Germany

Germany: Programs in Berlin Area

Free University

Disciplines: Comparative literature, political science, political economy, history, and international relations.

Free University, as its name implies, was founded in 1948 as a result of the ideological conflicts at Humboldt University, whose dissident professors and students formed a new, "free" university where academic freedom and scholarly autonomy could flourish. At present there are 52,000 students enrolled at Free University (including some 5,500 international students), making it Berlin’s largest university and one of the largest in Germany. It is located on attractive grounds amid grand villas that once housed the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and the site of Allied Command Headquarters after World War II.

Humboldt University

Disciplines: German and comparative literature, history, media studies, cultural studies, women’s and gender studies, and the humanities.

Humboldt University was founded in 1809 as Friedrich-Wilhelm Universität. During the Nazi period, the faculty was purged and ideologically compromised and the university suffered considerable wartime damage, resulting in its closure. Courses resumed in 1946 in what had become the Soviet sector of Berlin. Conflicts over Communist attempts to influence the university produced divisions that led to the founding of the Free University in the Western sector in 1948. The reunification of Germany in 1990 began a rebirth for the institution, which now ranks on a par with the other universities in the city. Today the university enrolls nearly 40,000 students.

Technical University

Disciplines: Sciences, math, engineering, environmental studies, and architecture.

Technical University has its origins in several older institutions dating to the 18th century, specializing in industrial, technical, and vocational studies. While the institution became an important source of technical support for the war industry during the Third Reich, it was revitalized after the war to include courses in the humanities and social sciences, so that its graduates would see their work in the larger social and cultural context. Today with 29,000 students, it is the largest technical university in Germany. It also has the highest percentage of international students of any university in Germany, including a very large contingent from developing countries.

Detailed information from the Student's Guide

Academic information in the Student's Guide typically includes program-specific details about the host institution, program structure, and courses; academic culture and conduct; units, exams, and grades; orientation; and information about the intensive language program (if applicable).

Academic Information