Cooperation: Personality Assessment in Higher Education
The collaboration between Hochschule Fresenius and metaBeratung provides students with early access, already during their Master’s studies, to scientifically grounded personality assessment as a foundation for effective self-reflection and leadership.
Date: 27. May 2026
Author: Ira Neubauer
Categories:
A collaborative project between Fresenius University of Applied Sciences and metaBeratung.
The importance of self-reflection for effective leadership is more relevant today than ever before. At the same time, practical experience shows that the impact of self-reflection is only sustainable when it is based on a scientifically sound foundation.
For this reason, Fresenius University of Applied Sciences and metaBeratung have established a partnership with the clear objective of enabling students to participate in Hogan certification workshops already during their master’s studies. This gives students early exposure to modern personality assessment methods.
Personality Assessment as a Key Competency
Particularly in the fields of HR, coaching, and consulting, personality assessment is becoming increasingly important. The ability to assess personality in a differentiated way and interpret results based on solid evidence is considered a core competency.
The Hogan Assessments deliberately rely on methods that meet these standards.
Hogan as the Gold Standard in Personality Assessment
The Hogan Assessments are used worldwide in talent assessment, leadership development, and succession planning.
Their unique value lies in the combination of three perspectives:
- HPI (Hogan Personality Inventory): describes performance-related personality traits in the workplace context
- HDS (Hogan Development Survey): identifies potential behavioral risks, particularly under stress
- MVPI (Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory): analyzes motives, values, and cultural fit
This multidimensional perspective enables a deeper and more differentiated understanding of personality — far beyond traditional self-descriptions.
From Understanding to Self-Reflection
Students engage intensively with their individual results and reflect on them in the context of their studies, teamwork, and future professional roles.
Self-reflection gains quality when it is based on objective and scientifically grounded data.
“Overall, the students were highly ambitious to complete their final assessment successfully and as efficiently as possible,” reports consultant Nina Holler. “In the feedback, I also found them to be very engaged and grateful for the opportunity to reflect on themselves in a well-founded manner and to enhance their own portfolio with an internationally recognized certificate.”
At the same time, the group demonstrated very different levels of prior experience: while some students already had experience in related professional fields, others gained their first practical exposure to personality assessment and diagnostic methods through the workshop.
The depth with which the students engaged with their results also became evident during the workshop itself.
“The group was exceptionally dynamic, engaged, and eager to learn. I was particularly impressed by the students’ strong willingness to engage deeply with their own results in order to further develop their strategic self-awareness. The many professional questions and stimulating discussions created a highly interactive exchange at an advanced level. Many participants want to be well prepared to work with personality assessments in the future — and the Hogan certification was an important and valuable step toward that goal,” reports trainer Dorothea Müller-Stassek.
Transfer as a Critical Success Factor
Students learn how to apply the results in practice.
Therefore, the format includes:
- practical case studies from HR, diagnostics, and leadership
- structured reflection on individual results
- exchange on concrete application scenarios
Early Integration of Science and Practice
The partnership with Fresenius University of Applied Sciences aims to connect academic knowledge with practical application at an early stage.
The Hogan certification also offers students practical added value in an increasingly competitive job market.
“Our goal is to prepare students as effectively as possible for the demands of modern working environments,” explains Katharina Bronder, Career Development Specialist at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences. “With StudyPlus, we intentionally create spaces for personal development, continuing education, and networking beyond the curriculum. The Hogan certification perfectly complements this offering. Students not only acquire professional competencies, but also strengthen their self-reflection and professional development.”
Conclusion: Self-Reflection as the Foundation for Development
The certification workshop demonstrates how modern education in the field of business psychology can be designed:
- scientifically grounded
- practical in its application
- and clearly focused on personal development
Anyone who wants to understand personality professionally needs a solid foundation.
Through the Hogan Assessments and their early integration into university studies, exactly this foundation is being created.
This article was written by Ira Neubauer, bachelor’s student of Business Psychology at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences. Düsseldorf, May 20, 2026.
