FH Aachen

Not to be confused with RWTH Aachen.

FH Aachen – University of Applied Sciences

Motto	Praktisch gut. Theoretisch auch.
Motto in English	Good in practice. And in theory.
Type	Public
Established	1971
Chancellor	Prof. Dr. Bernd Pietschmann
Academic staff	520
Administrative staff	700
Students	15.100 (WS 2020/2021)
Location	Aachen and Jülich , North Rhine-Westfalia , Germany 50°45′25.11″N 6°5′42.77″E
Campus	4 Urban Campus in Aachen 1 Rural Campus in Jülich
Colors	Mint, White and Black
Website	fh-aachen.de

The FH Aachen – Aachen University of Applied Sciences is one of the biggest Fachhochschulen in Germany with roughly 15,000 students, 250 professors, 470 contract lecturers, and 340 assistants. It is specialized in certain topical areas (e.g. technology, engineering, business, design).

The FH Aachen ranks as the first best among the Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany in the fields of Electrical, Mechanical engineering and Informatics. Ten Faculties offer 53 Bachelor's, 22 Master's and three cooperative degree programmes.

The FH Aachen is situated in Aachen and in Jülich.

History

The FH Aachen was established in 1971 as a result of the amalgamation of several universities of applied sciences and vocational training centres. Thus, it can look back on a practice-oriented educational tradition going back more than 100 years. The Federal Framework Law for Education in 1976 raised the legal status of all Fachhochschulen to a position equal to that of traditional universities. Within the context of law, the FH Aachen, like all other FHs, is autonomous, meaning that freedom of teaching, research and academic self-administration are guaranteed rights.

Faculties

• Faculty 1: Architecture
• Faculty 2: Civil Engineering
• Faculty 3: Chemistry and Biotechnology
• Faculty 4: Arts and Design
• Faculty 5: Electrical Engineering and IT
• Faculty 6: Aerospace Engineering
• Faculty 7: Business Studies
• Faculty 8: Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics
• Faculty 9: Medical technology and Applied mathematics
• Faculty 10: Energy technology

Degree Programmes

FH Aachen offers 48 Bachelor's, 22 Master's and three cooperative degree programmes. Dual degree programmes have been developed in recent years at the FH Aachen in close cooperation with the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Some of the degree programmes have an international focus (IOS), which means that the courses are given in English during the first two semesters and in German in the following semesters.

Locations

Seven of the ten faculties, with a total of over 8,000 students, are located in Aachen: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Design, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Aerospace Engineering, Business Studies, Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics. Furthermore, the Rectorate, the Head Office and the Central Library are also here. Three faculties with more than 3,000 students altogether are located in Jülich: Chemistry and Biotechnology, Medical Technology and Applied Mathematics as well as Energy Technology. All services for students, such as academic counselling, the Department of International Affairs, the Registrar's Office, department libraries, student dormitories and cafeterias, are available both in Aachen and in Jülich. While the Jülich site displays a campus atmosphere since all facilities are together in one place, the Aachen site is not a campus university. Its facilities are spread across the city of Aachen in seven buildings, some of which have a long tradition.

International Activities

The FH Aachen maintains partnerships with 170 universities around the world. The students benefit from this cross-border network because it enables them to gain valuable overseas experience in the framework of their studies. The Department of International Affairs is the contact concerning all international topics at the FH Aachen.

Department of International Affairs

The Department of International Affairs provides services for international students, researchers and academic staff, as well as for students of FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences who would like to spend a period abroad. Furthermore, it centralizes, coordinates and handles international cooperation activities at the university.

Some of the activities offered include: support for international students and academic staff, advice for German students who plan to study abroad, coordination of cooperation with international organizations, support in cooperation and partnership agreements with universities worldwide, allocation of scholarships to international and German students, advice to faculties regarding third-party funding and international recruitment, information to the university community about the various international programs available within the scope of higher education, and ensure the presence of the Aachen FH University of Applied Sciences at international educational meetings and forums.

Freshman Institute

FI Main building (House 1)

FI Studentenwohnheim (House 5)

FI Logo

The Freshman Institute (FI) is the central academic institution of FH Aachen and runs the Freshman Program (FH Aachen preparatory college = Studienkolleg) in cooperation with the Aachen Institute of Applied Sciences (AcIAS e.V.).

The goal of the Freshman Program foundation or bridging course is to qualify international applicants for a bachelor’s degree program in Germany. A separate entrance exam replaces the standard admission requirements to German universities as established by the German Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (ZaB) for both the German and English language programs. The approximately 300 international students attend the Freshman Program each year in Geilenkirchen, Germany, on the boarding school-type campus. The program focuses on preparing students to study engineering, business and economics or medicine. A unique highlight is the possibility to start in English and progress to studying in German. In addition to the FH Aachen, partner universities for the Freshman Institute include the University of Duisburg-Essen and the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences.

Institutes

Institutes are scientific institutions of the university. They bundle competencies to carry out intensive research and development. This takes place in cooperation with institutes of other universities in Germany and abroad, with research institutions and frequently with industry. The FH Aachen currently has the following institutes:

• Institute of Building Materials and Construction
• I.F.I. institute for industrial aerodynamics GmbH, institute at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences
• 3win-IfiM – Institute of Innovative Mechanical Engineering, institute at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences
• Institute for Thermoprocess Technology GmbH, institute at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences

Campus Jülich

• IAP - Institute of Applied Polymer Chemistry, based at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Jülich.
• Institute of Bioengineering
• Institute of Nano- and Biotechnologies
• Institute NOWUM-Energy
• Solar-Institute Jülich

Rectors

• 1971-1984: Helmut Strehl
• 1984-1987: Hildegard Reitz
• 1987-1991: René Flosdorff
• 1991-2005: Josef Buchkremer
• 2005-2009: Manfred Schulte-Zurhausen
• 2009-2021: Marcus Baumann
• from 2021: Bernd Pietschmann

Gallery

• 
  Administration
• 
  Campus Bayernallee
• 
  Campus Eupener Straße
• 
  Campus Goethestraße
• 
  Campus Hohenstaufenallee

External links

• FH Aachen Homepage (German)
• FH Aachen WirtschaftsWoche Rankings Archived 2022-11-22 at the Wayback Machine
• FH Aachen International Oriented Studies Programme Archived 2022-11-22 at the Wayback Machine
• Freshman Institute
• Information Brochure "Studying at the FH Aachen"
• ISE programm