Technische Universität Berlin Summer Research

Students in Biomedical, Computer, Electrical, Energy, Environmental, Geomatics, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Petroleum, and Software engineering who are interested in participating in a Summer Research Placement at TU Berlin must apply for this as you would for a regular UCI exchange, using the Course List field of the online application to list at least 2-3 possible research placements.

To find potential research opportunities, please consult the individual "Professors" and "Chairs" links on TU Berlin's website and then identify potential chair(s), professor(s) and/or projects that are of interest to you. More information can be found under the Research pages. DO NOT contact the professors unless you have been accepted into the program. 

Other links that may help in your research: TU Berlin Faculties, TU Berlin Research

Student Tips: "Picking a good supervisor is as important as picking a research topic you are interested in. Talk to them beforehand and lay out expectations and outcomes early on in the process. You will get as much out of the research as the amount of work you put in."

"[Without this experience] I would not have been able to operate the wind tunnel and analyze Particle Image Velocimetry data using MATLAB." 

"[After my acceptance], I contacted about 30 professors over Christmas break in a variety of fields. Towards the end of January I got a couple offers and went with the first professor that contacted me. We set up mostly everything before I got there in terms of my work conditions and project. [My] research project allowed me to connect with many professionals in the mechanical engineering field. I was able to learn a lot about the processes required to create a programming tool at a practical level. Don't be afraid to make connections! Talk to other researchers in your department even if they are working on completely different projects. Be confident in your work, have a strong voice in your findings and collaborations with your supervisor. Stay focused, Berlin is a fun city but first and foremost you are there to do research. There will be lots of time to see the city and travel, but make sure to get the work done first. [Before my exchange] I never felt that I was a good programmer, however after this exchange I feel that I can understand and apply a wide range of coding techniques. At first I found it difficult to grasp new concepts and apply them in code. I was always able to contact my professor though, who gave me great insight and never gave me the answers, but suggestions for a better direction. You will learn a lot throughout your research exchange, and gain huge insights from your mentors." 

The dates of the program are flexible and are typically arranged between the student and the research overseer (professor/TA), but most placements run from May-August, and must run at least 3 months in length.

Students also have the option of applying for a fall and/or winter exchange - for more information, you can visit the TU Berlin Semester-length program page. 

Students are responsible for arranging their own accommodation during their studies, from hostels to temporary apartments. All students are typically able to arrange housing within the first week of arrival or before they depart from Canada. For more information, please contact study.abroad@ucalgary.ca.

Student Tip: "I would definitely recommend looking for a private apartment with a few other students on the same program. You get to build friendships and learn to be independent. Be careful of the commute time [to the University], but don’t be too discouraged if it’s a little farther than you would like. Check the types of transit available and alternative routes as well. Also, check amenities like internet, laundry, and kitchen."

"[The coordinator] from TUBerlin was super helpful. I emailed him about receiving my Student ID which includes their version of a “UPass”, and also asked him to help me find a dorm, which he did, and worked out amazing as I heard it’s difficult to find a dorm in Berlin. I lived in the Hafenplatz dorm. It is located in the best place in Berlin. An 8 minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate, 2 minutes from Potsdamer Platz and the Mall of Berlin and the Sony Center, 11 minutes to Checkpoint Charlie. The location is so good that they are planning to tear down the dorms in 2019 and create a more business/money seeking area, it’s that good! I had my own dorm with my own washroom, stove top and mini fridge. Comes with a laundry wardrobe and a small closet. My friend stayed in Siegmunds Hof and it was 5 minutes from TUB, Hafenplatz is a 12 minutes train ride to campus. Trains are super convenient and come every 4 minutes or less during rush hour, it never took me longer than 20 minutes to get to uni. I would have wanted to stay in Siegmunds Hof only for the convenience that it is a 5 minute walk from TUB and that it is a bit newer. But I preferred Hafenplatz, seriously a million dollar location and I was able to explore more of the city because of that."

"I searched many housing websites in Berlin - in the end I went with a company called Medici Living, they don’t cut corners they are very professional and accommodating, though they are pretty pricey and don’t hesitate to charge you for any repairs. I was in a flat share with other students and young workers. The apartment came with quite a bit of space, dishwasher, laundry, great stove and a nice bathroom. My commute to the University was up to 13 minutes. A quick 5 minute walk to the train, a 7 minute train ride 4 stops and then a minute walk out of Ernst Reuter Platz station and onto campus. I liked that I had two separate environments. The school environment which was well centered to the industrial side of the city and felt like a place of work. Then my home environment was located in a calm area of town that I got to relax."

This research exchange is open to regular, full-time students in Schulich School of Engineering at UCalgary, who will have completed at least 2 full years (20 courses) at the post-secondary level by the time this program commences. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 (B-), though no knowledge of German is required. Students must also meet the program eligibility requirements (see below).

