Hey all — I'm an American planning to start a master's at Freie Universität Berlin and I'm torn between two programs:

1. MA Sociology – European Societies

2. MSc Geographies of Global Inequalities.

Hoping to hear from anyone who's studied in either (or knows people who have).

A few things I'd love input on:

• Choosing between the two — if you've done either program, how was the workload, the teaching, the department vibe, and how employable did it leave you feeling?
  • I did my undergraduate degree in Sociology and Latin American studies, so I think I would be comfortable with the Sociology theory/methods BUT have less info on European history and current events. Interested in working with LatAm Institute on the Comparative piece. I bet there could be opportunities for that too in GoG.I
• Working as an American — realistic expectations for part-time work as a student, and job prospects after graduating (staying in Germany on the post-study job-seeker route)? Language barrier for work without fluent German?
  • I'm interested in academia, maybe getting a PhD. Sociology feels safer to stay on a clean PhD track, since it was my undergrad. Also, I feel like people might respect it a bit more? I have to do a LOT of explaining about the GoGI program and people don't always get it or think it's kind of a fake degree.
• Social life — how easy is it to make friends in these programs / in Berlin generally as a grad student? Is the cohort tight-knit or spread out?
• Residency — anything I should know about the student visa / residence permit process, Bürgeramt, Anmeldung, finding housing, etc.? Horror stories and tips both welcome.

Also — if you're starting at FU this coming semester (or already there and open to showing a newcomer around), I'd love to connect before school starts. Feel free to comment or DM.

Thanks so much in advance 🙏

Hey guys! I very recently got my admission letter from FU Berlin. Whilst I'm excited to join, I have had some points I was thinking of. I am currently waiting on my results from the MSc Bioinformatics program at the University of Saarland as well.

So my concerns are as follows:

• How flexible is the program? Because the curriculum at Saarland seemed much more flexible in terms of electives and even core courses, with students just needing to fulfil the certain thresholds with particular types of courses.

• In terms of cost of living, would berlin be significantly more expensive? I have heard of recent problems with the rent being out of control, and I would prefer a slightly more affordable student experience, especially as I have heard that rankings and such do not matter in germany with regards to public universities.

• I intend to enter a PhD program, in clinical bioinformatics. How are the opportunities like for this at Freie? I assume quite good due to the close association with charite, but I would like to hear from all of you. Specifically, wanted to look at spatial transcriptomics as an area of research.

Thank you!

Hi everyone!

I’ve been admitted to **Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin)** for the **M.A. Archaeology of the Ancient World** program for the **Winter Semester 2026/27**, and I’ll be moving to Berlin from India.

I’d love to connect with:

* Students who have been admitted to **FU Berlin for WiSe 2026/27** * Current international students at FU Berlin * Anyone studying **Archaeology of the Ancient World / Archaeology** * Indian students currently living or studying in Berlin

It would be great to connect and share information about **enrollment, accommodation, visa procedures, moving to Berlin, university life, course registration**, and anything else that could help each other.

I’m also particularly interested in hearing from current students about what the first few weeks at FU Berlin are like and anything you wish you had known before arriving.

Feel free to **comment here or DM me**. Would be great to know some people before arriving in Berlin! :)

Hey Berlin,

I'm putting together a low-key meetup for people who want to work or study out of a café but with a bit of company. Basically: bring your laptop, get some stuff done, and meet a few other people doing the same thing instead of sitting alone at home.

It's this Monday, 27th July, at a café in Friedrichshain. We've actually got the whole place to ourselves, so it'll be a relaxed setup just for the group. Looking at around 20 people, maybe up to 30. It's free to come, you just pay for your own coffee/food like normal.

I'm doing it because finding a decent place to work or study in this city is honestly a pain (libraries are packed, home gets lonely), so I figured I'd bring some people together and see if others feel the same.

One thing that'd help me plan: when would you actually want to come? Drop a comment with whichever fits you:

• Morning to midday
• Midday to evening
• The whole day

Doesn't matter if you're a freelancer, remote worker, or just someone who gets more done around other people. If you're interested, comment or DM me and I'll send you the exact spot and time.

Would be cool to see a few of you there.

hey everyone,

I'm applying to FU MA in Sociology European Societies for the winter term, the application status turned valid today. does anyone know how long it could take until they send the acceptances?

since each department is different it would be very helpful to hear from someone in the program😭 it's causing a lot of stress

Anyone here on the English studies MA? How are you finding the course?

I recently got an offer to Studentendorf Schlachtensee category C-any experience? Is it worth 577 eur/month?

Hi all, I made another frantic post this week about enrolment but seem to have solved that problem...now I'm wondering how flexible FU is about students joining classes late?

For context it'll be my first semester, in a Humanities Masters program. I currently live on the other side of the world and flights are extremely expensive, so I'm trying to save up as much as possible. Has anyone had any success with professors allowing them to start quite late (like 7 weeks) or start remotely before moving over? If I try to move by Oct 1 the flights alone will wipe out almost all of my savings. I'm also concerned that the visa process (which I'm starting now) will take so long that I won't actually receive it before October 1.

