Academic Rigor

FUBiS offers intensive academic summer and winter programs for dedicated and diligent students. Students are expected to prepare for all their classes, work hard, and fulfil all assignments on time. Please see the Academic and Program Policies for more details.

FUBiS German language courses are university-level courses that focus on the development of language competence in writing, reading, listening and speaking. All courses adhere to the European Frame of Reference. Like the FUBiS program, the teaching materials used in the language courses, including the textbooks, aim for a swift and significant learning progress. It is the objective of FUBiS German language classes that students considerably improve their German competence while studying at FUBiS.

FUBiS subject classes are Freie Universität Berlin university level classes. Participation requires regular attendance, preparation, and fulfilment of all requirements (e.g. presentations, response papers, mid-terms, final exams). The reading and writing assignments vary from class to class and can be demanding. FUBiS subject classes give students the opportunity to seriously engage in and further their knowledge of a subject matter.

Quality Assurance

FUBiS is dedicated to provide a premier study abroad program delivering the highest academic quality. This quality has been approved by the Forum on Education Abroad. FUBiS has demonstrated that it is in substantial conformity with The Forum’s Standards of Good Practice, and maintains a commitment and dedication to offering high quality programs in education abroad at a level of excellence acceptable to the larger academic community. The successful completion of QUIP for the second time also reflects the organization’s commitment to continuous assessment and improvement. The Forum Review Panel noted: Through this QUIP review, FUBiS has demonstrated two very admirable qualities: 1) its thoughtful and substantial conformity to good practices in education abroad, and 2) its desire for continuous improvement despite already operating at a very high level. FUBiS clearly understands the issues at stake in education abroad and the evolving nature of the field. (Letter of Recognition, November 27, 2018). FUBiS first received the QUIP recognition in 2010 and renewed it in 2018.

In order to ensure this high quality standard, FUBiS has several quality assessment procedures in place.

FUBiS carefully selects its teaching personnel in a rigorous screening and application process. FUBiS instructors must have demonstrated outstanding competence and experience in their particular discipline. Furthermore, FUBiS guarantees that all courses, corresponding to their content, will be carried out in a professional manner and are in fulfilment of the stated objectives. The Academic Board of FUBiS has reviewed and approved all academic program offerings. This Board consists of at least five tenured professors representing different academic disciplines.

The FUBiS program and all classes are evaluated and assessed at the end of each program. The FUBIS team is dedicated to constantly improve the program and offerings.

The FUBiS German courses were designed and developed by Dr. Christina Frei (Executive Director of Language Instruction for the School of Arts & Sciences, Academic Director of the Penn Language Center, Adjunct Associate Professor of Education and Senior Lecturer in Foreign Language at the University of Pennsylvania).

Since 2010, Niko Euba from the University of California, Berkeley, has been part of the coordination team for the FUBiS German courses. In 2023, the team was joined by Claudia Schumann, who is also active in the field of German as a Foreign Language (DaF) at TU Berlin. The coordination of the FUBiS German courses encompasses support for instructors through workshops, teaching observations, feedback and advice.