IUBH Online

I came across IUBH Online (https://www.iubh-online.org), a Germany-based private higher educational institute offering some interesting online programmes with some fine scholarship offers.

However, i am not sure about their real standing or credibility and would like the 'experts' here to have a sneak peek into it.

Is there anyone of on our distinguished community who has previously interacted with this entity?

 

They seem to be legit, and it is affordable.
URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_University_of_Applied_Sciences_Bad_Honnef_-_Bonn

 

Nope. But reading their web site, my gut told me that it was sleazy. And so did almost everything about their web site. I won't go into details because I just don't give a proverbial shit about these bozos, but there are lots of signs indicating that it could be a degree mill.

Well, reading their wiki, I realized that my gut was right when I got to the part about them being owned by the Apollo Group - the same friendly folk who own the University of Phoenix.

So here's a new general principle: If it purports to be in Germany but hasn't been around for at least 200 years, avoid it. And if it has a European phone number with a separate way of calling them from India, avoid it while you laugh your ass off. Because there sure is something fishy about that.

 

Yes, Steve. This is what is bothering me. All of the staff that got in contact with me were Indians. Especially, the signature in their email suggests the same thing.

IUBH University of Applied Sciences • IUBH Online
Brunnenstraße 110c • D-13355 Berlin
Tel: +49 (0)30 311 987 20
From India: 0008 0091 90762

 

Never heard of it until now.

They appear to be a legitimate German Fachhochschule. Their government recognition does seem to check out, as far as I can tell.

I can't comment on its relative status in the German scheme of things, but one of their degrees would probably be as acceptable as any lesser known German degree here in the United States. It might need a credential evaluation in some cases though.

I don't think that there's anything wrong with a for-profit organization teaching business administration. (Isn't profit the point?) Business entrepreneurs would seem to be best qualified to teach entrepreneurship.

A quick web search revealed that they are preapproved for foreign study by Tourism and Hospitality students at San Diego State University. They appear to have exchange programs with a whole assortment of American schools. Along with the U. of Brighton, the U. of Portsmouth, and many universities in the UK (mostly of the former-polytechnic sort).

I discovered people from this school making presentations at conferences, being cited, coauthoring papers and all kinds of things that typically indicate that a school is indeed real.

So I'm reasonably confident that it's not a mill. As to how prominent it is in Germany, I don't know. I'd guess perhaps not so much.

 

Like Steve, I can sometimes shoot first and ask questions later. My impulse was to shout "MILL!" but maybe that's not the case.

 

No, it is not a mill. In fact, it is very difficult for a genuine diploma mill to exist in Germany. Both, institutional accreditation and program accreditation are mandatory in Germany. It is a criminal offense to call a school "university" or "university of applied sciences" ("Universität" or "Fachhochschule" in German) if that school lacks institutional accreditation. And it is also illegal for a German school with or without institutional accreditation to grant any kind of degree if that degree program lacks program accreditation. There are two exceptions, of course. A new school has some time (usually three to five years) to become institutionally accreditated, and new degree programs also get some time (two to three years) to achieve program accreditation.

IUBH has both, institutional accreditation as a university of applied sciences, and program accreditation for its degree programs. However, all that only means that school meets the minimum requirements of a German higher education institution.

But I fully understand why your first impulse was to shout "MILL!". Their website really looks that way. IUBH also has a relatively low reputation in Germany. The fact that it is a private for-profit school doesn't help. (However, many Germans do not really know the difference between a non-profit school and a for-profit school, partly because there are only very few German for-profit schools and even the number of private non-profits is limited.)

Yes, there is something "fishy" about that school. They try to become profitable by aggressively targeting Indian prospective students. Germany is a country where most schools, including the most prestige ones, are both public and tuition-free. In such an environment it's almost impossible for a for-profit school to really make a profit. The one and only true option are foreign students.

However, your new general principle also applies to the Humbolt University of Berlin which happens to be the place were the modern Ph.D. was invented. I'm just saying...

 

There’s an old expression . . . If it walks like a duck, smells like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. This school walks, smells, and talks like a mill. I define mill in the broadest sense here, but stand by my position that there are enough questionable signs about the school to convince me that it is, at the very least, sleazy by my standards.

