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FAQ of foreign applicants

1. What are the admission requirements for international students?

You can get further detailed information about application requirements on our website http://www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/en/studium-lehre/master/facts/index.html.

2. When and how can I submit my application?

The application period for winter term 2018/19 will start April 15, 2018 and will end on May 31, 2018. You will have to apply via UniAssist (https://www.uni-assist.de/).

3. What is the language of the program? Can I study the program entirely in English?

The FACTS-master is taught in English in the first semester, but mainly taught in German in the second to fourth semester. Thus, it is sufficient to have good knowledge of the German language. For further information see http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/international/studium_fu/deutschkenntnisse/index.html.

For English language skills see http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/bewerbung/master/konsekutive-masterstudiengaenge/sprachliche-zugangsvoraussetzungen/index.html.
For any further questions regarding the language requirements please ask the Info-Service http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/studienberatung/info-service/index.html.

4. How much is the tuition fee and any other related fees?

The Freie Universität Berlin does not charge any tuition fees for the program, but there is a €311,59 administration fee e.g. for public transport each semester. http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/studienorganisation/immatrikulation/rueckmeldung/gebuehren/index.html 

5. Does the program require you to live in Germany for the entire duration (2 years)?

It is not necessary to spend the whole year in Berlin as we have semester breaks, usually from end of July to mid October and from End of February to mid April. For the academic calendar of the Freie University you can have a look here http://www.fu-berlin.de/studium/studienorganisation/termine/index.html 

6. Are there any arrangements for accommodation?

There are no arrangements for accommodation, but you could apply for a student dorm. For further information have a look here

7. Does the university allow working part time to e.g. accommodate the cost of living?

There are no rules about working during the term and it is not forbidden. However, it will be difficult to successfully complete courses, especially in the first year. The FACTS master is a full time degree.

8. Will my foreign Bachelor be accepted in Germany?

For a detailed list of accepted universities you might have a look here:http://anabin.kmk.org/no_cache/filter/institutionen.html The webpage is in German, but you just need to select the country and then the city of your university and it will automatically display all accepted universities.

9. Do I have to translate my Bachelor thesis?

If your Bachelor thesis is in any language other than German or English, you have to translate it into one of those two languages. But it is not necessary to send a certified translation of your thesis.

10. I´m not able to show 180 ECTS because in my university the calculation method of credits is different. Can I still apply?

If you are not able to prove 180 ECTS it is not possible to apply for the FACTS Master. Because of the admission requirements, we are not able to consider your application in this case. Even if you may have studied the same amount of hours, we can’t consider your application without an ECTS count, because we have to ensure the legal certainty in our application process. We are sorry for any inconvenience!

But you might ask your home university to provide you with the conversion key to transfer your credit points into to the European system and to approve your conversion.

11. I studied my first degree in English/German. Do I still have to prove my English/German language skills?

The obligation to prove adequate language skills applies to the following students:

  • If you are a German native speaker OR you have completed your first full degree in German then you are not required to prove your German language skills.
  • If you are an English native speaker OR you have completed your first full degree in English then you are not required to prove your English language skills.

12. Which level of German is required?

For application at Freie Universität Berlin proof of completion of one of the following examination is required:

  • TestDaF (German as a Foreign Language) with at least the grade of 3 in all four parts
  • completed course B2 or B2.2 CEFR, attendance of a course C1 CEFR (= Mittelstufe 2)

For enrolment, German language skills have to be proved on a higher level:

  • TestDaF with at least the grade of 4 in all four parts.

This is necessary because the final exams will mostly be written in German. This is also why B2 is not enough as you can see here http://www.testdaf.de/teilnehmer/pdf/Niveau.pdf 

13. Is it required that my Bachelor thesis is already graded?

It is not required that your Bachelor thesis is already graded when you hand it in to apply for FACTS Master.

14. Is it possible to send you my documents before the application time frame to let you check if I´m eligible to apply?

Due to legal reasons a pre-examination is not possible. An assessment of your documents takes place in the allocation process only. We apologise for any inconvenience.

15. Can I get any help with my Visa?

We can´t arrange anything around your visa for you. But if you need any help, you might want to have a look here: http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/international/studium_fu/einreise_aufenthalt/index.html 

16. I have already completed more than one Bachelor degree, or I have completed another Master degree. Can I use courses from both degrees to fulfill the admission requirements?

No, this is unfortunately not possible. You have to fulfill all admission requirements with one degree.

17. Can I start the FACTS master in spring or only in autumn?

Unfortunately it´s not possible to start the FACTS master in spring.
This would only be possible if you are already enrolled in another master programme, and you want to switch to the FACTS master. In this case you would have to fulfill all normal admission requirements and additionally, you would need to prove 24 FACTS related ECTS per semester from your former master degree which can be translated into the FACTS master system.

18. Do I need to have a GMAT? (Graduate Management Admission Test)?

A GMAT is not required for the application.

19. Can I apply even if my Bachelor isn´t finished yet?

If you haven´t finished your Bachelor yet, you can apply with your Transcript of Records with your preliminary average grade. But you can only apply if you have finished 2/3 of the total required ECTS credits and if those credits are shown on your Transcript of Records.

20. Should I send my original documents?

Please ask Uni-Assist for any requirements regarding your documents.

21. Do I need an APS? (Akademische Prüfstelle)

An APS is only necessary for Chinese students if they have a Chinese degree. This document needs to be shown already when you apply for the FACTS Master. https://www.aps.org.cn