University of Tübingen

It is a renowned German university and an international graduate university, innovative, multidisciplinary and global.
The University of Tübingen (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen) was founded in 1477, which is why the university can look back on over 500 years of tradition and academic achievement.
The teaching and research profile of the University of Tübingen covers all academic disciplines with almost 200 study programs in life and humanities, social sciences, law, theology, medicine, mathematics, and natural sciences.

More about the university

According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021, the University of Tübingen is among the 100 best universities in the world for the sixth time in a row, ranking 78th internationally and 5th in Germany. Over the years, the University of Tübingen has improved in all key indicators: research and teaching have been rated higher, researchers at the university are cited more frequently in scientific publications, and the largest leap forward is due to additional third-party funding.
As part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments, the University of Tübingen will receive additional annual funding of approximately 14.25 million euros until 2026. It received this funding as one of Germany’s outstanding universities in three clusters of excellence in the fields of machine learning, microbiology and infection research, oncology and immunology, and imaging.
The networking and collaboration between the faculties is a key pillar of its successful strategy, reflected in its high international rankings. Furthermore, the university maintains exchange relationships with partners worldwide—both universities and non-university research institutions.

Founding and important dates in the life of the university

The University of Tübingen was founded in 1477 by Count Eberhard “the Bearded”.
2007: Establishment of the Cluster of Excellence in the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN).
2012: Success in the Federal Government’s Excellence Initiative with the Graduate School “Learning, Educational Achievement, and Life Course Development (LEAD),” the Excellence Center for Integrative Neuroscience, and the institutional strategy “Research Strength – Optimal Fit – Responsibility.”
2016: Launch of the Cyber Valley cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence in southwest Germany.
The cooperation includes the University of Tübingen and other partners from science, business, and politics.
2018: Success in the Federal Government’s Excellence Strategy.
Approval of the three new Clusters of Excellence at the University of Tübingen – in the fields of infection pathology, cancer research, and machine learning.
2019: The University of Tübingen was once again selected as one of Germany’s Universities of Excellence as part of the Federal Government’s Excellence Strategy.

Faculties and departments of the University of Tübingen

Promoting young talent

The University of Tübingen supports innovative and interdisciplinary researchers who are looking for answers to the growing challenges of a networked world.
They are interconnected and eager to help shape a globalized society. The university plays an important role in training young researchers through the German Research Foundation (DFG) Research Training Groups and the university’s interdisciplinary doctoral programs. These programs are integrated into the Graduate Academy, which was established to attract graduates from Germany and abroad.

Support for foreign researchers

A research visa makes it easier for researchers from non-European countries (third-country nationals) to gain admission to European universities.
As soon as the university has concluded an admission agreement with the researcher, the researcher can apply for a visa or a residence permit in Germany with the residence title “Researcher” in accordance with Section 18d of the Residence Act.
The research visa (Section 18d) is a special residence title for researchers:
it grants researchers certain rights with regard to residence, education at universities, equal treatment in the recognition of qualifications, working conditions, social security, taxes, etc.
Furthermore, the University of Tübingen has been recognised as a research institution by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
This means that the university is able to conclude admission agreements with international researchers.
You are permitted to work on a private research project and to teach at the University of Tübingen.

Support for foreign researchers

Please note that the research visa is generally processed more quickly and offers benefits for family members. To obtain this visa, you need a hosting agreement from the University of Tübingen. After submitting your hosting agreement, you can apply for a research visa at the German Embassy or a residence permit for researchers at the immigration office. Locally, if you already live in Germany. Even as an international researcher, the University of Tübingen offers you a wide range of opportunities to learn German, improve your intercultural skills, and become familiar with German culture.

The central research areas of the University of Tübingen

The university’s research spectrum includes additional profile areas, numerous special research areas and research groups funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Diversity at the University of Tübingen

The Diversity Office is the contact point for all diversity-related questions and offers advice, support, and mediation in cases of disadvantage and racist discrimination in studies and at work.
The University of Tübingen clearly commits itself to the common European values of freedom of science and research, freedom of opinion and expression, the equality of all people, and the respect for human dignity.
The Diversity Office supports the University of Tübingen in its goal of developing a university culture of diversity and equal opportunities, in which all members can develop their individual abilities regardless of gender, ethnic origin, age, social and religious background, disability, or sexual orientation.
The Equal Opportunities Office at the University of Tübingen offers you information and advice on the comprehensive issues of equal opportunities for women and men in studies and science.

Tübingen Welcome Center

The Welcome Center offers services and support to international researchers before and during their stay at the University of Tübingen, the University Hospital, and the Center for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN). It provides information and support to international doctoral students, postdocs, and experienced researchers on all non-academic and practical issues, such as housing arrangements, accommodation preparation, and personal support to help you settle in quickly and feel at home.
General information about life in Tübingen is jointly provided by the Welcome Centres of the University of Tübingen, its Medical Faculty and the Max Planck Institutes, as well as the Tübingen research alumni network TRACe.

English-language degree programs at the University of Tübingen

The following degree programs at the University of Tübingen can be studied in English (and in some cases in another language). German language skills are not required for admission.

University of Natural Sciences

English-language degree programs at the University of Tübingen

The Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences

English-language degree programs at the University of Tübingen

The Humanities Section