Liberal Arts
and Sciences
Bachelor (B.A./B.Sc.)
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
2
Welcome!.................................................................................................................... 3
1. Liberal Arts and Sciences in Brief........................................................................... 4
2. Study Outline 2013.................................................................................................. 6
3. The Liberal Arts and Sciences Program.............................................................. 11
3.1 Core Program...................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Electives.............................................................................................................. 13
3.3 Language............................................................................................................ 13
3.4 Majors................................................................................................................. 14
Major: Culture and History........................................................................................ 14
Major: Life Sciences................................................................................................. 16
Major: Earth and Environmental Sciences............................................................... 18
Major: Governance................................................................................................... 20
4. Questions and Answers........................................................................................ 22
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Welcome!
The Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) Bachelor program at the University of Freiburg
– the first of its kind in Germany – is an exciting, groundbreaking venture. Developing
our own specific perspective on a long tradition of Liberal Education in the United
States and on recent highly successful interpretations of that tradition in the Netherlands, we emphasize problem-orientation, student-centeredness and an international
outlook.
Against the backdrop of a challenging and exciting period of transformation in European higher education, the idea of a LAS program in Germany, specifically in Freiburg, first emerged several years back. With much enthusiasm and involvement across faculties, we have since established our educational concept and founded the
University College Freiburg, a platform for interdisciplinary teaching at the University
of Freiburg and the host institution for the LAS program. We welcomed the first generation of LAS students in October 2012.
The University of Freiburg is especially suited to initiate a LAS program at a University College: It is one of Germany’s leading research and higher education institutions
and has a longstanding tradition in interdisciplinary research and teaching. Furthermore, Freiburg is one of Germany’s most beautiful and agreeable cities, situated at
the heart of Europe, in direct proximity to both Switzerland and France.
The following pages will introduce you to the LAS program, its guiding ideas, organizing principles and intellectual emphases. Whether you are a potential student collecting information on study choices, an educator at another institution looking for
ideas, an academic contemplating co-operations, a student parent or a potential
benefactor, we hope to be able to raise and keep your interest and answer the questions you might have about LAS at University College Freiburg.
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Zimmermann,
Dean of Studies
Dr. Nicholas Eschenbruch,
Director of Education
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1. Liberal Arts and Sciences in Brief
The four-year Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences is the University
of Freiburg’s first interdisciplinary, English-taught undergraduate program and
the first of its kind in Germany. It is hosted by the University College Freiburg
and started in October 2012 with a pioneer group of 78 students. Reaching across academic fields, the LAS Bachelor
is complementary to the University’s
existing disciplinary Bachelor programs.
The program consists of four study areas:
Website: www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/areas
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The LAS program is mostly organized in
a block schedule. This gives students
and teachers the opportunity to engage
very closely with each other and the topic
at hand. It also provides space for innovative forms of instruction that characterize the entire program.
the students’ coursework is continuously
complemented by instruction in the theory of science, knowledge and research.
Finally, students follow a curriculum in
responsibility and leadership and have
the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities.
The LAS program is selective. Selection
places a strong emphasis on personal
interviews in order to assess the motivation of applicants and the matching between the program and interested students. Its target group is students with
high levels of intellectual curiosity, selfreliance and responsibility, who are
looking for problem-oriented work across
disciplines and are flexible and open to
challenges.
The Language part of the program (36
ECTS) ensures that all LAS students can
communicate on academic topics in excellent English and good German, and
ideally acquire a good grounding in a
third language.
The Core (66 ECTS points) constitutes
the intellectual identity of LAS at the University of Freiburg: All students are intensively trained in general academic skills
(researching and presenting study material, effective writing, numerical literacy
etc.). In order to put these skills into context and to exemplify the necessity and
complexity of interdisciplinary thought
and action, the first year of the program
focusses on contemporary societal challenges (such as Global Inequality, Public
Health, Environmental Issues). In the
higher semesters of the Core Program,
The Major (90 ECTS) constitutes the
students’ thorough training in a specific
academic field of Sciences and/or the
Humanities that is, in itself, interdisciplinary. It aims to provide sufficient depth to
make admission into disciplinary M.A. or
M.Sc. programs possible.
