FAQ

An online degree programme offers you flexibility in terms of location and time. You decide where and when you study.

But as a student at THWS, you benefit from additional advantages:

• Experience: We have more than 50 years of experience and know how to make students successful!
• Quality: The degree programmes at THWS meet high quality standards and are based on the latest teaching concepts.
• Practice-orientation: Application clearly is our most vital focus area. Our aim is to prepare our students for professional practice in the best possible way.
• University feeling: Studies thrive on togetherness. We provide virtual exchange and networking for a real university feeling.

Online degree programmes are distance learning programmes. In contrast to distance learning at traditional distance learning universities, where your studies are mainly based on scripts that you work through yourself, at THWS you will always have direct contact with professors and fellow students - even if everything takes place online.

In addition, our online degree programmes are organised in semesters and structured in weekly synchronous and asynchronous learning units. This means that both our synchronous and asynchronous learning units are organised in a schedule, which has many advantages for you. For example, your degree programme is structured, with a high degree of flexibility in terms of time and location. As your fellow students have the same learning progress as you, you are part of an online community, which we additionally enliven with networking events.

Accreditation is a quality assurance procedure for degree programmes. In programme accreditation, an individual degree programme is examined, i.e. the specific courses offered by the degree programme as well as the content and processes. Accreditation thus serves as a signal for the high quality of a degree programme.

THWS is a state-recognised higher education institution and is thus subject to high quality standards that are ensured through accreditation and regular re-accreditation of all degree programmes (programme accreditation). The online degree programmes will also be accredited by the time the first students graduate.

The THWS online degree programmes are a professional qualification. After graduating, you are "ready to work" and can start your career straight away or return to work with fresh knowledge. As with a bachelor's or master's degree obtained in an on-site degree programme, a degree in an online degree programme opens the doors to master's degree programmes or a doctorate.

Each year, the winter semester starts on 1 October and the summer semester on 15 March.

The application period for the course starting on 1 October 2025 is from 1 May to 15 July 2025. Applications to start in the summer semester can be submitted from 15 November to 15 January.

Apply online via our THWS CampusPortal. There you can quickly and easily upload all required documents.

Further information on applying via the THWS CampusPortal

EU-citizens pay a semester fee of EUR 600 per semester. This fee includes a media fee and the fee for the Studierendenwerk (student services fee).

Non-EU-citizens pay a semester fee of EUR 1500 per semester. In addition to a media fee and the fee for the Studierendenwerk (student services fee), a study fee and service fee are included. We use the income from the service fee to realise various support offers and services during the course of your studies.

After the standard period of study - i.e. after seven semesters for bachelor's degree programmes and after three semesters for master's degree programmes - the semester fees will be lowered to approx. EUR 170 per semester.

You can receive BAföG grants also for online studies. One of the prerequisites is that the programme is your first academic degree programme.

For more information, please visit the BAföG-website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

We aim to offer a quality degree programme at a moderate price. We ensure this by making the costs fair and transparent, and charging everyone the same amount.

The fees are due each semester, in advance of the semester in question. Payment can be conveniently set up by direct debit. Payment by bank transfer is also possible.

If you exceed the standard period of study, you can of course continue your studies. In this case, the semester fee is approx. EUR 170 euros per semester.

Requirement for admission to the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt is a valid general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur), a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification (fachgebundene Hochschulreife), an advanced technical college certificate (Fachhochschulreife), a general/subject-specific entrance qualification for qualified professionals, or a comparable qualification from abroad (HZB, university entrance qualification).

In order to be admitted to the master's programme Geo Data Technology you must hold a bachelor's degree with an overall grade of 2.7 or better.

More information on the admission requirements at THWS

Furthermore, our degree programmes require certain language skills in German and/or English.

More information on linguistic admission requirements.

Non-EU-citizens, who do not hold a university entrance qualification (HZB) for a German higher education institution, may complete an online pre-year for certain degree programmes at German Jordanian University (GJU) to obtain a HZB. This option is currently available for the bachelor's Engineering Science and the bachelor's Health and Environmental Psychology.

More information for internationals

No. If you would like to study with us and fulfil the admission requirements, you are sure to get a place!

To study online at THWS, we recommend using a computer or laptop that is no more than five years old. A stable Internet connection is also required.

No. You can complete your online studies at THWS 100 percent online. Depending on the supervising company, however, a temporary presence in the company may be required during the internship.

The time required is comparable to a regular on-campus programme. However, the advantage is that you decide for yourself when and where you study. There is also no travelling time to and from the university and no waiting times to bridge free periods.

Get advice! Feel free to contact our experts from the Student Advisory Service. Please use our contact form to reach the right contact person.

Students at German universities are legally required to have health insurance.

• More information for students living in Germany
• More information for students living abroad

All materials will be provided via our Learning-Management-System (LMS).

Every online degree programme has live events where you can talk to the professor and ask questions about the course material.

Most of the teaching materials and platforms are designed to be barrier-free. Should there still be difficulties, we will try and find individual solutions.

The decision to study is a decision for life and a good one! However, if your life circumstances or professional interests change, you can end your studies at any time. However, semester fees already paid cannot be refunded in this case.

Yes. You can repeat completed modules free of charge.

You can also exceed the standard period of study. Please note, however, that there are deadlines for taking exams and the maximum number of exam retakes is limited.

Yes. You can complete an online degree programme at THWS 100 percent online. The same is true for exams.

THWS applies high quality standards at the institution itself and the degree programmes. This also includes taking examinations to determine the individual performance of the participants. However, this is only possible if fraud and other ways of cheating to obtain good examination results are ruled out. This is why we use modern proctoring methods to prevent attempts at cheating - naturally in compliance with the applicable legal requirements. If a student does not want this form of examination supervision, they can take the examination on the respective examination dates on site at THWS.

No. You can complete our online degree programmes anywhere in the world, given that there is a stable internet connection available.

Requirement for admission to the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt is a valid general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur), a subject-specific higher education entrance qualification (fachgebundene Hochschulreife), an advanced technical college certificate (Fachhochschulreife), a general/subject-specific entrance qualification for qualified professionals, or a comparable qualification from abroad (HZB, university entrance qualification).

If you have obtained your qualification outside the EU, you can carry out a self-assessment on the DAAD website to determine whether your qualification is sufficient as a university entrance qualification (HZB).
To the DAAD self-assessment

THWS can only evaluate HZB upon application.
Here, you can find further information on the admission of international students.

If your qualification does not meet our requirements, you may take our online pre-year to obtain the HZB for certain degree programmes, currently the bachelor's Engineering Science and the bachelor’s Health and Environmental Psychology. More information on the online pre-year.

Our German-taught degree programmes require German language skills at level B2 or C1. You can find more details in the information on the individual degree programmes. Our new English-taught online degree programmes do not require any knowledge of German. Nevertheless, it can be beneficial for you to learn German. German language skills enable you to transfer to a related German-taught degree programme or to continue your studies in a German-taught master's programme in Germany. With German language skills, you can also complete an internship semester in a German company and ultimately stand out from other applicants on the job market.

That's why we offer German courses that take place 100 percent online. Learn more about our online language courses.

Online studies at THWS do not require physical presence. In order to be issued a visa for study purposes, the studies must be the main purpose of the stay. However, online studies (distance learning) do not meet these requirements. Thus, online studies without on-site courses do not pose sufficient grounds for a visa.

For enrolment in an online programme at THWS, you need to contact a German health insurance provider.

More information on health insurance in Germany

For the Pre-Year at the German Jordanian University (GJU), you do not need proof of German health insurance, since you will be enrolled at GJU.