Stuttgart Media University

What Stuttgart Media University does

Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart (HdM) is a public university of applied sciences founded in 2001 through the merger of two predecessor institutions, located at Nobelstraße 10, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany. It is state-funded under the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg and serves prospective and enrolled students, working professionals in continuing education, and industrial partners. Its core portfolio comprises 19 bachelor's programs, 9 master's programs, MBA and continuing-education tracks (including a Data Science program), plus exchange and dual-degree routes — among them a partnership with Xi'an Technological University — and roughly 16 additional international exchange or minor programs. Disciplinary coverage spans media production, communication design, computer science (Medieninformatik, including AI and Data Science specializations), and business administration.

The business model is a Brockhaus typology of a German state Hochschule: the dominant revenue line is the annual block grant from the Baden-Württemberg ministry, supplemented by tuition from continuing education and MBA programs, third-party research and program grants (notably ~€1.31 million of EXIST funding supporting 10 startup teams in 2025), and contract research with industrial partners. Tuition for state-track bachelor and master programs is nominal under Baden-Württemberg policy. Go-to-market is two-tiered: (1) admission to degree programs, an application-driven market constrained by numerus clausus and program capacity, and (2) continuing-education/MBA and contract research, which are fee- or grant-bearing and targeted at employers such as Bosch, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Südwestrundfunk, and Messe Stuttgart. The institution ranked 2nd nationally and 1st in Baden-Württemberg in the EXIST entrepreneurship support ranking in 2025.

For a PE/VC/M&A audience, HdM is not a commercial acquisition target: it is a non-equity public-law entity whose primary 'equity holders' are the state of Baden-Württemberg. Investment relevance lies in (a) it as a talent and applied-research pipeline for acquirers in Stuttgart's automotive, media, and trade-fair sectors, (b) its continuing-education and contract-research surface as outsourced R&D and reskilling capacity, and (c) its position (top-2 nationally in EXIST) as a leading European startup support node, with ~€1.31M of 2025 EXIST funding channeled to 10 startup teams.

Name

Stuttgart Media University

Legal name

Hochschule der Medien

Website

https://hdm-stuttgart.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Public German university of applied sciences (Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart) offering 19 bachelor's and 9 master's programs in media, technology, design, and business, plus continuing education and dual degrees, serving students, working professionals, and Stuttgart industrial partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Media & Applied Sciences)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Technology & Computer Science Universities (EDAHALAH), Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC), Faculty-Led Study Tours & Embedded Short Programs (Home Institution-Led) (EDAIAIAJ)

Keywords

• Media higher education
• Applied sciences programs
• Digital media studies
• Business engineering media
• Continuing professional education

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

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

Revenue model

1. State Funding: Public German university funded by state government for core educational operations.
2. Third-Party Research Funding: Research grants and third-party funding from EXIST program and other research initiatives.
3. Continuing Education Fees: Fee-based continuing education programs including MBA Business Management and professional development courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stuttgart Media University (Hochschule der Medien, HdM) is a public German university of applied sciences that delivers higher-education programs in media, technology, design, business, and information sciences. It offers 19 Bachelor programs, 9 Master programs, fee-based continuing education (including MBA Business Management), and 17 international exchange/minor programs. Teaching is practice-oriented through on-campus facilities such as TV studios, media technology labs, a hybrid UX laboratory, and prototyping workshops, supplemented by industry projects with regional companies.