An Electives area of the curriculum (48
ECTS) enables students to either pursue
interdisciplinary studies of their choice,
engage in more practically oriented projects or undertake specific additional
training necessary for admission into
their chosen M.A. or M.Sc. programs.
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2. Study Outline 2013
Year 1
Your first, Foundational Year focusses on
the study of fundamental real-world problems that are characterized by both
their current relevance and their inherent
complexity. For the year 2012, for example, topics included: “Using and Protecting Nature”, “Transformation of Body
and Mind”, “Migration, Culture and Community”. These topics introduce you to
study questions from different perspec-
tives and, at the same time, instruct you
in core academic skills, such as research, writing and presentation. In addition to these broad foundational modules, you choose two modules, each of
which provide an introduction to one of
the Majors. Finally, as during the following years, you have the opportunity to
develop your language skills according
to your interests and your needs.
Term: Winter
Term: Summer
Introduction to Majors
Website: www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/preview
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Timetable for the academic year 2013/14
While the schedule for the first year is pretty much set, the schedules on the following
pages are suggestions. They can and will be adjusted according to your interests and
choices.
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Year 2
In your second year, you begin to approach in greater depth the Major that
you have chosen: you take modules that
introduce you to the key questions, theories and methods of the field in which you
concentrate your studies. Further modules from the Core program address fun-
damental questions of scholarly knowledge, its origins, validity and role in the
world. Finally, you take two modules that
emphasize reflexive thought and responsible action inside and outside of academia.
Term: Winter
Theories of Knowledge
Term: Summer
Culture and
Communication
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Year 3
In your third year, choice becomes more
prominent. First, you have the important
choice to spend all or parts of this year at
a university abroad. Second, concerning
your Major, you can choose from a range
of different modules, according to your
interests and, possibly, graduate programs that you envisage. Choice is also
Term: Winter
Anthropology and Experience
Term: Summer
Interdisciplinary Project
characteristic for the Electives in your
third year. You can take modules at any
of the faculties of the university or do an
extended internship. You thereby have
the opportunity to shape for yourself
what your degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences is about.
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Year 4
In the fourth year, you continue to personalize your curriculum. You can take
further, more specialized modules in
your field or even work on a specific project under the supervision of a senior researcher. In your B.A./B.Sc. thesis at the
end of the final year, you produce a substantial piece of your own research. This
concentration in and on your Major is,
again, complemented by your choice of
Electives appropriate to the level of
scholarship that you have reached by
then. In addition, you take two further
modules in the Responsibility and Leadership curriculum, preparing you for professional and civic life after graduation.
Term: Winter
Vision and
Leadership
Term: Summer
B.A./B.Sc. Thesis
B.A./B.Sc. Thesis
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3. The Liberal Arts and Sciences Program
3.1 Core Program
Regardless of the Major you choose, all
students participate in the Core Program, a characteristic feature of the Freiburg LAS degree. Focusing on current
global challenges, it merges the stu-
dents’ training in personal skills, research methods and general epistemology into a comprehensive framework that
has social applicability, intellectual depth
and personal relevance.
The Core Program consists of three parts:
The Foundational Program takes complex global challenges as reference
points for a hands-on introduction to Liberal Arts and Sciences. They give skills
classes a challenging topical focus. To-
Foundational Program (5 modules):
LAS: Backgrounds, Ideas, Challenges
Exploring Complex Problems
Sharing Knowledge
Numerical Literacy
Interdisciplinary Projects
Website: www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/core
gether with language training, the Foundational Program makes up the first
year’s classwork and ensures that students’ start into academic life with LAS is
both stimulating and structured.
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The Epistemology Lectures are two central modules towards the middle of the
program. At the intellectual heart of LAS,
they tackle the questions what knowledge is, how it is generated in the sciences and humanities, how it affects the
world and is affected by it. They are
taught by two professorships for Epistemology and Science Studies that have
been specifically established for the LAS
program.
Epistemology Lectures (2 modules):
LAS Core Lecture: Theories of Knowledge
LAS Core Lecture: Contexts of Knowledge
The Curriculum in Responsibility and
Leadership extends over the Core program’s later semesters and is designed
to inspire and equip students to effectively engage with the challenges they
will face after graduation. It prompts students to consider their own position in
the world, to think about their responsibility and personal vision in life and to acquire the skills they need in order to
reach their goals. Classes combine rigorous academic input with personal reflection and training in more experiential
formats.
