Who this B.Sc. fits – and what you need to be admitted

This programme is designed for qualified health professionals who want a recognised bachelor’s degree alongside work. Typical profiles include: a registered nurse in a hospital or home care setting aiming for roles in case management or quality improvement; a licensed physiotherapist, occupational therapist or speech and language therapist who wants to ground daily practice in research and step into coordination or education; an internationally trained clinician seeking a German university degree while remaining in paid employment and studying fully online.

Admission requirements

To enrol, you must meet the university’s formal criteria for this add-on bachelor’s for experienced practitioners:

• University entrance qualification: general or subject-specific higher education entrance certificate ((Fach-)Hochschulreife). Alternatively, admission for professionally qualified applicants under the Hamburg Higher Education Act is possible (see below).
• Professional background: completed state-recognised vocational training in one of these fields: Physiotherapy, Ergotherapy (Occupational Therapy), Logopaedics (Speech and Language Therapy), Nursing, plus relevant professional experience (at least several months). Prior vocational training can be credited to shorten the study duration.
• Motivation document: a brief statement of purpose is required.
• Admission without Abitur: either a recognised advanced professional qualification (with a counselling interview), or completed vocational training plus at least two years of work experience with a written entrance test (two parts: general essay and field-related text work).
• Foreign qualifications: international school-leaving certificates and vocational diplomas can be recognised after an equivalence check. You submit certified copies and official translations; admission is issued once the university confirms equivalence.
• Language of instruction: the programme is taught in German. You must provide proof of adequate German proficiency for enrolment; accepted certificates and minimum levels are defined by the university’s application guidelines. All study materials, teaching and assessments are in German.
• Intakes and application: start dates are 1 January and 1 July; applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Personal requirements

Remote study from abroad works if you are structured, communicative and realistic about time. Plan with about ≈15 hours per week for reading, assignments and exam prep—typically 2–3 evenings plus part of the weekend. You should be comfortable engaging with academic texts and discussions in German and able to translate insights into your clinical context. A stable internet connection and a quiet space for online assessments are essential. Expect periods of sustained effort, especially around exams and the bachelor’s thesis; perseverance, self-organisation and reliable scheduling will matter more than prior academic experience. If you work with patient data for case studies, ensure proper anonymisation and confidentiality.

What will you study in the Therapy and Nursing Sciences (B.Sc.) at Hamburg Distance University?

The programme is taught in German. You need to study, discuss and take exams in German with confidence. The university does not list a specific certificate; in Germany, common proofs are TestDaF, DSH or Goethe-Zertifikat (C1). This is a Fernstudium (distance learning) at a private, state-recognised Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences).

You combine your prior vocational training in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy or nursing with academic study. Across 6 semesters and 180 ECTS, you build evidence-based practice, interprofessional collaboration and research skills, culminating in a Bachelor’s thesis.

Therapy- and nursing-specific foundations
In profession-focused modules you deepen core practice in your field. Examples include Clinical Reasoning and therapy evaluation in physiotherapy/ergotherapy/logopaedics, or nursing science foundations and diagnostic decision-making in nursing. You link day-to-day professional decisions to current research.

Health systems, quality and interprofessional work
Cross-cutting modules address the German and international health system and care concepts, ethical questions, teamwork across professions, and quality assurance. Typical topics here include “Pfade der Qualitätssicherung” (quality pathways), collaboration in healthcare and health-related services.

Research and scientific work
Academic skills run throughout the degree. The continuous “Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten” strand trains you to appraise studies, design small research projects and translate evidence into practice. You also engage with social and health research basics.

Patient communication, prevention and case management
Modules develop your competencies in patient education and counselling, prevention and intervention, coping with illness and stress, and integrated-care case management. You practise applying these to real care pathways.

Electives and specialisations
You tailor your profile in two blocks. In Electives I you choose several add-on modules such as Quality Management, General Pedagogy, Project Management, Business Start-up, Coping and Stress Management, or Case Management. In Electives II you select one specialisation: Evidence-Based Practice; Prevention and Health Promotion; or Health Communication and Counselling.

Practical features and thesis
The programme targets already qualified professionals; it does not include basic clinical placements. You complete a Bachelor’s thesis to finish. The course is approved by the ZFU (the German authority for distance-learning approval), signalling didactic and organisational quality for distance delivery.