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Study in Berlin

March 14, 2012

Berlin is not only the largest city in Germany. It is also the country's largest university city. Its universities, research institutes and students have gained much prestige and have won many awards.

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Students sit in rows and listen to a lecture at Humboldt University
Large lecture halls, like this one at Humboldt University, are part of student lifeImage: AP

Berlin has an excellent mix of universities. This is evident in the many internationally-recognized awards that Berlin universities and scientists have received over the years.

In addition to high quality standards for study, the curriculum is also very broad. Berlin has four universities, three art academies, seven universities of applied sciences, one international business school and more than 70 independent, publicly-financed research institutes.

Recent years have seen more than 130,000 students in Berlin, around 12 percent of them foreigners. In comparison to the rest of the country, Berlin's universities attract the most research funding. They manage to do so because they create various connections between teaching and research, as well as between science and industry. An example of this is the two technology parks, Berlin-Adlershof and Berlin-Buch.

Free University - excellent university

The Free University of Berlin is one of the nine German universities that have been classified as "excellent" by Germany's Initiative for Excellence. The curriculum here includes humanities, social science, natural science and medicine. The Charité clinic, supported by both the Free University and the Humboldt University, is the largest medical faculty in Europe.

Humboldt University: renowned and rich in tradition

The Humboldt University is Berlin's oldest university. Its also one of the most renowned universities in Europe. The range of courses offered here includes classical subjects, as well as Eastern European languages and Asian and African studies.

Technical University: Germany's largest

The Technical University of Berlin is the largest technical university in Germany. Unusual for an institution of this kind, it also offers humanities and social science subjects as part of its curriculum.

University of the Arts: a creative capital

With around 4,000 students and more than 30 degree courses, the Berlin University of the Arts is the largest art college in Germany. Its visual arts, design, music and performing arts faculties are staffed with well-known people like Vivienne Westwood, Rebecca Horn and Wolfgang Boettcher.

International connections

Berlin's universities have partnerships all over the world. This means that degrees gained here usually count abroad as well. With the introduction of bachelor and master's courses, this international compatibility should become even more pronounced.

All the universities have their own mentors and introduction programs to help foreign students adjust to their new environment. They offer support not only with questions related to the university, but also with organizational challenges like finding accommodation and bureaucratic matters.

Author: Karin Kails