Responsibility and Leadership (4 modules):
Anthropology and Experience
Action and Responsibility
Vision and Leadership
Culture and Communication
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3.2 Electives (8 modules)
The credits these modules represent can
be used quite freely: for attending modules in other Majors, for more language
training, for meeting specific M.A./ M.Sc.
requirements, for an extended period abroad, or for a practical project or internship.
3.3 Language (6 modules)
The Language part of the program enables you to reach an excellent level in academic English and, when necessary, a good level of German. Further language options
are available.
Websites: www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/electives
www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/language1
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3.4 Majors
Major: Culture and History
In the Major Culture and History, we study the arts, philosophies, religions, languages, and histories of peoples from
around the world and through time.
Broadly speaking, this Major covers the
traditional humanities disciplines in an
untraditional, interdisciplinary way.
We believe that the study of culture is not
just a specialized activity of scholars, but
rather is something that people do all the
time. When, for example, you argue
about the meaning of a new slang word,
when you discuss the merits of a political
party, or when you ask yourself what
matters most to you, you are informally
studying language, history, or philosophy.
In Culture and History, we give rigor to
these debates, discussions, and reflections by inquiring into the relationship
between particular cultural forms and
general human problems, by putting our
own identities and commitments under
scrutiny, and by opening ourselves to
learning about other peoples and other
Website: www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/major1
times. We ask questions, for instance,
about specific objects. What makes
something an artwork and is it really
different from other forms of human
creation, like technical ones? When we
study an artwork, what can we learn
about the culture and time period that
produced it? What do we learn about
ourselves in the process? In what ways
do artworks engage in politics? How are
the past, the present, and the future
bound together by our efforts to understand cultural artefacts from another
time or place?
We also ask broader questions that link
our study of objects to social and political
challenges. What are the limits of understanding another culture or another
time? Is there a responsible way to criticize aspects of someone else’s culture?
How are personal identities enmeshed in
communities, cultures, and histories? In
what sense are individuals responsible
to or for the histories that define their way
of life?
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In addressing these and related questions, we work in forms of knowledge that
are largely interpretive: the processing
and reprocessing of cultural artefacts,
the framing of strong questions, and the
development of coherent lines of analytic
and synthetic argumentation. As you study these ways of knowing, you are challenged to think carefully and precisely
about specific works (novels, paintings,
films, philosophical treatises, political
manifestos, theoretical reflections, and
so on) while also asking bigger questions
about their meaning. Culture and History
gives you a strong foundation in humanistic academic disciplines – history, art
history, anthropology, literary studies,
philosophy, and religious studies, among
others – while allowing you to pursue
your own intellectual passions in a context of critical reflection.
For more information about this Major,
please contact Dr. Ryan Plumley at ryan.
plumley@ucf.uni-freiburg.de
Major: Methods (2 modules)
Culture as a Topic of Academic Inquiry
History as a Topic of Academic Inquiry
Major: Topics (6 modules)
One module in each area of choice:
Area 1: Culture and History up to the Early Modern Period
Area 2: Culture and History after the Early Modern Period
Area 3: Sociocultural Anthropology or Area Studies
Area 4: A further module from areas 1.-3.
Area 5: A further module from areas 1.-3.
Area 6: Contemporary Art or Literature or Music or Aesthetics
Within the areas of choice, modules focus on more specific topics, and several options
may be available in each area.
Major: Special Topics (2 modules)
2 specialized modules
Two specialized modules have a direct link to current research and enable you to work
closely with a senior academic teacher.
Bachelor Thesis
In their Bachelor thesis, students work closely on one specific scientific topic from their
Major.
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Major: Life Sciences
The Major in Life Sciences gives you the
basics you need to know about living organisms and their interaction with surrounding environments while at the same
time taking a broader perspective on this
field of knowledge and its role in society,
politics, and culture. The Major emphasizes questions about the human being,
but also includes the interaction of biological and technical systems. To this end,
we consider the human being as a researching subject as well as the subject
of research.