Humbolt, having been founded circa 1810, does meet the standard I’ve set. Keep in mind that my choice of “200 years” is subjective and arbitrary. But even 100 years ago, let alone 200, the plethora of for-profit sleazy schools that one finds today did not exist. Humbolt has all the “ingredients” of a legitimate university (despite some black marks in its history, especially in the late 1930’s), IUBH does not.

Perhaps, subjective as it may seem, the proper question to ask with regard to the scum schools popping up in Europe, is simply: Would you want your sister to go to these schools? (Or, not to be sexist, your brother? Or perhaps yourself?)

 

This school is 100 % legitimate and not a diploma mill. Since I´m German I can assure you this.
More than 20.000 Students study at this school.

 

My bad, I think I confused Humboldt University with another school. But I think even 100 years are too long. The first private university (of applied sciences) in German history was the (non-profit) AKAD Hochschule Rendsburg (now in Pinneberg) in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, and that school was established in 1980! For-profit schools did not exist in Germany until 1990. The whole concept of for-profit schools is imported from the US. And not all young schools in Germany are for-profit. Many are either non-profit or public.

Would I want my sister or brother to go to these schools? No, but the main reason is the fact that there are better public schools in Germany without any tuition fees. Humboldt University is one of these schools, of course.

However, you have every right to say IUBH is sleazy. That's your opinion, and I have to admit that I don't like IUBH either.

 

Hmm ... liking or disliking or sleazy or non-sleazy is another issue. What i am curious to know is if IUBH is (a) formally recognized by Germany's higher educational accrediting agency/commission (i am not sure what's the name of the corresponding entity to CHEA in Germany), (b) are they running accredited programs, and (c) is there any formal agency in Germany that administers the DL programs or not? I can then contact the relevant agencies to check the actual standing of this institution/its programs.

 

Our Germans are in a lot better position than me to respond.

But this may or may not answer your questions:

https://antrag.akkreditierungsrat.de/akkrhochschulen/61e00fd3-fdab-4759-b127-3d263a0e3bc7/

Additional background here

https://www.akkreditierungsrat.de/de/stiftung-akkreditierungsrat/aufgaben-der-stiftung-akkreditierungsrat

 

Did anyone manage to get any more info on the legitimacy of IUBH Online?

I tried reaching out to the original IUBH site: https://www.iubh.de/en/ , but haven't received a response from them as yet.

The other sites:

IUBH Fernstudium (Distance Learning) site: https://www.iubh-fernstudium.de/
IUBH Online site: https://www.iubh-online.org/

I feel as though the prices for IUBH Online are too good to be true but since they have a monthly instalment plan, I guess I won't be losing out much if I try them out for one month.

 

Hello!

They are widely considered as reputable and accredited in Germany. No need to be afraid at all!

Best regards,
Mac Juli

 

Keep in mind that some universities in Germany are free

https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/germany-eliminates-college-tuition.45016/#post-508733

 

When in doubt about the legitimacy of an institution in Germany, hochschulkompass.de is your friend. Here's the entry for IUBH

https://www.hochschulkompass.de/hochschulen/hochschulsuche/detail/all/search/1.html?tx_szhrksearch_pi1%5BQUICK%5D=1&tx_szhrksearch_pi1%5Bname%5D=IUBH%20Internationale%20Hochschule&tx_szhrksearch_pi1%5Btraegerschaft%5D=

A private Fachhochschule (university of applied science) with state recognition.

 

Hello!


While hochschulkompass.de is your friend, https://anabin.kmk.org/no_cache/filter/institutionen.html could be, well, maybe your wise and elder mentor?
If an institution is listed as H+ there, it can be considered to be "safe"!


Best regards,
Mac Juli

 

I ended up enrolling in the MSc in AI. They offer a monthly payment plan and a huge discount (they call it scholarships but I won't be surprised if they give it to anyone who applies). I thought I would at least try them out for a few months to see how it goes since it won't be a huge risk. So far, not too bad... Courses seem a bit too short and simple though, but I'll see how the upcoming ones are.

 

Hello!


Well, good luck with your studies! In the case you need help with German, let me know and I'll be happy to help!


Best regards,
Mac Juli