First steps for incoming students
You’ve been accepted to the Hertie School. Now what?
- You will be sent an email with your study agreement. Read it carefully, sign it and mail it back by the deadline stated in your offer of admission.
- Once we receive your signed study agreement and tuition deposit, your spot in the programme is confirmed.
- As a next step, we will provide MPP, MIA and MDS students with log-in information for accessing the pre-orientation package on Moodle.
- Executive MPA students and doctoral researchers will receive more information from their respective programme teams.
Ready
Depending on your country of citizenship, different legal documents to live and study in Germany may be required - some students will need a visa to enter the country; others will need to apply for a residence permit upon arrival; and everyone, including German nationals, must complete their city registration within two weeks of finding an apartment in Berlin.
Carefully read through the "Living in Berlin" section on Moodle for step-by-step guidance on these important bureaucratic processes.
Although Berlin is a relatively affordable city, housing is in high demand. Finding the right place can be time-consuming so be sure to start your search early! We’ve put together some resources to help with your apartment hunt.
Set
Learning German is a great way to settle into Berlin and especially useful to those wishing to work in Germany. Incoming students will have the chance to attend an intensive beginner-level German language course at the Hertie School prior to Welcome Week (from 21-25 Aug, registration required). During their studies, students can use our resources on Moodle to find an appropriate German language school in the city in order to continue studying German independently.
There are also language schools in Berlin that teach languages other than German. For further information, please consult our Language School directory on Moodle.
The Hertie School also offers a Language Tandem Programme for which enrolled students and staff members can sign up on the school's professional networking website Hertie Connect.
In Germany, every student under the age of 30 studying at a state-recognised higher education institution is required by law to have health insurance. This concerns all full-time study programmes (MPP, MIA, MDS, 1-year Executive MPA and Doctoral Programmes). Valid health insurance is a prerequisite for studying at the Hertie School and obtaining a residence permit. We’ve put together all the info you need on Moodle.
Go
After being accepted to study at the Hertie School, you will receive an email from our Grad Admissions Team asking for the following check-in documents:
- certified copy of your bachelor's degree/diploma
- certified copy of your final undergraduate transcript
The documents must be submitted by 1 September 2023 and will be stored in your student file.
The International Student Orientation Days have been designed for international students who are relocating to Berlin for the first time and offers presentations on city registration, residence permit, housing, student jobs, and social life in Berlin. This academic year they will take place on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 August from 15:00h to 18:00h CET.
Welcome Week will take place from Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 August and is mandatory for all incoming first-year MPP, MIA and MDS students. This week is intended to ensure that every incoming student receives all of the administrative, academic and bureaucratic information needed to begin their studies at the Hertie School and settle into Berlin successfully. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in many planned social activities in order to get to know each other and the rest of the school community.
If you have a question about the check-in process or Welcome Week, feel free to contact us.
