University of Witten/Herdecke

About the University

The University of Witten/Herdecke opened in 1982 as the first private university in Germany authorised to train physicians to the level of the Staatsexamen. The model study programme in human medicine uses problem-oriented learning (POL) in small groups; clinical teaching takes place partly at partner hospitals in Wuppertal and Cologne. In January 2024 the Wissenschaftsrat reaccredited the university for ten years — the maximum duration. Dentistry with Staatsexamen is also offered in Witten.

This institution suits students who want a structured programme with substantial small-group work and are not defined solely by their Abitur grade. The cost is significant: from winter semester 2026/27 the monthly contribution for human medicine is €1,280, totalling €76,800 over the standard study duration; dentistry is €1,840 per month. The student bears this cost in full, either as a current payment during the programme or through an income-based repayment model after graduation. Living costs and the semester contribution are additional.

Admission and Costs

Applications go directly to the university, not via hochschulstart. There is no Abitur grade threshold; motivation, character, and development potential are assessed in the university’s own multi-stage personal selection process. A completed nursing internship is a prerequisite and must be documented before enrolment.

The monthly contribution for human medicine from winter semester 2026/27 is €1,280, totalling €76,800 over the standard study duration; dentistry is €1,840 per month from the same semester (as of April 2026). Instead of paying upfront, students may choose the Reversed Generational Contract (Umgekehrter Generationenvertrag): no payments during the programme, followed by ten contribution years of income-based repayment after graduation. A 50/50 hybrid model is also available. The semester contribution and living costs are payable in addition and are also the student’s own responsibility.

Degree Recognition

The model study programme leads to the German Staatsexamen. The degree entitles graduates to apply for Approbation (medical licence) and is legally equivalent to a degree from any state university. Within the EU, automatic recognition applies under Directive 2005/36/EC.

A Small Campus in the Southern Ruhr Area

The university is situated on Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße in the Witten district of Annen — not in the historic centre but in a quiet, well-connected part of the city. Witten has around 95,000 inhabitants and lies in the south-eastern Ruhr area between Bochum, Dortmund, and Hagen, with the Ruhr river cutting through a deep valley and the wooded heights of the Ardeygebirge above. The campus is compact; approximately 2,600 students were enrolled in summer 2022, and a timber-frame building completed in 2021 adds architectural distinctiveness.

This scale shapes daily life: you know people across your cohort, small-group work and the compulsory interdisciplinary Studium fundamentale create connections beyond your own subject, and students are even represented in the university’s governance structure. Clinical placements regularly take you out of Witten — to Herdecke, Wuppertal, Cologne-Merheim, and Datteln — so a semester ticket covering the VRR transport network and a willingness to commute are part of the deal. On the housing side, the Ruhr area is a genuine advantage: rents are significantly lower than in southern German university cities. The Kemnader See, the Ruhr valley, and the mining trail in the Muttental are the obvious way to decompress.

Is it true that there is no NC at Witten/Herdecke?

Yes. The university selects its medical students through its own multi-stage process and does not allocate places via hochschulstart. Instead of focusing solely on the Abitur grade, it assesses motivation, character, and development potential. That does not mean the process is easy: it is multi-stage and involves personal attendance.

What does the programme cost, and what is the Reversed Generational Contract?

The university puts the total contribution for human medicine at €76,800. Instead of paying directly, students may use the Reversed Generational Contract — an income-based model on the principle of “study now, pay later”: repayment is made as a proportion of future professional income. The aim is to ensure that financing does not determine access to the programme.

Is the degree equivalent to one from a state university?

Yes. Witten/Herdecke is Germany’s first state-recognised private university, recognised in 1982 and started teaching with 27 medical students in 1983. You sit the same Physicians’ Examination and receive the same Approbation as graduates of any state faculty.

What makes the model study programme different from the standard curriculum?

The central teaching method is problem-oriented learning: in small groups you work through real cases and take responsibility for identifying the knowledge you need. Patient contact is built in from the first semester, alongside tutorials, block placements, an integrated research semester, and the interdisciplinary Studium fundamentale. The university states a standard study duration of 12.3 semesters.

Where does the practical training take place?

The university cooperates with hospitals at various levels of care, including facilities in Wuppertal, Cologne, Herdecke, and Datteln, as well as institutions in clinical and health-services research. This means you see both everyday medicine — vaccinations, preventive care, chronic conditions — and highly specialised procedures. According to the university, over 80% of students gain international experience during their studies.