Among Germany's universities, the University of Hohenheim is the largest landowner with 700 hectares of experimental land. For students, this means a lot of room for experiments, research, and a high level of practical experience throughout the entire program.
1. Agricultural Experiment Station in Hohenheim
Ihinger Hof (Böblingen district): Internships, lab courses, and vocational training programs at Ihinger Hof allow for real-world demonstrations and experiences of questions and for students to learn the basics of plant production and plant protection. Exercises and field experiments on plant science and agricultural technology topics take place here.
Heidfeldhof (Hohenheim) with Eckartsweier (Upper Rhine Valley): This station is geared to support plot trials involving grains, corn, sunflowers, leguminous plants, and forage crops. Tours are taken to the field experiments here during the 2nd and 4th semesters.
Meiereihof with Kleinhohenheim (on campus): The emphasis at Meiereihof, a roughly 80 ha facility, is on its high-yielding dairy herd (63 spots). Here you can get tours of the barn that focus on specific topics. With its approximately 60 ha, Kleinhohenheim is devoted to research and teaching in organic farming.
Lindenhöfe (Reutlingen district): Lindenhöfe station is a central research instrument for researchers in livestock sciences, bioenergy, and crop sciences. There are experimental capacities with cattle, pigs, sheep, and small animals in all stages of agricultural production of animal products. There is also a biorefinery pilot plant where you can experience the conversion of e.g. grass or apple pomace into raw materials for plastics.
2. State institutes (Landesanstalten)
The state institutes, Hohenheim Gardens, and the German Agricultural Museum enable the transfer of science into practice. They provide illustrative objects for teaching and act as a service point for research.
3. The University of Hohenheim’s award-winning project “Humboldt reloaded”
With the award-winning program, students can discover science and research with research-based learning from their very first semester. Outside of the regular lectures, you will have the opportunity to work on various research questions in small teams. You will go through all stages of a real research project, from the preparation of the current state of research and the selection of methods for your own research to data analysis and presentation. At the end of a project, participating students create an abstract and a scientific poster to be used for presenting the projects at a public, student-run conference.
Humboldt-TV: What does the pollen beetle love? (in German)
- regular field tours at the experimental station sites with insights into field work and topic-related guided tours
- “Wheat Cup” competition: Students compete for the trophy for the best cereal cultivation
- Practical week for animal sciences
- Day internships in the stable
- Excursions on farms and in the upstream and downstream sectors
- Presentations from practitioners
- Acquiring additional professional qualifications:
- Trainer aptitude test
- Laboratory management certificate
- Animal transport certificate
- Plant protection certificate of competence
- TÜV Quality Management certificate
- More practical insights
Internships give insights into companies and professional fields. They also help you to understand the context of content in your program, offer orientation, and make it easier to make decisions, e.g. about specializations during your studies. When it comes to the first job after your studies, internships are important as door-openers and accelerate the application process.
There is a difference between a mandatory internship, that is, one that is required in your degree program, and a voluntary internship. In addition, internships can be done abroad. No matter what type of internship it is: it is worth investing the time!
The Internship Office supports all students who want to gain practical experience during their studies.
