Freie University Berlin

Last Updated on: May 8, 2025 by
Sridhar Kongara

Research emerged at this institution when academic freedom connected with international alliances transformed it into an outstanding intellectual facility which focused on development and innovation. German federal-state cooperation implements the Excellence Strategy program that offers finance opportunities to universities from its 13 institutions.

Established Year: 1948

Institution Type: Public

Address: Kaiserswerther Str. 16-18, 14195 Berlin, Germany

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Courses Offered

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** Fees mentioned here are approximate and are per year, Unless specified otherwise

Why Choose Freie Universität Berlin

International Prestige

International scholars in the research field recognize Freie Universität Berlin as an exceptional research organization and leading German academic institution.
Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings positions Free University Berlin in the fifth spot among all German academic institutions.
The globally established profile of this university brings researchers and students from more than eighty different nationalities every year.

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Excellence in Research

Government backing of Freie Universität Berlin comes through the Excellence Strategy program which chose this university because it operates within the Berlin University Alliance framework.

Diverse Academic Offerings

Through their multiple academic departments the institution makes available more than 150 degrees to students enrolled in their educational programs.
The institution runs degree programs starting from bachelor to master and doctoral studies in multiple academic branches for its student enrollment.

Strong International Focus

The FU Berlin achieves its international presence through hundreds of academic partnerships and distinctive international cooperation programs.
Educational quality at the University is improved through a strong international influence generated by international student enrollment.

Exceptional Student Support Services: University applicants who need entrance prerequisites should enroll at the Studienkolleg that belongs to the educational institution.

Research-Oriented Environment

Universitätsbund Freie Universität Berlin conducts research-oriented activities by using organizational innovations across academic disciplines.
The Dahlem Research School together with its connected programs encourages excellence in university research by supplying developmental structures for growing scientists.

Prime Location in Berlin

Students who reside in the accessible areas of West Berlin can easily access comfortable facilities found throughout all university institutions within their region.
The public transportation system of the city allows students to travel between West Berlin residential zones and central Berlin districts.

Historical Significance: The university started its Cold War suppression with the mission to pursue “Truth, Justice, and Liberty.

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Campus Facilities at Freie Universität Berlin

Central Facilities and Resources

The central platforms of Freie Universität Berlin operate to offer student support and benefit faculty researchers as well as academic research staff.
Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem: A renowned research and educational resource.
Students at Freie Universität Berlin receive academic and personal counseling assistance through the Center for Academic Advising and Psychological Counseling and their multiple support services.

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All facilities at The Dahlem Research School create opportunities for scientific novices to grow their career skills.
Language Center: Offering language courses and resources to students and staff.
Students who have disabilities receive full assistance through the support services at the Office for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses.
The collaboration between welcome initiatives and university student mobility programs offers full assistance to international scholars throughout their transition period at the institution.

Libraries and Technology

The Freie Universität libraries operate linked facilities composed of specialized areas dedicated to help student enrollment.
ZEDAT alongside CeDiS delivers technical educational support to the university leading to the promotion of its technological educational methods.

Green Campus Initiatives

The sustainable framework employs an energy-efficient architectural design to provide sustainability principles for the entire complex.
During building construction the institution launched over 220 facilities that need minimal energy and water use.

Accommodation Services

The university specifies particular timeframes when students must ask for housing before they receive assignment accommodation space.
Every university student must understand their housing selection process by reading specific information about residential policies given to them by the university.

Recreational and Cultural Opportunities: Students joining the Collegium Musicum musical group can participate in scheduled performances that let them play music with their peers. Relaxing housing areas combined with recreational facilities exist throughout every area of the university campus.

Student Service at Freie Universität Berlin

Central Student Services Center (SSC)

The basic support facility operating as SSC provides complete advice to address every student need. Students who reach Dahlem-Dorf subway station have access to standard support services provided by SSC.
Course selection and academic advising.
Application, admission, and enrollment processes.
Subject/module changes and university transfers.

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Organize mentoring programs

Part of the Fu Berlin study abroad program provides student mentoring that aids academic transition and social readjustment when students enroll in the university.
Stress control education during the methodology sessions includes German cultural practices along with additional services regarding housing for students enrolled in the program.
The organization creates both exclusive and inclusive events and workshops to make members within entire communities aware of diversity concepts.

Career Counseling and Job Placement

Career Service operates a career counseling service to offer an additional platform for searching part-time positions and internships.
Students can access international job positions directly via the student registration system which follows the guidelines set by the Berlin Employment Agency.

