Application Procedure
Candidates with a German Bachelor’s degree apply directly to the Freie Universität Berlin via the online portal.
Prospective students with a foreign university degree must apply for a VPD (Vorprüfungsdokumentation, preliminary review documentation) at uni-assist and then use this document to apply for a master’s program using the FU application portal. Freie Universität Berlin only accepts applications, that are received via the application portal of Freie Universität Berlin and contain a valid VPD which is issued for Freie Universität Berlin.
- your bachelor's degree with overall grade
- a certified transcript of your bachelor's studies
- proof of English-language proficiency
See further details on applying with a German degree versus a non-German degree.
The application for the winter semester runs from April 15 to August 15.
The application period for the summer semester runs from December 2 of the preceding year to January 15.
Candidates with a non-German Degree are recommended to prepare their documents well in advance and to apply as soon as the application period opens.
This means that you must have completed bachelor-level modules that provided you with thorough fundamentals in theoretical and experimental physics. Your knowledge must include the following foundational topics:
- Electrodynamics and Optics
- Fundamentals of Measurement and Laboratory Techniques
- Structure of Matter (Solid State Physics, Atomic and Molecular Physics)
- Analytical Mechanics
- Quantum Mechanics
- Theoretical Electrodynamics
- Linear Algebra
- Analysis
Additionally, you must have laboratory experience and be able to set up experimental equipment. You also must know how to measure, interpret, document and report experimental data.
The admissions committee evaluates the equivalence of your curriculum in terms of course content and credit hours. To see the compulsory and elective modules we teach in the bachelor's program at the Freie Universität please visit the bachelor's program website or consult the Study Regulations.
If you are unsure whether your degree is equivalent to ours please feel free to contact the program's coordinator who is responsible for the recognition issues.
For instance, with a degree in engineering or chemistry?
No. You require a Bachelor's degree in Physics that is equivalent to the Bachelor's degree in Physics from Freie Universität Berlin. You can check Study Regulations for bachelor students to see what modules are compulsory (in German: Pflicht) for physicists at our university.
Yes, you can apply if you have completed at least two-thirds of the credit points required for your Bachelor's degree. In that case, your current transcript of courses can be used for the application.
Note that all modules necessary to complete the Bachelor’s degree have to be finished before the start of the Master course, and certificates have to be submitted before the end of the first semester of the Master course.