Fachhochschule der Diakonie gGmbH

What Fachhochschule der Diakonie gGmbH does

Fachhochschule der Diakonie gGmbH (FH der Diakonie), legally Fachhochschule der Diakonie gemeinnützige GmbH, is a non-profit private university of applied sciences located in Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Founded in 2006 by 16 diaconal organizations alongside Diakonie Deutschland, the institution is owned and controlled by a network of charitable foundations within the v. Bodelschwinghschen Stiftungen Bethel, with Stiftung Nazareth as majority shareholder. It holds state recognition from North Rhine-Westphalia and is supervised by the Evangelical Church of Westphalia.

The university delivers practice-oriented higher education in the social and healthcare sectors through seven Bachelor's programs, four Master's programs, and five certificate programs. Educational delivery relies on a Blended Learning model combining Moodle-based online learning with approximately three on-campus presence days per month (Thursday through Saturday) at the Bielefeld campus, supplemented by regional learning groups. The technical stack includes Moodle as the primary LMS, a Trainex portal for course management, OpenAthens for authentication, and integrations with EBSCOhost databases (CINAHL, PsycArticles, DACH Info) and WorldCat Discovery for library services.

Revenue is generated through tuition fees for degree and certificate programs, plus continuing education seminars for alumni. The institution is described as more affordable than other German private universities, with no hidden costs and a "no Numerus Clausus" admission policy. As a registered non-profit (gemeinnützige GmbH), it has no profit motive and does not publicly disclose financials. The primary customer segment is working professionals in social work, healthcare, psychiatric care, and emergency services seeking career-integrated study, including non-traditional students without Abitur and students with disabilities. The institution is set to rebrand as 'Hochschule der Diakonie' from September 2026, marking its 20th anniversary.

Name

Fachhochschule der Diakonie gGmbH

Legal name

Fachhochschule der Diakonie gemeinnützige GmbH

Website

https://fh-diakonie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fachhochschule der Diakonie is a non-profit private university of applied sciences in Bielefeld, Germany, offering practice-oriented Bachelor's, Master's, and certificate programs in social work, healthcare, psychology, and management for working professionals through a Blended Learning model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: The university charges tuition for its degree programs and certificate courses. It is described as more affordable than other private universities, with no additional hidden costs for exams, administration, or certificates. As a non-profit institution, it has no profit motive.
2. Continuing Education Services: Alumni can participate in lifelong learning seminars both on-site in Bielefeld and online for a fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fachhochschule der Diakonie is a state-accredited private university of applied sciences delivering practice-oriented Bachelor, Master, and certificate programs in social work, healthcare, psychology, special needs education, and organizational development for the social and health sectors. Programs are delivered primarily via a Blended Learning format combining Moodle-based online self-study with approximately three monthly on-campus presence days at the Bielefeld-Bethel campus. The institution also offers continuing education, library services, and applied research, and operates without Numerus Clausus admission restrictions, recognizing prior vocational qualifications and professional experience.

Product overview

Fachhochschule der Diakonie is a non-profit private university of applied sciences specializing in practice-oriented education for the social and healthcare sectors. The institution offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into undergraduate Bachelor programs (Management, Emergency Medicine, Mental Health/Psychiatric Care, Psychology, Social Work, Special Needs Education), graduate Master programs (Community Mental Health, Diaconal Studies, Organizational Development with two specializations), and professional certificate programs (Personnel Management, Inclusive Education, Digital Transformation with AI, Nursing Competence, Diaconal Studies). Educational delivery uses a Blended Learning system combining monthly presence blocks at the Bielefeld-Bethel campus with Moodle-based online learning and regional study groups. The institution maintains library services with electronic resource access, conducts applied research in areas including AI-assisted documentation and online diagnostics, and produces educational content through vodcasts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor of Arts - Management im Sozial- und Gesundheitswesen