Erasmus and Exchange Program Advising: University advisors who specialize in international student exchange programs assist students who want to join Erasmus+ programs with their enrollment preparation.

Orientation and Events for International Students: The university delivers several orientation meetings to new students prior to their entry point for introducing university customs alongside facility and resource access.

Student Life at Freie Universität Berlin

Accommodation and Housing

The limited funds available to Berlin students drive them toward Wohngemeinschaften or WGs because this arrangement provides affordable housing options through communal living.
The accommodation requirements of homeless children can be met by short-term housing solutions at youth hostels along with guest house properties.

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Sports and Recreation

Students at the University Sports Center can take advantage of different athletic competitions and fitness exercise practice spots to build their athletic skills.
Students benefit from affordable fitness services together with team sport participation at the university which leads to improved physical health and social bonding.

Libraries and Study Spaces

Freie Universität Berlin operates specialized research facilities in addition to libraries enabling their student’s access to a wide range of academic resources.
Any academic establishment requires suitable nook-like study areas for quiet work along with adaptable workspace and distinct IT infrastructure boundaries.

Support for International Students

The International Student Support division of Freie Universität operates both orientation program series and peer mentor programs.
Berlin University maintains an educational support service which assists students in their transition between academic work and exploring the cultural elements of the city.

Exploring Berlin

The location of Freie Universität Berlin in Germany’s capital city grants students immediate access to vibrant cultural sites and historical landmarks and vibrant nightlife entertainment.
Public transportation within Berlin gives students unrestricted access to the entire city despite their accommodation location versus their university campus.

Scholarships at Freie Universität Berlin

Scholarships: Freie Universität Berlin maintains an academic support system that grants different scholarships as financial aid to help students meet academic expenses.

Deutschland stipendium

Amount: €300 per month
Duration: Minimum of two semesters (extensions possible)
Eligibility Criteria: Enrollment at Freie Universität Berlin during the funding period.
The process of qualifying for scholarships requires students to submit their enrollment documentation together with an accepted admission status or prove continuous attendance throughout the prescribed maximum timeframe.

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DAAD STIBET I Scholarships

Amount: €250 per month
Duration: 10 months (March 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025)
Eligibility Criteria: International students with specific backgrounds: Refugee background.

PROMOS Scholarships

The organization uses its partial award money through two annual funding opportunities.
A chance for student participation arises when they choose an international exchange program that involves either an internship component or a short research initiative.
Official scholarship application availability schedules should be examined by students both during the spring season along with the fall annual period to obtain necessary information.

DAAD Scholarships for Study Abroad

The full study support comes from this program because it establishes four different elements that support students studying abroad.
Eligibility: Open to undergraduate and graduate students.
The program becomes more efficient because of this distinctive benefit.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

Through external sources the organization provides scholarship availability to all students at Freie Universität Berlin.
Political Foundations: E.g., Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung.
Students whose academic performance meets the standards need migrant status to claim particular scholarship benefits.

Internships and Placements at Freie Universität Berlin

Internship Opportunities at Freie Universität Berlin: Students need to approach department staff and research groups and professors to start their applications for internships at Freie Universität Berlin campus. Candidates need to submit their CV with motivational document during application as part of the established requirements.

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Erasmus+ SMP Internships: Opportunities for students from partner universities under the Erasmus+ program. The internship advisors function as professional supports to handle contracts and execute administrative work.
The institution serves students who want Berlin or German internships by providing professional placement and database support services.

FU-BEST Internship Program

The FU-BEST staff obtains eight-week full-time positions that require working thirty-five to forty hours each week at various Berlin locations. Berlin-based businesses give students the chance to learn valuable professional experience while receiving no financial compensation.
Erasmus+ Opportunities: Comprehensive internship and study exchange options.
The Student Mobility Unit exists to support university students looking for information about all mobility programs.

Career Service Assistance

Students who access the Career Service of this university can find part-time employment listings in Berlin and securing internships at multiple locations across the city.
Through its support system the university arranges networking events and distributes job opening information to students through newsletters containing application timetable details.

Entry Requirements for Freie Universität Berlin

General Entry Requirements

Standard eligibility certification courses for university admission at Vu University Berlin can be proven by presenting a German Higher School Certification (Hochschulreife) or equivalent credentials from accredited educational institutions.
Recognition for International Students: International students together with stateless candidates need to send their application materials to uni-assist for assessment.
The evaluation of foreign academic credentials happens at Berlin-based institutions which manage the continuation process.
Preparation via Studienkolleg: The pre-academic program at Studienkolleg provides international students a chance to use subject-based Feststellungsprüfung tests for qualification assessment following their one-year course.

