Participants in the FUBiS program can combine academic classes in English with German language lessons in a configuration that suits their needs and interests. Freie Universität Berlin awards credits for all FUBiS courses according to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), which students can then have recognized at their home university.

The academic courses cover a wide variety of subjects, including the history of Germany under National Socialism, European art history, protest movements in Europe, and sustainable business development. All courses are designed with a special focus on the city of Berlin with its immense cultural and historical significance. The city itself is used as a backdrop for teaching and learning, with field trips to memorials, museums, and embassies forming an important part of the curriculum. Two extracurricular activities are included in the program, namely, a boat trip on the Spree River and a tour of the Reichstag. Additional excursions, such as a day trip to Potsdam or Leipzig, can be booked individually (fees apply). Furthermore, the FUBiS program offers support services for students such as interactive mental health workshops and individual psychological counseling, ensuring that international students can make the most of their time in Berlin.

The FUBiS Summer University was launched in 1998 and expanded in 2007 to include a winter term. FUBiS now offers summer and winter programs lasting three to six weeks. In past years, it has regularly welcomed around 600 students from forty countries to Berlin. In 2018 the Forum on Education Abroad, a US-based non-profit organization committed to improving education abroad, awarded FUBiS certification through the Quality Improvement Program (QUIP). FUBiS remains the only summer and winter university in Germany to have successfully completed the rigorous QUIP evaluation. The goal of FUBiS is to help to create a global community of empowered individuals who will actively and competently shape a better future for all. This is why FUBiS increasingly integrates the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its course programs.