Study in Berlin

Although Germany is still reeling over its poor results in a recent PISA study (Programme for International Student Assessment www.pisa.oecd.org) and its university system is now facing some very hard questioning by leading politicians and educators alike, Berlin’s universities have established themselves as being some of the most popular in the country. It is true that in overall rankings of German universities, Berlin’s ratings are not among the highest, but the German capitol, often ironically referred to as the seat of the “Berliner Republic” now exerts a patent attraction for students, academics and intellectuals alike. Berlin universities also still enjoy a certain aura of that “romantic past” of student activism, as Berlin, or more specifically the Free University, was the birthplace of the fervent German student protests in the 1960s.

It would be very difficult to find a university subject that is not offered in Berlin – this having a bit of a historical background. Due to the fusion of the eastern and western halves of the city after German reunification, Berlin now enjoys the luxury of having three major universities (a combined student population of approximately 140,000), as well as a considerable selection of smaller colleges, polytechnic colleges, art academies and other educational institutions. There are also several well-known institutions in nearby Potsdam. But it should be noted that a certain consolidation process has begun here and will most certainly continue, as the city of Berlin is currently suffering under some very heavy budgetary restraints.

Berlin’s universities are: Die Freie UniversitÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½t Berlin (approximately 61,000 students), www.fu-berlin.de. The “FU” is certainly among one of the most popular universities in Germany and by far the largest educational institution in Berlin. Its motto: “Truth, Justice, Freedom”. It has existed as an institution for over fifty years. In the Cold War period, in the era of the Berlin blockade, students critical to Stalinist practices at the historical Berlin University in the eastern part of the city were dismissed. In 1948, together with other like-minded academics and support from the United States, they founded The Free University in the American sector. The FU offers an exceptionally wide range of courses. Medicine, natural sciences, the humanities and social sciences are the largest faculties. Smaller, more specialized disciplines are particularly well represented, ranging from religious studies and ethnology to studies in Asian culture, the antiquities, art history and musicology.

Die Technische UniversitÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½t (approximately 40,000 students), www.tu-berlin.de. Founded in 1879, the “TU” obviously focuses on natural and engineering science. However, in contrast to other sister technical universities, The Technical University also offers a wide variety of degrees in the humanities, social sciences and economics, as well. It has one of the largest numbers of foreign students of any German university and is also currently in the process of increasing its capacity for research and instruction. The roots of the TU can be traced back to scientific academies founded by Frederick the Great in the 18th century. It enjoys a central location, most of its buildings being situated near the Zoologischer Garten around the StraÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½e des 17. Juni in Charlottenburg.

Die Humboldt-UniversitÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½t zu Berlin (approximately 38,000 students), www.rz.hu-berlin.de. Founded in 1810, Humboldt is the oldest university in the city. The concept of Wilhelm von Humboldt, its famous founder, was to make it a “Mother of all modern universities”, a “Universitas litterarum”, clearly formulated in its mission statement. It offers a large selection of courses in the languages, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences departments and enjoys a very good reputation worldwide, especially through its medicine program at the university hospital CharitÃ?©. Approximately 12% Humboldt’s students are from foreign countries. Humboldt University is even said to have once been the model for Harvard.

Of course, foreign students wishing to study in Berlin must be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the German language. These three universities, as well as most other higher-education institutions in Germany, expect foreign applicants to pass the “DSH” (Deutsche SprachprÃ?¼fung fÃ?¼r den Hochschulzugang auslÃ?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ndischer Studienbewerber) examination in order to be allowed admission to a full course of academic study. You can find out more about that here: www.deutsche-kultur-international.de.