South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences

The South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences [German : Fachhochschule Südwestfalen] is a high-ranked research institution located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With more than 14,000 students, it is one of the largest of its kind in North Rhine-Westphalia. The headquarters and one of its four campuses are in Iserlohn. It has three more campuses located in Hagen, Meschede and Soest and a subsidiary in Lüdenscheid. It offers a total of about 52 bachelor and master courses in the fields of Engineering, Natural Sciences, Information Technology, Business management and Agriculture. It offers courses for both full-time students and for those in employment. It also accommodates those who wish to combine vocational training with studies. History The oldest forerunner of the university was the trade school in Hagen, founded by the Prussian reform politician Beuth on 1 December 1824, for the qualification for the Berlin Royal Technical Institute, which later became the State Engineering School for Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and then the Märkische Fachhochschule, based in Iserlohn and the two locations Iserlohn and Hagen.