Eligible majors include students from the following programs: Biomedical, Computer, Electrical, Energy, Environmental, Geomatics, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Petroleum, Software. If you are majoring in other engineering disciplines but with a minor in one of the above areas, you may still apply - however, your research project must be related to your minor. In addition, if the number of eligible applicants exceeds the amount of available funding, preference may be given to those majoring in the eligible disciplines. 

The application is submitted online (see the Apply Now link at the top of this webpage). It has a few parts:

1. There are several short written-response questions about your motivation & goals for the research program.
2. One of the questions asks for your fields of intended research. This should be either 5 professors, if you have already identified some on TU Berlin's website, or 5 areas/subjects you are interested in.
3. In the "Photo" upload of your online application, please upload a clear photo of yourself that is: in colour, in front of a plain white or off-white background, taken in full-face view directly facing the camera. NOTE: Due to technical issues in the online application, the photo option has been disabled. As long as your photo is included in your CV (see #4 below) you do not need to submit a separate photo.
4. The application has a file upload section called "Other". Please upload your CV here. We will require a German-formatted CV (Lebenslauf), click here for some guidelines about German formatting. The main difference between Canadian resumes and German CVs is that the CV includes more personal information such as a photo, short bio, or skills.

In addition to the online application, two other documents are required - these must also be received by the November 12 deadline:

1. Your official UCalgary transcript. This can either be an official hard-copy transcript (dropped off at our office, MT 501, in a sealed envelope) OR an official e-transcript (you must log in to the UCalgary e-transcript platform and "share" it with study.abroad@ucalgary.ca). Note: if you are applying to multiple programs, only one copy of your transcript is needed. Click here for instructions on how to order your official transcript.
2. An academic reference letter. The reference must be written by a professor who has taught you at UCalgary. It should be emailed to study.abroad@ucalgary.ca directly from your professor (not from you). Most professors should already be familiar with writing references from past experience; you can also click here to view the general reference guidelines.

Please Note: International Students who will be finishing their studies at the end of this program MUST speak with the exchange advisor before applying due to possible visa and study permit conflicts.

Do I need to speak German?

It is recommended that you have a basic understanding of German for operating in everyday life, but it is not required, and professors will work with you in English. In Germany, English speakers are able to function fairly well in society with a little to no knowledge of the language for shopping and eating out, etc. but it can be more challenging without basic German knowledge in terms of navigating housing, websites, or filling out forms.

Student Tips: "As I was on a research exchange, I did not have to take a German course, but I learned some basic German using the Android application ‘Duolingo’ wish is available for both Android and iOS. For everyday use, the basics were usually enough: 'Hello', 'goodbye', 'sorry', 'thank you', 'do you speak English?' 'Where is the washroom?', etc. It's easy to get by with just English but I would recommend learning some German prior to the exchange."

What's so special about TU Berlin and the city?

Berlin has always been a popular spot for exchange students. With copious museums and national monuments like the Brandenburg gate or the Reichstag Building, it is a centre for tourism in Germany and activities within Berlin abound. Summer students are able to gain unique experience and marketable skills through this program for future career opportunities. 

Student Tips: "The weather was much warmer than Calgary, transit was far much better (you can get to anywhere you like in Berlin with the S and U bahn and anywhere else with the Regional trains. I would also recommend going to Dresden, Heidelberg, and Hamburg!"

"Their transit system is phenomenal. Not one place you can’t reach within the city. Buses and trains come every 5 minutes or less, it’s ridiculous. Transit runs pretty much 24 hours, depending on the line. The S and UBahns are actually run by different companies, but you use the same train ticket for both. Every train station and bus has a validating machine. Berlin is super affordable, the cheapest European capital, so take advantage of the food and activities! If you’re in Berlin and don’t attend a meetup group or a startup fair...have you really experienced Berlin?"

"It never gets too hot in Berlin, you can get away with a light jacket most days even in summer, also always pack an umbrella flash floods hit often.  The city all in all is pretty safe everywhere you go, people usually keep to themselves. My favorite area is Zoologischer Garten or the community that holds the Reichstag building."

Do I need a visa to go on this program?

The Federal Foreign Office of Germany has a list of countries where entry visas are required/not required. If an entry visa is not required, students may need to apply for a residency permit (Aufenthaltstitel) as soon as possible on arrival to Germany, and should not travel around Europe in advance of their arrival before lodging the permit application due to processing times (often 4-6 weeks to be processed). If an entry visa is required, students may need to apply for a Study Permit/Visa in advance, according to the procedures of their home country.  

What kind of supports does TU Berlin offer?

For students with chronic illnesses or disabilities, there are a variety of supports including wheelchair access, accessible bathrooms, etc. For information on accessibility and support services of campuses across Europe, please check out Inclusive Mobility. For city-specific services and places in Europe, the Jaccede interactive platform (website and/or smartphone app - both Android and iOS) also provides a searchable user-built database to identify important accessibility information of public places and locations.