Universität Potsdam
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The University of Potsdam is a
public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
in
Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...
, capital of the state of
Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...
, northeastern
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. The university is mainly situated across three campuses in the city. Some faculty buildings are part of the New Palace of
Sanssouci Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...
which is known for its UNESCO World Heritage status. The University of Potsdam is Brandenburg's largest university and the fourth largest in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan area. More than 8,000 people are working in scholarship and science. In 2009 the University of Potsdam became a winner in the "Excellence in Teaching" initiative of the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft (Business innovation agency for the German science system).


History

The University of Potsdam was formed in 1991 by the amalgamation of the ''
Karl Liebknecht Karl Paul August Friedrich Liebknecht (; ; 13 August 1871 – 15 January 1919) was a German politician and revolutionary socialist. A leader of the far-left wing of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Liebknecht was a co-founder of both ...
College of Education'' and the ''Brandenburg State College'', as well as several other smaller institutions. As the university in large part emerged from the
College of Education In the United States and Canada, a school of education (or college of education; ed school) is a division within a university that is devoted to scholarship in the field of education, which is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences e ...
, emphasis today is still placed on
teacher training Teacher education or teacher training refers to programs, policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitude (psychology), attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they requir ...
.


Historical buildings

Some parts of the university are located in historical buildings that have been named as
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
s by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
. The university library and the Institute of History can be found in a part of the commons in the park of
Sanssouci Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...
, at the New Palace, as can the Institute of Mathematics in the former stables. The other campuses, Babelsberg and Golm, are also of historical interest. The oldest buildings of the Golm campus were built in the 1930s to house the
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
's intelligence department. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the College of Law of the East German Ministry for State Security moved in. The current Faculty of Law is located in Babelsberg/Griebnitzsee in the former presidial and administrative buildings of the German Red Cross (1939/40). Other lecture halls and buildings were built in the 1950s directly behind the
Schloss Babelsberg Babelsberg Palace () lies in the eponymous park and quarter of Potsdam, the capital of the German state of Brandenburg, near Berlin. For over 50 years it was the summer residence of Prince William, later German Emperor William I and King of Pruss ...
for the Academy of Justice and the East German state.


Campuses

As the largest university in the state of Brandenburg, the University of Potsdam mainly stretches across three campuses on the city's outskirts:


New Palace

New Palace,
Sanssouci Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...
(Am Neuen Palais): Faculties of Philosophy, Institutes of Mathematics and Sports. The university's main campus, which includes the Auditorium Maximum, is situated in the immediate proximity of Park Sanssouci. The Communs – the prestigious annexes of the New Palace are home to some of the institutes of the Faculty of Arts. The eighteenth century
baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
buildings, which disguise their former purpose as the Palace's offices and service rooms with staircases, porticos, cupolas, and rich ornamentation, are currently home to the university's presidential office and administration. The Institutes of Sports Science and Sports Medicine as well as the Institute for Mathematics can be found on the Campus Am Neuen Palais.


Golm

Golm: Faculties of Humanities, Mathematics and Science. Most institutes of the Faculty of Science as well as the Human Sciences Faculty are located in Potsdam-Golm, forming one of the largest science parks in the region. Three
Max Planck Institutes The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (; abbreviated MPG) is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes. Founded in 1911 as the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, it was renamed to the M ...
and two
Fraunhofer Institutes The Fraunhofer Society () is a German publicly-owned research organization with 76institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science (as opposed to the Max Planck Society, which works primarily on basic sc ...
as well as the start-up center GO:IN have already settled here.


Babelsberg

Potsdam-Babelsberg Babelsberg () is the largest quarter (urban subdivision), quarter of Potsdam, the capital city of the Germany, German state of Brandenburg. The neighbourhood is named after a small hill on the Havel river. It is the location of Babelsberg Palace an ...
/
Griebnitzsee Griebnitzsee (, from the Slavic ''Grib'', ''Mushroom'') is a lake at the south-western outskirts of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. At an elevation of 29.4 m, its surface area is ca. 0.592 km². The lake forms the border between the Germ ...
: Faculties of Law, Economics and Social Studies, Institutes of Computer Science, the
Hasso Plattner Institute The Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH (; HPI) is an information technology non-profit company affiliated with the University of Potsdam in Potsdam, Brandenburg, northeastern Germany. The teaching and research of HPI are f ...
for Software Systems Engineering. Campus Griebnitzsee is situated along the city border with Berlin, not far from the famous Babelsberg film studios, and houses the law faculty and the faculty of economics and social sciences. The Institute of Computer Sciences is also located here and benefits greatly from its proximity to the
Hasso Plattner Institute The Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH (; HPI) is an information technology non-profit company affiliated with the University of Potsdam in Potsdam, Brandenburg, northeastern Germany. The teaching and research of HPI are f ...
for Software Systems Engineering, a completely privately funded co-institute of the University of Potsdam. Other small institutes and departments exist in the City of Potsdam. The
Botanischer Garten Potsdam The Botanical Garden in Potsdam ( or ''Botanischer Garten der Universität Potsdam''), is a botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Potsdam. It has a total area of 8.5 hectares, of which 5 hectares are open to the public, ...
is the university's
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...
.


