Bergische Universität Wuppertal, founded in 1972, is one of the state universities in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), which is economically the most significant German state with an outstanding educational and cultural landscape. The city of Wuppertal, the seventh largest city in NRW and world-famous for its suspension railway, is a university city with a population of around 343,000. It is situated close to Düsseldorf and Cologne in a particularly delightful region with wooded hills, meadows, orchards and fields, called the “Bergisches Land”, and is an interesting mixture of outgoing metropolis and cosy village with a lot of leisure facilities. From any part of the city it is only a 10 minute walk to the nearest park or shady woodland path.
The University of Wuppertal towers over the city. The main campus enjoys a panoramic view across the town – a perfect environment for developing inspiring ideas and academic projects that will shape the future. Some 23.000 students from more than 100 countries benefit from our high-level academic approaches in teaching, and the university’s commitment to research and international collaboration. Wuppertal University offers a diverse range of programs in science, engineering economics and the humanities, as well as educational science, design and architecture. Our academic culture is marked by diversity, experience and innovation.
The University of Wuppertal is research-oriented and offers a wide range of subjects, including disciplines and courses such as safety engineering and industrial design that are offered by no other university in Germany.
Interdisciplinarity, team spirit and a capacity for innovation all characterise our teaching and research. The BUW's numerous successes are reflected for example by its high rankings. Good support facilities and a wide range of services and funding opportunities for students and researchers make the BUW stand out from the crowd and attract large numbers of students.
The BUW is a university at the heart of Europe. It is part of an international network consisting of more than 220 partner universities worldwide. Regional cooperation is particularly strong in Asia, Latin America and the USA. These international partnerships not only foster student and teacher exchange, but also facilitate joint research projects at professorship and school level. The BUW is a popular destination for international students, with more than 110 countries represented here.
For all its international profile and connections, the university is firmly rooted in the region. As a result of its active knowledge transfer and intensive cooperation with numerous societal and business partners, it has developed an outstanding regional network from which graduates, scientists, innovators and start-ups can all benefit.
| Acronym | BUW |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Departments | 31 |
| Location | Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
| Address | Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Gaußstraße 20 42119 Wuppertal, P.O. Box 42097 Wuppertal, Germany |
Bergische Universität is a modern, independent university in the Humboldtian tradition of education. At the same time, Bergische Universität is a cosmopolitan and internationally networked institution that conducts cutting-edge international research in a variety of fields. Diversity and multiculturalism are an important part of the reality of life at Bergische Universität and influence the university's own profile.
The University of Wuppertal is a research-focused institution in North Rhine-Westphalia, one of Europe’s leading academic regions. It offers diverse teaching programs and a broad range of fundamental and applied research. Its strength lies in interdisciplinary collaboration, supported by four established Interdisciplinary Research Centers.
Bergische Universität Wuppertal is a cosmopolitan and internationally networked institution: people with diverse migration experiences and from many nations study and work at the university, and international alumni are active worldwide. Diversity and multiculturalism are an important part of the reality of life at Bergische Universität and influence the university's own profile.
The degree programs at Bergische Universität Wuppertal (BUW) focus on the key issues and requirements of our society and of current research. We understand academic teaching as a dialogue between the lecturer and learner. Education, for us, is the communication and cultivation of critical reflection, social awareness, and the power to act. Whether you are interested in entering university, in the middle of your degree program, or on the verge of starting your professional life.
Here you will find information on general and subject-specific requirements that you must meet if you wish to begin a Bachelor's or state examination degree program at the University of Wuppertal.
The standard path to your desired Bachelor's degree program is the general university entrance qualification (Abitur) . This qualification allows you to study at universities and universities of applied sciences in all undergraduate degree programs (Bachelor's, state examination, diploma, etc.).
A completed Bachelor's degree is generally a prerequisite for admission to a Master's/Master of Education program .
In addition to applying for enrollment via our application portal , you must also submit an application to the relevant Master's examination board for a review of your admission requirements. This board will verify whether you meet all the admission requirements stipulated in the examination regulations. If so, you will receive a notification. Please include this notification with your enrollment documents. You can find information about the admission requirements for the individual Master's programs here . The contact persons for the various examination boards can be obtained from the central examination office .
Please contact the relevant Master's examination board to find out whether you can submit your application for review of your admission requirements even if you have not yet completed the required Bachelor's degree program (e.g., by submitting a current transcript of records with at least 150 credit points).
View the degree specific requirements.
Prospective international students, ie, applicants who would like to apply at the University of Wuppertal, and hold a foreign qualification, eg
should contact Department 3.3 Student Admission and Registration for International Students . Foreign students cannot apply via our homepage.
Here you can find information on how to apply for admission to the preparatory German courses at the University of Wuppertal.
If you do not know whether to apply via the Registrar's Office or Department 3.3 Student Admission and Registration for International Students (uni-assist), please contact one of them to seek advice.
Email: [email protected]
Phone : 0202 439-5000
From 2010 to 2011, Birgitta Wolff was Minister of Culture and from 2011 to 2013 Minister of Science and Economic Affairs of Saxony-Anhalt. From 2015 to 2020, she held the office of President of Goethe University Frankfurt. She served as Vice President for Research, Young Academics, Transfer and Cooperation at the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) for two years until 2020.
Birgitta Wolff has been rector of the University of Wuppertal since 1 September 2022.
In 2003 the so-called 'Comprehensive University of Wuppertal' was re-styled simply 'University of Wuppertal'. The initial 3473... read more
A main focus of degree programs remained on the traditional Wuppertal subjects of engineering and science on the one hand and art and design on the other, with economics and the humanities given new prominence and state examinations for future school teachers offered in a wide variety of subjects. The roots of the UW Faculty of Engineering, as of the Faculty of Art and Design, go back well into the 19th century.