IU International University of Applied Sciences Reviews 

A deeply disappointing experience

I graduated from IU in late 2024, and only now do I finally have the strength to write this review. I will never recommend this university to anyone.

The level of teaching and administration is extremely poor. There is virtually no support for international students — despite the university being largely oriented toward them.

1. Disorganized Start of Studies
The academic year began much later than officially announced. I arrived in Berlin on the date specified by the university, expecting orientation and the start of studies. Instead, I attended a meaningless “organizational meeting” and then waited *two full weeks* before classes actually began. This delay cost me unnecessary living expenses that could have been avoided.

2. Lack of Communication & Responsibility
At one point, we were informed that the student transport tickets were canceled and that we would be contacted once they were reinstated. No one ever contacted me. Later, it turned out that the tickets had been restored, but this was mentioned somewhere vaguely. I never received an email. As a result, I paid out of pocket. The university took no responsibility whatsoever.

3. An Appalling Finance Department
The finance department is unacceptable. They do not explain, do not respond, and are nearly impossible to reach.
For over 1.5 years I have been trying to either retrieve or understand what happened to my €390. No explanation. No resolution.
Emails go unanswered — yet they are quick to send threatening messages about penalties and expulsion if *you* do not respond. If you disagree or want clarification, you still pay the fine. There is no dialogue. No transparency. No fairness.

4. Hidden Financial Traps
There is no clear explanation of how exams and thesis timelines work. You can save money by completing exams early and submitting your thesis ahead of schedule — the last month is refunded if you are no longer attending classes.
But no one tells you this. I was deliberately dragged through timelines so that I had to pay for an extra month. Had I been properly informed, I could have avoided this cost.

5. No Career Support
Despite attending every career fair and consultation offered, there was no real help, no results, and no meaningful guidance. The “support” exists only on paper.

6. Teaching Quality
The academic level is extremely low. I studied previously in Prague — that is what real education looks like. At IU, the content is shallow and the standards are minimal.

I give two stars only because of two outstanding lecturers who genuinely teach and care:

* Marc Rosca
* Robert Strachan

They are exceptional and deserve recognition. Unfortunately, they are the rare exception in an otherwise profoundly disappointing institution.

This university is expensive, poorly managed, and misleading. It does not deliver what it promises — neither academically nor administratively.

My study coach experience with Kathrin, has been nothing short of excellence. Her professionalism is very exceptional and she shows you how to approach knotty issues from a positive and possibility mindset.

i am very happy with this service.It helped me a lot to come up with better ideas for studying and they resolved my doubts.

It was fairly easy and occasionally interesting. I have now earned my bachelor’s degree.

Extremely Rigid Policies & No Support for Online Students Very Disappointing Experience

I am an online MA student at IU (Matric No. 9213024), and I am deeply disappointed with how the university handles critical student issues, especially for those of us who rely entirely on online support.

On 11 November, I mistakenly uploaded the wrong assignment file on Turnitin. This was an honest upload error, and I reported it immediately, before the deadline and long before the assignment would be graded. The file has not been opened or reviewed by any lecturer, and the error was openly explained right away.

Despite this, the Exams Office keeps giving me the same automated response: that nothing can be corrected and I must wait months until the incorrect file is graded as failed. This means I am being forced to lose a full exam attempt, not for academic reasons, but because of a rigid administrative rule that ignores basic fairness.

What makes this extremely frustrating is the lack of communication. I sent emails for more than two weeks, contacted multiple lecturers, and even reached out through Microsoft Teams. Most of my messages went completely unanswered, and when replies finally came, they were template responses that did not address the actual situation.

It is very discouraging to pay tuition fees and genuinely work hard, only to be blocked by a policy that punishes students for honest technical mistakes, even when reported early and before any grading begins. Most universities worldwide allow file corrections before assessment starts; IU chooses rigid procedures over student support.

IU promotes flexibility for working adults and online learners, but my experience has shown the opposite:
• extremely delayed responses
• no personal review of cases
• no willingness to consider individual circumstances
• and policies that disadvantage online students the most

I still hope someone at IU will see this review and finally help resolve the issue fairly. Students deserve timely support, reasonable policies, and a university that listens, not automated replies and procedural rigidity that cause avoidable academic harm.

My academic experience in IU is the best experience I have ever had. One can easily schedule and arrange his/her studies. The MyCampus app is the best educational app comparing with Coursera and YouTube to be mention but few. IU is too flexible and the best institution in the world.

You normally reach nobody by IU. If you need support because you have questions, you are alone. If you are lucky to reach someone they will tell you that they are not responsible chaio. Its completely horrible organized. The only valid value is that the entry level for doing a remote study is theoretically good but in reality very badly realized. They would have a high potential which they aren't use.

