The Media University of Applied Sciences, formerly HMKW - University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication and Management, is a state-recognized private university with locations in Berlin, Cologne, and Frankfurt. It was founded in 2008 and is institutionally accredited by the German Council of Science and Humanities. Since the summer of 2024, the university operates under its new name to emphasize its focus on media-related courses and international orientation.

The range of courses includes bachelor's and master's programmes in five departments: Design, Journalism and Communication, Psychology, Business, and Humanities. The programmes are practice-oriented and often interdisciplinary, such as combinations like Journalism and Corporate Communication or Media and Event Management. All programmes are accredited by FIBAA.

A distinctive feature of the university is the close integration of theory and practice through collaborations with numerous partners from the media industry, business, and the public sector. Renowned cooperation partners include ZDF, RTL, ARD Capital Studio, Universal Music, Deutsche Bahn, Amnesty International, and UNICEF. These partnerships enable practical projects, project weeks, and scholarship programs for students.

In the field of international cooperation, the university has partnerships with universities worldwide, including in Ireland, Mexico, China, India, Kazakhstan, and Australia. This provides students with valuable international experiences and enhances their intercultural skills.

A central field of innovation is distance learning, which utilises modern online technologies and flexible learning formats. In the Humanities department, the Media University offers two English-language, internationally oriented master's programmes, "M.A. Artificial Intelligence and Societies" and "M.A. Visual and Media Anthropology," completely online. Teaching is conducted through the Learning Management System Canvas, MS Teams webinars, virtual seminar rooms in Horizon Workrooms (Meta Quest 2), and the use of generative AI avatar technology. Classes are recorded and available at any time.

The university pursues a clear strategy of digitising and internationalising its educational offerings. It continually invests in new IT systems, modern didactic resources, and expanding its personnel capacities to provide students with a high-quality education with a strong practical orientation and an international perspective.