Throughout the program we tackle questions of general interest using elementary questions of the Life Sciences: Are the
mind and the body separate entities or
are they inextricably linked to each
other? How does consciousness emerge
from the large aggregation of cells forming the human brain? Is a larger biological system more than the sum of its
parts? To what extent is behavior determined by genes, and how much is it influenced by the environment? Is the extension of our body with technical prostheses
Website: www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/major2
part of the evolutionary process? How
does the interaction with technical systems shape our way of life? Why are the
Life Sciences so prominent in science
fiction literature? What are the risks and
benefits of a society in which humans
and robots interact?
We approach such questions primarily
from the perspective of disciplines like
Biology, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Medicine, and Biotechnology, but
also discuss them in a broader context.
Starting from a single cell, a biochemical
system in itself, we deal with larger-scale
systems like cell clusters, bodily organs
and the body and mind of the human
being as a whole. Studying these systems brings us to questions about how
cognition and emotions are realized biologically and how biological systems can
be connected to technical ones, for example for medical purposes.
The Major in Life Sciences gives you a
strong research-oriented foundation in
the natural sciences and relates this
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foundation to challenging topics for the
society of the 21st century. It is, however,
not intended as a pre-med program.
For more information about this Major,
please contact Dr. Simon J. Büchner at
buechner@ucf.uni-freiburg.de
Major: Methods (2 modules)
Empirical and Experimental Methods
Mathematics and Physics for Liberal Arts and Sciences
Major: Topics (6 modules)
Compulsory modules for the “Life Sciences” Major:
Biochemistry
Physiology
Cell Biology
Data Processing and Modeling for the Life Sciences
Two modules from the following areas:
Area 1: Neurosciences
Area 2: Genetics
Area 3: Biological Anthropology
Area 4: Biotechnology
Area 5: Electronic Engineering for Biology and Medicine
Area 6: Mechanical Engineering for Biology and Medicine
Within the areas of choice, the later modules focus on more specific topics, and several
options may be available in each area.
Major: Special Topics (2 modules)
2 specialized modules
Two specialized modules have a direct link to current research and enable you to work
closely with a senior academic teacher.
Bachelor Thesis
In their Bachelor thesis, students work closely on one specific scientific topic from their
Major.
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Major: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Earth and environmental issues are subject to diverse political debates and are
broadly discussed in the media. Because
these issues are enormously complicated, they spawn a range of challenging
questions. Take climate change: What
causes global warming? Is it man-made
or part of larger pattern of climate developments? How does it affect human
communities and their prospects for the
future? Or take the related issue of biodiversity: Are we moving towards the next
mass extinction event? Will it actually
matter if some species go extinct? How
can we value diversity and what would
be its currency? Or, thirdly, take the example of new technologies: Can a genetically modified crop help sustain the environment by, for example, reducing the
need for insecticides? Or are modifications of natural systems inherently dangerous to the delicate balance of ecosystems? More generally, how can human
beings use nature in an efficient but sustainable manner?
Website: www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/major3
Since environmental issues involve different kinds of processes, these topics
require an interdisciplinary approach.
Within the Major Earth and Environmental Sciences you investigate our planet
primarily from three perspectives: 1) a
scientific understanding of the physical
planet, 2) a biological understanding of
life on the planet, 3) an understanding of
the chemical interplay between physical
and biological systems on Earth and in
the environment.
You do not only study our planet’s current state, but also its history. An exploration of the origin of our planet and the
origin of life provides you a chronological
picture of natural and anthropogenic environmental changes and helps you to
evaluate the potentially disastrous changes we face today. As part of this historical approach, you also learn about the
methods used to gain information about
the Earth’s deep past, the reliability of
such methods, and the potential usefulness of such information for current policy debates.
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These debates, surrounding issues like
the ones mentioned above, demand present solutions. We human beings are
sustained by our environment, but we do
not always sustain it in return.
Finally, environmental issues, grounded
in an understanding of the Earth’s past
and addressed to the concerns of the
present, are in many ways questions
about the future, both of the planet and of
its human habitation. We need to be able
to assess them scientifically and develop
strategies to tackle them. The Major
Earth and Environmental Sciences gives
you the scientific basis to follow, evaluate, and contribute scientifically to current and future debates.
