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FAQs Application

Due to the current coronavirus crisis we have updated how students can prove their language skills, please refer to the Language Requirements section for more details.

Applicants need to certify English skills at the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Language skills can also be certified by the CAE (Cambridge English: Advanced), the IELTS (International English Language Testing System – a minimum score of 7.5), or the TOEFL (Test of English as a foreign language) with a minimum score of 100 for the internet version.  A document showing that applicants spent at least one year at an English-language university in an anglophone country would also be sufficient (if you are unsure if your university qualifies, please enquire via email), as would a BA degree in a subject that also has a C1 level English requirement. Please note that we do not accept language certificates by DAAD or any university language department, only officially certified language test results. Applicants must prove their language skills upon application – a preliminary admission is not possible. Proof of German language skills is not necessary for the application.

No, you must hand in your language certificate with your application, as we do not offer conditional acceptance.

Since this is a consecutive MA program your chances will be limited. However, the examination board will decide whether your degree is equivalent to a degree in history or area studies based on the courses you took for your degree.

If you did not major in history or area studies, please include a transcript of records that proves that you earned at least 60 ECTS (equivalent to about one third of your undergraduate degree) in historical or area studies courses. Your area studies courses should reveal a focus on one region.

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.

Yes, you can apply, but your chance of admission may be reduced. If there are many qualified applicants, those not yet enrolled in a different MA program are more likely to be admitted. If you want apply, you will need to include a personal statement in your application that explains the following:

    1.       The goal(s) of your studies

    2.       The feasibility of completing both programs according to their rules and structures

    3.       Why the second program is necessary to complete your goals

Yes, if the respective degree includes the necessary qualification (equivalent of 60 credit points in history or area studies).

Yes, if you provide official, provisional evidence from the examination office of your university or faculty that includes a preliminary final grade and certifies that you have already earned at least two-thirds of the necessary credit points. It is not sufficient to calculate the preliminary final grade yourself. The certification must be handed in by the application deadline or your application will not be considered.

Yes, as long as, in the course of your studies, you've earned the equivalent of 60 credit points (Leistungspunkte) – about a third of a bachelor's degree – in historical or regional courses and have the necessary language skills.

Please note, however, that this is a consecutive MA program. You will, therefore, be required to apply with your BA and not any other degree you have.

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.

No, the entire application process for the MA Global History is handled by the FU and the results are then accepted by the HU. Applications are therefore only possible at the FU.

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.

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

That is impossible to say before the application process starts, since the NC is always the product of the ratio of available slots to the number of applicants. Please be aware that a certain number of slots are not allotted according to grades, but according to the number of semesters the applicant has waited, as well as to qualifications that have been obtained in relevant regional or language contexts.

Most likely the answer is no. Since successful applicants to the program are required to have earned at least one third of the credit points for their undergraduate degree in courses with a history or area studies focus, students who hold a BA in international relations are usually not eligible for the program. The reason for this is that international relations courses normally don't put an emphasis on historiographical aspects. In addition, they do not qualify as area studies as they are mostly concerned with the relations of a number of regions and do not focus on building expertise on one particular region.

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.)

You should start the visa application process as soon as possible. You do not need to wait for your acceptance letter to do so, but can apply for a prospective student visa, which can then be converted to a residence permit later on. You can find more information on the DAAD website. We are not able to support you through the visa process. We recommend that you speak to the German embassy/consulate in your country.

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.

Unfortunately, no. The entrance requirements of 60 credit points in either history or area studies has to have been completed as part of your undergraduate degree. Completing the required amount of credit points outside your main degree or in addition to your degree will, unfortunately, not render your application eligible.

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