GlobaLinks Learning Abroad 
Freie Universität

FU-BEST, the Berlin European Studies Program of the Freie Universität, offers students the opportunity to develop German language skills through intensive classes, enroll in non-language academic courses in both English and German, and fully immerse themselves in dynamic and multicultural Berlin.

Located in the heart of Europe, the metropolis of Berlin, with some 3.4 million inhabitants, offers students unrivaled educational, intellectual, cultural, and recreational opportunities. Either through the program or on their own, students will be able to become acquainted with many parts of Germany and Europe.

The program will enable students to enroll for one semester or academic year in stimulating courses taught by expert faculty. Students will find themselves making solid progress in their German language skills, from elementary through advanced. All students are enrolled in a minimum of 3-4 credits of German language learning.

A variety of non-language courses are taught in English or German by local faculty and include such topics as cultural studies, art history, literature, the European Union, German history, German and European politics, architecture, film studies, music history, management, marketing and philosophy. Local academic field trips are an integral part of many of the courses.

The majority of students will be study abroad or exchange students from other countries. Additional opportunities for contact with German students and German society in general are made available during the semester.

The Freie Universität

FU-BEST is offered by the Freie Universität Berlin, one of Germany's premier institutions of higher education. Founded in 1948, it has an enrollment of circa 32,000 students. In 2007, after an intense, nation-wide competition organized by the German federal government and the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Freie Universität Berlin became one of only nine German universities to be awarded the status and predicate as "institution of excellence." The FU is characterized by a strong international profile, featuring leadership in international education, a large percentage of foreign students, and numerous partnerships with foreign universities. The university is located in Berlin's charming southwestern sector, yet with easy access to the city's center.

FU-BEST Program

FU-BEST content courses resemble U.S.-style semester courses in terms of contact hours, workload, and design. Students will take 4-5 courses including 2 intensive language courses or 1 beginning language course for non-German majors/minors. Students can expect to take 12-17 U.S. semester credits per semester.

German Language Classes

Although the FU-BEST program does not have a German language prerequisite, each participant in the program is required to enroll in German on-site. Those who are German language majors/minors at their home universities (or intend to major/minor in German back home) must enroll in the double-course (6 - 8 U.S. semester credits) German language program, which involves 12 hours per week (Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. until noon) for 12 weeks. These students will normally complete 2 levels of German language training in the course of the semester.

In addition to the double-course intensive track, the FU-BEST program also offers a single-course (3 - 4 U.S. semester credits) track of "Experiential Beginning German" for Non-Majors/Non-Minors only, comprising 6 hours of instruction per week and a local field-trip featuring applied language learning every other week. Non-majors/non-minors may, however, also sign up for the double-course intensive track instead, if they wish.

English Taught Classes

A variety of non-language courses (all worth 3 U.S. semester credits) are taught in English or German by local faculty and include such topics as:

Local academic field trips are an integral part of many of the courses. To view the full list of available classes please click HERE.

FU-BEST employs the concept of the "extended classroom" to tie the academic work carried out in the FU-BEST building to the tremendous variety of historical, political, cultural, and societal sources and opportunities available in contemporary Berlin. Many content courses feature field-trips and assignments that take advantage of these sources and opportunities.

The "extended classroom" concept is also tied to the fact that FU-BEST content courses meet for 2.5 hours per week. Consequently, all students are required to complete 2 small "independent projects" encompassing 1-2 page reports on specific sites in the city (such as museums, memorial sites, etc.), as assigned by each course's teacher. The German language sections also feature regular field-trips in the city, in each case led by the teacher.

About GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Programs

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad programs are created with individual student's goals in mind. Our programs are built around a unique Discovery Model which is delivered by our amazing staff, both in the U.S. and overseas. Our Discovery Model provides every student with an individualized experience through discovery in 5 key areas: personal, academic, cultural, social, and professional. Our North American staff counsels each student through the application and enrollment process, and our on-site Resident Coordinators set up a calendar of activities for students related to each area of discovery. These activities are more than just tourist excursions, and include opportunities like networking events, local festivals, gallery openings, and other similar events that you can't find in a travel book.

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad programs in Europe include everything you would expect in a study abroad program: guaranteed housing, 24-hour in-country support, an in-country multi-day orientation program, comprehensive pre-departure services, and discovery activities to make the most out of each student's experience. Students of all majors are welcome to apply, and no prior language skill is required even for foreign-speaking destinations as some or all courses are taught in English at each university. Scholarships are available.

Contact Us

Email: studyabroad@globalinksabroad.org

Call: 1.800.980.0033

Find out more about this program our website.