Product overview

Stuttgart Media University (Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart) is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs across bachelor's, master's, and continuing education levels. The university provides 19 Bachelor's programs (including Bachelor of Arts, Science, and Engineering degrees) covering disciplines such as audiovisual media, media informatics, digital business, information design, product design, and media psychology. The Master's portfolio includes 9 programs including Audiovisual Media Creation, Computer Science and Media, Digital Design, Media Management, and Business Informatics. Continuing education offerings include MBA Business Management with multiple specializations, Library and Information Management, Data Science, and Intra- and Entrepreneurship. The university also offers exchange/minor programs for international students. All programs emphasize practical application, interdisciplinary approaches, and industry connections through projects and partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital- und Medienwirtschaft (Digital and Media Business) A 7-semester Bachelor of Arts program combining business and management competencies with digital economy and media aspects, examining society, design, technology, creativity, ethics, and law from multiple perspectives. Intended for prospective students seeking careers in digital and media business.
• Deutsch-Chinesischer Studiengang Medien und Technologie (German-Chinese Program Media and Technology) A dual-degree engineering program conducted at HdM and Xi'an Technical University, offering specializations in Digital Media Technology, Digital Publishing, and Technical Packaging Design, culminating in a Bachelor of Engineering.
• Crossmedia-Redaktion & Public Relations Bachelor program offering two specializations: Crossmedia-Redaktion (journalistic career in digital age) and Public Relations (professional communication in companies/agencies), teaching content production for various media channels.
• Audiovisuelle Medien (Audiovisual Media) A Bachelor of Engineering program where students develop and produce films, computer animations, audio plays, spatial experiences, TV formats, visual effects, interactive experiences, games, and music, combining technical expertise with creative content development.
• Bibliothek und digitale Information (Library and Digital Information) Bachelor program qualifying students for work in libraries and information institutions, covering scientific libraries, public libraries, and corporate information departments.
• Informationsdesign (Information Design) A 7-semester Bachelor program teaching students to prepare complex content user-friendly, from apps to infographics, combining design, technology, and psychology with individual focus areas.
• Media Entertainment A Bachelor of Arts program teaching development, production, and marketing of non-fictional moving image formats including shows, reports, and infotainment, combining creativity with economic and technical knowledge.
• Integriertes Produktdesign (Integrated Product Design) Bachelor program combining design with technology, materials, user needs, and responsibility, developing holistic product design understanding from initial idea through prototypes to market-ready products.
• Mediapublishing A Bachelor program focused on shaping publishing and media industries creatively, providing insights into book and magazine worlds, journalism, and content creation with practical project work.
• Medien- und Wirtschaftspsychologie (Media and Business Psychology) A Bachelor of Science program at the intersection of psychology, media, and business, offering psychological foundations and applications including general psychology, social psychology, media psychology, and consumer psychology.
• Medieninformatik (Media Computer Science) A 7-semester Bachelor of Science program providing practice-oriented broad computer science education with many career-qualifying electives in media topics, including specializations in Gaming, Software Development, AI, and Computer Animation.
• Online-Medien-Management (Online Media Management) A Bachelor of Arts program training internationally oriented specialists in online media management, covering Digital Marketing & Web Analytics, online technologies, and Digital Content Creation with interdisciplinary knowledge.
• Mobile Medien (Mobile Media) A Bachelor of Engineering program providing IT and design competencies for the digital world, covering software development and User Experience Design with specializations in web, app, or game development.
• Print Media and Packaging Technologies The first and only international engineering program exclusively focused on media, taught entirely in English, combining creative design, scientific foundations, modern technologies, intercultural studies, business economics, and language skills.
• Social Media Marketing & Management An English-language Bachelor program combining business and media competencies with creative content creation and AI, focused on social media, strategic management, and marketing tools for digital platform management.
• Technisches Produktmanagement – Technisches Design (Technical Product Management - Technical Design) A Bachelor of Engineering program qualifying graduates for AI-resistant work in professional product management, focusing on innovative product development and sustainable packaging solutions with technical design and economic contexts.
• Werbung und Marktkommunikation (Advertising and Market Communication) A Bachelor of Arts program teaching conception of communication and advertising content with strategic, economic, social-scientific, content-related, and design elements oriented to communication industry practice.
• Wirtschaftsinformatik und digitale Medien (Business Informatics and Digital Media) A Bachelor of Science program teaching holistic understanding of business, IT, and digital media integration, process optimization, and innovative digital solutions for a networked world.
• Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen Medien (Media Business Engineering) The only German program combining Business Engineering with a media focus, qualifying graduates for work at interfaces between business, technology, IT, and media, with industry partnerships including Bosch, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche.
• Audiovisual Media Creation and Technology (M.Sc.) A 3-semester Master of Science connecting research, design, and engineering sciences, with three profiles: 3D-Audio & Music Technology, Visual Media Creation, and Computer-Generated Imagery for innovative audiovisual concepts.
• Computer Science and Media (M.Sc.) A Master program combining computer science with current media topics, preparing for demanding technical and leadership tasks in IT and media industries through seven focus areas including Machine Learning and UX.
• Crossmedia Publishing & Management (M.A.) A Master of Arts program existing since 2014 covering communication in enterprises and publishing processes in digital transformation, with specializations in Sport Communication and Publishing.
• Master of Media Research A faculty-wide Master program focused on creative, innovative, and scientifically founded solutions for challenges in science, society, culture, and economy, supported by HdM research lighthouses.
• Digital Design (M.A.) A Master program combining perspectives from product design, Interaction Design, Experience Design, and digital technologies for interdisciplinary understanding of digital design at the intersection of people, technology, and organizations.
• Medienmanagement (Media Management, M.A.) A 3-semester Master of Arts connecting business management of media companies with management in B2C and B2B markets, integrating business with digital media and AI through real project work.
• Packaging Development Management (M.Eng.) A Master program combining design, technology, and marketing to develop sustainable and marketable packaging concepts that are ecologically, economically, and socially convincing.
• Unternehmenskommunikation (Corporate Communication, M.A.) A 3-semester Master of Arts preparing professionals for corporate and organizational communication based on advertising, marketing, content creation, and PR competencies with practical orientation.
• Wirtschaftsinformatik (Business Informatics, M.Sc.) A 3-semester Master program conveying advanced knowledge in IT, management, and digitalization with focus on innovative technologies, interdisciplinary work, and practice-oriented projects.
• Bibliotheks- und Informationsmanagement (Library and Information Management, M.A.) A part-time Master preparing students for leadership roles in libraries or information institutions, combining cultural, public management, and information systems competencies with scientific grounding and practical application.
• Business Management (MBA) A part-time MBA qualifying for leadership and interface tasks in a digital, global, and innovative working world, with specializations including Digital Innovation, International Business, Corporate Communication, HR/Culture/Transformation, Sustainability/Packaging Management, and Digital Marketing/Sales. Duration typically 2.5 years part-time.
• Data Science (Continuing Education) Part-time continuing education providing practical insights into data analysis, data use, machine learning, and AI with specialization options in Advanced Business Analytics, Advanced Data Analytics, or Applied AI.
• Intra- und Entrepreneurship (tech) (MBE) A part-time Master combining expertise from HdM and University of Stuttgart in high-tech, technology development, and business founding, leading to a double degree Master of Business Engineering.
• Advanced Business Projects (Minor/Exchange Program) A semester-long Minor program for exchange students providing immersive learning in modern high-tech business consulting projects, covering industrial media projects, film production, innovative entrepreneurship, and digitalization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16 EXIST applications submitted, 10 approved, 1.31 million euros funded for founding teams in 2025

