Application and Admission FAQ
GEAS offers 2 DAAD scholarships in 2019 and 2020. We also accept candidates with funding from other FU Berlin programs, from partner institutions in East Asia or from scholarships provided by German or international organizations.
Doctoral candidates are admitted for the fall semester, starting October 1.
We will occasionally admit visiting students from partner institutions and/or funded by external scholarships who may study at the GEAS from several months up to one or two years if they receive permission.
We will occasionally admit visiting students from partner institutions and/or funded by external scholarships who may study at the GEAS from several months up to one or two years if they receive permission.
If you want to become a visiting student, the same conditions as stated in the guidelines will apply, and we will need all documents listed for general applications. If you only want to stay for several months, our conditions may differ, so please contact the associate director for specifics first:
- Are you from one of our partnering institutions?
- Is your supervisor in contact with the graduate school?
- How long do you want to stay?
- Will you get permission?
- Will you apply for funding/receive external funding?
Visiting students do not have to apply via the online portal, unless they want to be admitted to the general cohort with external funding.
You can apply once a year (between September and November for start in October the following year).
GEAS will announce details on its website and on mailing list and other sites of relevance. Applications will be submitted online via the Dahlem Research School web portal. Individual applications by any kind of mail will not be considered at any time.
Please note that you need references and need to contact referees in advance before applying!
The web portal will send a mail to both of your referees after you have provided us with their contact details, and referees will upload their letters themselves. Please make sure to contact them before applying, as referees will also need time, at least a month, to write a reference.
We will consider your application in the selection process only when the application is properly submitted and complete.
Applications to GEAS will be submitted online via the internet portal by Dahlem Research School.
We expect you to write a research proposal for your dissertation project of not more than 6 pages.
You will need certified copies/translations of your documents to be (scanned) uploaded in .pdf or .jpg (not larger than 2MB).
The list of necessary documents includes:
- CV/Resume
- High school diploma
- BA transcripts and official BA diploma/certificate (or equivalent, such as the German Zwischenprüfung)
- MA transcripts (transcripts should be updated if graduation is scheduled after the application period)
- official MA diploma/certificate, if applicable
- English language proficiency (C1), if at hand. Can be handed in later.
A screenshot of preliminary test results for TOEFL/IELTS, etc. can be uploaded. However, for successful admission to FU, you will need a paper copy of the test results, so please make sure to order one in advance.
Please note that there is no TOEFL code for the GEAS. The TOEFL code for FU Berlin should not be used.
- East Asian language proficiency
- 2 Letters of reference (need to be uploaded by the referees themselves)
- Additional certificates, publications, internships, etc., if available
The outline of your proposed dissertation project should have a maximum of six pages and should include:
- Context, research questions and objectives of your research project
- What is the main argument?
- What is the central question you aim to answer in your thesis and why is your question relevant?
- What are the hypotheses relevant for answering your question?
- Is there a possible outcome or plan B?
- Current state of research and most relevant literature
- Place your topic in the current academic debate
- literature review
- Tentative theoretical framework and research methods
- Which methodology and theoretical framweok will you use and why?
- What are relevant sources for information and how would your fieldwork beconducted?
- Source material (6th page in general)
- Bibliography
- Time schedule (not counting within the six page limit)
- Detailed schedule with milestones and fieldwork plan
GEAS, and the FU Berlin departments you will apply for, will only admit students with adequate English language proficiency, equivalent to the GER C1, and at least one Asian language (Japanese, Chinese or Korean) equivalent to GER B2. Proficiency in German is not necessary, but a basic understanding will be helpful in everyday life.
If you want to do comparative or transregional research in East Asia, we strongly recommend having proficiency in more than one Asian language.
As English is the main spoken language at GEAS, you need to be able to have certified language skills equivalent to GER C1.
You will not be admitted to Freie Universität Berlin if you are not able to give proof of your C1 abilities.
We accept language certificates from Cambridge (IELTS, CAE and CFP) and TOEFL:
CAE/CFP: any
IELTS: 7.0 and higher
TOEFL: 100 and higher
The IELTS and TOEFL certificates should not be older than 2 years. The CAE/CFP should not be older than 5 years.
Native speakers do not have to prove their language ability.
There are some exceptions:
The Freie Universität Berlin will also admit candidates who have spent a year abroad studying in an English speaking country, or who are enrolled in an English speaking master’s programme (in any country).
A master thesis written in English (without having attended a master's programme held entirely in English) will not be regarded as equivalent.
Native speakers do not have to prove their language ability.
Chinese: We accept language certificates for HSK 5 and TOCFL 4 or higher.
Japanese: We accept language certificates for JLPT 2 or N2 and higher.
Korean: We accept language certificates for TOPIK 4 and higher.
HSK 4 or a master’s degree in Chinese, Japanese or Korean studies are sufficient only when you have been abroad for about a year, have been active in translation, or possess other additional language skills. We recommend an actual assessment by a language teacher or language centre if you cannot provide a certified language proficiency.
