Willkommen!

Welcome to FU-BEST, the Freie Universität Berlin European Studies Program! We invite you to examine the information available at this site and hope, of course, that you will decide to spend one or more semesters with us in the exciting German capital!

If you want to get a sense of the reunified Germany and the challenges of the post-Cold War era in a fast-changing Europe, there is really almost no better place to come to than Berlin. Located in the heart of Europe, this metropolis with some 3.4 million inhabitants will offer you unrivalled educational, intellectual, cultural, and recreational opportunities. Either through the program or on your own, you will be able to become acquainted with many parts of Germany and Europe. What is more, Berlin's rich museum landscape, its monuments and memorials, its concert halls and opera houses, its stage and movie theaters, its pubs and clubs, and its range of recreational offerings will all be at your disposal.

The program will enable you to enroll in stimulating courses taught by expert faculty. You will find yourself making solid progress in your German language skills, from elementary through advanced, by way of mandatory participation in intensive language training. Group-based or individualized local field-trips will be linked to many of the courses.

Freie Universität Berlin, a German leader in international education, will be your host. You will have full access to its facilities and opportunities to get to know and interact with its students. The university is located in a charming, quiet section of the city, yet within easy reach of the city's downtown areas. You will have the option of living in single-occupancy housing or with a host-family.

FU-BEST Mission Statement

Freie Universität Berlin European Studies Program (FU-BEST) is an intensive, academic semester program, introducing participants to Berlin, Germany, and Europe. Our goal is to create an international community of mindful and responsible global citizens who actively shape a better future. We achieve this by connecting diverse students from all backgrounds, providing first-rate innovative, accessible and sustainable education, and furthering personal and academic growth.

Quality

FU-BEST has successfully completed the Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) of the Forum on Education Abroad. By going through this process, FU-BEST has demonstrated that it is in conformity with the Forum’s Standards of Good Practice, maintains a commitment and dedication both to offering high quality programs in education abroad at a level of excellence acceptable to the larger academic community, and to continuous assessment and improvement