Liberal Arts and Sciences (BA/BSc) at University College Freiburg University of Freiburg

Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) encourages intellectual discovery and personal development in an international learning community. UCF fosters a multidisciplinary educational environment that emphasises critical thinking, innovation, and citizenship. We empower students through active learning and collaboration, preparing them to tackle complex challenges and contribute meaningfully to society in an interconnected world.

Features

• LAS is a four-year, 240 ECTS credit programme. It includes academic competencies, skills training, disciplinary specialisation, and room for intellectual exploration.
• Language of instruction is English. Students who do not speak German must learn German up to an A2 level (CEFR).
• LAS is a selective programme with an annual intake of 80 students.

Contents

LAS combines a shared foundation in the core, academic depth in your major, with student choice especially in the electives.

1. The core (60 ECTS) is shared by all students and includes academic skills, reflections on knowledge and science, and a curriculum on responsibility and leadership.

2. The majors (120 ECTS) provide an in-depth education in an interdisciplinary academic field. After their first year, students choose between:

• Culture and History
• Environmental and Sustainability Sciences
• Governance
• Life Sciences

3. In the electives (60 ECTS), students shape their own profiles. They can take courses at other university departments and across our European networks (EUCOR and EPICUR), attend language classes, study abroad, and undertake internships or independent projects.

LAS graduates are prepared for careers in international environments that come with complex responsibilities and require fast and efficient adaptation to varying challenges. About 80% of LAS graduates continue with Master's programmes. For more information, please see the University College Freiburg website.

During the first year of LAS, the so-called foundational year, students largely follow the same curriculum and establish a shared basis of knowledge and skills. Furthermore, they take three out of the four introductory courses to the majors.

From year two onwards, students can design their own study programme, meaning individual study trajectories will progress quite differently:

• After your first year of studies and having completed three introductions to different majors, you choose your major: (1) Culture and History, (2) Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, (3) Governance, (4) Life Sciences
• Beyond classes in the major, you will take further core courses, notably on responsibility and leadership.
• You will have substantial freedom to take courses of your choice in the programme's electives section.
• Furthermore, we encourage you to spend part of your studies abroad. About 80% of all LAS students seize the opportunity to gain experience abroad, usually during their third year of study.
• In the last semester of year four, students write the Bachelor's thesis in the area of their major.

For further information on our LAS programme, please see:

• our UCF website
• every spring / summer, we host a series of online and in-person Open Days – join us to learn more about LAS, the people at UCF, and Freiburg! 
• our Online Study Choice Assistant, an interactive tool with which you can learn more about LAS and find out if it fits your expectations
• the LAS testimonials and stories for first-hand experiences from LAS students and alumni

The following chart summarises the LAS curriculum and its components:

The electives section of the LAS programme allows for credit recognition of academically relevant internships, subject to approval by the LAS Board of Studies.

The LAS programme is a selective programme with an intake of about 80 students per year. Selection is based on your academic achievements, your motivation for studying with us in Freiburg, and the match between the LAS programme and prospective students. Our target group is students with intellectual curiosity and responsibility who are looking for breadth and depth in their academic training.

The application requirements are:

• University entrance qualification: school leaving diploma and transcript of grades
• Proof of English proficiency at min. B2 (CEFR)
• Application essay (500 words maximum)
• Letter of motivation (500 words maximum)
• Study-orientation test, e.g. the LAS Online Study Choice Assistant (OSA)

For details on these requirements and the application and admissions process overall, please see the University College Freiburg website.

190 EUR per semester:

• Administrative fee: 80 EUR
• Contribution to the constituted student body: 7 EUR
• Contribution to the student union: 103 EUR

Participants must ensure that sufficient funding is available to finance their participation in a course of study. The average cost of living in Freiburg for one month is currently approx. 850 EUR to 1,000 EUR.

Some details:

• Rooms in private accommodation, including extra costs: 350 EUR – 700 EUR
• Rooms in student residences, including extra costs: 250 EUR – 550 EUR
• Private expenses amount to around 350 EUR per month.
• Health insurance is available for approx. 120 EUR per month.
• Transport: A special student ticket for regional transport costs approx. 96 EUR per semester.

The city and the University of Freiburg offer jobs for students, ranging from catering to academic student assistant positions. As Freiburg is a university town, the job market for students is quite competitive. Please see the UCF website for more information and links regarding student life and finances in Freiburg.

For more information on financing your studies and scholarships, please see the University College Freiburg website.

The University of Freiburg offers career advising in cooperation with the Federal Employment Agency. At University College Freiburg, an academic advising system is in place to support LAS students with questions about career opportunities.

As Freiburg is an attractive city, finding a suitable and affordable place to live can take a little while. The University of Freiburg offers all newly enrolled international students the possibility to apply for student housing via the International Office. In addition to these dormitories, which are run by the Studierendenwerk Freiburg (www.swfr.de/en), several independent residence halls are listed on the university website (https://uni-freiburg.de/internationaloffice/housing/). The Studierendenwerk Freiburg and the International Office also offer a list of available private rooms.

The University of Freiburg was founded in 1457 as a classical comprehensive university, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Germany. Awarded for its excellence in both research and teaching, the university also boasts a long history, with numerous Nobel laureates. Brilliant scholars and creative thinking distinguish it today as a modern, top-notch university, well equipped for the challenges of the 21st century. As an organisation with around 24,500 students, 288 degree programmes, and 6,536 employees (2021), the University of Freiburg is committed to family friendliness, equal opportunities, and environmental consciousness in its day-to-day operations. The structure of the university is multifaceted, ranging from 11 academic faculties – from the humanities and the social and natural sciences all the way to engineering – to 19 research centres. This goes to show that we are a dynamic, large-scale institution with a diverse educational offering. As studies, research, and continuing education are all an integral part of this offering, we maintain a close relationship with the city and the region as well as with the international academic community. Bilateral partnerships, research projects, joint study courses and memberships in international networks such as the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and of EUCOR – The European Campus are examples of the university's strong transnational relations. All our students, including those from abroad, can take courses at the Universities of Basel (Switzerland) and Strasbourg (France) without having to enrol. Via EUCOR, The European Campus mobility grant, they also receive allowances for travel expenses to their partner institutions.

Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in south-western Germany on the edge of the Black Forest. Freiburg was founded by Konrad and Duke Bertold III of Zähringen in 1120 as a free market town – hence its name, which translates to "free town". Freiburg holds a central position in Europe at the border triangle of Switzerland, France, and Germany, and is the city with the most hours of sunshine per year in Germany. It is nestled in one of the oldest cultural landscapes north of the Alps, a location which has had an unmistakable influence on the town. The university plays an essential part in the quality of life in Freiburg; both in the academic sphere and in the perception of the general public, the activities of the university are of central importance. Since its founding, teaching, learning and research have formed an indivisible whole.

With approx. 230,000 inhabitants, Freiburg has a friendly size, offering the safe surroundings of a smaller city whilst at the same time excelling in terms of culture, shopping and infrastructure. Both the inhabitants and the city government of Freiburg attach great importance to ecological values and sustainable development. This "green city" atmosphere influences many aspects of city life – from the numerous cyclists on the streets to cutting-edge solar energy research. Surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of the Black Forest and the wine-growing regions of the Rhine Valley, Freiburg is a popular destination for tourism and leisure activities.