For more information about this Major,
please contact Dr. Karin Moll at karin.
moll@ucf.uni-freiburg.de
Major: Methods (2 modules)
Observing Nature
Mathematics and Physics for Liberal Arts and Sciences
Major: Topics (6 modules)
Compulsory modules for the “Earth and Environmental Sciences” Major:
Chemistry
Earth Sciences
Ecology
Modules from the following areas:
Area 1: The Evolution of our Planetary System
Area 2: The Global Circulation of Matter, Substances and Materials
Area 3: Health and the Environment
Within the areas of choice, the later modules focus on more specific topics, and several
options may be available in each area.
Major: Special Topics (2 modules)
2 specialized modules
Two specialized modules have a direct link to current research and enable you to work
closely with a senior academic teacher.
Bachelor Thesis
In their Bachelor thesis, students work closely on one specific scientific topic from their
Major.
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Major: Governance
Is the financial crisis a political or an economic problem? What is the role of
NGOs in global governance? Are political parties outdated? Do we need more
Europe? Does it still make sense to
speak of Left and Right in politics? Can
democracy and expert advice go hand in
hand? Can public administration be managed like a company? Is there a new
social question? How can common
goods be organized? Are we beyond the
nation-state? Is democratization of countries from the outside democratic? Questions like these are at the heart of the
Major Governance.
This Major is embedded in the social sciences, such as political science, sociology, economics, and legal studies. Its
specific focus, Governance, is on how
we, as human beings, deal with common
problems. How and by whom are such
problems identified? By which institutions (like markets, states, public-private
partnerships) and which means (like policies, hard and soft law, public communication) are these problems addressed?
Website: www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/major4
What conflicts and disputes are entailed
in such problem solving? Our approach
to these key questions have the following
characteristics: 1) a historical perspective – how all of these problems and institutions change over time, in particular
how we can understand the current
changes; 2) a focus on the interpretations, justifications and arguments given
by social and political actors; 3) the investigation of current practical political
problems with a reflection on fundamental conceptual questions. Finally, the program puts specific emphasis on phenomena and problems with a European
dimension.
If you opt for Governance as your Major,
you take modules in your second year
that introduce you to both key concepts
of knowledge about the social and political world (e.g., analytical, evaluative,
practical) as well as to the key methodologies (interpretative, qualitative, quantitative) used in their study. Building on
this, you can choose from a range of
modules, many of which combine several
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social science disciplines as well as insights from the Humanities, such as: Law
and Society; War and Images; Climate
Change and Global Justice; Culture and
Conflict. Even more importantly, you will
be prepared to understand crucial current problems and, on this basis, to make
relevant and insightful contributions to
dealing with them.
For more information about this Major,
please contact Dr. Volker Balli at volker.
balli@ucf.uni-freiburg.de
Major: Methods (2 modules)
Theoretical Foundations and Interpretative Methods in the Social Sciences
Empirical Methods in the Social Sciences
Major: Topics (6 modules)
Area 1: Comparative Government
Area 2: Law and Administration
Area 3: Economics
Area 4: a further module from areas 1.-3.
Area 5: a further module from areas 1.-3.
Area 6: a further module from areas 1.-3., or from sociology, political theory,
public management, political ethics or business ethics
Within the areas of choice, modules focus on more specific topics, and several options
may be available in each area.
Major: Special Topics (2 modules)
2 specialized modules
Two specialized modules have a direct link to current research and enable you to work
closely with a senior academic teacher.
Bachelor Thesis
In their Bachelor thesis, students work closely on one specific scientific topic from their
Major.
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4. Questions and Answers
Q: What is the Freiburg “Liberal Arts and Sciences” program about?
A: LAS is the first four-year, English-taught undergraduate program of its kind at a
German university. It is an interdisciplinary alternative to existing B.A. or B.Sc. degree programs. It teaches its students to think across academic disciplines, look at
problems from a variety of scientific perspectives and become effective communicators and leaders.
Q: What type of student is LAS aimed at?
