Application Deadlines and Portal Access at Freie Universität Berlin
Prospective students applying to Freie Universität Berlin for academic terms face application deadlines depending on their chosen program type and admission restrictions, according to portal schedules. The university operates an online application portal for bachelor’s degrees, master’s programs, preparatory courses at the Studienkolleg, and applicants seeking credit examinations through vocational qualifications. Deadlines differ significantly between restricted-entry programs, known as zulassungsbeschränkt or programs featuring a Numerus Clausus (NC), and open-admission courses of study. For single-subject bachelor’s programs with admission restrictions, the Studienkolleg, and multi-subject bachelor’s degrees containing at least one restricted component, the application window runs from June 1 to July 15 for the winter semester, and from December 1 to January 15 for the summer semester. Open-admission undergraduate programs observe later windows, accepting submissions from June 1 to September 1 for the winter term and from December 1 to March 1 for the spring term.
Master’s Program Schedules and Vocational Pathways
Master’s degree applicants must navigate separate timelines based on whether their specific department enforces enrollment caps. Restricted-entry master’s programs require submissions between April 20 and May 31 for winter entry, and between December 1 and January 15 for summer entry. Continuing education master’s degrees follow individual timelines specified within each program’s separate course description. Vocational professionals seeking a certificate examination and applicants participating in the lottery procedure for restricted programs without central allocation through Hochschulstart must also submit their requests through the primary institutional portal. Separately, the university requires specific groups applying to the first academic semester of pharmacy or veterinary medicine to use the external Hochschulstart platform rather than the internal university portal. This external requirement applies to German citizens, nationals of European Union member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, foreign applicants with a German university entrance qualification, and applicants legally equated with German nationals under Berlin higher education law.
Enrolled Student Module Changes and Course Combinations
Students currently matriculated at Freie Universität Berlin who want to alter their core subject or switch specific modules must submit an application inside the active portal deadlines, fu-berlin.de reported. The institution requires students to verify the academic viability of their proposed subject combinations prior to submitting paperwork through the system.
Applicants changing their primary core subject must select the desired core subject inside the portal and declare enrollment via the internal module offering category. Students adding or modifying individual modules must choose the bachelor core subject option currently registered at the university before selecting the new modules. The university mandates that all change requests reach the admissions system within the official application window to ensure participation in the institutional review process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who must use the external Hochschulstart platform instead of the university portal?
German citizens, EU nationals, and applicants from Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Norway applying for the first semester of pharmacy or veterinary medicine must use Hochschulstart. The same rule applies to foreign applicants holding German entrance qualifications and those treated as German nationals under Berlin higher education law.
How do currently enrolled students apply to change their modules?
Matriculated students select the bachelor core subject designation within the portal, then input their requested new modules. Submissions must occur before the conclusion of the active application deadline.
When do applications open for open-admission undergraduate programs?
Submissions for undergraduate programs lacking admission restrictions run from June 1 to September 1 for the winter semester and from December 1 to March 1 for the summer semester.
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