Kiel University of Applied Sciences

What Kiel University of Applied Sciences does

HAW Kiel (Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Kiel), formerly Fachhochschule Kiel, is a public German university of applied sciences founded in 1969 and located in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein. It is the largest University of Applied Sciences in the state, delivering Bachelor and Master degree programmes, dual study options, continuing education, and PhD pathways through the Promotionskolleg Schleswig-Holstein across seven faculties: Agricultural Sciences, Health, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Media/Construction, Social Work and Childhood Pedagogy, and Business. The institution also runs applied research, technology transfer to regional industry, a Gründungsservice (start-up service), and international exchange programmes including Erasmus+.

The university's digital infrastructure centres on a conventional higher-education technology stack: Moodle-based E-Learning platform, QIS for examination registration, Moduldatenbank for module discovery, Modulanmeldung for module enrolment, the IDA portal for interdisciplinary weeks, and a CASY student management system. Operational and cultural assets include a library (Bibliothek im Lerndock23), a Career Center integrated with myunijobs, a Mediendom dome theatre, a Computermuseum, the Bunker-D cultural venue, CampusRadioAktiv on Kiel FM, Campus TV, and the 'viel.' campus magazine. Technology partnerships include participation in a joint AI infrastructure initiative for Schleswig-Holstein universities and international partner networks through Erasmus+ and bilateral agreements.

HAW Kiel operates as a state-funded public institution under German higher education law, with revenue primarily derived from state appropriations from Schleswig-Holstein rather than commercial activity. Tuition follows the standard German public-university model with low semester contribution fees. The go-to-market approach is largely non-commercial: recruitment of prospective students through Hochschulinfotage, Berufsorientierung school visits, and digital channels; engagement of industry partners through transfer services, Science Day, and 2026 events such as Ostsee ConnecT and Science Comes to Town; and outreach to schools and youth for career orientation. The institution holds System Accreditation, Stifterverband Diversity Audit, Charta der Vielfalt, and Familiengerechte Hochschule certifications, reinforcing its positioning as a publicly accountable, quality-assured regional higher-education provider.

Name

Kiel University of Applied Sciences

Legal name

HAW Kiel - Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften

Website

https://fh-kiel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

HAW Kiel is a public German University of Applied Sciences and the largest in Schleswig-Holstein, offering bachelor, master, dual, and continuing-education programmes across seven faculties to students, while delivering applied research and technology-transfer services to regional industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI), Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education
• University degree programmes
• Applied research
• Technology transfer
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Kiel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kiel University of Applied Sciences (HAW Kiel) is a public German university offering Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes across seven faculties (Agriculture, Health, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Media/Construction, Social Work and Childhood Pedagogy, and Business). It delivers applied research, continuing education, and technology transfer services to industry, supported by digital platforms such as the Moodle-based E-Learning system, Moduldatenbank, Modulanmeldung, and the QIS exam registration system.