A: The LAS program is aimed at students with broad academic interests who are
already starting to formulate their own questions. We are looking for applicants who
value academic rigor and in-depth study, but would also like to give their studies an
individual emphasis. If, on top of that, you enjoy new horizons and unexpected challenges, appreciate an international, hard-working and inspiring environment and are
ready and willing to take on responsibility for yourself and others, LAS is probably for
you.
Q: Does interdisciplinarity mean I can study anything? Isn’t that a bit arbitrary? Will I learn anything concrete for my later career?
A: Range and choice are important for the Liberal Arts and Sciences, but the program
is not arbitrarily structured: We strike a balance between your choice of subjects and
our conviction that there are things all LAS students need to learn. Regarding the
content of the Core Program and the extent of the Language training, you have little
choice; also, we expect you to focus your Major in one of four areas of academic
enquiry: Life Sciences, Governance, Culture and History or Earth and Environmental
Sciences. However, within each area and especially in your electives, you have a
wider range of topics and modules than you would have in a disciplinary B.A./B.Sc.
program.
Website: www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/qa
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Q: Originally, “Liberal Arts and Sciences” seems to be a North American tradition. Is the Freiburg LAS program comparable to the North American Liberal
Arts Colleges?
A: We share with the North American colleges an emphasis on a broad curriculum,
mandatory training in skills like effective writing, numerical literacy and public speaking, and the education of the whole person. There are also important differences:
(1) We go directly into academic training, while many US programs spend considerable time on the general education most Europeans are expected to get in high
school; (2) LAS in Freiburg is a small, non-residential program that offers students
the chance to fully integrate themselves into the city and the University of Freiburg
– one of the leading research universities in Germany with 11 faculties and 24,000
students. LAS in Freiburg thus has a very different atmosphere from the larger, residential colleges elsewhere.
Q: I heard there are already some well established Liberal Arts programs in
Europe, e.g. in the Netherlands. Why should I choose Freiburg?
A: For Europe, the Dutch LAS programs have been groundbreaking and most of them
are very good; we are proud to count University College Maastricht amongst our
partner institutions. The few LAS programs that exist in Europe all have differing
emphases and strengths. The Freiburg program stresses (1) theory of knowledge and
research, across subjects, (2) language skills and culture, (3) responsibility and leadership. We have a strong compulsory “Core Program” and a little less emphasis on
individual choice than some of the Dutch programs. You should research them all
well to see what suits you best.
Q: Is LAS an elite program?
A: LAS at the University of Freiburg is selective; we expect above-average grades,
above average intellectual curiosity and an above average readiness to accept responsibility for yourself and others. This is because we want you to take on above
average challenges in your life once you graduate.
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Q: The standard German Bachelor’s degree takes three years. Why does LAS
take four?
A: We have a clear idea about the general academic competencies, language skills
and intellectual abilities we would like you to have. On top of that, we want you to build
a sound academic specialization and to have room for your own choices and projects.
It’s a well-rounded education that takes four years.
Q: I already know I like one subject a lot more than others. Is LAS still good for
me?
A: LAS is not a normal Bachelor’s degree taught in English with a little extra skills
training. It is a different educational approach emphasizing interdisciplinary thinking.
A B.Sc. in Physics will obviously give you more exposure to Physics, a B.A. in History will give you more History. So, if you are looking to get maximum immersion in one
subject, you should choose an according program. If you are interested in academic
inquiry across disciplines, you should consider LAS.
Q: I am not sure what I would like to study. Will LAS give me the opportunity
at least to start studying something and help me make up my mind later on?
A: LAS in Freiburg is clearly not designed as a course of general education and academic orientation, and it will not be an easy course to follow. Rather, you will start to
work on complex interdisciplinary challenges right from the beginning. Later on, making your own study choices will continuously demand that you make clear decisions
and take responsibility for them. If you find that difficult already, you should consider
carefully if LAS is really for you.
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Q: What is the University of Freiburg like? How is LAS integrated into it?
A: The University of Freiburg was founded in 1457. It is a research university with 11
faculties, covering the whole spectrum of subjects, from Philosophy and Theology to
Engineering and Computer Science. It has repeatedly achieved highest ranks in
nationwide competitions in the areas of research, teaching and continuing education.
