AIHE Academic Institute for Higher Education

The AIHE Academic Institute for Higher Education GmbH is a German provider of academic distance learning that has been developing and delivering continuing education programmes on behalf of state and international universities since 2006. Rather than awarding degrees itself, AIHE partners with universities such as London Metropolitan University: students enrol at the partner institution, which validates the programme and confers the Bachelor's or Master's degree, while AIHE handles teaching, examinations, student support and organisation under the partner's academic regulations. Programmes are fully online, part-time and offered in English or German, with several Master's degrees designed to be completed in one year and, in exceptional cases, open to applicants without a first degree. The student body is unusually experienced, averaging around 44 years of age with roughly half in leadership roles, which shapes the practice-oriented teaching approach and the roughly 100 interdisciplinary live online lectures offered each year.