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Freemover Program
Marburg University's Freemover Program offers students the chance to study abroad in Germany, specifically in the historic city of Marburg. Experience top-quality education, immerse yourself in German culture, and broaden your global perspective in one of Europe's most charming cities. Join us for an unforgettable academic adventure!
All students are welcome to apply on their own for admission to Marburg University and, upon admission, finance and pursue studies on their own without using any special assistance or having been admitted to one of our exchange programs. This might be of interest, if
- you are enrolled at a home university or on leave of absence, and your home institution approves a Freemover application
- you have sufficient financial means to fully fund your study abroad experience,
- you wish to study abroad independent from existing exchange programs,
- your own wishes are not covered by existing programs,
- you haven’t been accepted to an existing exchange program between your home institution and Philipps-Universität.
General Information on the Freemover Program
Learn more about the Freemover program and how it offers flexible study abroad opportunities.
Which subjects and courses can I study?
Which subjects are offered at the University of Marburg can be found in the overview.
Please note that not all departments offer courses in English. Freemover students will be enrolled in one major, but they can participate in and mix courses from different subjects and departments to earn credits for the specific degree programs at their home university.
To get an idea of the offered courses, please have a look at the course catalogue for the current and previous semesters (the language of the system can be changed at the bottom of the website).
If you want to search for courses being taught in a specific language, you can use the search tool. Click on “Show all possible search criteria” on the next page, select one or more teaching languages of your choice, and click on search.
Please bear in mind that there is no guarantee that courses from previous semesters will be offered in an upcoming semester. Courses for upcoming semesters are published for winter semesters until mid-August and for summer semesters until mid-February or early March.
If you are unsure about the course offerings or have any further questions regarding the academic contents, please feel free to contact the departmental coordinator, who is in charge of all exchange and Freemover students in their department. You can also visit the website of the department you are interested in.
For how long can I study as a Freemover?
Freemover enrollment at Marburg University is possible for one or two semesters.
If you initially applied for only one semester but wish to continue studying in Marburg, you can request an extension of your exchange program for a second semester towards the end of your first term.Which language skills do I need?
Freemover students do not have to prove language certificates during their application, but we generally recommend a German level of B2. The majority of our courses are held in German, and only some are offered in English, depending on the subject.
Accommodation in Marburg
As a Freemover student, you will have to find an accommodation in Marburg by yourself. A room reservation in the dormitories of Studierendenwerk Marburg through the international office of the University is not possible.
You are welcome to apply for housing in one of the student dorms from the Studierendenwerk on your own. Please use the online registration form to apply for accommodation in the dorms. Applications are processed by the student housing office which is also in charge of the housing arrangements. Kindly note that the International Office has no authority whatsoever in all matters relating to student accommodation.
Getting a room in the student dorms is very hard. We highly recommend to look for accommodation on the private market while waiting for the Studentenwerk to get back to you.
We recommend that you take care of your housing arrangements in Marburg as early as possible!
Fore more information and support while searching for an accommodation, feel free to contact our colleagues.
You will also receive further information about the housing search during the Freemover application.Application Period
For summer semester enrollment: November 15th - March 15th (January 15th if you want to participate in the Pre-sessional Intensive German Course!).
For enrollment for the winter semester: May 15th - September 15th (July 15th if you want to participate in the Pre-sessional Intensive German Course!).
Application process
Ready to get started? Our application process is simple and straightforward. Follow the steps below to submit your application and begin your Freemover journey!
Step 1: Registration
Step 1: Registration Begin by registering on our Mobility-Online platform. Use the following link to access the application form:
Application period for winter semester 2025/26 is not open yet. It will open on May 15th.Important:
When filling out your details, ensure your name is spelled correctly and completely. To avoid any technical issues, do not use accented or special characters. Please enter your given name(s) in the "First Name" field and your family name(s) in the "Surname" field.
If your first language uses a non-Latin alphabet, please use the exact name spelling found on your passport or ID for all official documents and communication.Step 2: Orientation Week Participation
Let us know if you wish to attend our orientation program for international students. We offer two sessions:
OP 1: First week of March/September
OP2: First week of April/October
Details about the program can be found here:
Orientation Program Details.
Note: Students registering for the pre-sessional Intensive German Course (Mid March/September - Beginning of April/October) can only participate in OP 1 due to important formalities.Step 3: Pre-sessional Intensive German Course
If you're interested in improving your German skills, we offer a pre-sessional Intensive German course from Mid March/September - Beginning of April/October at our Language Center.
More information about the course can be found here:
Intensive German Course Details.Important:
Be honest about your language proficiency in the application form, as we use this information to group students into classes with similar language levels. The course will require a fee, and registration is binding. Please review the course requirements, placement procedures, participation fee and semester program on the website before proceeding.Step 4: Document Upload
During the application, you’ll be asked to upload a clearly legible PDF scan of your personal ID or passport.
Step 5: Finalizing the Application
Once you've completed all sections in Mobility-Online, you will receive an e-mail to register: please fill in all the succeeding steps until the system automatically provides you with a PDF file summarizing the data you have given.
Important:
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Print the summary PDF provided by the system and sign it manually. Only handwritten signatures are accepted for legal confirmation in Germany.
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Have your home university sign and stamp the form.
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Upload the signed and stamped form (both pages in one file) to Mobility-Online.
The application document has to be uploaded by the end of the application period deadline!
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After completing your Application
After we have received all the required data and documents from your part, we will review your application and send you a letter of acceptance if your application was successful. You may use this letter for your visa application for instance. Later on, up to 4 weeks before the beginning of the semester, we will send you a letter of admission (Zulassungsbescheid) including your student registration number (“Matrikelnummer”) at Philipps-Universität. You will need this number, among other things, to activate the internet account that we will create for you and in order to register for courses at Philipps-Universität.
Contact
For any further questions, please contact the Freemover Team.
We hope to welcome you to Marburg soon!