You could hardly find a better institutional context for a LAS program. And while the
vast majority of LAS modules are specifically created for and administered by the
program, you will, at the same time, be a regular student of the university: you will be
able to attend talks and lectures, use central facilities like the university library, participate in the university sports program or join any number of student societies and
activities.
Q: Sounds great – but is Freiburg also a good place to live, beyond the university?
A: Yes! Freiburg is widely considered one of the most attractive mid-size cities in
Germany. It has a charming historical setting, a pleasantly mild climate, and the Black
Forest is in easy reach by public transport for hiking in summer and skiing in winter.
Freiburg has an open-minded atmosphere and a lively cultural scene. A lot of students choose Freiburg for its close-knit university community. Finally, as a “Green
City”, it is especially noted for its strengths in ecology and sustainability. At the same
time, European metropolitan centers like Zurich, Frankfurt and Strasbourg are all
within a two-hour train ride, while Paris, Milan and the Mediterranean make for convenient weekend destinations. France is just a twenty minute drive away, Switzerland
only a little more, so we are truly at the heart of Europe.
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Q: The Freiburg LAS program started in autumn 2012. Is it not a little risky to
be amongst the first generations in a new program?
A: Yes, in some sense it is. Modules and procedures are being developed and improved, and occasional misunderstandings and challenges will probably come up. However, joining a new program is also a unique opportunity. Later generations will not
have such an influence on the future of the program: we will continuously monitor our
first students’ experiences and progress and listen closely to feedback. Finally, we
can rely on the many resources of a large and prestigious university and on the great
enthusiasm our initiative is generating. So, while we cannot deny some risk, it corresponds with great opportunities, and great opportunities are always a little risky. Be
a pioneer and join us on this exciting trip!
Q: How does the selection process work?
A: Selection is competitive, based on academic merit and personal motivation. Academic merit is represented by the over-all grade of your German higher education
entrance qualification (Abitur) or an officially recognized equivalent. Also, you need
to provide proof of English at the B2 level of the CEFR scale (Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages). We then interview you in person, in English,
and modify the initial grade in the light of your personal aptitude for the program and
other achievements such as volunteer service or a stay aboard. SATs or similar tests
are not relevant to the process.
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Q: What do international applicants have to consider?
A: There are some significant differences from application processes in the Englishspeaking world which you must bear in mind. Most of all, international applicants as
well as German applicants with non-German qualifications need to make sure well
in advance that their qualifications are considered equivalent to the German “Abitur”.
Here, nationwide legal regulations apply which we cannot overrule. Only once you
meet these requirements will you be allowed to enter the LAS selection process itself.
Refer to our website (www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/application) for further information
or enquire at the university department for International Admissions (www.ucf.unifreiburg.de/go/qualification).
Q: Do I need to know German in order to apply?
A: No. We want to attract applicants from all over the world who are interested in LAS
regardless of their language and cultural background. However, you are expected to
study German and to pass an exam equivalent to at least A2 on the CEFR scale after
your second year. Coursework designed to prepare you for that exam is part of the
program, and you are encouraged to study German to a higher standard as part of
your language options.
Q: I am already studying something else – can I join the LAS program in a
higher semester?
A: If you meet the requirements which are laid out in the Rules and Regulations
(www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de/go/stupo) and if there is free capacity, you can apply. However, since we are currently focusing on our first cohort of regular students, we do not
encourage you to transfer into LAS from another degree program right now, as you
would face complicated issues of cross-semester scheduling and credit recognition,
possibly prolonging your studies.
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Q: During the LAS program in Freiburg, will I have the opportunity to study
abroad?
A: The University of Freiburg has a broad range of exchange programs with partners
all over the world. These are, of course, open to LAS students. UCF will help you to
organize a semester or a year abroad via one of these programs, especially concerning preparation, integration into your LAS curriculum and credit recognition. Beyond
existing, university-wide exchange programs, UCF is currently establishing structured exchanges with our two closest partner institutions: University College Maastricht, the leading University College in the Netherlands, and Schreyer Honors College, a program for especially talented and dedicated students at Penn State
University in the USA. More co-operations will be established in the coming years.
The LAS Electives area, which plays a key role in the program’s second and third
years, is especially suited for studying or doing an internship abroad.
Q: Do you charge tuition fees?
