A full review of the Free University of Berlin taking into consideration tuition fees, cost of living in Berlin, programs offered, admission requirements and how to apply for admission.
About Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin, is a leading research institution in Germany. It is one of the German universities successful in all three funding lines in the federal and state Excellence Initiative, thereby receiving additional funding for its institutional future development strategy. It is one of the best Research institute situated in the capital city of Germany, BERLIN.
Free University of Berlin is a big university with 15 departments and central institutes offering over 150 degree programs across a wide range of subjects.
Up to 30,000 students in Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, of which 15% of them are international students. English courses and programs are available for non-German speakers.
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About German Schools
Germany, is one of the most sought after when it comes to oversea education. Every year, international students pen in their applications to various institutions of higher learning to study a program of their choice. Just like their counterparts in UK, Canada, and US, a degree from a German university is well recognised all over the world.
Free University of Berlin Admission Requirements and How to Apply
Undergraduate Programs
Many of the programs that awards the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science which are offered at Free University of Berlin consist of a core subject and either two modules, with 30 credit points required in each, or one module of 60 credit points.
Your application for such a combination bachelor’s degree program is not complete unless you have applied for both the core subject and the module(s); only then will your application be considered in the admission process.
For combination bachelor’s degree programs without restricted admission capacity, an application within the application period is required also.
Application via Uni-assist
If you earned your university entrance qualification in a country other than Germany, you are required to submit your application to Free University of Berlin via uni-assist. Uni-assist reviews whether the application meets the formal and subject-specific prerequisites established by the school. Uni-assist is not responsible for carrying out selection procedures.
The preliminary examination by uni-assist is with costs. Your application to uni-assist will not be processed unless the fee is paid to the account of uni-assist.
Language Requirements
Some undergraduate study programs require certain language skills, which have to be proven either within the application procedure or within the enrollment at the school. For more information on this see language requirements for admission.
For Graduate Programs
If you wish to apply for the first or a higher subject-specific semester of a master’s program,you are required to submit your application to Free University of Berlin via uni-assist.
Note; The University will only accept applications provided with the uni-assist online form! You may select a maximum of two master’s programs.
To apply for a masters program the following documents with your applicant number must be submitted to uni-assist by mail (email and fax are not accepted):
- in case you file a special application, send in the completed special application sheet along with all documents supporting your special application as officially certified copies
- applicants coming from China, Mongolia or Vietnam have to submit the original certification from an Academic Evaluation Centre in addition to the required documents.
If the certification presented does not yet include the degree for the application to a master’s program, then a so called recertification, confirming the degree, has to be submitted for re-registration for the following semester.
Please submit the following documents to uni-assist as officially certified copies via mail;
| DOCUMENTS | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|
| graduation certificate (if you have completed your studies)If you are applying for a higher subject-specific semester, this document is stringently required. |
with a final grade |
| official transcript of records | with a final grade |
| official transcript of records for the master’s program and a current certificate of enrollment | only when applying for the higher subject-specific semesters |
| if applicable, current certificate of enrollment | in case you are currently enrolled or have been enrolled at a German university / college after completing your first degree |
| official translations of all certificates if issued in any language other than German or English | issued by sworn translators only or by an institution being entitled to translations for official purposes |
| proof of English knowledge | if required for the chosen master’s program |
| proof of other language knowledge | if required for the chosen master’s program |
| sufficient knowledge of German(if required for the chosen master’s program) | depending on the requested study course |
| if applicable, additional study-related skills | if this is a selection criterion for the desired master’s program (please see the specific regulation on allocation of study placements) |
Please upload the following documents using the uni-assist online-form:
- for the master’s programs Finance, Accounting and Taxation as well as Management and Marketing; your thesis or an equivalent paper incl. translation (German or English)
- for the master’s program Business Information Systems the thesis prepared in previous academic program incl. translation (German or English), if you have not studied the bachelor’s program Business Information Systems
- for the master’s program Psychology the registration for the bachelor’s thesis incl. translation (German or English), in case you have not earned your final degree yet
- in addition, the forms which are included in the online application form; for the master’s program Psychology – entrance requirements’ form, for the master’s program Global History; choice of university where you want to enroll
Important note
In general, the processing of an application takes about four to six weeks, towards the end of the application period it takes even longer. Therefore, we recommend submitting your application as soon as possible before the deadline.
