Freie Universität Berlin International Summer and Winter University (FUBiS)

Name

Freie Universität Berlin International Summer and Winter University (FUBiS)

Legal name

Freie Universität Berlin International Summer and Winter University (FUBiS)

Website

https://fubis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Study Abroad Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Enrollment & Third-Party University Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Integrated Language + Academic Skills (EAP) Bridging Programs (EDAIAJAF)

Keywords

• Study abroad programs
• German language courses
• International summer university
• University credit programs
• Cultural immersion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition Fees: Students pay tuition fees for German language courses (€1,300-€2,675) and subject courses (€1,300-€1,850) depending on term length and course intensity. Fees include course materials, field trips, and access to university facilities.
2. Program Fee: A non-refundable program fee (€300) covers the official FUBiS transcript, Reichstag tour, river boat tour, student ID with prepaid value for dining hall, library access, and welcome/farewell buffet.
3. Housing Fees: Optional accommodation services including student dorms, homestays, youth hostels, and hotels. Housing fees range from €425-€1,450 depending on accommodation type and term duration.
4. Optional Services and Excursions: Additional revenue from optional excursions (€25-€75), insurance packages (€12-€65), and additional transcript copies (€25).
5. Custom Corporate Programs: FUBiS on Demand offers tailor-made programs for organizations and delegations, providing professional training and courses for institutional clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FUBiS is an international study abroad program operated by Freie Universität Berlin that delivers intensive short-term academic programs combining German language instruction (CEFR A1–C1) and English-language subject courses across disciplines such as European Studies, Law, History, Economics, and Sustainability. Programs run in three terms per year (winter Term I, summer Terms II and III) and award official FU Berlin transcripts with transferable ECTS credits (6–8 per course). FUBiS also offers customized institutional training programs (FUBiS on Demand) for delegations and organizations.

Product overview

FUBiS (Freie Universität Berlin International Summer and Winter University) is a study abroad program at Freie Universität Berlin offering intensive short-term academic programs for international students. The core offering consists of three term programs (Term I winter, Term II and III summer) that combine German language courses (levels A1-C1) with subject courses in disciplines such as European Studies, Law, History, Economics, and Sustainability. FUBiS provides multiple delivery formats: standard on-site programs, FUBiS Online (digital lecture series and previously online courses), and FUBiS on Demand (customized programs for delegations). Courses are structured in A-Track, B-Track, and D-Track (Multi-City) formats, with cultural excursions and field trips included in the program experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FUBiS Online: Online courses and digital lecture series offered between 2020-2022, including public lecture series from June-August 2020 and joint series with FU-BEST in 2021 under the banner 'What's Next? Voices from Dynamic Berlin'.
• FUBiS on Demand

Products and services

• FUBiS Term Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Earn 6-8 ECTS credits per course transferable to home universities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FU-BEST (Freie Universität Berlin European Studies Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFU-BEST is the sister semester program of Freie Universität Berlin offering Fall (September-December) and Spring (February-May) semesters. FUBiS and FU-BEST have cross-enrollment agreements where students from one program receive 20% tuition discount when attending the other. The programs share resources, faculty, and coordinate digital lecture series together.
• Utrecht Summer SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtrecht Summer School partners with FUBiS for the Multi-City Program 'The Making of Europe: From the 20th to the 21st Century.' Students can attend portions of the course in multiple European cities.
• Royal Netherlands Institute RomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal Netherlands Institute Rome collaborates with FUBiS on the Multi-City Program, allowing students to experience European integration topics across different institutional settings.
• id22 Institute for Creative SustainabilityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributorid22 is a non-profit organization that operates Creative Sustainability Tours Berlin. FUBiS offers optional walking tours of sustainable urban development projects organized by id22, including visits to communal housing initiatives, alternative spaces, and urban gardens.
• Berliner Unterwelten e.V.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBerliner Unterwelten is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showcasing Berlin's underground architecture, bunkers, and shelters. FUBiS offers optional guided tours through underground passages and bunkers exploring Berlin's World War II and Cold War history.
• Freie Universität BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFUBiS is an official program of Freie Universität Berlin, one of Germany's leading universities founded in December 1948. The university provides administrative support, facilities, faculty, and institutional credibility. FUBiS operates under the Global Campus initiative of Freie Universität.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Summer School: Larger, more established summer school serving the same global study-abroad market. Offers transferable credits and similar course structures but at significantly higher price points and broader subject catalog.
• Oxford Summer Programme (University of Oxford): Historic UK university's summer offerings targeting the same international student pool. Comparable credit structure and prestige positioning; operates in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Sciences Po Summer School: Top European university summer program offering multidisciplinary subject courses in social sciences to international students. Comparable prestige positioning, credit transferability, and target audience.
• FU-BEST (Freie Universität Berlin European Studies Program): Sister semester program at the same parent university (Freie Universität Berlin) offering Fall and Spring semesters. FUBiS and FU-BEST have a cross-enrollment agreement and share faculty, resources, and the digital lecture series.
• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin International Summer University: Direct competing summer program at Berlin's other flagship university, targeting international students with German language and subject courses in the same city and overlapping source markets.
• LMU Munich International Summer University: Comparable German top-tier university summer program targeting international students with German language and academic courses. Operates in a different German city but addresses the same market segment.
• Goethe University Frankfurt Summer School: Another German university summer school offering German language and subject courses to international students with transferable credits. Comparable structure, duration, and target audience to FUBiS.
• University of St. Gallen Summer School: European top-tier university offering intensive summer programs with subject courses and ECTS credits to international students. Comparable academic positioning and short-term study abroad model.
• Utrecht Summer School: Direct partner of FUBiS via the Multi-City Program 'The Making of Europe.' Comparable offering: multi-disciplinary summer courses for international students with transferable credits and a similar tuition model.

Emerging players

• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): Established study-abroad program provider offering Berlin and other European city programs. Comparable student audience but operates as an external provider rather than embedded within a host university.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fubis.berlin
• Facebookfacebook.com/fubis.berlin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/freie-universit%C3%A4t-berlin-international-summer-and-winter-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/fubisberlin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Freie Universität Berlin International Summer and Winter University (FUBiS)