FernUniversität in Hagen
Higher EducationGermany1001-5000 Employees
The FernUniversität in Hagen operates as Germany's sole state distance-learning university and is the largest in the country by student numbers. It offers flexible degree programs and continuing education options designed to widen access to higher education for people with varied life circumstances. The institution is organized into five faculties: Humanities and Social Sciences, Psychology, Mathematics and Computer Science, Economics and Business Administration, and Law, whose research spans both theoretical and applied inquiry. Its blended learning approach combines printed materials, multimedia resources, and online coursework with optional in-person seminars and events, giving students the freedom to learn remotely while receiving support through personal advising, study groups, and campus- and regional-center-based activities. Quality assurance and instructional development are supported by mechanisms such as wikis for planning and implementing teaching and learning scenarios, funding programs to foster innovative pedagogy, systematic evaluation of study programs, and comprehensive in-house training for teaching staff focused on e-learning and distance-teaching design. The university is based in Hagen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and maintains regional centers across the country and abroad to extend access to its programs.