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.

The MA Global History is an English-language program. Applicants to the MA program must prove with their application that they have English skills at C1 (CEFRL) level. Please refer to the Language Requirements section for more details.

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

There are two cases where you would not need to provide an English test certificate. 1) If you have studied for at least one year at an English-language university in an Anglophone country, then that would be sufficient, or 2) If your bachelor’s degree also had a C1 level English requirement, then that would also be sufficient. Otherwise, you would need to take a standardized English test and include the test score with your application documents.

Please see here for a list of the tests we accept, along with the required minimum scores: https://www.global-history.de/admissions/language/index.html

The MA Global History is an English-language program. Applicants to the MA program must prove with their application that they have English skills at C1 (CEFRL) level. German is not required. For more detailed information on our language requirements, please see here: https://www.global-history.de/admissions/language/index.html

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, it is possible to apply to the MA Global History even though you’re already enrolled in a different MA program. Please contact us at globalhistory@fu-berlin.de. 

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.

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 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It is not possible to defer your place, unfortunately: If you don’t accept your place, you will have to apply anew next year. The fact that you already applied and got in this year won’t have any positive or negative effect on your application next year.

There are no specific scholarships for the MA Global History, but students can apply for funding independently. A variety of German organizations and foundations offer scholarships for international students in Germany. Each year, several global history students apply successfully for funding from scholarship programs. For more information and some helpful links, please see here: https://www.global-history.de/admissions/fees/index.html.