Academic profile

At the beginning of the winter semester of the 2020/2021 academic year, roughly 22,000 young people were studying at the University of Potsdam. The University is placing particular emphasis by establishing four university research focuses. Constantly increasing third-party funding volume testifies to the quality of the research conducted at the University today. The University of Potsdam also has successful, productive cooperative agreements with more than 30 non-university research institutions in the region. With interdisciplinary research agenda, the area of excellence links the departments of Psychology, Linguistics, and Sports and Health Science. UP offers more than 150 degree programs in various fields, offered in German as well as other languages, notably French and English.


Faculties

As is common in Germany, the University of Potsdam's teaching and research programmes are carried out along the lines of
faculties Faculty or faculties may refer to: Academia * Faculty (academic staff), professors, researchers, and teachers of a given university or college (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a large department of a university by field of study (us ...
. The university contains the following
faculties Faculty or faculties may refer to: Academia * Faculty (academic staff), professors, researchers, and teachers of a given university or college (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a large department of a university by field of study (us ...
:


Digital Engineering Faculty

The Digital Engineering Faculty, jointly established by the University of Potsdam and the
Hasso Plattner Institute The Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH (; HPI) is an information technology non-profit company affiliated with the University of Potsdam in Potsdam, Brandenburg, northeastern Germany. The teaching and research of HPI are f ...
(HPI), is the first privately funded department of a German public university.


Faculty of Law

The Law Faculty's curriculum offers the basic and required courses necessary to become a fully qualified lawyer. This training includes civil law, criminal law, and public law. At Potsdam, the areas of concentration in research and teaching comprise the fundamentals of law, civil judicature, business law, international law, public administration as well as business, tax, and environmental criminal law. All these areas offer ample opportunity for specialized study. Additional events for training and continuing education for practitioners in the municipal realm are offered by the Institute for Local Government Studies and in international relations by the Human Rights Centre. Furthermore, a German-French law program exists in cooperation with University Paris Ouest-Nanterre/La Défense.


Faculty of Philosophy

In recent years, the University of Potsdam's Philosophical Faculty has redefined itself in the spirit of cross-disciplinary cultural studies. Research and teaching at the Institutes for Religious Studies,
Jewish Studies Jewish studies (or Judaic studies; ) is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism. Jewish studies is interdisciplinary and combines aspects of history (especially Jewish history), Middle Eastern studies, Asian studies, ...
,
Jewish Theology Jewish philosophy () includes all philosophy carried out by Jews or in relation to the religion of Judaism. Until the modern ''Haskalah'' (Jewish Enlightenment) and Jewish emancipation, Jewish philosophy was preoccupied with attempts to recon ...
, Philosophy, History,
Classical Philology Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek and Roman literature and their original languages, ...
,
German Studies German studies is an academic field that researches, documents and disseminates German language, literature, and culture in its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies therefore often focus on German culture, German h ...
, English and American Studies,
Romance Studies Romance studies or Romance philology (; ; ; ; ; ; ) is an academic discipline that covers the study of the languages, literatures, and cultures of areas that speak Romance languages. Romance studies departments usually include the study of Spa ...
,
Slavic Studies Slavic (American English) or Slavonic (British English) studies, also known as Slavistics, is the academic field of area studies concerned with Slavic peoples, Slavic peoples, languages, literature, history, and culture. Originally, a Slavist or ...
as well as Art and Media are devoted to a broad understanding of culture that is defined by including all aspects of human life. Drawing from the broad range of faculty specialties, the thematic concentrations of "Cultures in/of Mobility", "Forms of Life and the Know How of Living" as well as "Region and Identity in Europe" were created. This emphasis in regard to content encourages interdisciplinary cooperation, but it also incorporates perspectives that are outside the Philosophical Faculty's traditional subject canon. The Focus Area Unsettled Cultures, for example, investigates among others the history and cultural practice of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and thereby combines different areas of study, such as theology, literature, ethics, medicine, and cosmology. In the spirit of research-based teaching, new academic programs such as Mobility Studies are being developed to complement the already existing interdisciplinary Master's programs in Jewish Studies, Communications Linguistics, Military Studies, European Media Studies as well as others. Furthermore, the faculty highly values the intensive support of young scholars. The graduate colleges, graduate schools, and externally funded projects under the auspices of the Philosophical Faculty offer young scholars the opportunity for interdisciplinary and international cooperation.


Faculty of Human Science

With the
Cognitive Sciences Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary, scientific study of the mind and its processes. It examines the nature, the tasks, and the functions of cognition (in a broad sense). Mental faculties of concern to cognitive scientists include percep ...
and the Educational Sciences, the Faculty of Human Sciences includes two of the interdisciplinary focus areas of the University of Potsdam that operate beyond faculty boundaries. The Cognitive Sciences' excellence is based predominantly on the Collaborative Research Centre "Information Structure: The Linguistic Means for Structuring Utterances, Sentences and Texts." Empirical research is currently being expanded in the educational sciences, and it is closely linked to teaching. In the education and training of aspiring teachers in all faculties, the Faculty of Human Sciences occupies a central role. The "Area of Excellence Cognitive Sciences" and the "Focus Area Educational Sciences" are divided into further research clusters and teaching units. Instruction in the departments of psychology, linguistics, sports, and health science is organized into educational science and teacher training. The research emphases are language, action and behavior, health, professional and popular sports, school and classroom as well as teaching across the life span. In the future, the existing potentials in the area of health sciences and prevention will be developed into another focus area. The research area in health is currently already well connected with the support systems for professional sports. The Faculty of Human Sciences mediates between theory and real life in a variety of ways. It is a service provider for the city of Potsdam and the federal state of Brandenburg. It maintains several consultation centers for psychotherapy and speech therapy as well as a university clinic. The university clinic is currently licensed as an examination center of the
German Olympic Sports Confederation The German Olympic Sports Confederation (, DOSB) was founded on 20 May 2006 by a merger of the ''Deutscher Sportbund'' (DSB), and the ''Nationales Olympisches Komitee für Deutschland'' (NOK) which dates back to 1895, the year it was founded a ...
. Ultimately, a regional health network will be developed in cooperation with other service providers. Furthermore, the faculty is actively striving for more quality in training students by establishing national and international Master's and graduate programs and developing a system of quality assurance in teaching.


Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences

With business administration and economics, political and administrative sciences, and sociology as fields of study, the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences has continuously renewed itself and created its own unique and independent brand label. Research and teaching are closely intertwined. The faculty is considered one of the most important German institutes for research, training, and consulting in the areas of policy research and administrative sciences. Another concentration in the field of innovation and technology is currently being developed. Following a multi-theoretical approach, researchers are investigating the interactive relationship between politics, economy, and institutions at different levels and in different fields of activity. The interdisciplinary approach allows for a study of the interplay between the economy, public and private institutions, and policy-making. Problems of governance between state, economy, and civil society are just as much a concern as problems of governance within the very differentiated public sector. Political and administrative scientists, sociologists, and economists are working on collaborative projects. The interplay of different research approaches and methods creates empirical and theoretical knowledge that transmits a complex and differentiated picture of socioeconomic, cultural, and political developmental processes in modern societies—domestically as well as internationally. The Faculty is very engaged in linking research and teaching to practice. Therefore, the outcomes of research in the areas start-up, consulting, and innovation directly benefit the faculty's Institute for Start-up and Innovation (BIEM CEIP), a central service institution for aspiring entrepreneurs. The Institute for Local Government Studies (KWI) conducts collaborative research with the law faculty in examining issues faced by municipalities in the new Länder and offers continuing education to its elected officials. Furthermore, the faculty's Potsdam Center for Public Policy and Management (PCPM) ensures active national and international knowledge transfer with its research and consulting projects as well as opportunities for academically-focused continuing education. The German Center for Higher Education Development considers the Master's and Ph.D. programs offered through the PCPM to be among the very best in Europe. Among these are the EAPAA-accredited international postgraduate Program in Public Policy and Management for public sector professionals in English language with the (MPM)
Master of Public Management A Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a specialized professional graduate degree in public administration that prepares students for leadership roles, similar or equivalent to a Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the i ...
and its three streams: Public Policy and Administration (PPA), Global Public Policy (GPP) and GeoGovernance (GG), the German-French Master of European Governance and Administration (MEGA) and the Executive Master of Public Management (EMPM) Program with the
Hertie School of Governance The Hertie School (until 2019 Hertie School of Governance) is a German private, independent graduate school for governance (public policy, international affairs and data science) located in Berlin. Hertie School is accredited to confer master's ...
.


Faculty of Health Sciences

The Faculty of Health Sciences is a newly found joint faculty of the University of Potsdam, the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (still under development).


Faculty of Mathematics and Science

Under its roof, the Faculty of Science at the University of Potsdam contains the Institutes for Biochemistry and Biology, Chemistry, Nutrition Sciences, Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Computer Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy as well as the University of Potsdam Botanical Garden. Especially the study programs in Geoecology,
Geoscience Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spheres ...
, Nutrition Science, Polymer Science, and Software Systems Engineering are in high demand. The faculty has been strong in gaining external funding and has established future-oriented concentrations and productive core areas in research and teaching. Five of the university's eight focus areas are part of the Faculty of Science:
Earth Sciences Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spheres ...
, Functional Soft Matter, Functional Ecology and Evolution,
Complex Systems A complex system is a system composed of many components that may interact with one another. Examples of complex systems are Earth's global climate, organisms, the human brain, infrastructure such as power grid, transportation or communication s ...
, and Plant Genomics/Systems Biology. The faculty's own concentrations, such as teacher training in mathematics and natural sciences, sensibly complement the focus areas by supporting their interconnectedness and contribute to their continuous advancement and renewal. The close cooperation between the natural sciences and extramural research institutions in the
Berlin-Brandenburg The Berlin/Brandenburg metropolitan region () or capital region () is one of eleven metropolitan regions of Germany, consisting of the entire territories of the state of Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg. The region covers an area o ...
region, already intended in the University of Potsdam's founding concept, was praised very early on by the German Council of Science and Humanities. The collaboration with several institutes of the
Max Planck Society The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (; abbreviated MPG) is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes. Founded in 1911 as the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, it was renamed to the M ...
, the
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft The Fraunhofer Society () is a German publicly-owned research organization with 76institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science (as opposed to the Max Planck Society, which works primarily on basic sc ...
, the
Helmholtz Association The Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres () is the largest scientific organisation in Germany. It is a union of 18 scientific-technical and biological-medical research centers. The official mission of the Association is "solving the g ...
, the
Leibniz Association The Leibniz Association (German: ''Leibniz-Gemeinschaft'' or ''Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz'') is a union of German non-university research institutes from various disciplines. Funding and Structure As of 2020, 96 non-u ...
, and the
Hasso Plattner Institute The Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH (; HPI) is an information technology non-profit company affiliated with the University of Potsdam in Potsdam, Brandenburg, northeastern Germany. The teaching and research of HPI are f ...
for Software Systems Engineering exemplify this extensive networking. Currently, there are more than 40 joint professorships with these institutions.


Studies and Students

The university is the largest institution of higher education in the state of
Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...
. It has repeatedly received the "Excellence in Teaching" Award from the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the
Federal Republic of Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 84 ...
. The University of Potsdam offers 170
degree programs An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions often offer degrees at various levels, usually divided into und ...
. It is not considered a "Volluniversität", i.e. a university offering courses in all traditional disciplines, since it does not comprise institutions for degrees in Medicine and Engineering. It also offers English-language Master's degree programs and courses. In addition, the university provides seminars, workshops and Executive Master's degree programs to career entrants and managerial staff. Students in Brandenburg are not charged for tuition. There is, however, a small administrative fee for each semester, which includes a public transport ticket for Berlin and Brandenburg for six months and amounted to EUR 304.16 in 2020.


Degree Programs

The University of Potsdam confers the following academic degrees for its
undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...
and
graduate programs Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...
: * Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) * Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) * Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) * First State Examination in Law or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) * Master of Arts (M.A.) * Master of Education (M.Ed.) * Master of Science (M.Sc.) * Master of Business Administration (MBA) * Master of European Governance and Administration * Master of Laws (LL.M.) * Magister Legum (LL.M.)


Overview of Degree Programs

To view the lists, click on "show" on the right-hand side.


Teacher Education

With more than 4,600 students pursuing teacher education programs, the University of Potsdam is the largest teacher training institution in the state of Brandenburg. Prospective educators are prepared for their work in schools and future educational challenges through the provision of well-founded subject knowledge, educational science competencies, didactic expertise, and a substantial practical component. Currently, the University of Potsdam offers educational programs for the following teaching qualifications: # Primary School Teacher Education # Primary School Teacher Education with a focus on Special Education # Secondary School Teacher Education (general subjects) # Secondary School Teacher Education (vocational subjects) (only Master's degree programs) # Special Education Teacher Education In the teacher education programs at the University of Potsdam, two subjects are combined, each with equal weight. An exception is the Special Education Teacher Education program, where one subject is studied in combination with two areas of specialization. The teacher education programs at the University of Potsdam are characterized by a significant practical component, including five accompanying internships. These internships include an orientation internship (classroom observation) during the bachelor's program, an integrated entry internship (classroom observation) for primary school teacher education students, an internship in pedagogical-psychological fields (e.g., in a kindergarten), and subject-specific didactic internships in the chosen teaching subjects (comprising observation and independent teaching). In the master's program, a full teaching internship is completed at a school (comprising observation and independent teaching), accompanied by a Psychodiagnostics Internship (application and practice of psychodiagnostic methods). The teaching internship can be completed both domestically and abroad. An exception is the master's program for teaching at Secondary Level (vocational subjects). For this teaching program, the teaching internship is waived, but the preparatory service is extended to 18 months. However, an orientation internship, an internship in pedagogical-psychological fields of vocational education, and subject-specific didactic internships in both subjects must still be completed.


Facts and Figures

In the winter semester 2024/2025, 19,691 students were enrolled at the University of Potsdam. International students make up 15% of the student body. 4,532 new students took up their studies at the Potsdam alma mater in the winter semester 2024/2025.


Distribution of Students in the

Faculties Faculty or faculties may refer to: Academia * Faculty (academic staff), professors, researchers, and teachers of a given university or college (North American usage) * Faculty (division), a large department of a university by field of study (us ...
(winter semester 2023/2025)

* Law Faculty: 2,668 * Faculty Of Arts: 4,815 * Faculty Of Human Sciences: 3,925 * Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences: 3,242 * Faculty Of Science: 4,737 * Digital Engineering Faculty: 1,015 * Faculty of Health Sciences: 0 (still under development)


Student Representation

The students are represented directly by the Student Parliament, the General Students' Committee (AStA) and the Departmental Student Representative Committees.


Student life

More than 60 student organizations are registered as associations at the university. They enable students to pursue political or cultural interests, organize social projects, such as a student-run crisis hotline, and establish contacts beyond their degree program. The University Athletic Department offers up to 200 different courses for a small fee. This also includes unusual sports like historical sword fighting. There are dining halls on every campus run by the Potsdam Association for Student Affairs with main courses starting at EUR 2.15. The Association for Student Affairs also provides accommodation for 2,855 students in the city of Potsdam. The "Nil" club on the Am Neuen Palais campus has been run by students since 1999. In Potsdam's city center, students also manage the Student Cultural Center "KuZe" and the "Pub à la Pub" bar.


Notable research centres and institutes

Within faculties, teaching and research activities may be further decentralised through departments, graduate schools or institutes. For example, * PCPM, Potsdam Center for Policy and Management, which has earned the University of Potsdam a reputation as one of the leading competence centers for Governance and the Public Sector. A recent reputation study by the German Association for Political Science has declared the University of Potsdam one of the three most important German universities and research institutions in the area of policy research and administrative sciences. The Center for Higher Education Development considers the Master's and Ph.D. programs offered here to be among the very best in Europe. Among these are the EAPAA-accredited international postgraduate Program in Public Policy and Management for public sector professionals in English language with the (MPM)
Master of Public Management A Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a specialized professional graduate degree in public administration that prepares students for leadership roles, similar or equivalent to a Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the i ...
and its three streams: Public Policy and Administration (PPA), Global Public Policy (GPP) and GeoGovernance (GG), the German-French Master of European Governance and AdministrationEuropean Governance and Administration (MEGA) and the Executive Master of Public Management (EMPM) Program with the
Hertie School of Governance The Hertie School (until 2019 Hertie School of Governance) is a German private, independent graduate school for governance (public policy, international affairs and data science) located in Berlin. Hertie School is accredited to confer master's ...
. * ''BIEM-CEIP'', Institute for Start-ups, Entrepreneurship and Innovation * ''KWI'', Institute for Local Government Studies * The ''
Hasso Plattner Institute The Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH (; HPI) is an information technology non-profit company affiliated with the University of Potsdam in Potsdam, Brandenburg, northeastern Germany. The teaching and research of HPI are f ...
'' for Software Systems Engineering is the first, and currently the only university institute that is completely privately financed. Hasso Plattner, co-founder and advisory board chairman of the software company
SAP Sap is a fluid transported in the xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a s ...
, created the opportunity for a unique academic elite-education in IT systems technology. Meeting the demands of the industry, about a dozen professors and more than fifty additional visiting professors and lecturers are currently training about 450 highly talented young people in the Bachelor and Master's programs to become IT systems engineers. * The ''
Hasso Plattner Institute of Design The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University (commonly known as d.school) is a design thinking institute based at Stanford University. The school is named after SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner and was founded by David M. Kelley a ...
'' integrates product design, engineering, and business management education, in cooperation with Stanford University. While it is located in Stanford University, it is a joint project and a degree with respective content is also offered through the
Hasso Plattner Institute The Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH (; HPI) is an information technology non-profit company affiliated with the University of Potsdam in Potsdam, Brandenburg, northeastern Germany. The teaching and research of HPI are f ...
in Potsdam. * The '' Abraham Geiger College'' is the first rabbinical seminary in Central Europe after 1945. When the Nazis closed the Higher Institute for Jewish Studies (Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums) in Berlin in 1942, it meant the end of an era that had begun with Abraham Geiger. In 1836 Geiger had called for the founding of a Jewish theological department at a German university that would be dedicated to Jewish tradition in the spirit of academic freedom. Today, the
Abraham Geiger Abraham Geiger (Hebrew: ''ʼAvrāhām Gayger''; 24 May 181023 October 1874) was a German rabbi and scholar who is considered the founding father of Reform Judaism and the academic field of Quranic studies. Emphasizing Judaism's constant developm ...
College provides education for rabbis and cantors for Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe. Besides vocational training, participants go through a regular university program of study that is integrated into the extensive curriculum of the School of Jewish Theology at the University of Potsdam and that must be completed with a B.A. for cantors and an M.A. for rabbis. After completing the degree and contingent upon agreement of supervisors and mentors, the rabbinical college then recommends candidates for ordination into the Jewish clergy. * The ''Moses Mendelssohn Center for European-Jewish Studies'' focuses on the history, religion, and culture of Jews and Judaism in European countries. A special accent is placed on the history of relations between Jews and their non-Jewish environment. On the one hand, research is concerned with the problems of social integration and acculturation faced by Jews, and on the other hand it focuses on comparative social historical questions related to living conditions and to geographical as well as social mobility. Further areas of research include hostility towards Jews as well as historical and contemporary antisemitism. Much attention is also given to sociocultural and intellectual-historical aspects, such as literature, art, religion, philosophy, and music. The
Moses Mendelssohn Moses Mendelssohn (6 September 1729 – 4 January 1786) was a German-Jewish philosopher and theologian. His writings and ideas on Jews and the Jewish religion and identity were a central element in the development of the ''Haskalah'', or 'J ...
Center owns an extensive and publicly accessible specialized library that currently holds around 50,000 volumes. * The ''Potsdam
Graduate School Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...
'', which sees its primary task in the promotion of already accredited doctoral candidates and post-doctorals as well as in the continuous optimization of doctoral conditions and quality management. The Potsdam Graduate School stands for transparency within doctoral procedures and the intensification and improvement of doctoral supervision.


Supportive institutions

* The Language Centre offers students of all faculties the chance to learn many languages at various levels of proficiency, and holds a collegial certificate of international
accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
from
UNIcert The UNIcert is an international system of certification and accreditation for various languages learnt in a university context. The main goal of UNIcert is to support language education for universities and to provide an accepted certificate tha ...
. * The Career Service supports students and graduates during the transition phase from study into practice. * Sports center * Computing center * AStA – Students' union executive committee * International Relations Office * Studentenwerk Potsdam *
University Library An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution, which supports the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an es ...


Tuition fees and scholarships

Tuition fees at University of Potsdam vary, depending on nationality and programme of study. For German and EU/
EEA The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Assoc ...
students there is currently no tuition fee, however, several additional fees such as for the students union as well as mandatory public transportation tickets for students have to be paid. For non-EU/EEA students tuition fees may apply. For both EU/EEA students as well as non-EU/EEA students a variety of financial assistance and scholarships is available. The University of Potsdam does not provide scholarships directly. Among others, the
German Academic Exchange Service The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD; ), founded in 1925, is a joint organization of German universities and student bodies to foster their international relations. Since 1 January 2020, the president has been Joybrato Mukherjee. Organisa ...
(Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst – DAAD) offers a very extensive scholarship programme. Students or post-graduates can apply for a wide variety of scholarships, but the conditions and opportunities vary according to the country of origin and field of study. Other scholarship providers also have varying prerequisites regarding country of origin, field of study, prior academic performance, the duration of the scholarship, etc. The prerequisites and the weighting of the various criteria for stipends are determined by the individual profiles of the foundation providing for the scholarships. For example, one's previous marks or grades are weighted differently by the various foundations. For some foundations, previous marks are weighted as the main criteria, and the social situation of the applicant is given significantly less weight. For other scholarships, good marks are important in order to receive a scholarship, but this does not mean that an applicant qualifies for one. Many foundations give significant weight to financial need, engagement in the civil society, or a developed personal profile. Willingness to participate in the respective foundation's programme is also important to some foundations. Information is available at University of Potsdam for students wishing to apply.


Rankings

The University of Potsdam is ranked within several well-recognized global
college and university rankings College and university rankings order higher education institutions based on various criteria, with factors differing depending on the specific ranking system. These rankings can be conducted at the national or international level, assessing inst ...
. According to the
QS World University Rankings The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...
2024, it holds the 460th position worldwide and the 25th place within Germany. Similarly, the
Times Higher Education World University Rankings The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'', often referred to as the THE Rankings, is the annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli Symon ...
(THE) for 2024 rank the institution between 201-250 globally and approximately 22-24 nationally. Furthermore, the
Academic Ranking of World Universities The ''Academic Ranking of World Universities'' (''ARWU''), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, is one of the annual publications of world university rankings. The league table was originally compiled and issued by Shanghai Jiao Tong Universi ...
(ARWU) 2023 positions the University of Potsdam within the 401-500 bracket on the international stage, and within the 25-31 range in Germany. The University of Potsdam was ranked #30 in the World in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2021. It was also ranked #41 in the world in Nature's Top 175 Young Universities Ranking. The university has a particularly strong linguistics programme, ranked #51–100 in the QS World University Rankings for Linguistics. The Digital Engineering faculty, which is led by the Hasso Plattner Institute, runs Germany's top-ranked computer science-related study programme according to the CHE 2019/2020 ranking, which is Germany's largest academic ranking.


International partnerships

A cooperation among the universities in Berlin (
Humboldt University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...
,
Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin; also known as Berlin Institute of Technology and Technical University of Berlin, although officially the name should not be translated) is a public university, public research university located in Berlin, Germany. It was the first ...
,
Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public university, public research university in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in West Berlin in 1948 with American support during the early Cold War period a ...
) and University of Potsdam exists, which allows students of these universities to take courses at the respective partner universities, in accordance with their curriculum. The University of Potsdam is well connected: it has found scientific partners of international standing with the Potsdam-Institute for Climate Impact Research and the German Institute for Human Nutrition – both institutes of the Leibniz Association – as well as the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – German Research Centre for Geosciences. Close cooperation and joint professorships also exist with the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, the
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces The Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (German: ''Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung'') is located in Potsdam-Golm Science Park in Golm, Potsdam, Germany. It was founded in 1990 as a successor of the Institu ...
, the
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) is a Max Planck Institute whose research is aimed at investigating Einstein's theory of relativity and beyond: Mathematics, quantum gravity, astrophysical relativity ...
, and many other research institutions. Last but not least, the university collaborates with both institutes of the
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft The Fraunhofer Society () is a German publicly-owned research organization with 76institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science (as opposed to the Max Planck Society, which works primarily on basic sc ...
in the Science Park Potsdam-Golm, a research campus that is growing in significance far beyond Germany's borders. Similarly, the
Hasso Plattner Institute The Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH (; HPI) is an information technology non-profit company affiliated with the University of Potsdam in Potsdam, Brandenburg, northeastern Germany. The teaching and research of HPI are f ...
of University of Potsdam in cooperation with
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
offers a design school based in Stanford University, the
Hasso Plattner Institute of Design The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University (commonly known as d.school) is a design thinking institute based at Stanford University. The school is named after SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner and was founded by David M. Kelley a ...
. While it is located at Stanford University, various partnerships as well as a degree is offered through University of Potsdam. The university offers a number of German courses, organizes intercultural training workshops, and matches up tandem-partners who want to learn one another's language. Selected study programs, in particular several Master programs, may also be completed in English. International partnerships offer opportunities to spend one semester or a full year at one of many partner universities. Jewish studies in Israel, sports management in Australia, language and politics in Moscow, or an excursion to Montana to visit the geographical center of the Earth – the choice among about 300 partnerships is great. From a regular course of study or an internship to a double degree or Ph.D. studies – everything is possible. Potsdam is a popular choices both for the Erasmus and Tempus as well as for the Fulbright program and the international programs of the
German Academic Exchange Service The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD; ), founded in 1925, is a joint organization of German universities and student bodies to foster their international relations. Since 1 January 2020, the president has been Joybrato Mukherjee. Organisa ...
(DAAD). * Several exchange programs and partnerships exist. An institution at Potsdam's Law Faculty that is unique in Germany is the German-French law program, which is operated in cooperation with the partner University Paris Ouest-Nanterre/La Défense. At the University of Potsdam students can participate not just in an exchange program, but they also have the opportunity in their first two years in the standard German law program to complete an additional, self-contained program of study in French law. This French part of the program is taught by French visiting scholars from the partner university and is conducted in French.


International doctoral studies

University of Potsdam offers international students the completion of a
doctoral thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...
. Doctoral students in Germany generally pursue their doctorates in the context of individual research projects, rather than in structured programmes as in many other countries. Upon completion of a dissertation project, one receives a doctoral degree for individual scholarly achievements. The prerequisite for doctoral studies is an above average graduate degree, Master's of Arts, Master's of Science, Diploma, Staatsexamen or another equivalent degree. The doctoral examination board (Promotionsausschuss) of your institute of interest, or the dean of the law faculty respectively, is responsible for determining questions of equivalency. Writing a dissertation should take no longer than three years. After submitting a dissertation and receiving a positive assessment, doctoral students are required to take part in a disputation.


Voltaire Prize

The Voltaire Prize for Tolerance, International Understanding and Respect for Differences has been awarded by the university since 2017. It is awarded "for the scientific examination of the topics of international understanding, tolerance and respect for differences and which honors scientists who are committed to freedom in research and education and advocate freedom of expression". , the prize is worth €5,000, and sponsored by the Friede Springer Foundation. The university aligns itself with
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
's and
La Mettrie Julien Offray de La Mettrie (; November 23, 1709 – November 11, 1751) was a French physician and philosopher, and one of the earliest of the French materialists of the Enlightenment. He is best known for his 1747 work '' L'homme machine'' ('' ...
's contribution to the
Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a Europe, European Intellect, intellectual and Philosophy, philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained th ...
. Recipients of the prize include: *2017: Hilal Alkan, Turkish political scientist *2018: Gladys Tzul Tzul, Guatemalan sociologist *2019: Ahmad Milad Karimi, Afghan philosopher *2020: Gábor Polyák, Hungarian media scientist *2021: Elisabeth Kaneza, Rwandan political scientist and legal scholar *2022: Duong Keo, Cambodian historian and political scientist *2023: Amy Lai, Hong Kong-born lawyer and author *2024: Gerawork Teferra Gizaw, from Ethiopia and Olga Shparaga, Belarusian philosopher and political activist *2025: Rosario Figari Layús, Argentinian sociologist


See also

*
Universities and research institutions in Berlin The Berlin-Brandenburg capital region is one of the most prolific centers of higher education and research in the world. It is the largest concentration of universities and colleges in Germany. The city has four public research universities an ...


Notes


References

* Görtemaker, Manfred (ed.), Die Universität Potsdam: Geschichte – Bauten – Umgebung, Berlin, 2001


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Potsdam, University of
University A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
Educational institutions established in 1991 1991 establishments in Germany Universities and colleges in Brandenburg