If you received your BA at a university in Germany, the application process for the MA degree is handled by FU. The standard process of applications for consecutive MA courses of studies at Freie Universität Berlin applies.

For detailed information, please go to the FU Berlin’s general admission website.

In general, during the application window, you must:

1.       Fill out the online form which can be found here.

2.       Electronically upload the necessary certifications to the application portal.

Unfortunately, applications that are sent directly to the FU Berlin’s Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut cannot be considered.

If you have applied for immediate admission due to extreme hardship within the online application, please send the following documents via mail to Freie Universität Berlin (email and fax are not accepted) :

• the signed application form,  the completed special application sheet along with all documents supporting your special application as officially certified copies

If you earned your degree from a university outside Germany please see this page for details on how to apply.

All students need to include the same information and documents in the application, but students with an undergraduate degree from a German university and students with an undergraduate degree from a university outside of Germany use different application websites. Students with a German undergraduate degree use the application website of the Freie Universität Berlin, students with an international undergraduate degree use Uni-assist. For more information please click here.

The program always begins in the winter semester. However, if all places for the winter semester are filled, students can be accepted into a more advanced semester that begins in the summer if spots have become available.

It is theoretically possible to apply in January 2025 for entry into the course in the 2025 summer semester, which starts in April 2025. However, applying for the summer semester is rather tricky since it means applying for entry into a higher semester. In practice, applying for the summer semester only really makes sense for students who are already enrolled in a different MA program and would like to switch to the Global History MA program. It can also make sense for students who have already completed a master’s degree in a relevant subject and would like to study the MA Global History as a second master’s degree. If you are still interested in applying for the summer semester, please contact us at globalhistory@fu-berlin.de.

In all other cases, we recommend applying for the winter semester instead (i.e., for entry into the first semester of the MA program). The application window for the 2025/26 winter semester, which starts in October 2025, will open in April 2025.

Yes, the slots are limited. Approximately 60 applicants can be accepted each year.

The success of your application depends solely on whether you meet the required criteria for the program and the grade you received for your undergraduate degree. There isn’t a set minimum grade that you need to achieve to be accepted. Rather, admissions are based on the “Numerus Clausus” system: The Numerus Clausus is determined by the ratio of available slots to the number of applicants. Since the NC is determined annually by the number of eligible applicants, we cannot make any predictions ahead of assessment. But you can have a look at the Numerus Clausus from previous years to get an idea of the numbers: https://www.fu-berlin.de/studium/docs/DOC/nc_master.pdf
Some additional information on the Numerus Clausus and about common misconceptions can be found here: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/information_a-z/ncmerkblatt/index.html#Misconceptions 

No. As the success of your application solely depends on whether you meet the required criteria for the program and the grade you received for your undergraduate degree, the inclusion of a personal statement, CV or letter of recommendation will not enhance your chances of being accepted. 

(Exception: you may want to explain your additional qualifications or your choice of studies if unorthodox enough to require it - for example, those applying for a double MA need to explain their reasoning – see above.)

Generally speaking, no (see also “Do I need to include a personal statement, CV or letter of recommendation?”). You may, however, include supportive documents such as further language certificates, certificates of internships you conducted and deem relevant for the program, or certificates of stays abroad that also carry some relevance for the program.