Potsdam (GER), April 2025 - The German University of Digital Science (German UDS) has started teaching on April 1, 2025. As Germany's first fully digital university, this launch marks a milestone in the German and international higher education landscape.
Welcome Weeks
The digital study program starts with the Welcome Weeks, a two-week orientation program that offers newly enrolled students living in India, Ghana, Kenya, Cambodia and Ireland, among other countries, a smooth start to their academic careers. The goal of these weeks is to familiarize digital students with the new university's mission, academic culture and resources, introduce them to the virtual curriculum to be mastered, and foster a true sense of community in virtual collaboration.
State recognition and innovative study programs
The German UDS was approved in February 2025 and received state recognition from Minister Dr. Manja Schüle of the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture. With its innovative approach to making digital degree programs globally accessible to prospective students all over the world, the university is setting completely new standards in making the academic quality of German universities more globally accessible through digital teaching.
Study programs
The German UDS is offering the following study programs at the start:
All courses are offered exclusively in English and can be completed entirely digitally.
The German University of Digital Science was founded by two experienced experts in the field of digital science: Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel and Prof. Dr. Mike Friedrichsen.
Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel was Institute Director and CEO of the renowned Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering (HPI) at the University of Potsdam from 2004 to March 2023. He brings decades of experience in computer science and digital education, including the development and operation of the successful online learning platform openHPI.de.
Prof. Dr. Mike Friedrichsen was Professor of Business Informatics and Digital Media at Stuttgart Media University for 25 years. He has decades of experience in digital teaching and working with digital media. Both founders share the vision of democratizing global access to digital education and imparting high-quality, innovative knowledge necessary to master digital transformation.
"We are delighted that we were able to attract the first students for our innovative digital degree programs so soon after our state recognition," says Prof. Dr. Mike Friedrichsen, founder and President of the German University of Digital Science. "This not only confirms our concept of a fully digital university, butuniversity but also shows the great need for future-oriented educational opportunities in the field of digital transformation. We look forward to accompanying our students on their path to becoming experts in areas such as digital technologies, applied AI and cybersecurity and thus making an important contribution to overcoming the global IT skills shortage."
Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel, co-founder and president of the university, adds: "The start of studies on April 1 is an important milestone, but it only marks the beginning of our journey. Our goal is to develop the German UDS into an internationally recognized and sought-after institution that is perceived as a pioneer in digital education not only in Germany and Europe, but worldwide."
Application and tuition fees
The application phase for the next intake of students on October 1, 2025 will begin on April 15, 2025. Tuition fees amount to 7,500 euros per academic year.
Location and infrastructure
As a fully digitally operating university, the German UDS also needs a headquarters and machine house. This is located in the "CloudHouse" in the media city of Babelsberg in Potsdam and houses the servers and IT infrastructure for global teaching operations.