Undergraduate Program Requirements

Academic Credentials: All academic entry qualifications that have both topic-based components which receive German approval will be officially recognized by the country.
For German-taught programs: Minimum C1-level German proficiency is required.
Before the university grants admission students must prove their TestDaF Level 4 together with DSH-2 certification or Goethe C1 test certificate.
Students seeking admission at Freie Universität receive opportunity to take the DSH exam when they cannot acquire official credential records or other documentation easily.
For English-taught programs: The verification of B2-level English language ability follows a standard procedure which includes passing tests at 72 iBT TOEFL or 5.5 IELTS.

Additional Requirements: Agreements for specialized studies calculate specialist examination outcomes together with institutional admission specifications for new students.

Master’s Program Requirements
Academic Credentials: Students need to obtain teaching qualification approval from official institutions by showing both a bachelor degree with at least 180 European credits.
Subject-Specific Requirements: Students who want to pursue finance and economics together with law through a master’s degree program need to obtain a specific number of ECTS credits to enroll in their chosen curriculum.
The education achievements of students manifest through both their thesis work and equivalent analytical projects.
UNI-Assist organizes universities into a single application service by enabling their websites to access student educational records stored in their database.
Submission of academic transcripts, proof of language proficiency, and a statement of purpose.

FU-BEST Program Requirements (Short-Term Study Programs)

Eligibility: Minimum age 18 years.
Completion of at least two semesters in a bachelor’s program.
Language Requirements: English-taught program: Minimum TOEFL 100 or IELTS 6.5 for non-native speakers. The educational institution provides extensive German language education suitable for every level of language fluency.
Academic Requirements: Candidates who achieve between 3.0 and 3.5 GPA get committee evaluation but admissions staff assess applicants with lower than 3.0 GPA.

Rankings and Awards of Freie Universität Berlin

National and International Rankings

Freie Universität Berlin holds the fourth place among German universities according to QS World University Rankings 2024 and stands at spot 97 among international institutions.
Freie Universität Berlin achieves a position as the 9th best university in Germany according to THE World Rankings 2024 while holding the global position 104.
Together with Political Sciences the Natural Sciences rank as outstanding according to the Center for Higher Education (CHE) subject-specific evaluation system.
The THE Impact Rankings 2023 awarded Freie Universität Berlin the status of Germany’s number one university for climate protection.

Excellence Initiative Success

The nine major projects of Freie Universität Berlin ranked as the top initiatives funded by all German institutions participating in German Excellence Initiative resources from 2006 through 2007.
From 2012 to 2017 Freie Universität obtained three excellence clusters together with seven graduate schools through its “Veritas – Justitia – Libertas: International Network University” funding project.

Research and Innovation

External research funding at Freie Universität Berlin has been steadily increasing beyond €144 million each year after 2007.
The European Research Council grants funded through Consolidator Grants and Starting Grants enable Freie Universität Berlin to provide financial support to five Consolidator Grant recipients as well as eleven Starting Grant recipients.
Freie Universität secured position six within German research institutions and established itself as the best research institute resident in Berlin according to the 2021 DFG Funding Atlas.

Prestigious Awards and Honors: The chemistry laureate Professor Gerhard Ertl (2007) unified with written laureate Herta Müller (2009) as they joined four Nobel Prize recipients who conducted their prize work at this university.

Climate and Sustainability Leadership: The university generates power through the largest solar power facility in Berlin public sector located on its campuses with a combined generation capacity of 480 kilowatts.

Gender Equality and Inclusivity

The institution maintained its Total E-Quality Award through twenty successive years starting from 2002 to 2021 that supported the growth of gender equality between genders.
Since 2007 the university has continually received family-friendly institution certification through audit berufundfamilie
Various awards touched the institution in 2021 due to its commitment to building inclusive policies and practices.

Support for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

All eight business plan awards across Berlin-Brandenburg have accumulated at Freie Universität thus becoming the most successful start-up university in Germany since 2006.
Freie Universität Berlin became a “Entrepreneurial Network University” after joining the EXIST-Gründungskultur initiative.

Acceptance Rate

Freie Universität Berlin garnered its status as a renowned university because twelve students succeed in entering through hundred applications.
Admission requirements at Freie Universität Berlin lead to successful enrollment of 15% of total applicants in each intake.

Factors Influencing Admission:

Language Proficiency: According to university requirements both German-taught students must show C1 German abilities and English-taught students need to show B2 English skills.