Quantifiable outcome

• 60-75 ETCS recognized for prior qualifications in Heilpädagogik program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• v. Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen Bethel (Bethel Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization and umbrella foundation of the diaconic network in which the university operates. Includes Stiftung Bethel, Stiftung Sarepta, Stiftung Nazareth, and Hoffnungstaler Stiftung Lobetal. Stiftung Nazareth is the majority shareholder of the university. The foundation is registered in the church register of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia and represented by a unified board.
• LWL-Klinikum GüterslohcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic teaching hospital (akademisches Lehrkrankenhaus) partnership providing practice-oriented learning locations for students in psychiatric care and related programs.
• Evangelisches Klinikum Bethel/Uniklinik OWLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic teaching hospital (akademisches Lehrkrankenhaus) partnership providing practice settings for psychiatric care, psychology, and related health programs. Professor Lorenz Dehn leads the 'Psychosoziale Versorgungs- und Teilhabeforschung' research group at this institution.
• Diakonie DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the 16 founding diaconic organizations that established the university in 2006 to train future specialists and leaders for social and health professions.
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Evangelischen Jugend (AEJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'Zusammen? Geht doch!' (Together? That works!) model project on inclusive youth work. The AEJ hosts monthly online networking events in cooperation with FH der Diakonie.
• Adworx WerbeagenturminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvertising agency responsible for the design and visual identity of the university's marketing materials.
• IDWM (Institut für Diakoniewissenschaft und Diakoniemanagement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary partnership for the Institute of Diaconic Science and Management, a church library located at Bethelweg 8, providing shared academic resources.
• Bibliothek der Universität Bielefeld (UB-Bielefeld)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary cooperation allowing students access to university library resources in Bielefeld.
• Bibliothek der FH BielefeldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary cooperation allowing students access to Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences library resources.
• Stadtbibliothek BielefeldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity library partnership providing public library access to students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Medical School Hamburg (MSH): Private, state-recognized university of applied sciences in Hamburg offering Bachelor and Master programs in psychotherapy, social work, nursing, health sciences, and psychology. Closely comparable private non-profit competitor with similar program mix and professional-student focus.
• Evangelische Hochschule Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe: Church-affiliated (Evangelical) university of applied sciences in Bochum, NRW, focused on social work, healthcare, and religious education. Most direct peer: same denomination, same federal state, same social/healthcare mission, and comparable working-professional focus.
• Katholische Hochschule Nordrhein-Westfalen: Catholic church-affiliated university of applied sciences in NRW (Cologne, Paderborn, Aachen, Münster) with social work, healthcare, and theological programs. Direct analog to FH der Diakonie under the Catholic counterpart of the Diakonie (Caritas).
• APOLLON Hochschule der Gesundheitswirtschaft: Private distance-learning university in Bremen focused on the health economy. Directly competes for the same working-professional audience in health and social management, with a similar Blended Learning/distance model.
• Hochschule für Gesundheit (hsg): Public university of applied sciences in Bochum, NRW, dedicated exclusively to health professions. Comparable in regional footprint and applied health/social education focus, with a similar audience of healthcare professionals seeking academic credentials.

Broad incumbents

• SRH Hochschule Heidelberg: Part of the SRH group, a large private university of applied sciences with a broad program portfolio including social work, therapy, and health. Larger and more diversified than FH der Diakonie, but competes in overlapping social/healthcare degree segments.
• FOM Hochschule: Large private university of applied sciences headquartered in Essen, NRW, designed for working professionals with evening and weekend class formats. Part of the Klartext group, FOM overlaps heavily with FH der Diakonie in targeting employed professionals in social/healthcare management.
• IU Internationale Hochschule: Germany's largest private university with deep online and Blended Learning programs across social work, health, and psychology. A well-capitalized incumbent that competes on price, flexibility, and scale for the same working professional student base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xxing.com/pages/fachhochschulederdiakonieggmbh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/fhdiakonie
• Facebookfacebook.com/FH.Diakonie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fachhochschule-der-diakonie-ggmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/fhddbielefeld

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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