Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Berlin, Germany

About Charité

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin is Germany's largest and one of Europe's most prominent university hospitals, with roots dating to a quarantine facility established in 1710 and the formal institution named 'Charité' in 1727. Today it operates as a joint medical faculty of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, wholly owned by the Federal State of Berlin, with an annual turnover of approximately €2.9 billion.

The institution comprises over 100 departments and institutes organised across 17 CharitéCenters, and employs more than 25,000 staff from 133 countries, including around 5,882 researchers and physicians. Approximately 10,182 students are enrolled in degree programmes ranging from medicine and dentistry to public health, nursing, and biomedical science.

Charité is consistently ranked among the world's top 30 medical schools (Times Higher Education 2024) and named one of the world's best hospitals by Newsweek. It is a member of the M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, Universities and Research Institutions.

Key facts

Founded: 1710
Students: 10,182
International: Staff from 133 countries; ca. 160 Charité students participate in exchange programmes abroad annually

Germany's largest university hospital with over 25,000 employees and €2.9 billion annual turnover

Ranked among the world's top 30 medical schools (THE 2024) and named one of the world's best hospitals (Newsweek 2024)

Over 100 departments and institutes across 17 CharitéCenters on 4 Berlin campuses

Joint medical faculty of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

APS certificate required for applicants from India, China, and Vietnam

Several English-taught postgraduate programmes (Medical Neurosciences, Molecular Medicine, International Health, Epidemiology)

Admissions & costs

Tuition & fees

No tuition fees for standard state-examination degree programmes (medicine, dentistry) and most consecutive master's programmes. Students pay a semester contribution of approximately €325 per semester covering administrative fees, Studierendenwerk contribution, and the Deutschland-Semesterticket. Non-consecutive postgraduate programmes are fee-bearing: MSc International Health totals €12,900; other programmes carry comparable costs. Berlin is not in Baden-Württemberg and applies no non-EU surcharge.

Admission requirements

International applicants apply through uni-assist. Applicants from India, China (PRC), and Vietnam must submit an APS certificate issued by the German Embassy/Consulate in their home country. German-language programmes require documented German proficiency by the application deadline (typically TestDaF, DSH, or equivalent). Admission to medicine (317 places/cycle) and dentistry (45 places/cycle) is grade-based; only the grade average is considered — no test scores, internship records, or recommendation letters. English-taught master's programmes have their own language and subject-specific requirements. Application is via the Charité admissions portal or uni-assist.

Application deadlines

Medicine/Dentistry (international applicants): 15 January for the summer semester; 15 July for the winter semester. English-taught master's programmes have individual deadlines — check each programme's page on charite.de.

Languages of instruction

Medicine, dentistry, and most health-science bachelor's programmes are taught in German. Several postgraduate programmes are offered in English, including MSc International Health, MSc Medical Neurosciences, MSc Molecular Medicine, MSc Applied Epidemiology, and MSc in Epidemiology.

Campuses & locations

Campus Charité Mitte (CCM)

Central Berlin; seat of the Board of Directors

Campus Virchow-Klinikum (CVK)

North-central Berlin

Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF)

South Berlin (Steglitz-Zehlendorf)

Campus Berlin Buch (CBB)

North Berlin; large research campus

Living in Berlin

Berlin is Germany's capital and largest city, home to around 3.7 million residents. It is one of Europe's major science and startup hubs, with a strong healthcare and life-sciences ecosystem. The cost of living is moderate relative to other Western European capitals. Student neighbourhoods include Mitte, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg, and Schöneberg, with good public transport connections across all four Charité campuses.

Student life & support

Charité's spread across four Berlin campuses means student life is interwoven with the city itself rather than a single university district. Student housing is available through the Studentenwerk Berlin (apply well in advance, minimum 3–4 months before start). Berlin's cultural, social, and research scene — museums, galleries, tech and biotech events, and a vibrant international community — supports life beyond the hospital. The institution hosts a Museum of Medical History and a GeDenkOrt.Charité memorial site. Around 160 Charité students participate in international exchange annually through Erasmus and partner institutions.

International Office: [email protected] International students page →

Accredited Programmes

Erste Staatsprüfung, StEx.

Master

Bachelor/Bakkalaureus