilbronnDuale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, LörrachDuale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, MannheimDuale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, MosbachDuale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, RavensburgDuale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baden-Wurttemberg Cooperative State University
Universities and colleges in Baden-Württemberg
2009 establishments in Germany
Universities and colleges established in 2009
Education in Stuttgart