A: There are no tuition fees apart from a registration fee every semester. In most
German federal states and at almost all of our top universities even top-level higher
education is considered a service the German state provides.
Q: Do you offer scholarships?
A: At present, we are unfortunately not in a position to offer scholarships locally. You
may inquire at the German Academic Exchange Service to find out if you are eligible
for scholarships from other sources.
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Q: Finally, what can I do with a LAS degree later on? What academic and professional options will I have?
A: While we do not know what you will do with your LAS degree, we can give you
information on what others are doing. As there is not much experience with LAS
graduates in Germany yet, here’s an overview of the situation elsewhere:
Concerning entrance into specialized disciplinary M.A. or M.Sc. programs, your Major (90 ECTS points) will provide you with a lot of possibilities, especially if you enquire early on which admission criteria you need to meet: By planning ahead, you will
have the possibility to work towards those criteria in your electives (48 ECTS). Because of the intellectual versatility we aim to train you in, we expect our students to
get into top schools once they graduate (and the Dutch programs prove that this is
realistic), but of course we cannot guarantee admission into every M.A. or M.Sc.
program.
LAS graduates often pursue successful careers in academia. In an essay in Council
on Undergraduate Research Quarterly from 2001, Donald Kennedy (professor of
biology, former president at Stanford University and editor of Science) observed that
LAS graduates end up doing a PhD far more often than graduates from top research
universities such as Harvard or Yale – and this is true even for the natural sciences.
Concerning the situation on the job market outside academia in the USA, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has repeatedly conducted
surveys amongst employers as well as students and published policy papers on career opportunities for LAS graduates. If these results hold true for Europe as well,
then there is a clear demand for graduates trained in interdisciplinary thought and
action.
The experience at University College Maastricht indicates that a large percentage of
graduates continue with a M.A. or M.Sc. program. At University College Freiburg as
well, the curriculum is structured in such a way to – with our support – enable entrance into disciplinary Master programs in the areas of our Majors and obviously into
interdisciplinary ones as well.
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All this has not gone unnoticed in Germany. Time and again, the Confederation of
German Employers‘ Associations (BDA) has pointed out the importance of interdisciplinary training. This was seconded in 2010 by the German Council of Science and
Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat; the most important advisory body for higher education policy) that called for University Colleges at German universities. This is not idle
talk. Business and employers’ associations have supported our LAS program in Freiburg from the first funding application in 2009 up to today and are keen on getting to
know our graduates!
These opportunities and success stories are based on the facts that (1) scientific and
societal challenges reach beyond academic disciplines and structures; (2) LAS gives
students key qualifications for today’s dynamic and international job market: Graduates will have learnt how to learn, will be culturally and intellectually highly flexible as
well as socially and personally responsible while having a sound grounding in a specific academic field. As Marijk van der Wende, professor of Higher Education at the
Free University Amsterdam, stated in her 2011 paper on The Emergence of Liberal
Arts and Sciences Education in Europe, it’s all about “the deeper need for generic
skills, flexibility and interdisciplinarity required for innovation, a key factor for the success of a knowledge economy.”
In summary, LAS students are prepared for work responsibilities and careers in international environments that demand fast and efficient adaptation to varying and
complex challenges on a day to day basis. Universities, research institutions, think
tanks, international organizations, politics and administration, media as well as international firms are all potential employers.
So, while career path for LAS graduates may not be as clear-cut as they are for those
who read Medicine, Law or Economics, studying LAS in Freiburg will provide you with
many prerequisites necessary for your specific career goals. The most important
ingredient, however, is you: LAS gives you the freedom to shape your own education
– it also challenges you to use that freedom to set out towards career goals that,
ultimately, only you yourself can define.
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Q: Do you have more questions?
Contact us: studyinfo@ucf.uni-freiburg.de
„We are not students of some subject matter, but students of problems. And
problems may cut right across the borders of any subject matter or discipline.“
Karl Popper
As of February 2013
University College Freiburg
University of Freiburg
Bertoldstraße 17
79085 Freiburg, Germany
Tel. +49 761 203-67342
studyinfo@ucf.uni-freiburg.de
For more information, please
visit www.ucf.uni-freiburg.de
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Printed with kind support by Baden-Badener Unternehmergespräche
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg