DISCOVER POTSDAM

FIND YOUR STUDY PROGRAM IN POTSDAM

POTSDAM AT A GLANCE

Potsdam is a city in Germany, situated on the River Havel. With its total area of 187.28 km2, the city of Potsdam is both the capital and the biggest city of the federal state of Brandenburg. Moreover, it is based only twenty kilometers away from the German capital – Berlin. Ever since 2000, the city of Potsdam is one of the fastest growing places in the Federal Republic. Today, there are over 175,000 people who live, work and study in the city and only seven percent of them are internationals, mostly coming from Syria, Russia, and Poland. Even though the language mostly spoken in the city is German, of course, the young part of the city’s inhabitants can speak English as well. The climate in Potsdam is oceanic with cold winter and warm summer. In December and January, temperatures are around 0 °C and snowfalls are really common during those months. Spring and autumn are relatively short and summer temperatures in July and August go up to 25 °C. Potsdam has a reliable public transportation network that consists of railway and tramway network (including the S7 S-Bahn line) as well as bus lines. Since the capital of the country is really close to Potsdam, it is easy to visit Berlin – within half an hour one way and in exchange for 5 EUR students can visit the German capital whenever they have time to. Moreover, for semester ticket holders traveling within the area will be completely free of charge.

Academic Year

Summer Semester: March – September / Winter Semester: October – February/ March

Official Language

German

Higher Education Institutions

Population

175710

Living Costs

780 – 850 EUR

STUDYING IN POTSDAM

The city of Potsdam is considered an educational center. It is a university town indeed, having eight universities based there, including the well-known University of Potsdam. The university offers a wide variety of degree courses in many faculties, such as Law, Economics, Philosophy, Business management and many others. Additionally, many of the degree courses offered are not only taught in German as a language of instruction but in English as well. In fact, The University of Potsdam is home to over 20, 000 students and approximately thirty-five percent of them are international students, all coming from around the globe with the aim to experience the taste of the high-class German education. Student accommodation is something that concerns every current and prospective student. Most of the students are looking to find the equilibrium between price and quality in terms of accommodation. However, sometimes that might take more time and patience than someone would imagine. A common choice for student accommodation in the city of Potsdam is the student hall of residence, also called student dormitory. A room in a student hall of residence in Potsdam comes at the price of 140 to 350 EUR, depending on the building and the type of room. In Potsdam, there are several student dormitories that, all providing different type of rooms to students. Getting one, however, is not guaranteed. The number of students in the city is four times more than the rooms available in the student halls and the student accommodation is on a first come, first serve basis, meaning that the sooner one applies, the better. Private accommodation is the other option students have. They can rent a room in a shared apartment or directly rent a studio only for themselves but it will cost much. A room in a shared flat in Potsdam is between 300 and 350 EUR per month, while studios cost around 500 EUR monthly.

POTSDAM LIFESTYLE

The beautiful city of Potsdam is the perfect example of a balance between architecture and nature. In fact, even during the time when Germany was doing its best to reunite, Potsdam’s palaces and parks were awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. In and around the city of Potsdam, there are many interconnected lakes and cultural landmarks, including some amazing city parks. Nowadays, the city is also famous for its castles, including the well-known Schloss Sanssouci which was built in 1747. In addition to its cultural side, the city of Potsdam can also offer students a vibrant and exciting nightlife. Many nightclubs and bars do not close before sunrise, offering different styles of music to satisfy even the most fastidious taste. For all the cocktail lovers, Potsdam maybe the right place to have some new experience in the famous Barometer cocktail bar located right at the city center, which is well-known for its unique list of delicious and interesting cocktails.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN POTSDAM

The city of Potsdam has had a reputation of an industrial center in the past, but today, city’s economy is mainly driven by services, such as administration, retail, education, film production, and tourism. Companies in those sectors offer employment opportunities to both skilled workers and graduates from the respective fields. Every university situated in the city has a career center where students will find help in finding both internship placement and full-time employment in the area they are studying. Moreover, it is a common case that graduates from Potsdam find job opportunities in the German capital instead and travel back and forth every day. That way they may benefit from the salaries in Berlin which are much higher, while living in Potsdam and paying only half the amount of money for rent.