Otherwise you cannot be informed about missing documents by uni-assist in time. Handed in documents after the deadline cannot be taken into consideration.
The application deadline was met, when all required documents reached uni-assist within the deadline and your application is complete, irrespective of the evaluation time by uni-assist.
You can use the confirmation letter by uni-assist to apply for a study visa at the German embassy in your home country.
Read also; /why-international-students-prefer-to-study-in-germany-6-major-reasons/
Tuition and Fees
Free University of Berlin Fees
Except for some graduate or postgraduate programs, the Free university of Berlin does not charge tuition fees; students are merely responsible for paying certain fees and charges each semester. These stipends paid by students are called “fees and contributions ” which is made up by the following;
Payable for winter semester 2019/20 is a total of 311.59 €
- 50.00 € enrollment fee/re-registration fee
- 54.09 € semester contribution to the student support service
- 8.70 € including a 7.50 € contribution to the student union and 1.20 € to the semester ticket office
- 198.80 € transportation ticket contribution (tariff area ABC), includes 5.00 € to the Social Fond
For further information please contact the Student Administration office or the AStA – Semesterticketbüro.
Note; An additional late payment fee of 19.94 € is charged for overdue payments received after the re-registration deadline.
Cost of Living in Berlin
The living cost depend largely on individual’s lifestyle. Generally speaking, you should budget a minimum of 600 to 700 Euros.
Availability of Part-Time Job
Degree program students with a residence permit for study purposes are allowed to work for a maximum of 90 days (or 180 half days) per year. Jobs as a student tutor at the university do not count.
Please note; Students receiving grants are not allowed to work.
Free University of Berlin Study Programs
Undergraduate Study Programs
This category includes Bachelor’s degree programs, but also programs toward the state exam (Staatsexamen), Diplom or Magister degrees (a Magister degree is a postgraduate degree which is awarded after three to 6 years duration.
It is equivalent to MSc degree. It is a prerequisite to have an MSc before applying to a Ph.D. or Doctorate degrees; which means that admission always requires that the student has successfully completed an undergraduate program first.
In Germany, agreements laid out by the Conference of Education and Cultural Affairs state that undergraduate programs that lead directly to a master’s degree are not permitted.
Graduate Study Programs
On the other hand a master’s degree is an academic degree that a university graduate earns upon completion of a second academic program.
A Master’s degree program here lasts for two to four semesters and builds upon an undergraduate program. Students who wish to enroll in a master’s degree program are required to have a bachelor’s degree or other degree or diploma from one of the single-stage academic programs traditional in the German system (Magister, Diplom, first state exam (Staatsexamen) in law or teaching credential (Lehramt) program; degree in medicine).
Depending on the area of focus, a master’s degree program can allow the student to explore the subject previously studied in greater depth or to branch out into new areas of knowledge.
A doctoral program (Promotion) leads to the academic degree of doctor in a specific discipline. This degree is considered proof of the student’s aptitude to work scientifically or academically at an advanced level. It is based on an independent academic work – the dissertation – and an oral exam.
