Freie Universität Berlin (Free University of Berlin), commonly referred to as FU Berlin, is a public research university located in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1948 on the principles of academic freedom and democracy, today FU Berlin is one of the eleven elite German research universities and is consistently ranked amongst the top universities in the country, known especially for its strength in the humanities and political science. With nearly 30,000 students and 4,000 staff, FU Berlin connects students and scholars through a unique global alliance of strategic academic partnerships, joint research projects, and international liaison offices. Their global outlook and strategy have made them a leading destination for international researchers and Germany’s most popular university amongst international doctoral candidates.
FU Berlin consistently places high in institutional rankings, including the CHE University Ranking, the Funding Ranking of the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the QS World University Ranking. As one of Germany’s most international universities, they have scored top positions in rankings of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for years. Consult FU Berlin on QS World Rankings to learn more about their current world ranking and academic reputation in different subject areas.
FU Berlin is located in Dahlem, a garden district in southwestern Berlin. Architecturally modelled off an American university, FU Berlin is a campus university with all buildings within close walking distance of each other. The campus is also served by two U-Bahn (metro) lines, allowing students to quickly travel between campus and the rest of the city.
The Dahlem campus hosts the majority of the university’s 15 departments and central institutes, more than 20 libraries, various student cafes and dining halls – including Germany’s first vegetarian university dining hall – university sport facilities, and the Botanic Garden. The campus is surrounded by wonderful green gardens and lakes.
Berlin is one of the most exciting cities in Europe. As Germany’s capital and cultural metropolis, it attracts people from around the world. A vibrant and constantly changing city, it is a centre of cultural, political, and economic life.
This destination is only open to students in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures within the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film and the School of Politics and International Relations.
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
While exchange students are not required to take a German language exam (DSH or TestDaF) as a condition of being nominated or admission to FU Berlin, a placement exam is required for access to any modules taught in German, as well as for following the free German language courses during the semester (see below). The majority of courses are taught in German and require a good standard of the language – minimum level B2 of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) in the humanities and social science departments and B1 in the natural sciences. There are a handful of courses taught in English which can be found here.
German language courses: Students have the opportunity to take part in additional German language courses:
Exams take place during the last two weeks of the lecture period, with dates varying between each department. Consult FU Berlin’s academic calendar for full details.
Orientation: The orientation programme is mandatory and takes place 5-10 days before the lecture period starts each semester; this is typically the first week of October for semester one, and the first week of April for semester two. Students are provided with essential information about studying at FU Berlin, course selection, campus tours and using on-campus technology and virtual platforms like the FU-Net. Further information is available here.
A broad variety of modules are on offer to exchange students in a variety of disciplines across the humanities – consult the course catalogue here for an overview of all subjects available, including those taught in English (for this, use the “advanced search option.” Most subjects taught in English will be offered by the Department of English Philology and the John F. Kennedy Institute for Norther American Studies. Availability may vary and cannot be guaranteed. Students should be aware that English-language modules outside the departments of English and North American studies are limited in number. Students must register for courses on FU Berlin’s online portal “Campus Management” before each semester. Access and further information is provided during orientation.
Courses specifically for incoming exchange students: In addition to general modules, the Institute of German Language and Literature also offers classes specifically designed for exchange students. These seminars focus on the culture, society and history of Berlin and Germany. Students can find a full list of modules here.
Students may also attend courses at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Technische Universität Berlin and Universität Potsdam. In order to gain credits for these courses, students need prior approval of the respective lecturer and must fulfil the university’s requirements.
Restrictions: With few exceptions, exchange students may select classes from all undergraduate programs (their language skills permitting according to the language of instruction and guidance under “Language of instruction”).
Enrolment in the following courses is subject to availability of lab classes and to prior approval by the institute/department: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics and Biology. Restrictions apply in Pharmacy, Law, Business Administration and Economics. The School of Business Administration and Economics requires a B2 level in German for any German-language module within their department, with very limited options available in English. Restrictions may also apply for modules within the department, as well as within Law.
Freie uses the ECTS system, with each module generally being worth around 5 ECTS. Students must enrol on a full courseload: 30 ECTS per semester / 60 ECTS for the full academic year (equivalent to 60 Queen Mary credits per semester / 120 Queen mary credits for the full academic year).
Most departments use a grading scale of 1.0 (very good)-5.0 (fail), with grades varying between a tenth of a decimal place.
