Bielefeld University

Institution Info

Interdisciplinary research, modern courses and world-wide cooperation - Bielefeld is one of the most esteemed universities in Germany. With about 18.000 students, the university is not only modern and vibrant, but also offers a broad range of subjects in humanities and social sciences as well as in natural and technical sciences. Numerous Graduate schools and an Excellence Cluster show that the university has succeeded in creating outstanding profile focuses. All 13 departments, services and seminar rooms are located under one roof linked by a lively hall, a great opportunity for meeting people and making friends. Young people from all over the world come to study in Bielefeld and apart from excellent research and teaching, a comprehensive support program awaits them making it easier to settle in. The city of Bielefeld is one of the 20 largest cities in Germany, offering everything that makes big-city life so attractive, from culture to sports.

Bielefeld was founded in 1969 with an explicit research assignment and a mission to provide high-quality research-oriented teaching. Today it encompasses 13 faculties covering a broad spectrum of disciplines in humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and technology. With around 18.000 students in 80 degree courses it is one of Germany's medium-sized universities. Since its foundation the University has been guided by the paradigm of interdisciplinarity. A shining example therefore is the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research. The changeover to Bachelor and Master Programmes began very early at Bielefeld University. The courses are modular in nature and have a clearly arranged structure. They not only offer education and training for the most familiar academic professions but also pave the way for the route to new occupational and reseach fields. Bielefeld University is infinitely networked. Through this, people from more than 100 countries invest their cultural potential in research, teaching and study. Another important building block in the Bielefeld network for excellence is the promotion of young scientists. More than 30 junior research groups make Bielefeld even more interesting for young scientists. As the architectural expression of its interdisciplinarity, the University unites almost all its departments in a single building. This striking structure brings people working in different disciplines together in close proximity. The culture of communication is characterised by great openness towards new ideas. The central services are just a short distance away - this goes for the Student Guidance and Counselling Centre, the Computer Centre as well as the University library.