Read also; /study-in-europe-student-visa-application-procedure-with-possible-interview-questions-and-answers/
Free University Of Berlin Undergraduate Courses
1.Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy
- Biochemistry (Mono-Bachelor)
- Biology (Mono-Bachelor)
- Biology for the teaching profession (core subject in combination bachelor with teaching option, module offer in combined bachelor with teaching option)
- Chemistry (Mono-Bachelor)
- Chemistry for the teaching profession (core subject combined apprenticeship with teacher’s option, module offer in combined apprenticeship with teacher’s option)
Pharmacy (Staatsexamen)
2.Department of Education and Psychology
- Education and Educational Science (Mono-Bachelor)
- Primary education with specialization – special education (mono-bachelor for the primary school teaching office)
- Primary school education with compulsory subjects German and Mathematics (Mono-Bachelor for the primary school teacher’s office)
- Psychology (Mono-Bachelor)
- Special education (core subject in combination bachelor with teacher’s option)
3.Department of Geosciences
- Geographical Sciences (Mono-Bachelor)
- Geological Sciences (Mono-Bachelor)
- Meteorology (Mono-Bachelor)
4.Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
- Bioinformatics (Mono-Bachelor)
- Computer Science (Module Offer in Combi-Bachelor)
- Computer Science (Mono-Bachelor)
- Informatics for the teaching profession (core subject combined apprenticeship with option as a teacher, module offer in combined apprenticeship with apprenticeship option)
- Mathematics (Mono-Bachelor)
- Mathematics for the teaching profession (core subject in combination bachelor with teaching option, module offer in combined bachelor with teaching option)
5.Department of Physics
- Physics (Mono-Bachelor)
- Physics for the teaching profession (core subject in combination bachelor with teacher training option, module offer in combined bachelor with teacher training option)
6.Department of Political and Social Sciences
- Media Informatics (Mono-Bachelor)
- Political Science (module offer in Combi-Bachelor)
- Political Science (Mono-Bachelor)
- Political Science for the Magisterium (core subject combined with Bachelor’s degree option, module offer in Combined
- Bachelor’s with Bachelor’s degree option)
- Journalism and Communication Science (core subject in Combi Bachelor, module offer in Combi Bachelor)
- Social and cultural anthropology (core subject in the combined bachelor, module offer in the combined bachelor)
7.Department of Law
- Law (First Legal Examination)
8.Department of Veterinary Medicine
- Horse Science (Mono-Bachelor)
- Veterinary Medicine (Staatsexamen)
9.Department of Economics
- Business Administration (Module Offer in Combi-Bachelor)
- Business Administration (Mono-Bachelor)
- Management (module offer in Combi-Bachelor)
- Economics (Mono-Bachelor)
10.Faculty of Medicine Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Health Sciences (only via Charité) (Mono-Bachelor)
- Medicine (Model Study) (Staatsexamen)
- Dentistry (Staatsexamen)
11.Central Institute John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies
- North American Studies (Mono-Bachelor)
- North American Studies (Module Offer in Combi Bachelor)
12.Central Institute Latin America Institute
- Latin American Studies (Module Offer in Combined Bachelor)
For a list of complete undergraduate courses, please visit the school’s official website via the admin link above.
Free University Of Berlin Graduate/Masters Programs
- Applied Literary Studies – Contemporary Literature
- Arabic Studies
- Art History in a Global Context: Focus on Africa
- Art History in a Global Context: Focus on East Asia
- Art History in a Global Context: Focus on Europe and America
- Biochemistry
- Biodiversity, Evolution, Ecology
- Bioinformatics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Chinese Studies
- Classical Archaeology
- Classical Philologies
- Computational Sciences
- Computer Science
- Dance Studies
- Dutch Studies in International Context
- East European Studies
- Economics
- Educational Research
- Egyptology
- English Studies: Literature, Language, Culture
- Film Studies
- Finance, Accounting and Taxation
- General and Comparative Literature
- Geographical Development Studies
- Geographical Environmental Research
- Geological Sciences
- German Literature: Focus on Medieval Literature
- German Literature: Focus on Modern Literature
- German as a Foreign Language: Teaching Culture
- Global History
- History
- History and Cultures of Ancient Western Asia: Focus on
- Archaeology of Ancient Western Asia
- History and Cultures of the Ancient Near East: Focus on
- Ancient Oriental Studies
- Information Systems
- Integrated Japanese Studies
- Intellectual Encounters of the Islamicate World
- Interdisciplinary Latin American Studies
- Iranian Studies
- Islamic Studies
- Japanese Studies
- Jewish Studies
- Korean Studies/East Asian Studies
- Landscape Archaeology
- Linguistics
- Management & Marketing
- Mathematics
- Media and Political Communication
- Meteorology
- Modern Greek Language and Literature
- North American Studies
- Pharmaceutical Research
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science
- Prehistoric Archaelology
- Psychology: Focus on Clinical and Health Psychology
- Psychology: Focus on Social, Occupational and Organizational
- Psychology
- Public Economics
- Public History
- Religious Studies
- Romance Literatures
- Semitic Studies
- Social and Cultural Anthropology
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
- Sociology – European Societies
- Theater Studies
- Turkish Studies
- Continuing education
- China-Europe Executive Master of Business Marketing
- EMBM-Executive Master of Business Marketing
- Equine Medicine
- European Studies
- European and International Business, Competition, and
- Regulatory Law
- Futures Studies
- School Development in Line with Teaching of Democratic
- Principles and Social Skills
- Visual and Media Anthropology