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Technical University of Xi'an (TUX)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual degree partnership offering German-Chinese program in three specializations: Digital Media Technology, Digital Publishing, and Technical Design of Packaging Systems. Students study in both Stuttgart and Xi'an, receiving degrees from both institutions.
• Regional Industry Partners (Bosch, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Südwestrundfunk, Messe Stuttgart)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partnerships for internships, project collaborations, and career opportunities. Companies from the Stuttgart region support student practical experience and provide real-world project challenges.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Macromedia University of Applied Sciences: Private German University of Applied Sciences with campuses across Germany offering media, design, business, and engineering programs. Directly competes with HdM for the same applicant pool in media and digital disciplines, differing mainly in for-profit, tuition-funded model versus HdM's state-funded public model.
• Hochschule RheinMain (Wiesbaden/Rüsselsheim): Public German University of Applied Sciences offering media, design, and engineering programs including a Media Management program and similar applied-science portfolio. Comparable in size, governance model, and state funding structure, making it a near-direct institutional peer.
• Hochschule Darmstadt: Large public German University of Applied Sciences with programs in media informatics, design, and engineering. Closely mirrors HdM's applied-sciences positioning, public funding model, and emphasis on industry-linked teaching.
• Technische Hochschule Köln (TH Köln): One of Germany's largest public Universities of Applied Sciences, with a strong media and information faculty covering similar disciplines. Comparable institutional scale, applied-research portfolio, and state-appropriation revenue model.
• Popakademie Baden-Württemberg: Public state-accredited university in Mannheim focused on music, creative industries, and media business. Shares the Baden-Württemberg public funding model and serves an overlapping applicant pool interested in creative and media careers.
• Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd: Public German design university also in Baden-Württemberg with product design, communication design, and digital media programs. Overlaps with HdM's Information Design and Integrated Product Design programs under the same state funding system.
• Hochschule München (Munich University of Applied Sciences): Large Bavarian public University of Applied Sciences with a strong faculty of design, media, and information sciences. Competes with HdM nationally for media-focused applicants while operating under the same public-applied-sciences model.
• SRH Hochschule Heidelberg: Private German university offering design, media, engineering, and business programs with strong continuing-education focus. Competes with HdM for both undergraduate and MBA/continuing-education students, especially in media and digital disciplines.

Broad incumbents

• Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW): Largest higher-education institution in Baden-Württemberg, offering dual-study programs in business, engineering, and media/IT. Operates the same state-funded model and draws from the same regional applicant pool and corporate partner base.
• University of Stuttgart: Co-located comprehensive research university in Stuttgart with strong computer science, engineering, and design programs. Broader scope and full-university status position it as an incumbent competitor for top applicants, especially in CS and engineering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbDImbN9H0eBqZ_r9g5K4_g
• Facebookfacebook.com/HdMStuttgart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stuttgart-media-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/hdm_stuttgart
• Xx.com/hdm_stgt

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles30 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Stuttgart Media University