Product overview

HAW Kiel (Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Kiel) is the largest University of Applied Sciences in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The institution operates as a multi-disciplinary educational platform offering Bachelor and Master degree programmes across seven faculties. The core educational infrastructure consists of the Studiengänge (study programmes), Moduldatenbank (module database) for browsing course offerings, Modulanmeldung (module registration) for enrolling in courses, E-Learning via Moodle LMS, and QIS for exam registration. Beyond academic programmes, HAW Kiel provides student support services including a library, career center, and student housing. The institution also maintains cultural facilities such as Mediendom (dome theater), Computermuseum (computer museum), Bunker-D (art venue), CampusRadioAktiv (campus radio), Campus TV (student television), and the viel. campus magazine. Research and technology transfer services support industry collaboration, while the Interdisziplinäre Wochen provide interdisciplinary academic programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studiengänge (Study Programmes) Bachelor and Master degree programmes across seven faculties: Agrarwirtschaft, Gesundheit, Informatik und Elektrotechnik, Maschinenwesen, Medien/Bauwesen, Soziale Arbeit und Kindheitspädagogik, and Wirtschaft. Targeted at prospective and current students.
• Duales Studium (Dual Studies) Dual study programme combining academic learning with practical company-based training. Targeted at prospective students seeking integrated work-study pathways.
• Institut für Weiterbildung (Continuing Education) Continuing education programmes for working professionals and lifelong learners offered by HAW Kiel.
• Orientierungssemester Förde-Kompass Orientation semester for prospective students who have not yet chosen a specific study programme.
• Studienkolleg Schleswig-Holstein Preparatory college for international applicants seeking to qualify for university admission in Germany.
• International Exchange Programmes (Erasmus+) International student and staff mobility programmes through Erasmus+ and bilateral partner university agreements.
• Promotionskolleg Schleswig-Holstein (PhD Programme) Doctoral/PhD programme offered in cooperation within the Schleswig-Holstein promotion college.
• Forschung und Transfer (Applied Research and Technology Transfer) Research profile, competence centers, research funding support, and technology transfer services for companies, addressing six main research focus areas.
• Gründungsservice (Start-up Service) Start-up support service for students, researchers, and company founders, including company-founded projects.
• Kooperationsmöglichkeiten für Unternehmen (Industry Cooperation) Cooperation opportunities for companies including research partnerships, knowledge transfer, and company-founded projects.
• Career Center Career services for students including job listings via the myunijobs platform and career orientation support.
• Bibliothek im Lerndock23 (Library) Library services and learning resources center available to students and staff.
• Interdisziplinäre Wochen (Interdisciplinary Weeks) 35th edition interdisciplinary academic programme (lectures, workshops, courses, and excursions) held six weeks after lectures begin, spanning all faculties.
• Mediendom (Dome Theater) Dome theater and media exhibition space on campus available to students, researchers, and the public.
• Computermuseum (Computer Museum) Computer museum showcasing the history of computing technology, open to students and visitors.
• Bunker-D (Cultural Venue) Cultural venue and exhibition space for art and cultural events hosted on campus.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Partner Universities and NetworkscoreOthers · 1 January 2026International partner universities and networks through Erasmus+ programme and bilateral agreements for student and staff exchange
• Systemakkreditierung (System Accreditation)coreOthersInstitutional system accreditation seal demonstrating quality assurance in teaching and learning processes
• Stifterverband (Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiversity Audit certified by the Stifterverband, demonstrating commitment to diversity and inclusion in higher education
• Charta der VielfaltmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned charter for diversity management, promoting appreciation and respect for all employees regardless of age, ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, or sexual identity
• Aktionsplan echte VielfaltmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative promoting genuine diversity and inclusion at universities
• Weltoffene Hochschulen gegen FremdenfeindlichkeitmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRK (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz) initiative for open-minded, cosmopolitan universities against xenophobia
• Netzwerk Gesunde Hochschulen NordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of healthy universities in Northern Germany focusing on employee health and wellbeing
• Familiengerechte Hochschule (Family-Friendly University)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertification for family-friendly policies and support for employees and students with family responsibilities

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fachhochschule Dortmund: Large German UAS with a similarly diverse faculty portfolio (engineering, business, design, social work, computer science), applying comparable applied-research and industry-transfer models.
• Technische Hochschule Lübeck: Neighboring UAS in Schleswig-Holstein with strong technical and applied-sciences focus (engineering, life sciences, architecture), competing directly for STEM students and applied-research funding in the same state.
• Hochschule Bremen: Public UAS in northern Germany with a similar faculty breadth (engineering, business, social work, health, design) and comparable applied-research transfer mission, serving a directly comparable student demographic.
• Hochschule Flensburg: A regional UAS also located in Schleswig-Holstein with overlapping faculties (engineering, business, social work) and direct competition for the same regional applicant pool and industry partners.
• Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg (HAW Hamburg): Another large northern-German University of Applied Sciences with a similar multi-faculty applied-sciences structure and a near-identical 'HAW' brand naming. Directly comparable in mission, faculty breadth, and target student segments in the Hamburg metropolitan region.
• Technische Hochschule Köln (TH Köln): Major German UAS with broad applied-sciences coverage (engineering, computer science, business, social sciences), comparable to HAW Kiel on faculty structure and industry-integrated teaching model.
• Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin (HTW Berlin): One of Germany's largest UAS institutions with comparable applied-sciences structure, similar faculty mix, and parallel industry-transfer mechanisms; directly comparable on scale and program breadth.
• Hochschule München: Bavaria's largest UAS, comparable in size and faculty diversity (engineering, business, design, social work, computer science), and operates a similar applied-research and technology-transfer infrastructure.
• Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften: Lower-Saxony UAS with comparable multi-faculty applied-sciences portfolio (engineering, business, social work, health) and similar regional-industry partnership orientation.

Emerging players

• FOM Hochschule: Large private German university with a strong focus on part-time, working-professional, and dual-study models. Not a direct public UAS competitor but increasingly competes for the same adult-learner and employer-funded Weiterbildung market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtArkI5RpS0MpLf0jxqWsPg
• Facebookfacebook.com/HAWKiel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/haw-kiel
• Instagraminstagram.com/_hawkiel
• Xx.com/fh_kiel

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kiel University of Applied Sciences