Under the auspices of the Deutsche Akademische
Austauschdienst (DAAD) the Department of Chemistry of the Free
University of Berlin will start a new bilingual German/English
program of studies in chemistry/ biochemistry for foreign and
German students in the autumn 1997 which is unique in Germany.
In two years the program leads (4 semesters) to a Master of Science
degree and to the start of PhD-research. The Freie Universitaet
of Berlin is located in the residential area of Dahlem, easily
to be reached by sub- way. The area has a long tradition in natural
sciences and hosts a number of various well-known research institutes.
The Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry has recently been evaluated
by an external commission of the German Science Council and the
City of Berlin and was classified as excellent.
Admission requirements
The program is open to students from
all countries (including German students). Entering students must
have either a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or Biochemistry,
the German Pre-diploma or the equivalent of two years of full
time study of Chemistry at a university. Students must also be
fluent in English (level: T.O.E.F.L. 550 points). Knowledge of
the German language is not an entry requirement as it will be
acquired during the stay in Berlin.
Program Calendar
Generally, the program is designed for a period of 2 years.
The academic year consists of the winter semester (mid-October
to mid-February) and the summer semester (mid-April to mid-July).
starting mid-October. An intensive German language course starts
mid-September.
Academic program
The languages of instruction are English and - at a later
stage - German; the courses offered are open to students of all
Chemistry and Biochemistry programs. The program (see below) consists
of courses in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry with a high
proportion of elective and research-oriented courses as well as
German language courses. The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)
is used for the assessment and allows for the transfer of credits
within the European Community and other counries accepting these
credits. A German 'Diploma' degree in chemistry/ biochemistry
can be obtained by completing a diploma thesis in a 5th
semester. This thesis also represents the initial research stage
of the PhD thesis which normally requires two to three additional
years of work.
Expenses and Scholarships
By law, currently no tuition is charged by German Universities,
besides student dues of 53 DM and an administrative fee of 100
DM (60 US$) per semester. Housing can be obtained through the
Freie Universitaet at a rate of about 300 DM per month. The total
cost of living and tuition are approximately 1,100 DM (600 US
$) per month. Applications for DAAD-scholarships have to be submitted
to the DAAD office of your German Embassy about 12 months before
you enter the program. Information on other scholarships is available
on request.
Further information
on research, courses and study programs in the World Wide
Web: http://www.chemie.fu-berlin.de/~selim/daad/index.html; research.html;
courses.html; studies.html
Applications
Please return the application by email, mail or fax, as soon
as possible to Professor H. H. Limbach, Freie Universitaet Berlin,
Fachbereich Chemie, Takustrasse 3, D-14195 Berlin, Germany, Tel
(49) 30 838 5375, Fax (49) 30 838 5310, email: selim@chemie.fu-berlin.de.
Complete application consists of 1 application form, Curriculum
Vitae, copy of the transcript of previous studies, T.O.E.F.L.
certificate for students from non-English speaking countries (or
equivalent proof of English language skills), Letter of Recommendation
from a professor of your institution. Socrates/Erasmus students
only need to return the application form.