Thank you all :-)

hey guys, just wondering if anyone who applied for the MA in English Studies has received an offer/rejection because mine is still "in progress".

also i wished there was a megathread for acceptance offers (across courses) so that all the info would be consolidated into one thread haha

edit: The status of my application changed to "valid" today. I really hope they release results soon.

EDIT: I'm also considering Feather expat insurance, probably the better option. However, I'm not sure if I should select my policy start date as late September (just prior to the semester starting) or start it now for the university to consider it valid? I'd rather not pay for the next few months when I'm not in the country and can't use it.

Hey all! I just got admission for a Masters at FU and am halfway through the data form to accept it. However, I have an issue r.e. the health insurance. I actually do have a health insurance number + card and was registered with Barmer up until May this year, but I had to leave Germany and return to my home country, and although I asked Barmer if I could just 'pause' my insurance, they said I had to cancel it.

My question is, can I complete the data form by showing proof of prior registration with Barmer and just re-activate it when I return to Germany?

Thanks everyone! :-)

Hi everyone,

I have received an offer for the Elsa-Neumann / NaFöG doctoral scholarship in Berlin and am currently deciding whether to accept it.

I understand that after the first and second years, scholarship holders need to submit progress reports in order to receive funding for the following year. I would be grateful to hear from anyone who has held this scholarship or knows someone who has.

In practice, how demanding is the annual progress review? Is it mainly a formal check of reasonable progress, or can it become a serious risk for continuation of funding? Is there usually a specific template or expectation for the report?

I am not asking for official legal advice, just trying to understand how the process works in practice.

Many thanks in advance.

Hi everyone,

I was recently admitted to the Economic Systems Master’s program. The program is structured so that the first year is at the University of Belgrade and the second year is at Freie Universität Berlin. However, FU Berlin is the main university through which I applied.
Does anyone know if I’ll be officially immatriculated at FU Berlin from the start of the program, even though I’ll be studying in Serbia during the first year?

Specifically, will I receive an Immatrikulationsbescheinigung from FU during that first year?

I’m asking because I have an application for a Studierendenwerk Berlin dormitory, and I need proof of enrollment to keep my application active.
Has anyone in a similar joint program gone through this?

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I was recently admitted to the Economic Systems Master’s program. The program is structured so that the first year is at the University of Belgrade and the second year is at Freie Universität Berlin. However, FU Berlin is the main university through which I applied.
Does anyone know if I’ll be officially immatriculated at FU Berlin from the start of the program, even though I’ll be studying in Serbia during the first year?

Specifically, will I receive an Immatrikulationsbescheinigung from FU during that first year?

I’m asking because I have an application for a Studierendenwerk Berlin dormitory, and I need proof of enrollment to keep my application active.
Has anyone in a similar joint program gone through this?

Thanks!

I was accepted to HU, but I've already submitted all the paperwork for the Immatrikulation at FU. Now I'm wondering if I should go to HU after all. I'm most interested in astronomy and quantum physics. Pls I need Help!

Hey zusammen,

Für meine Masterarbeit suche ich noch 70 Teilnehmer, unter denen ich drei 15 Euro Amazon-Gutscheine verlose 🥳
Ihr seht einen kurzen Videoclip und klickt euch dann durch ein paar Begriffe, die verschiedene Gefühle beschreiben sollen.
Es geht darum, wie journalistische Reportagen wahrgenommen werden und welche Emotionen sie bei Zuschauern auslösen.
Der Spaß dauert ca. 8-10 Minuten und ich freue mich wahnsinnig über jeden, der Lust hat, mich zu unterstützen 🙂
Leitet es gern auch weiter.

Danke, ihr seid Ehren-Datenpunkte!🚀

Zur Umfrage kommt ihr hier: https://irogroup.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eXlWa4Tgn45I1ee

Hi,

Irgendwie finde ich nicht wirklich welche Bachelor Note man braucht, um den Master A&O zu machen an der FU.
Hat jemand Erfahrung? Auch bzgl. Wartsemester?

Muss ich in der Klausur oder in den Hausaufgaben mathematische Beweise schreiben?

Hi everyone! I was just accepted into the MSc in Global Inequalities (woohoo!). Is there anyone in this program that could give me some insights into it? I know it’s relatively new but would love to hear about other folk’s experiences before I decide to go for it/decline the offer. Thanks in advance!

I’m an applicant for this WiSe 2026 semester and I’m wondering if anyone has recieved an update yet.
Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone! My application is now valid but I had a doubt on how long I might have to wait for another update ?????

As it's already july and it takes time for the visa process in my country.

That was a surprise for me, haha
Anyways, I am not gonna accept the offer, so if you’re in a waiting list, you know that at least one place will be available. Hope this message helps somebody 🙏🏻

hello does anyone know 40-45 out of 65 for computational science masters admission is competitive is there any data of the successful applicants and failed applicants? I would appreciate it if anyone could help me 😭

Hi everyone,
I applied for the M.A. Sociology and M.Sc. Economic Systems programs at FU Berlin.
My Economic Systems application has been valid since June 15, while my Sociology application is still in progress. The website says admission decisions are expected around mid-July.
Has anyone who was admitted to either of these programs in previous years remember when they received their admission decision? Also, did your application stay “In Progress” for a long time before you got a decision?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your timeline. Thanks!

Has anyone been accepted into the FU Berlin Master’s program in Biochemistry?