University of Applied Sciences Würzburg Schweinfurt

History

The history of today's University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt dates back to 1807 and is linked with three previous institutions: the Balthasar-Neuman Polytechnic of the district of Lower Franconia, the Würzburg Commercial College and the Würzburg School of Applied Arts.

Following the passing of the Bavarian Technical University Law of 1970 (Bayerisches Fachhochschulgesetz or FHG), the current university opened its doors on 1. August 1971 with 1566 students and courses in seven subjects. The Würzburg campus offered courses in architecture, civil engineering, business administration and graphic design, while in Schweinfurt students could choose between electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and industrial engineering. In the following years new courses were added including social work (1972), plastics engineering (1973), computer science (1975), nursing management (1995), business economics (1998), Business informatics (2000), media management (2000), computational engineering (2003) and logistics (2008).

Between 1991 and 2000 the university developed a new campus in Aschaffenburg, initially offering business economics and from 1997 electrical engineering. In 2000, this evolved into the independent University of Applied Sciences Aschaffenburg.

On 14. February 2003, the then minister of science, Hans Zehetmair, laid a foundation for a circular teaching building in Schweinfurt extending to 3000m² and costing almost 14.5 million euros. In the basement of the building there are modern student computer pool rooms. On the first floor a spacious assembly hall (Aula) offers a venue for events and conferences. arranged in a circle around the central space are deans' offices, administrative offices and the largest auditorium of the building. On the second and third floor of the building, constructed of reinforced concrete and aluminium, there are air-conditioned multimedia rooms. The building was opened by the minister of science, Thomas Goppel, on 4. October 2004. Since then, most of the courses in Schweinfurt have been held in these new premises. The older buildings in Schweinfurt have mostly been vacated and since 2004 been extensively refurbished.

In 2006, the naming rights for the biggest lecture hall of the university (located on the Würzburg campus) were acquired by Aldi-Süd. In the same year, Sparkasse Würzburg offered to sponsor another lecture hall. Within a short time the following companies were also sponsoring buildings which were named after them:

In 2008, the name of the university was changed from Fachhochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt to Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften – Fachhochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt. Since 1 May 2011 the official name of the university has been Hochschule für Angewante Wissenschaften Würzburg-Schweinfurt. However the logo with the abbreviation FH|W-S is still used.

In 2011 new buildings were acquired in both towns. In Würzburg, the new auditorium and laboratory building in Sanderheinrichsleitenweg was given to the university at the beginning of September 2011. In Schweinfurt, a new building located at Grüner Markt, opposite Kilianskirche was erected by the housing company Stadt- und Wohnbau GmbH (SWG). It cost about 9.6 million euro and the State of Bavaria has rented it from SWG for a minimum of 12 years. As second Schweinfurt campus, it accommodates 720 students in 7 auditoriums. It was officially opened on 10 August 2011.

Profile

The University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt is the third largest university of applied sciences in Bavaria with 8654 students (winter semester 2011/12), 187 lecturers (WS 2011/12), 20 lecturers with special tasks and 298 other members of staff. Currently, the 10 faculties offer 30 courses finishing with a diploma, bachelor or master's degree.

The University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt is a member of MedienCampus Bayern, the umbrella organization for media education in Bavaria.

Admission requirements

The prerequisites for studying at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Bavaria are the general German university entrance qualification (Allgemeine Hochschulreife), the technical university entrance qualification (Fachhochschulreife or a subject-specific Hochschulreife) or one of a number of specialist qualifications available to people with relevant career experience. Most students will have attained the Fachhochschulreife by studying at a commercial college (Fachoberschule or FOS) for two years between school and university. The Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Cultural Affairs can recognize equivalent qualifications

Access for qualified professionals has been made easier. Master craftsmen can apply for any undergraduate course after an interview with the student advice centre. Qualified professionals with at least three years’ professional experience can apply for a course in their field after an interview with the student advice centre. After successfully completing a trial study period of two semesters, they can be fully enrolled in their chosen course of study.

Library

The University Library is mainly used for study purposes by students from the two campuses of the university. However, the library is also open to the public. Its holdings are specialized on the range of subjects taught at the university, from social sciences through economics to engineering. The library is located in four buildings in Würzburg and one in Schweinfurt. Services include inter-library loans, work stations, computers, printing and photocopying.

Campus TV

Since 2007 the Bachelor students in Media Management have produced "Campus TV" in co-operation with TV Touring. As part of their course work, the students take responsibility for both content and technical aspects. The broadcasts focus on the life of the university and of the students. Broadcasts are every Tuesday at 18.30.