German Research Institutions

Bielefeld University was founded in 1969 with a clear mandate in research and high quality standards for research-based teaching. The university, with its far-reaching reform objectives, made a valuable contribution to educational reform in Germany and has retained its interdisciplinary and innovative character to this day. Bielefeld University covers a diverse range of subjects in the humanities, natural, social and technological sciences in its 13 faculties.

Research-driven study

Teaching at Bielefeld University is both research- and science-driven and also highly interdisciplinary. Under the Bielefeld model, students are trained for a specific profession or equipped to work in a range of professions with over 1,000 subject combinations in the bachelor's degree, as well as master's qualifications. An individual elective module fosters the personal skill set of each individual student, providing many different options that support students’ development of expertise: specialisation in a subject, a “taster” in other subjects or a semester abroad.

“Transcending boundaries”

The four strategic research areas at Bielefeld University are based on shared methodological principles and are interconnected through three topics that cross departmental boundaries. These topics are interdisciplinary and involve a range of faculties and influential central academic institutes. Interdisciplinary research group projects and individual financial support through third-party funding enable research to be conducted at the highest international level – as befits the Bielefeld motto,“transcending boundaries”. Although the four core research areas focus mainly on basic research, the results have implications for professional practice and society. Whether it be within graduate schools, research training groups or as part of individual (“free”) doctoral training – young scholars at Bielefeld University conduct their research under excellent conditions.