FOM Hochschule: Germany’s Largest Private University of Applied Sciences

FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management (FOM University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Management) stands as one of Germany’s most remarkable higher education success stories. Founded in 1993 by the Essen Employer’s Association, the Essen Retail Association, the Essen Association of Wholesale and Foreign Trade, and the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry, FOM has grown into Germany’s largest private institute of higher education. With its headquarters in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, the university now serves over 47,000 students across more than 30 study centres in major German cities including Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, and Stuttgart, with additional locations in Luxembourg and Vienna.

What distinguishes FOM from traditional German universities is its unwavering commitment to practice-oriented education designed for working professionals. The university was founded with a clear objective: to offer working adults the opportunity to earn academic degrees without sacrificing their careers. This mission remains central to FOM’s identity today. Through flexible part-time study models, digital live courses, and blended learning formats, FOM enables students to balance professional responsibilities with academic advancement. The university offers over 60 practice-oriented degree programmes across disciplines including business and management, engineering, law, health sciences, and information technology. Popular programmes range from Business Administration and International Management to Cyber Security, Applied Artificial Intelligence, and Engineering & Management. Buy replica diploma online.

FOM’s academic quality is validated by an impressive array of accreditations and rankings. In 2012, FOM became the first private university in Germany to receive institutional accreditation from FIBAA (Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation), and it has since been reaccredited multiple times. The university has also been accredited by the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat), Germany’s most important advisory body for science policy. These recognitions affirm that FOM’s degrees meet the highest international standards.

The university’s excellence has been widely acknowledged through numerous awards. FOM received top placement in the German Education Award 2025/2026 in the “Private Business Schools” category, awarded by ntv and the German Institute for Service Quality. In 2023, it was ranked first among business-focused universities in an overall ranking by the German Institute for Service Quality. The university also earned the FIBAA quality seal “Excellence in Digital Education” in the premium category, and has been consistently recognised on StudyCheck as one of Germany’s most popular universities.

IRCC Recognition Standards for an Official FOM Hochschule Degree

Research and development form an important pillar of FOM’s mission. The university operates more than 20 research institutes and competence centres that generate application-oriented solutions for business and social challenges. With over 1,500 professors and lecturers and close collaborations with more than 10,000 companies including Siemens, Deutsche Bahn, BMW, and ThyssenKrupp, FOM ensures that its teaching remains grounded in real-world business practices.

Internationally, FOM has built a extensive network spanning more than 100 partner universities across Europe, China, the United States, India, and South Africa. The university offers English-taught master’s programmes in fields such as International Marketing, Industrial Engineering, and Engineering & Management, attracting students from 118 nations. Its long-standing partnerships with Chinese universities, established for over two decades, have made FOM a prominent bridge between German and Chinese higher education.

For students seeking a career-focused education that combines academic rigour with practical relevance, FOM Hochschule offers a compelling proposition. Its unique model of integrating study with professional work, supported by strong industry connections and recognised quality standards, has established FOM as a distinctive and influential institution in Germany’s higher education landscape—a university truly built for the demands of the modern professional world.