Private Institute / Academy

ILS - Institut für Lernsysteme

About the Private Institute

ILS Institut für Lern- und Bildungssysteme GmbH, founded in 1977 in Hamburg, describes itself as Germany's largest distance learning school, with around 80,000 students a year and over 350 state-approved distance courses (as of October 2026). The provider teaches through distance learning rather than classroom study, combining digital and printed study materials, the Online-Studienzentrum platform, and webinars. Depending on the course, on-site seminars are added, which are mandatory for some courses such as the technician programs, as well as on-site examinations for commercial, technical, IT, and school qualifications.

Study Programs

ILS - Institut für Lernsysteme delivers a broad portfolio of distance learning courses and non-degree continuing education programs, organized across specialized institutes such as the Kaufmännisches Lehrinstitut, Technisches Lehrinstitut, Informatik-Lehrinstitut, Allgemeinbildendes Lehrinstitut, and the Lehrinstitut für Persönlichkeitsbildung und Gesundheit. Offerings span fields including business and management, technology and engineering, information technology and programming, psychology and coaching, family and education, health and nutrition, media and design, animals and nature, foreign languages, creative writing, and schooling for German students abroad. ILS itself is not a university and does not award academic degrees. For students seeking academic degrees, it refers them to its sister universities within the Klett Group, Euro-FH, Wilhelm Büchner Hochschule, and APOLLON Hochschule der Gesundheitswirtschaft, which offer bachelor, master, and university certificate programs. ILS prepares students for state educational credentials through distance instruction; the examination itself is a state examination taken on site. General school diplomas encompass the Mittlerer Schulabschluss, the Fachhochschulreife, and the Abitur. In the technical and business domains, ILS prepares learners for state examinations leading to credentials aligned with DQR Level 6, such as Staatlich geprüfte/r Betriebswirt/in and Staatlich geprüfte/r Techniker/in in disciplines like electrical engineering or chemical technology. According to the ILS 2025 course handbook, certain technician qualifications also allow up to 12 credits to be credited toward bachelor studies at Euro-FH. Public-law and institutional partner certifications represent another major portfolio branch. The school prepares participants for examinations administered by the Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK), awarding professional qualifications at the master craftsman or bachelor professional level, including Geprüfte/r Fachwirt/in für Außenwirtschaft, Geprüfte/r Industriefachwirt/in, and IHK Meister courses in metal trades. Other recognized credentials are coordinated with partners like the Bundesverband für Sekretariat und Büromanagement (bSb), TÜV Rheinland, and Cambridge English examinations. The institute's own transcripts and certificates make up an extensive range of specialized vocational courses. Examples include Geprüfte/r Betriebswirt/in (ILS) with a focus on Management im Gesundheitswesen, Geprüfte/r 3D-Spieleentwickler/in, Fachinformatiker/in focused on application development, Gastronomiemanagement, Natur- und Umweltpädagogik, and various nutritional coaching specializations like Tierernährungsberater or Ernährungsberater für Sportler. Successful graduates earn the ILS-Abschlusszeugnis or ILS-Abschlusszertifikat, and an internationally usable English-language ILS-Certificate is available upon request. All standard courses are conducted via distance education, integrating printed study materials, digital documents, webinars, and the Online-Studienzentrum. For some courses on-site seminars are mandatory, especially courses leading to external examinations. In the technician programs, attending the subject seminars, some with a laboratory practical, is a condition for exam admission. The bSb diploma Geprüfte/r Personalreferent/in (bSb) includes a five-day seminar with examination in Wiesbaden, and several IHK certificate courses end with an on-site seminar and test in Hannover or Bremen. Some practical courses such as Kosmetiker/in or Tierheilpraktiker/in also include mandatory on-site seminars. The state external examinations for school qualifications take place in Hamburg, partly on ILS premises (Abitur, Hauptschulabschluss and Realschulabschluss), or at partner schools in Hannover and Braunschweig (Fachhochschulreife).

Application Procedure

Many general continuing education certificate courses do not require a specific school qualification, while some require at least an intermediate school-leaving certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss). School graduation programs have tiered entry points based on previous education and language knowledge. For admission to IHK advanced vocational examinations, the examination regulations usually require completed vocational training and one to five years of relevant work experience, or an equivalent qualification demonstrated through certificates or otherwise. The Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie program requires an enrollment age of at least 23 years. Applicants register via the online booking form or in writing by post, providing personal details, contact information, an email address, and information on their previous education; for courses with admission requirements ILS checks these details, and the contract is concluded only upon receipt of the enrollment confirmation. Most courses have no deadlines and start at any time; for the Online-Abend-Abitur, the ILS 2025 course handbook listed fixed start dates of February 15 and August 15. Fixed tuition fees are charged in monthly installments in euros, and payments are typically made through a SEPA direct debit mandate. According to the terms and conditions, additional costs may apply for shipping study materials abroad. Funding options include Bildungsgutschein, Aufstiegs-BAföG, Schüler-BAföG, Kindergeld, the Begabtenförderung scholarship, regional grants, employer reimbursement, ILS discounts, and tax deductions. Every course begins with a four-week trial period during which students can cancel and return materials free of charge. After that, according to the terms and conditions, the contract can first be terminated at the end of the first six months with six weeks of notice, and thereafter at any time with three months of notice; notice must be given in text form (as of October 2026).

Regular courses from ILS - Institut für Lernsysteme need no formal application: choose your course below, enroll via the link on the course page and pay the fees, and you are enrolled.

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