University of Europe for Applied Sciences (Campus Berlin) — Attraction in Berlin

I'd like to point out that my name will not be found in the registry for obvious reasons. I'm writing this for anyone that has very recently applied or is thinking about applying to this school. Although this is a state recognized "university" it is a private, for profit business owned by GUS, where the consumer ends up as a no priority number without any chance of recourse. Of course they will still get paid if you decide it's not for you and you will be bound by the student contract that you have signed. After 14 days, you will owe for the first semester, it's ironclad. You may get your money back if you are unable to get a visa to Germany but that too is questionable. I was enrolled for the winter semester after signing a contract in February of 2022. There was a mandatory Ersti week which I never received follow-up information about as stated in an email from UE, so I ended up calling day after day to learn that it was currently happening. They had initially said that the dates would come later. I attended on the third day and that Friday. I basically had to fight to get matriculated and get my student ID card that week. I was told that software would be provided for the my photography and new media studies, but the contract states differently. I had about 15 or more open tickets that were ignored. Almost all of them were closed with no resolve or I was just routed in circles. There is no correspondence. No IT support to mention except an email address. No student support when questions or issues arise. You don't have to trust me, but if they arise there may not be anyone to help you. The schedules were messed up for 90% of students that I encountered during the first week. Once the schedules were finally corrected ( I think )the classes were all over the place as far as time of day, which from what I heard; can be normal. There is one bathroom in the cafeteria and this is me just nit-picking. I spent a lot of money, time, and effort to get accepted to this university, find a flat, buy furnishings, schedule and attend appointments, filling out paperwork and creating digital versions for registration and visa approval. This had to be one of the biggest disappointments that I have ever experienced with any type of learning institution, and in my life in general. I didn't want to believe the bad reviews as everything seemed so legitimate at first, except for the constant hounding of the student advisor, who didn't understand that the best way to communicate with me was via email; being that I was on the move quite frequently. I was told that they would help with housing... They gave a list of websites. I was told they would help with Aufenthaltstitel paperwork... The emails/tickets were never answered. I asked to be Exmatrikulated or withdrawn from the university the second week as I was extremely angry and was feeling like I was suckered. It took well over 50 days for this to happen even though I signed paperwork on the day that I demanded it for it to happen. They have an area (The Arsenal) where you can borrow equipment (if it's available, and if you have the extra insurance for internship to cover damages) the extra insurance is something that I wasn't informed of. I did have this insurance however. The rental period for a camera and a lens was three days. I picked it up after class on a Wednesday, and it was due back Friday. I had it for less than 48 hours. No over-Weekend was allowed. What a disaster. I highly recommend for anyone that's seeking a good school to just go ahead and learn German first and to go to a public university, it may save you lots of money, time, hair and hope.

I really think that UE Berlin/ GUS should be investigated for fraudulent...

After three full years of studying at the University of Europe for Applied Sciences in Berlin, I was shocked by how I was treated just before graduation. What happened to me felt less like a mistake and more like a calculated attempt to make money from students, especially international ones.

I submitted my final graduation project in April. I worked on it for months under supervision, and not once was I told that my work was unsatisfactory. I was told everything was going well and that I had fulfilled the academic requirements. Like any student, I began preparing for my graduation.

Then, one day before the graduation ceremony, I received an email saying I had failed the project and would now need to pay for another full semester to be able to graduate.

The reason they gave? I was 17 minutes late to my final presentation. Why was I late? The bus broke down — something completely out of my control — and I notified the university immediately. I still showed up, gave the presentation, and no one said anything about it being a problem.

Only after I received the fail decision did they start giving other excuses like “the presentation was unclear and unstructured.” But these were never mentioned during months of supervision or after the presentation itself. It felt like they were inventing reasons to justify the decision and force me to stay longer and pay more.

After studying here for 3 years and completing all of my work, it’s hard not to see this for what it is: A money-making strategy, where students are failed at the last minute over minor or questionable reasons — just so the university can charge additional tuition fees.

This is especially harmful for international students, who are far from home, often unsure of their legal rights, and more vulnerable to this kind of pressure. When a university prioritizes income over fairness, transparency, and student wellbeing, something is deeply wrong.

To anyone considering this university: Ask yourself why there are so many glowing 5-star reviews, yet so many students silently share negative experiences like mine. Many of those good reviews feel incentivized or curated to protect the school’s image.

📎 I’ve attached proof of my communication with the university

If you care about real education, support, and fairness — look elsewhere. This university seems far more focused on maximizing profit than truly supporting...

In my opinion, if you're considering this university because you don't speak German, you're better off spending your money on learning German then going to one of the public universities. I wish I had done that or taken that thought more seriously at the beginning of my degree when dropping out wouldn't have cost this much money.

The school is expensive. It has bad internal organization (from a student's perspective). The Communication (outside your classes) is only done through mail (Outlook), so amidst all the spam it is easy to miss major messages (such as elective selection, and opportunities). As a psychology major I wasn't told about important requirements to finish my degree (hours participating in or conducting experiments). It is hard to know what important information you may be missing. There are only classrooms, offices and a patio on campus, there used to be a cafeteria but that isn't open anymore (they have vending machines and fridges where you can buy food). They also have a weak clubs/sports scene. You can't take a semester off unless you have official documents saying you can't study for a period of time and you have to pay 500 euros for that time off. Some professors only teach from online. Every semester I've had courses that have 5 hour lectures, sometimes there are even 8 hour lectures.

If you are looking for a degree where you don't have to do much work during the semester other than studying for exams (exams are worth 100% of your grade) then it is a good fit. It is also an option for some professors to do classes online, but even if you can't, attendance doesn't matter and you can still take the exam (as far as I know).

I would probably rate the Univeristy around 2 - 3 but I'm rating it 1 because they are undeserving of a 4.8 review. I think that a lot of their resources go towards getting new students; during your application you have one-on-one support and at the end they personally ask for a rating. This is why the rating is so high, you'll notice that most of the reviews are about the process of getting started at the university (before they even arrive).

My problem isn't with the curriculum or the professors, I've quite enjoyed some of my professors, and depending on the professor you can have a lot of support. But everything else feels unstructured...