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Why Study for an Art Degree in Berlin

December 19th 2018

By Masters Study Portal

Many prospective international students who plan to complete an arts degree don’t even consider Berlin as a possible study abroad destination. Once anyone visits Berlin though, it will be impossible not to notice the numerous art galleries and one of the most interesting and creative street art works. In fact, today, Berlin is known as one of the most prolific cities in terms of contemporary art, including paintings, design, music, theatre and fashion.

Berlin offers numerous advantages to international students, including free tuition in public universities, a wide range of English-taught degrees, including for Bachelor and Master art degrees and a vibrant city life atmosphere.

Why study abroad in Berlin?

According to Huffington Post, Berlin is the hippest city in Europe, covering a large multicultural, young and vibrant environment. Berlin is one of the largest student cities in Germany, but it is also the main cultural and commercial hub in the country. According to QS Rankings, Berlin managed to lead the top of best student cities in Germany, in terms of universities offerings, international student services and the overall leisure activities.

Some of the reasons that made international students rate Berlin as a great study location are:

1. A lot of historic monuments – students generally interested in history can’t go wrong with Berlin (from the Berlin Wall to the Jewish Museum, to Neues Palais).
2. Many interesting local events, including Berlin Weekly, Berlin Fashion Week, Jazzfest Berlin, Oktoberfest, Festival of Lights and more.
3. Beer culture and thriving night life – In Berlin, any event is an excuse for drinking beer. Local bars and pubs don’t have a closing hour so you can party till dawn with your mates.
4. Berlin is one of the most liberal capitals of Europe, making any visitor feel welcomed and moreover, encouraging everyone to express themselves freely in all regards.
5. Compared to most cities in Germany, Berlin is highly international and multicultural so speaking English is quite common.

Interesting places worth visiting in Berlin are: Berlin Wall Memorial, The Holocaust Memorial, Museum Island, Tiergarten, Brandenburg Gate, Potsdam, Charlottenburg Palace.

Why study art in Berlin?

Berlin gathers several art institutes and universities that offer Bachelor and Master degrees in art, and providing artistic and advanced art training.

All universities and art schools integrate practical study and visits to local art galleries (around 450) and museums. Universities include modern facilities and offer students the opportunity to use motion design labs, photo and TV studios.

Some of the art and design degree programmes include semesters abroad, summers schools, student competitions or exchange programmes, allowing students to gain international experience. Since Berlin is such an international city, you get to see and get inspired from different art styles and techniques and exchange ideas with a large and varied network of artists.

In addition, Berlin hosts several artistic events and several local organisations support artists in showcasing and promoting their work, while others focus on marketing all exhibitions, screenings, performances and lectures.

Teaching style in universities from Berlin

International programmes provided by universities from Berlin are fully or partially taught in English. An interesting and rather unique feature of studying at a college of art or music in Berlin is that instruction is given one on one or in small groups closely supervised by a member of the teaching staff.

Other characteristics of art degrees in Berlin universities include:

1. Theoretical classes are always combined with practical experience or projects
2. Students are encouraged to express their creativity freely and choose their own topics for projects
3. Students can have open and free discussions with professors, and ask questions and advice at any time

Universities offering art courses in Berlin

The main higher educational institutions dedicated to students who want to study arts are:

• Berlin Art Institute
• Berlin University of the Arts
• Bard College Berlin 
• Esmod Berlin International University of Art for Fashion  

Top-ranked universities in Berlin, providing a few art degrees are:

• Freie University of Berlin (no. 119th in QS, and no.75 in World University Rankings)
• Humboldt University Berlin (no. 126th in QS and no. 57 in World University Rankings)

Here are a few tips on how you can apply to German universities.

Career development for art students

Due to the fact that Berlin gathers numerous commercial galleries, and several local foundations sponsor fellowships and artistic competitions, this city is ideal for any beginner artist or one that plans a start-up in the field. Studios or performance spaces in Berlin are quite cheap to rent and the German government also provides financial support to anyone working in the creative industries, so these are valuable advantages for art students and graduates.

Here are some interesting sources for art graduates looking for a job opportunity in Berlin:

1. The German Federal Cultural Foundation;
2. The International Association of Art in Germany (IGBK);
3. Art/culture related job positions.

Living in Berlin: Accommodation and transportation

Berlin is not an expensive city to live in, but it isn’t cheap either, so students should carefully manage their budget.

Average cost of living in Berlin

You will need around 836-1340 EUR/month to cover your living costs. 

Types of student accommodation options in Berlin include:

• Student residences/dorms: around 300 EUR/month.
• Shared flats: between 300-450 EUR/month.
• One-bedroom apartment: rent is between 550-750 EUR/month.

Transportation

When it comes to transportation, Berlin is a bike-friendly city, so you can rent a bike whenever you want, the average price around 15 EUR for half a day. As a student, you get a discount at the monthly public transportation pass, where you would normally have to pay around 80 EUR, enabling you to travel by bus and by train.

Tuition fees for art students in Berlin

EU students in Berlin take advantage of the fact that all public universities from Germany are tuition free, for both undergraduate and graduate level. Students only have to pay for an administration fee each semester of around 50-100 EUR, covering student organisation services and enrollment. All non-EU students applying to art degrees would have to pay around 500 EUR/semester.

Private universities, however, require an annual tuition fee that can lead to 4,000 – 8,000 EUR/year on average.

Scholarships for students in Berlin

If you’re interested in studying abroad in Berlin, you can find several methods to finance your studies, such as scholarships, fellowships, grants and student loans. Here are a few scholarship opportunities for art students planning to attend courses at Berlin universities:

• The Germany Scholarship Program 
• DAAD Scholarship Program 
• Heinrich Boll Foundation Scholarships 

Student visa for Germany

Students coming from the EU are not required to apply for a student visa for Germany. On the other hand, non-EU students will need to apply for a student visa (studentenvisum), which will initially be issued for three months, and after that, the visa period is extended on arrival.