You can hand in the English TOEFl/IELTS or other certificates later to date. In case you are invited, the day of the interview is the latest day possible to hand in your results.
Proof of East Asian language skills should be at hand at the time of your application. If you are still enrolled in a master's course and completion is pending, an actual assessment of your language skills (by language teachers) is necessary for us to take your application into consideration.
Candidates can apply even if they have not graduated their master’s yet. However, the predicted date of graduation should not be later than July, 1st of the year they intend to start the programme.
Applicants should be able to provide transcripts and/or statements of their supervisors about their progress to that date.
Freie Universität Berlin offers a fast-track program for highly exceptional B.A. students. To qualify, B.A. students need to provide evidence of an exceptional academic record during the B.A. program with an A grade point average, two letters of well-known scholars, and successful completion of an entrance exam as required by the statute for PhD programs at Freie Universität Berlin. Students should ideally have at least one year experience living and studying in East Asia and have high-level language skills in one of the respective languages, according to the rules of admission to GEAS.
For inquiries on the fast-track PhD program, please conact the associate director.
You are applying for a PhD programme in the social sciences, so, in order to assess your academic abilities, it is highly recommended to ask academic representatives, such as your thesis supervisor, to write a letter of reference.
A reference letter should contain a short description of your academic performance and discuss your qualifications and interest in the PhD programme.
We will consider other references, provided that they can give us fundamental information about your suitability to the PhD programme.
Your referees have to upload their letters of reference in pdf format.
It is necessary that the letters of reference need to show the letterhead of the corresponding institution, and preferably should be signed.If your referees live in a country without regular internet access or if they have technical problems, they are allowed to send pdfs or postal letters to the GEAS Application team.
Postal letters will not be accepted after the application date, as you will not be able to submit your application without both letters having been uploaded.
It is highly recommended that you ask for a reference letter in advance. Please explain to your referees that you are going to apply for GEAS and that they themselves have to upload their letters of reference online and in time (!).
The application system will automatically send an e-mail with a generated link to your supervisors immediately after you have filled out the corresponding text field.
The field is case-sensitive and sends out a mail as soon as you have entered a valid email address. You can also renew sending the mail by entering the address into the field again. If you have entered the mail without filling out the personal data of your referee first, the mail might not be delivered properly. Please also spell-check the address and correct mistakes if necessary.
It is your responsibility to ascertain that your references will be uploaded properly. Please brief your referees before the procedure that the system only accepts pdf (under 2KB). If there are technical problems and your references were not uploaded properly despite this, please contact application[at]geas.fu-berlin.de immediately.
Your referees will receive a link to an online application system where to upload their letters in PDF format (not larger than 2 MB). The file can only be uploaded once. A successful upload will be immediately confirmed on screen. If they fail to upload their file for the first time, or if there is no onscreen confirmation, they should contact application[at]geas.fu-berlin.de to await further instructions.
If any other technical mishap occurs, they can also contact the above email address.You will be able to see if your referees have uploaded their letters during the time of application at the portal.
After being admitted to the GEAS doctoral program, the next step is to apply for admission to the department your supervisor belongs to.
You cannot start your research project until you have been accepted by the department ("Zulassung").The application is made to the respective department’s Dean and PhD office. Candidates can find the application form and a list of required documents on the website of the respective graduation office.
The GEAS Application team will proceed your online applications to the PhD offices after the admission to the GEAS doctoral program.
A committee decides whether your qualifications suffice for admission as a doctoral candidate. The department’s committee usually meets at regular intervals.
After acceptance by the department, doctoral candidates must formally enroll as doctoral students with the central student administration office. It is easier to apply for a visa after the admission (Zulassung) is granted.
To conclude the admission process and to enroll, please have your originals or certified copies at hand to present them to the corresponding offices.
After having been approved by the PhD office of your department, the PhD Office will send you an official "Zulassung" (admission certificate), proving your eligibility to enroll as a PhD candidate at FUB.
Within the following 30 days you should officially enroll as PhD candidate via postal mail. You may also visit the Info Counter if you live nearby. Should you not able to enroll within this time frame or if the letter of admission has expired, please contact the GEAS Office or the PhD Office. The enrollment time can be extended for reasons such as visa applications or moving plans.
For enrollment, please enrol online for a studentship at FU Berlin. Note that enrollment fees are about 300 EUR per semester (6 semesters in total):
- Acceptance Letter/ Admission Certificate
- DRS enrolment confirmation (issued by GEAS)
- Completed enrollment application (online form)
- Proof of health insurance
- Original and copy of passport or ID (including visa)
- Withdrawal certificate from the last (German) university (if applicable)
- Original documents or copies (as the PhD Office will ask for originals or certified copies, simple copies can be attached):
BA and MA or letter from your university
Proof of proficiency in English (C1) - Enrollment fee
You will receive a student ID which provides access to the public transport system, benefits for cafeteria, sports and other cultural stuff, etc.
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