Frequently asked questions
Dear prospective candidates,
Due to ongoing crises in the world, we are often asked if we accept applications from certain countries.
Please be assured that we welcome ALL applications from interested individuals with the required qualifications, regardless of where they come from.
Most of the questions asked can be answered by reading the below FAQs. However, if you wish to contact us, then please do so at: gbz@gbz.hu-berlin.de
For questions regarding the mandatory work placement, please refer to our
Work placement FAQS.
Applying for the MA British Studies programme
If you have a university degree from a German university, the application should be sent by post directly to the Centre for British Studies, Mohrenstrasse 60, 10117 Berlin.
If you have an international university degree, please apply online via uni-assist.
The application deadline is 31st May. The deadline is the same for all applicants. Uni-assist allows you to apply from the beginning until the end of May each year. Applicants with a German degree can submit their application directly to the Centre from January onwards.
Can I begin in the summer semester?
No. Application is possible only for the winter semester.
Can I submit any additional or missing documents after the application deadline?
Uni-assist does not allow uploading new documents once the deadline has passed. If important documents are missing after 31 May, your application will not be considered. Please make sure to apply well in advance to ensure that your application is complete before 31 May.
What paperwork do I have to provide to apply?
Please see the information on our admissions page and make use of the checklist that is part of the application form.
Yes, officially by a notary or by a state-certified translator, in English or in German. Sent translation copies or scans should include an official stamp and a signature. Documentation in English, German and French is accepted without translation.
Do not send any original documentation. Uni-assist requires scanned originals. If you have a German undergraduate degree and are submitting your application directly to the Centre, copies will suffice.
As the Centre is working with uni-assist for the first time in 2023, if you have an international degree, you need to submit all the required documents to uni-assist even if you were accepted in the previous year. If you have a German university degree, then we only need a fresh motivation letter and an updated CV from you.
If you have a German undergraduate degree and are submitting your application directly to the Centre, and your application has not been received and the deadline is approaching, you can send a provisional application by email to: catherine.smith@hu-berlin.de
A paper version should, however, be sent by post.
If you have an international undergraduate degree, please submit your application via uni-assist (online only).
If you have a German undergraduate degree, please submit your application through the university portal.
Please refer to our Steps To Take, as of page 6 in the booklet “Some Useful Information for Living and Studying in Berlin. Based on the HU Guide for International Students”, or the official Humboldt guide sent to you with the confirmation letter. This is information which you only receive after being accepted for the programme.
If you are presently in your final year at university and have not yet received your degree document you can apply provided you will have completed your present course before October and fulfilled all exam requirements. An officially headed confirmation letter from your university will have to be provided, stating your current situation with a list of the subjects you have studied so far, including exam results, along with your predicted final grade and the date of graduation.
Languages
APS = Akademische Prüfstelle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland bei der deutschen Botschaft in China
Students from China, Mongolia, India and Vietnam who apply for courses in Germany must provide an APS certificate. The students who are accepted for the course must have this certificate to matriculate at the Humboldt-Universität.
If I am accepted to the programme, how do I apply for a visa?
Uni-Assist: you will receive a confirmation (Bewerberbestätigung). Please use that to already make an appointment with the German embassy in your home country for the second half of July.
If you are admitted to the course, you will be able to download an admission certificate after 17 July 2023. Make the embassy appointment before this date. Do not wait until then to arrange the appointment – the visa process takes very long and you don’t want to miss the start of your study programme in the middle of October.
For applicants who apply directly to us and not to uni-assist please refer to the second paragraph above only.
For the current necessary entry requirements please ask at the German embassy in your home country. If a visa is required, start the application process as early as possible as it may take quite a lot of time. You need a visa for studying in Germany – a tourist visa is not acceptable in this case. One of the main prerequisites for obtaining such a visa is the certificate of admission which we sent you and a financial proof of roughly 11,208 Euro (For most updated information on blocked account for visa application, please check the website of German Federal Foreign Office https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/sperrkonto/388600). This can be done by
- a bank statement of a German bank showing that you have the amount of money needed; or
- a so-called Verpflichtungserklärung (declaration of suretyship) by a person living in Germany;or
- a Verpflichtungserklärung by a member of your family in your home country (ask at the embassy for the form) proving that they have got the money to support you.
From our experience we can tell you that the whole procedure may be quite tedious and that it often lasts longer than expected. So please apply for your visa without any delay!
If any problems with the embassy arise please tell us so immediately. If you give us a direct contact email/number of the person responsible, we can try and talk to them directly about your case.
This is all digital now: you can do it either through uni assist or the university portal.
Finances
The actual programme is free and there are no tuition fees. However, if accepted you are responsible for your own cost of living and the matriculation fees at the Humboldt University each semester. These amount to ca. 320 Euros each semester and we have four semesters in all.
The course is full-time. We strongly advise you to take this into consideration if you are thinking of working part-time.
Unfortunately, the Centre has no grants. However, several programmes (e.g. Deutschlandstipendium, DAAD, political foundations) provide scholarships for graduate students.
More information is available here (https://www.international.hu-berlin.de/en/studierende/aus-dem-ausland/wegweiser/08/08_01_03). You can also book a social counselling session at StudierendenWerk (https://www.stw.berlin/en/counselling/social-counselling-centre/).
Additionally, the StudierendenWerk offers counselling services that focus on other issues like finances (including emergency funding as well as start and completion grants), housing, and dealing with the authorities. There is also a counselling service for barrier-free studies.
For further information please see our study regulations.
No. The programme takes place on site in Berlin with tutors from the Centre, the Humboldt-Universität, and from the UK. It involves teamwork with the rest of the group and hands-on project work.
Student mobility scheme (placement)
Is the student mobility scheme (placement) paid?
Not necessarily. We have a variety of student mobility schemes (placements) all over the UK and the Republic of Ireland in various fields. If you have a particular interest and preference which we cannot help you with, you can look for a place yourself.
Do I have to do the work student mobility scheme (placement)?
Yes. This is an obligatory part of the course and counts as part of the exam. The work student mobility scheme (placement) has to take place in the UK (or in Ireland). Students are required to write an internship report.
The UK and Ireland typically require visas to enter the country for work purposes, with some exceptions. This category includes paid and unpaid internships. The type of visa required, its conditions, and its costs depend on your specific nationality and personal situation. Find out what you need to do from the relevant British (https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk) or Irish (https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-work-in-ireland/) authorities.
Make sure to apply correctly and well in advance of the start of your student mobility scheme (placement), as the process can sometimes last as long as 3 months. We will not be able to advise you on matters pertaining to your visa application.
Due to the consequences of Brexit and the termination of Britain's participation in Erasmus, it is unlikely that students will conduct their placement in the UK. This is subject to change according to developments within education mobility agreements. Meanwhile, the Centre maintains contact with placement providers in Ireland, Germany, and elsewhere that allow students to work with British or Britain-related organizations outside of the UK.
What are potential student mobility scheme (placement) providers?
The majority of our students have found qualified permanent work – this varies from working in the free market, the public sector and academia. A number of our students go on to do PhDs. This does, of course, depend on what your plans are, where you live, your efforts and initiatives.
The Humboldt University Career Center provides individualized counselling for students and graduates up to one year after completing their studies at Humboldt-Universität. For more info see here.
Disability/chronic illness - how do I find advice after getting a place on the programme?
We have an Equal Opportunities Representative and Women’s Representative here at the Centre, and, you can always speak to members of staff.
There is also a Disability Advisory Service in the Humboldt’s main building.
Here is the link in English:
https://www.hu-berlin.de/en/studies/behinderte/behinderte-en