The regular start for the master program is the winter term each year.

However, in some cases applications for the summer term are also possible. In this case, one would apply for a higher (2nd) semester and a spot must be available, which is usually not the case. In addition to your Bachelor's degree, you need to prove that you fulfill the requirements for the second semester, that is, you successfully finished the same or equivalent courses as the other students in the program. At least 18 credit points out of the first semester must be proved!

The application deadline is usually February 15 for the upcoming summer term.

There are no tuition fees. However, the university charges about 300 EUR each semester (fees and contributions) which includes a ticket for Berlin's public transport system.

More information can be found here: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/studienorganisation/immatrikulation/rueckmeldung/gebuehren/index.html

You can upload any documents you think are relevant.

Please submit all required documents. Fill out the self-disclusure form and provide evidence of your statements.
Additional documents, such as letters of reference, are not necessary and will not be considered in the selection process

Yes, it is possible to apply for the 2nd semester. However, only for the summer semester. The application period (usually December 1 to January 15) can be found here:

https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/bewerbung/frist-master/index.html

Please note that for a successful application you must meet all the same admission criteria as for the first semester! If you apply to the second semester, you must also prove that you have the level of knowledge from the first semester.

It is possible to apply when you are about to complete your undergratuade studies. You must then submit a transcript of your records showing that you have already earned at least two-thirds of the required credits. At the time of matriculation (starting in August), you should submit your degree certificate so that you can matriculate regularly.(Otherwise it can be difficult to get a visa if you live outside the EU).

No. The application deadline is a cut-off date. That means any documents provided after the application deadline cannot be considered.

The program is designed as a full-time study and you also need to be regularly on site at the university. Of course, it is possible to work part-time to a certain extent, but certainly not full-time.

German language skills are not required, the language of instruction is English. But we recommend that our international students have a basic understanding of German to make life easier. Some documents are only available in German.

For German language summer courses offered by Freie Universität Berlin, please see:

http://www.sprachenzentrum.fu-berlin.de/en/sprachangebot/sprachen/deutsch/index.html

Please have a look at the website of the Berlin Studierendenwerk: https://www.stw.berlin/en/housing.html

Unfortunately, this is not always so easy for international applicants, if you have not studied at a renowned university. Unfortunately, we can't tell you that either. You will ultimately have to apply to find out.

Actually, it is justifiable to spend 75 € for an extremely complicated check at uni-assist, that's what they are there for. In many countries you have to pay much more for the application and also have to pay tuition fees. In addition, we have achieved that we will be a pure online university at uni-assist from winter semester 2021/22, all documents can be uploaded, nothing has to be sent by mail anymore. This will save applicants a lot of money, including for officially certified copies.

We do not have the possibility to arrange a scholarship for you.

Information about scholarships in Germany can be found in the database of the DAAD: https://www.daad.de/en/

You do not need to enter the application number if you have not yet received one.

If your course credits are not in ECTS: Please base the conversion of your classes on the workload of the individual courses, not on the grade. Up to 30 ECTS can be earned per semester of full-time study.
One ECTS corresponds to approximately 30 hours of work (attendance time, preparation and follow-up, exam preparation and examination).
Example: If you have attended 6 courses in one year of full-time study, all of which required approximately the same amount of work, you can declare up to 10 ECTS per course, provided you have passed all of them.

Please submit the completed form with your other documents.

Those who have completed the bachelor's degree program in Bioinformatics at FU do not need to fill out the form. Only for students who have completed a longer internship (Berufspraktikum) or can prove other practical experience, it may be worthwhile to indicate this under: 2.2. Practical Experience.

On our homepage you can find information on the Profile and Structure.
We also recommend the Online Studies Selection Guide (OSA).

The master’s program in Bioinformatics is able to accept about 36 new students each year.

Please use the following links to get to the application web site:

• Application with a German degree
• Application with a degree from outside Germany

Even if you have earned your Bachelor's degree at Freie Universität Berlin, you must reapply! If you do not have your Bachelor's degree at the time of application, you can apply with the so-called two-thirds certificate. This will be issued by the examination office.

• Further information for students who have completed the bachelor's degree program in bioinformatics at FU (in German)
• General Information Concerning Application

Don't forget to attach the self-disclosure form (pdf) to your application!

It’s hard to accept a rejection, which is why we are committed to ensure that all decisions concerning admissions are clear and consistent. But we understand that there may be reasons why you wish to challenge a decision.

Please note that the admissions committee's decisions are final and there is no appeal possible in university matters according to § 26 para. 2 of the General Competence Act (Allgemeines Zuständigkeitsgesetz, AZG).

Please have a look on this page (Summary of the Admission Regulations):

https://www.mi.fu-berlin.de/en/bioinf/stud/studieninteressierte/index.html

Please read:

https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/bewerbung/master/konsekutive-masterstudiengaenge/sprachliche-zugangsvoraussetzungen/index.html (The level B2 CEFR)

Furthermore we accept the following certificates:

• Bachelor or master degree that was fully taught in English.
• PTE Academic (level B2)

We usually have more eligible applicants than places in this program.

This means, admission is based on a ranking system.

Each qualified applicant is assigned a score (max. 100 points) based on the following three categories:

• The final mark of your bachelors degree (up to 70 points).
• Relevant qualifications that go beyond the minimum requirements as part of your studies, esp. in Computer Science, Bioinformatics and Algorithms (up to 20 points).
• Relevant professional experience (up to 10 points).

Please have a look at this website, to check the status of your application:

https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/bewerbung/portale/index.html

Application Deadline

We accept students for the master program once per year for the winter term which starts in October.

Applications for our Master's program in Bioinformatics are usually accepted from 15th of April until 31st of May each year. The dates may also change. Please find more information here.

Notification of Acceptance

You will be notified beginning of July.

Start of Teaching

The teaching activities start middle of October.

For more details on our academic calendar see  https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/studienorganisation/termine/index.html

Online courses may be considered in some cases and only to a very limited extent.

We may accept certificates of online courses from highly ranked universities, which can be found at EdX or coursera.

We don't accept certificates of online courses from Udemy.

A certificate must fulfill the following:

• A verification URL is included to check authenticity.
• The course name is stated.
• The course content is stated or can be found through the verification URL.
• The workload (in hours) of the course is stated or can be found through the verification URL.
• The certificate is signed by the instructor.
• A statement by the provider is included that the identity of the learner who completed the course is confirmed.

Only the final mark of your bachelor degree is counted for the application process.

For all inquiries about the application process, admission, enrollment, orientation at FU etc.: please contact the Student Services Center:
Info-Service@fu-berlin.de
http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/studienberatung/info-service/index.html

If you have any questions about the study structure and organization or the areas of specialization please contact: bioinf@math.fu-berlin.de