FU Best- Freie Universität Berlin European Studies Program

Berlin, Germany

Dates and Deadlines

Term:

Fall

Academic Year

Spring

Start Date

See Advisor

End Date

See Advisor

Deadline

2/15/2023

9/15/2023

Information

Area of Study:

Business Administration, Film, Gender Studies, German, History, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Social Sciences, Theatre

Program Type:

Direct Enrollment, Intensive Language, Internship

Language of Instruction:

English, German

GPA:

3.0

Language Prerequisite:

No previous language experience required (classes offered in English)

Advisor Name:

Leanne Olona

Advisor Email:

studyabd@unm.edu

Overview

Program Overview

The program will enable you to enroll in stimulating courses taught by expert faculty. You will find yourself making solid progress in your German language skills, from elementary through advanced, by way of mandatory participation in intensive language training. Group-based or individualized local field-trips will be linked to many of the courses.

Freie Universität Berlin, a German leader in international education, will be your host. You will have full access to its facilities and opportunities to get to know and interact with its students. The university is located in a charming, quiet section of the city, yet within easy reach of the city's downtown areas. You will have the option of living with a host-family or in a single-occupancy, fully furnished studio apartment.

FU-BEST is based on an academic calendar consisting of two regular American-style Fall (September-December) and Spring (February-May) semesters.

Vertical Tabs

Academics

German language courses

Mandatory enrollment in German language, offered at all levels, during the Fall and Spring semesters (6-8 credit hours for intensive instruction at all levels and 3-4 credit hours for non-intensive instruction at the beginner level). The FU-BEST program does not require knowledge of German prior to enrollment.

Subject courses

A menu of subject courses (3 credit hours) taught mostly in English by expert faculty, covering such topics and disciplines as cultural studies, art history, comparative literature, the European Union, German history, German and European politics, sociology/psychology, film studies, legal studies, architecture, environmental studies, transatlantic relations, business, music history, and philosophy.

Cultural Program and Field Trips

Local field-trips as integral component of many of the courses, in addition to individualized assignments when feasible.

A week-long excursion to Poland, Munich, Vienna, Dresden, Prague, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Budapest, Paris, London or other destinations, varying from semester to semester, please see upcoming destinations here).

Opportunities for contact with German students and German society in general, for example through volunteering opportunities or a language tandem, are made available throughout the semester

Internships

Students interested in doing an internship in Berlin can apply for an 8-week placement on a full-time basis (35-40 hours per week) following the end of the regular FU-BEST Spring semester or as a stand-alone option. The internship allows students to explore an enriching academic experience in Berlin by immersing themselves in a German workplace and gaining valuable intercultural experience along with skills for their careers. All positions offered are unpaid, however, upon successful completion of all elements of the program, students are awarded 12 ECTS credits that may be transferred back to their home institution.

Location

If you want to get a sense of the reunified Germany and the challenges of the post-Cold War era in a fast-changing Europe, there is really almost no better place to come to than Berlin. Located in the heart of Europe, this metropolis with some 3.7 million inhabitants will offer you unrivalled educational, intellectual, cultural, and recreational opportunities. Either through the program or on your own, you will be able to become acquainted with many parts of Germany and Europe. What is more, Berlin's rich museum landscape, its monuments and memorials, its concert halls and opera houses, its stage and movie theaters, its pubs and clubs, and its range of recreational offerings will all be at your disposal.

Housing

The FU-BEST program offers three housing options:

Homestay (incl. breakfast and dinner);
Single occupancy Student Village or The Student Hotel;
Independently arranged housing.

Homestay

The program has up to 70 homestay placements at its disposal, which are assigned to applicants on a first-come-first-placed basis. Applicants who cannot be assigned to a homestay will be promptly notified, allowing them the option of switching to a request for an apartment available through the program (but here again also dependent on availability), or to independently arranged housing, or of withdrawing their application cost-free.

Student Village/ The Student Hotel

Participants opting for the Student Village/ The Student Hotel option are required to submit credit card information as security deposit. Both options are based on availability.

Independent housing

If you wish to opt out of the two housing choices provided through the program, you may do so

Links

Housing: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/fubest/accomm/accomm_info/index.html

Course info: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/fubest/prog/courses/index.html

Internships: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/fubest/internships/features/index.html

International office: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/fubest/about/About-us/index.html

University website: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/