Springe direkt zu Inhalt

North America: Graduate

Program description

The Free University Berlin will prospectively offer graduate (master) spots at the following North American partner universities:

Expected with sholarship

Even one of the scholarships to be awarded will probably not be able to cover all the costs actually incurred. Please inform yourself in advance about the cost of living in each city and factor in costs for health insurance, etc.

Without additional scholarship

Application

Students of Free University apply for a spot in the general North America program, an option to rank the preferred partner universities will be offered when filling out the online application form.

Application deadline

For the academic year 2026/27: 18 November 2025

Duration

Information about whether the partner universities accept students for a semester or two semesters can be found on the website of the respective partner university. The academic year in North America will usually start in late August or early September and end in May or June of the following year.

For semester spots, students can apply for a stay of one or two semesters.

Prerequisites

  1. Application is open to fully enrolled graduate students of Free University Berlin, who should ideally be in their 1st semester at the time of their application.
  2. Applicants should have a very good level of English proficiency – please read below for further information.
  3. Applicants should have very good academic standing.
  4. Applicants who will finish their studies before beginning their studies abroad will not be considered.
  5. Research stays are not available for graduate (Master) students; at least two to three courses must be completed per semester.
  6. Restrictions
    a) Students cannot take courses in the departments of medical, law or business schools
    b) Students will have limited access to courses in clinical psychology, journalism, business administration, information systems
Please note: In case of acceptance you will have to provide proof of your financial means for a visa, the amount to be proven varies depending on the university.

Application documents

Please send  your application documents as early as possible to clarify potential questions or issues in time. Feel free to visit us during our office hours for a personal consultation.

The following documents should arrive at the office for student mobility on the application deadline at the very latest:

Online application form

You will find the link to the application form here and it will be online about 4 weeks before the application deadline.

Certificate of enrollment

With details of your study program and  which semester you are currently in. You can download your current certificate of enrollment from the student’s administration website.

A print-out from Campus Management

“Leistungsübersicht über begonnene und abgeschlossene Module” – available in your Campus Management under the tab “Noten & Punkte”.

A copy of your undergraduate degree certificate

In English including the transcript of records with all courses completed in your undergraduate studies. The copy does not have to be certified.

For non-german undergraduate certificates: please also submit the grade conversion document from your uniassist procedure.

Study proposal

A detailed explanation of your study proposal in English, no longer than 2 pages.

Please divide your letter in two parts:

Academic interest
What made you choose your program of study? Why do you want to study in North America? Which classes would you like to take in North America? Which area of study in your field would you like to focus on during your time in North America and why? Which advantages can you take from this direct exchange for your studies here at Free University?

Preference list of American universities
Please explain your choice of universities in the preference list you gave in the online application form. Briefly explain your top 3 choices. Why are these universities the best universities for your particular area of study? Please feel free to check our partner universities’ websites for further information. (Your preference list and explanations will only be read by our selection committee and not by the partner universities).

Please note: We strongly advise not to focus on a single specific university! Restricting yourself to one university can reduce your chances of getting a spot in the direct exchange program.

Two letters of recommendation

Two letters of recommendation by lecturers in English. At least one letter should be written by a lecturer of Freie Universitaet Berlin. Graduate students who are new at Freie Universitaet Berlin are exempted from submitting a letter of recommendation by a lecturer of Freie Universitaet Berlin, in this case both letters of recommendation may be written by lecturers from their previous university. All referees should use our form.

Please have the reviewer fill out the form linked here, they should send it as a PDF document directly to the Office for International Student Mobility. After the application process has been completed, the letter of recommendation will remain with us; it will not be returned to the applicant or forwarded to offices outside of Freie Universität Berlin.

Proof of language proficiency

It is necessary for applicants to have a very good knowledge of the English language, in order to be able to follow the classes while abroad. Most North American universities require the TOEFL or the IELTS test as proof of English proficiency. Some partner universities accept the DET (Duolingo English Test) and/or the Cambridge Certificate (CAE and/or CPE). Please find the detailed requirements regarding language proficiency on the partner institutions description. Exception: English BA degree from an English speaking University. Language certificates may not be older than 2 years, the relevant date concerning this is the application deadline of the program. 

TOEFL (official score report)
When booking a TOEFL appointment, please make sure to provide the institution code of Free University Berlin-Student Exchange Office (C507) in order for the test results to be sent to our office. You will receive an examinee score report and can view your test scores online. For the application we accept a scan or the PDF of your online score report or your examinee score report.

IELTS (test report form)
You can check the minimum of scores on the sites of the respective partner universities. For the application we accept a scan or the PDF of your online score report or your test report form.

Should you have passed one of the language proficiency test within the past 2 years, please submit a copy of your test result with your application. Please note that without a language test result we cannot invite you for an interview.

Proof of language proficiency can be handed in up to two weeks after the official application deadline.

Please name each document as follows: 

YourLastName_DocumentTitle (e.g. Schmid_StudyProposal). All documents (except for the letter of recommendation) should be sent as a separate PDF document within one zip folder, which should also have your last name.

You will receive a confirmation of receipt within a week of submitting your application. In case you don't hear from us after a full week has passed, please contact us as soon as possible. However, please refrain from sending several emails after having submitted your application, as this slows down our working process.

Financing

The partner universities offer nominated FU students a full tuition waiver. Some partner universities grant additional scholarships to cover living costs; please find more detailed information under the links of each partner university.

It is possible to apply for additional funding with the DAAD or PROMOS. Please note that the DAAD has only one deadline per year. This year it is October 1st for the U.S. and Canada.

Further information on financing can be found here.

Further information

Tuition waiver

 A nomination by the Free University for one of our partner universities always includes a full tuition waiver; further information can be found on the pages for each partner university. 

Enrollment as non-degree student

Our exchange agreements always include an enrollment as a non-degree student for the duration of your stay. Usually it is not possible to graduate from the partner universities.

Credit and grade transfer

Whether you will get credit at the FU for the classes you take at the partner university will be decided by your department. We recommend to consult the responsible parties before going abroad. 

 Leave of absence

Students have the option to take a leave of absence for one or two semesters.

Up-to-dateness of the published capacities

Please note that because the exchange is based on reciprocity, the final number of spots available at each partner university can only be published shortly before the application deadlines.