Wuppertal’s university stands in the city of Wuppertal in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It began teaching in 1972 by consolidating regional engineering and industrial-art schools into a single institution, and about 3,500 students enrolled in its first semester. It is known today as Bergische Universität Wuppertal, abbreviated BUW.
Teaching is organised in schools that include Architecture and Civil Engineering; Electrical, Information and Media Engineering; Mechanical Engineering and Safety Engineering; Art and Design; Education; Humanities; Human and Social Sciences; Mathematics and Natural Sciences; and the Schumpeter School of Business and Economics. That spread, from design studios to safety engineering, reflects the technical and artistic institutions from which the university grew.
The university works from three campus sites in the city: Grifflenberg, Haspel and Freudenberg. Applicants who need current figures on admission, tuition arrangements and the English-language options should check the study pages of the university itself, because student numbers and programme lists change from year to year. The combination of laboratories, architecture studios and humanities seminars on one university gives the institution a profile that is both technical and cultural, and prospective students often compare the individual schools before applying.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Metrology, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Strong in specific engineering fields like safety engineering and particle physics. Regional collaborations.
Research:
Particle physics and astroparticle physics, Safety engineering and risk management, Advanced manufacturing and materials, Information and communication technology, Sustainable design and construction.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2000
Current students***:
23000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Comprehensive university with good engineering programs, particular strength in safety engineering and particle physics.
Cons
Located in Wuppertal.
Best For
Comprehensive university with strong programs in mechanical, electrical, and safety engineering.
Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Kultur Leipzig is a public institution that lists Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Information Technology, Civil Engineering & Architecture among its specialties.
Hochschule Wismar records Mechanical Engineering & Process Technology, Civil Engineering & Architecture, Information Technology & Multimedia as main specialties.
Specialties at Fachhochschule Kiel include Mechanical Engineering & Naval Architecture, Electrical Engineering & Information Technology, Computer Science & Media Engineering.
Technische Universität Darmstadt offers a profile built on Computer Science & AI, Mechanical & Process Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Information Technology.
Technische Universität Ilmenau lists Media Technology & Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering & Mechatronics in its directory profile, with public status.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
TU Wien in Austria lists Architecture and Planning, Chemistry, Civil Engineering among its specialties.
Escola Politécnica de Enxeñaría de Ferrol, based in Spain, records Industrial Technology Engineering, Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Mechanical Engineering as main specialties.
In Switzerland, Berner Fachhochschule is a public institution with Engineering and Information Technology, Architecture Wood and Civil Engineering in its profile.
gibb Berufsfachschule Bern, Höhere Fachschule Technik und Informatik (Switzerland) covers Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering according to its directory profile.
National Institute of Technology, Gifu College in Japan has a profile built on Mechanical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Architecture & Civil Engineering.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When did the university in Wuppertal start teaching?
It was founded in 1972, and about 3,500 students registered for its first semester. The institution brought together engineering and industrial-art schools that already existed in the region.
What name does the institution use today?
Its formal name is Bergische Universität Wuppertal, and it uses the abbreviation BUW in English-language material. Both names refer to the same institution in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Which schools make up the university?
The university lists schools for the humanities, human and social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences, architecture and civil engineering, electrical, information and media engineering, mechanical engineering and safety engineering, art and design, and education. Business and economics is taught in the Schumpeter School.
Which engineering fields are taught at Wuppertal?
Civil engineering sits together with architecture, electrical engineering with information and media engineering, and mechanical engineering with safety engineering. Students choosing a technical subject should compare the module handbooks of each school.
How many campuses does it operate?
Teaching and research take place on three sites, Grifflenberg, Haspel and Freudenberg. Each site is described on the university's own pages.
Is design taught alongside engineering?
Yes, the School of Art and Design is one of the schools, so creative and technical disciplines share one university. This mix traces back to the industrial-art and engineering schools that preceded it.
Where can applicants find fees and admission rules?
The central study pages of the university publish admission requirements, application deadlines and semester contribution details. Each programme page should be read in full before applying.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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