Find out more about Queen Mary's credit transfer and grade conversion process.
Transcript of records: FU Berlin does not issue transcripts automatically. Students who wish to obtain a transcript of records must fill out a form and contact a transcript officer at incoming@fu-berlin.de before leaving Berlin. Students will be provided with detailed information and assistance via e-mail before departure. Important: Students should apply for a Transcript of Records no later than three months after their stay. FU Berlin cannot issue any transcripts after that time. The transcript will be issued once the student’s grades are released. The original Transcript of Records will be sent to the international office of the home university. We will send a copy via e-mail to the student.
Blog posts on Queen Mary Global Bloggers:
There is no on-campus accommodation available. Instead, students either organise their own private accommodation in student-shared apartments (called Wohngemeinschaft) or accommodation via the university’s accommodation service offered by the ERG Universitätsservice GmBH. This accommodation service includes dormitory rooms, shared flats and fully furnished single apartments. All housing options are available from the beginning of September/October or March/April onwards.
Since there has been a dramatic increase of student housing demand, students wishing to use the university’s accommodation service must apply online as soon as possible after having received their admission letters and no later than December 10 (for semester two) or June 10. Registrations will be on a first come, first served basis.
Learn more by watching FU Berlin's video about housing options.
Where helpful for general tips about living and renting in Berlin, students may also wish to consult the accommodation guidance on the destination sub-page for HU Berlin.
This city-wide StudiumdenWERK BERLIN website for housing (not managed by FU Berlin) might help you to learn more about city-wide student accommodation options (tip: view the original webpage in German in Google Chrome and translate). You may contact the service that assists students looking for accommodation at leben@stw.berlin (see webpage for full information and contact details).
Important: Finding and securing private accommodation in Berlin has become increasingly competitive and challenging in recent years, as many students and young people look for private accommodation in Berlin during the summer/early autumn months. HU Berlin colleagues confirm that fraud is consequently also on the rise, with international students often falling victim to this. Queen Mary students are advised to follow the partner’s guidance as soon as possible to begin their accommodation search safely. Guidance about searching for private accommodation safely is available on the QMplus resource page, “Pre-departure” tab from early spring.
Freire University Berlin provides information on the cost of living as a student here. You can find more general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Berlin here.
Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
While incoming exchange students do not pay tuition to FU Berlin, all students must pay the so-called “semester fees and contributions” just as all other students in Germany pay. These non-university related social fees typically cost several hundred euros per semester and fund the student union, the elected student government, and also provide the student with the public transportation ticket for Berlin metropolitan area for the entire semester. Students pay the fee after arrival in Berlin during enrolment.
Savings on days out and culture
There is always something new to do in Berlin and there usually a way to save money doing it. The magazines Tip and Exberliner have some fantastic articles on saving money in Berlin, from discounted travel to free days out.
The ClassicCard app gets young people up to a whopping 90% off cultural events in Berlin, including opera, theatre and the cinema. It’s available for free to anyone under 30 – truly a must-have.
Even a student card alone will secure discounts at many Berlin attractions. Students should always ask if a discount is available for students – the worst thing they will hear is no.
All exchange students should arrive at least 5-10 days before the beginning of the semester to participate in the orientation week before classes start. This will allow students to take any placement tests, complete university enrolment and admin, and become familiar with the campus environment.
The Student Services Centre will advise all students and help with any concerns they may have. They are equipped to deal with any immigration problems, as well as psychological counselling and academic advice. Students with SEND needs may also contact the Office for Students with Special Needs.
International Students at FU Berlin (ISFU) offers advice and events for international students.
As a current Queen Mary student you will be able to find a summary sheet for this partner university on our QMplus page, with an overview of the local student support services available on the following topics: specific learning differences, physical impairments, sensory impairments, long term medical conditions, autism spectrum conditions, mental health and wellbeing difficulties, special accommodation provision, non-emergency health care, emergency services, harassment and trauma and suicide prevention.
The International Club offers a wide range of social trips and activities across Berlin and Germany for all incoming exchange students. Additionally, ASTA serves as a student parliament for FU Berlin, as well as providing information on current affairs within the university and links to some student-run social groups.
FURIOS is an FU Berlin university newspaper, publishing a wide variety of articles, from contempory politics to personal columns. They also welcome non-German speakers.
FU Berlin also offers a series of events, as well as workshops, group courses and training courses for students to help them with their development.