HSO was founded in 1971 and offers study-programmes and research projects at certificate, bachelor and master level in the fields of Business Management, Economics, Social Sciences, Engineering, Information Technology, Material Sciences, Agriculture, Horticulture, Landscape Gardening, Music and Theater Pedagogy in full-time and part-time mode, partly also in English as learning and teaching language (5 programmes). It also offers two off-shore study programmes in China and has established a “University Center China”. In 8 study-programmes mobility is integrated. Presently more than 13,000 students have been registered, 91 as PhDs. HSO started its international networking in 1977 within the Joint-Study-Programmes initiative of the EU and has today more than 100 partner universities throughout the world and has been a founding member of the network UAS 7 – a network of 7 German universities with offices in the USA and Brazil. It has been awarded the ‘”E-Quality” in the area of “International Mobility”. In winter and summer language courses are available and in summer an international summer school is run.

HSO has particular expertise in the regulated professions of architects (landscape gardening), nursing/health management, law (business law), auditing and teaching. Traditionally a close cooperation between HSO and the region with local, regional and international business organisations has been a strength. HSO has been a University-Enterprise-Training Partnerships (W.E.R.), EU Information Center and is jointly engaged with the local university in the technology center. Many professors are actively involved in internal and external quality assurance systems and are asked as consultants for governmental or professional bodies.