Here’s the thing, if you’re an international student planning to study in Germany, you need to be very careful with IU. The university advertises “on-campus” programs, but the immigration office in Berlin doesn’t recognize many of these programs as real presence-based studies. That puts students at risk of visa rejection or non-extension, even after paying fees, moving to Germany, and settling their life here.

What this really means is that you can follow all the rules, attend classes, and still be told by the immigration office that your course is basically “online” and not valid for a residence permit. IU hasn’t given clear communication on this issue, and many students are stuck in a stressful situation with no proper guidance.

The academic content might be fine, but the uncertainty around visas and the lack of transparent information make it really hard to recommend IU to anyone coming from abroad. If your stay in Germany depends on your student visa, think twice and ask the immigration office directly before enrolling.

It's always great to speak with Jannis, listens very calmly and gives me great suggestions for my studies!

This was my first experience with a study coach, Kathrin. She is a very professional lady, she navigated me through every detail that will be of help to my research writing. I cannot wait to schedule another meeting again with her. Its a pity that time flies when you have a lot to discuss....

Hochglanz-Marketing trifft auf Service-Wüste – Studierende tragen die Konsequenzen

Die IU präsentiert sich öffentlich als moderne, digitale Hochschule mit Nähe zu den Studierenden. In der Realität ist das Gegenteil der Fall: Besonders im Finanzbereich ist kein persönlicher Kontakt möglich. Wer fundierte Rückfragen zu Zahlungen oder Buchungen hat, erreicht niemanden telefonisch – stattdessen wird man auf E-Mails verwiesen, die mit automatisierten Antworten und wochenlangen Verzögerungen enden.

Selbst einfache Klärungen, die sich in einem zweiminütigen Telefonat lösen ließen, werden dadurch zu bürokratischen Hürden, die letztlich zu Mahnungen und Inkassodrohungen führen. Für viele Studierende ist das nicht nur frustrierend, sondern existenziell belastend.

Besonders irritierend ist das Missverhältnis zwischen der aggressiven Marketingstrategie der IU – überall präsent, immer „nah an den Studierenden“ – und der tatsächlichen Praxis, bei der man offenbar enger mit Inkassobüros als mit Studierenden kommuniziert.

Diese Hochschule sollte dringend prüfen, ob ihr Selbstbild als moderne Bildungseinrichtung mit Serviceorientierung noch irgendeine Grundlage hat. Digitalisierung darf kein Deckmantel für Kommunikationsverweigerung und fehlende Verantwortung sein.

Jannis' compassionate, caring, and insightful study coaching style is exemplary and much needed. His personalized approach is a rare find indeed, especially in these digital times of AI-driven Call Centres of minimal human creed. Highly recommended to any IU student struggling to cope with the anxieties and alienation of working remotely on their own

🛑❌ Avoid this university — seriously, avoid it!
I lost my entire degree because of their unclear and disconnected system.

If I didn’t have a strong heart, I could have lost my life out of despair.

Last month, I had my final appointment with my supervisor to review my thesis. The Examination Office had already set the submission date, and my supervisor had fixed his own date for the final review.

According to IU Learning, once a student is assigned a supervisor, they must enroll you on a third-party platform where you are supposed to submit your thesis. Since my supervisor had scheduled the date, I believed he was in charge of the process.

However, when the submission day came, the system denied me access. That’s when the frustration began. I was traveling for work between Europe, the USA, and Canada, and this made it even harder to solve the issue.

As a result of all this, I lost my job, not to mention the enormous time, money, and commitment I invested in this degree. Now, the situation is escalating further and is beginning to affect my marriage as well.
Enroll at your own risk.
You are warned.

I had a pleasure ot speak to Leonie for my first coaching session. I had a few questions regarding the IU app and the best practices for online study. Leonie handled my inquiries professionally while sharing the relevant perspetive and email for my reference. This was truly helpful . She has a pleasant personality and comes across as approcahable, good listener and communicator, well fit for the coaching role.

Highly recoemmended. Leonie must be recognised for her examplary performance at IU.

My meeting with Miss Leonie was pleasant and insightful. The session was practical by providing strategies and techniques that were easy to follow in my daily academic life. What I appreciated most was how she personalized the advice to suit my learning style and schedule. Which left me with a clearer plan, renewed motivation, and practical tools to manage my time better. I would recommend such sessions to any student seeking to improve their study effectiveness.

What mad
Goo

AungMyoHtet

Leonie is a diagnostic listener, powerful in listening to your issues and able to pinpoint the problem and come up with a solution. It is advisable to have a clear view of your study problem before you meet her because that will make it easy for her to come up with a solution.

I had good time with Kathrin , the discussion which I had with her was very helpful.