South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences


The South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences is a high-ranked research institution located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With more than 14,000 students, it is one of the largest of its kind in North Rhine-Westphalia. The headquarters and one of its four campuses are in Iserlohn. It has three more campuses located in Hagen, Meschede and Soest and a subsidiary in Lüdenscheid.
It offers a total of about 52 bachelor and master courses in the fields of Engineering, Natural Sciences, Information Technology, Business management and Agriculture.
The university is known for its innovative, future-oriented study programmes and good student-faculty ratio. It offers courses for both full-time students and for those in employment. It also accommodates those who wish to combine vocational training with studies.

History

The oldest forerunner of the university was the trade school in Hagen, founded by the Prussian reform politician Beuth on 1 December 1824, for the qualification for the Berlin Royal Technical Institute, which later became the State Engineering School for Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and then the Märkische Fachhochschule, based in Iserlohn and the two locations Iserlohn and Hagen.
The Fachhochschule was founded on January 1, 2002, when the entire university education was disbanded in North Rhine-Westphalia and the Märkische Fachhochschule with the Fachhochschulabschaltungen Meschede and Soest of the former Gesamthochschule Paderborn was united as an equal partner. Seat of the Fachhochschule is Iserlohn.
The founding rector was Michael Teusner from 1 January 2002 to 31 August 2004. From 1 September 2004 to the end of 2008 Jörg Liese was rector of the university. On 9 December 2008 Claus Schuster was elected as the first president of the University of Applied Sciences Südwestfalen by the University Council, confirmed by the Senate of the university. After a reform by the Senate, the university management was renamed the Rectorate and Claus Schuster was elected Rector of the university on 9 December 2014.

Timeline

The Fachhochschule Südwestfalen and its predecessors
YearLocationFacility
1824HagenProvincial vocational school Hagen
1852IserlohnProvincial vocational school Iserlohn
1879IserlohnRoyal technical college for metal industry
1898HagenRoyal Higher Machine Building School
1918IserlohnState technical school for metal industry
1919HagenHigher machine building school Hagen
1923SoestHigher educational institution for practical farmers
1931HagenHigher Technical School of Applied Engineering and Electrical Engineering
1938HagenState Engineering School of Mechanical Engineering
1938IserlohnState vocational school for metal industry
1947SoestHigher land building school
1948IserlohnEngineering school for metalworking industry
1953HagenState Engineering School of Construction
1959IserlohnState Engineering School of Mechanical Engineering
1964Soest / MeschedeState Engineering School of Mechanical Engineering with an outsider in Meschede
1966SoestEngineering School for Agriculture
1968MeschedeState Engineering School of Mechanical Engineering in Meschede
1971Hagen / IserlohnFachhochschule Hagen with a department in Iserlohn
1971SoestFachhochschule Südostwestfalen with the departments Höxter, Soest and Meschede and the integration of the engineering school for agriculture into the new Fachhochschule
1972Meschede / SoestUniversity of Paderborn with the departments Höxter, Meschede, Soest and the Paderborn Department of the University of Applied Sciences Westphalia-Lippe
1988Hagen / IserlohnMärkische Fachhochschule in Iserlohn with a department in Hagen

Campus

The South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences has four campuses located in Iserlohn, Hagen, Meschede and Soest and a subsidiary in Lüdenscheid. The university strongly believes in small classes and personal support. The university is known for its student friendly environment.

Research

Main areas of research include
The University has been ranked amongst the leaders in the well-known 'University ranking list' produced by the Centre for Higher Education Development
in conjunction with "DIE ZEIT" weekly newspaper.