Hertie School
About
Hertie School charges tuition from €15,000/year as a private institution in Berlin, teaching social sciences and business. An EU-recognised degree brings Schengen-wide mobility and Germany's 18-month post-study job-seeker visa, with IELTS 6.5 keeping entry accessible.
Berlin is Europe's epicentre of political debate, NGO work, and creative culture—raw, multicultural, and endlessly energetic. Rent is affordable by capital-city standards; the nightlife and arts scene are legendary. As a Hertie student, you're minutes from government ministries, the EU office, and thousands of NGOs. Every public-policy graduate we know in Berlin leverages those proximity advantages.
Application deadlines
- WiSe 2026-27 (MPP / MIA / MDS — non-EU priority)2026-01-15
Priority deadline for non-EU applicants. EU: February 15. Early Bird: December 1. Final deadline: May 31. APS required for CN/IN/VN. Rolling evaluation between rounds.
- WiSe 2026-27 (Executive MPA)2026-05-01
Priority deadline May 1, final deadline August 1. Rolling basis.
Accommodation
No university dormitory. Hertie refers students to Studierendenwerk Berlin, private providers (The Social Hub, Berlinovo, HOWOGE), and WG-Gesucht. Berlin market is competitive — €300–€700/month for a room.
Scholarships
- 🏛DAAD
- 🏛Deutschlandstipendium
DAAD: Master's/PhD, merit-based (RU/BY de-facto restricted post-2022). Deutschlandstipendium: €300/mo, all nationalities, merit + social commitment. Apply via university portal (Apr–Jun).
National funding for this destination
Honestly
Why this works
- Hertie School is a private, policy-focused institution in Berlin with tuition of €15,000 per year — competitive for a specialist governance school.
- Degrees in social sciences and public policy fields open direct paths into EU institutions, NGOs, and Berlin's dense political sector.
- A German university degree carries EU recognition across all 27 member states, supporting mobility throughout Europe after graduation.
- Berlin is Germany's federal capital and a major hub for international organisations, think tanks, and policy internships.
- Germany grants an 18-month post-study job-seeker visa, giving graduates meaningful time to convert studies into a EU work permit.
- An IELTS minimum of 6.5 makes admission accessible to strong CIS applicants without requiring near-native English scores.
What to check
- Hertie School is a private university: at €15,000 per year, tuition is far above the typical zero or near-zero fees at German public universities.
- Germany requires non-EU students to prove roughly €11,904 in a blocked account (Sperrkonto) before a visa is issued, creating a significant upfront financial barrier.
- Admission to a specialist policy school is highly selective; social-science and governance programmes attract strong competition from international applicants worldwide.
- Daily life in Berlin and many administrative processes are conducted in German; limited German proficiency can affect housing searches, banking, and integration.
- Berlin has a well-documented accommodation shortage; private student housing near the city centre is expensive and often requires months of advance searching.
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Figures are indicative and change by academic year. Always confirm tuition, deadlines and visa requirements on the official institution and government sources before applying.