Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane: Bachelor, Master & State Examination — On Campus

What is Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane known for?

MHB is a state-recognised private university in the German state of Brandenburg, founded in 2014 and owned by public hospitals rather than a private investor. It trains doctors, dentists, psychologists and psychotherapists, and it was created with an explicit purpose: to supply medical care to a rural, ageing region that struggles to attract staff.

„State-recognised“ is a specific status in German higher education law. It means the state of Brandenburg has confirmed that MHB meets university standards and that its degrees carry the same legal weight as those of a public university. For medicine and dentistry this matters twice over, because both programmes end in a state examination regulated by federal law, not in a degree the university awards on its own terms.

The academic profile is narrow on purpose. MHB concentrates on geriatric medicine, health services research and rural care. The medical curriculum, the Brandenburg Model Medical Programme, drops the traditional split between a preclinical and a clinical phase and dispenses with the Physikum, the intermediate national exam. Students see patients from the first semester, work through real cases in small groups and train clinical skills in simulation centres. Examination formats follow that logic: alongside written papers, MHB uses OSCE stations with simulated patients to assess practical competence.

Which programmes at MHB are taught in English?

None. Every degree programme at Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane is taught in German, including lectures, seminars, clinical placements and examinations. There is no English-taught track, no international study group and no partial English option. This profile page exists in English so that international applicants can assess the university – not because the teaching language is English.

The practical consequence is larger than a language requirement on paper. Medical and psychological training depends on talking to patients – taking histories, explaining diagnoses, handling distress. That happens in German from the first clinical day, with people who often speak no other language. Applicants who are still building their German should plan a language year before applying rather than alongside the first semesters.

Can international students apply to MHB?

Yes. MHB accepts applications from abroad and there is no separate quota that limits international places. Three things have to be in order before an application is realistic: recognition of the school leaving certificate, proof of German at the required level, and – for applicants from outside the EU – a student visa with proof of funding.

Recognition of your school leaving certificate

Whether a foreign certificate qualifies for direct university entry in Germany depends on the country and the school system. The anabin database run by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education gives the official assessment. For Brandenburg specifically, the Zentrale Zeugnisanerkennungsstelle Brandenburg issues binding decisions. Where a certificate is not sufficient on its own, a preparatory year at a Studienkolleg followed by an assessment examination is the usual route.

German language proficiency

MHB teaches in German and expects proof of German at university entrance level. The exact certificate and score accepted for each programme is set by the university and should be confirmed directly with the admissions office before applying, because requirements differ between the state examination programmes and the psychology degrees.

The selection procedure itself runs in German

This is the point most international applicants underestimate. MHB does not select by grade average; it selects through a written application with a letter of motivation, a written aptitude test and a personal interview or assessment centre. All of it is conducted in German. Applicants are not just proving that they can follow lectures – they are arguing their case for a place, live, in a second language.

Visa and financial proof

EU and EEA citizens need no visa and can enrol directly. Applicants from outside the EU apply for a student visa at the German mission in their home country and must show they can cover their living costs, usually through a blocked account. Health insurance is compulsory for enrolment. Processing takes time: allow three to four months between the admission letter and the start of the semester.

What does it really cost to study at MHB in Germany?

Tuition at MHB ranges from a few thousand euros for the part-time master's programmes to a six-figure total for Human Medicine and Dentistry. Germany's public universities charge no tuition for medicine, so an MHB place is a deliberate trade: you pay for a study place that is awarded on personality and motivation rather than on a grade cut-off.

On top of tuition come semester contributions of roughly 100 to 200 €, learning materials, travel to clinical placements and, in dentistry, substantial costs for instruments and laboratory materials. Living costs in the region are moderate by German standards: a room in a shared flat usually runs between 250 and 400 € a month, well below Berlin or Munich levels.

Funding – and what is realistic for international students

• Hospital scholarships: Partner hospitals grant loans of up to 80.000 € that are waived in full or in part if the graduate later works for them. The most widely used model at MHB – and open to applicants who are willing to commit to the region.
• Reverse generation contract: Little or no payment during the degree, followed by income-dependent repayment once you earn above a threshold. Administered through CHANCEN eG. Repayment obligations follow you abroad, so check the terms carefully if you plan to leave Germany after graduation.
• Scholarships: The Deutschlandstipendium pays 300 € a month and is open to international students enrolled at MHB. The university also runs its own and subject-specific scholarships. DAAD funding is worth checking before you apply, not after.
• BAföG and student loans: MHB is BAföG-eligible, but BAföG is generally not available to international students without a settled residence status in Germany. The same restriction applies to most KfW student loans. For non-EU applicants, blocked-account funding, family support and hospital scholarships are the realistic combination.

Students from outside the EU may work 140 full days or 280 half days per year alongside their studies. In medicine and dentistry, the timetable leaves far less room for that than the rule suggests.

Is an MHB degree recognised internationally?

Inside Germany, yes and without qualification: MHB is a state-recognised university, its medical and dental programmes lead to the federal state examination, and its bachelor's and master's degrees carry ECTS credits transferable across the European Higher Education Area. A degree from MHB is legally equivalent to one from a public German university.

Outside Germany the answer depends on your home country. A German medical degree is widely respected, but the licence to practise is national. The Approbation granted after the state examination authorises you to work as a doctor in Germany. Practising elsewhere requires recognition by the medical council or licensing authority of that country, which in many cases means additional examinations. Credential evaluation services such as WES handle the academic side for North America; the professional licence is a separate process.

For psychology graduates the situation is similar. The bachelor's and master's programmes at MHB are built to satisfy the German psychotherapy licensing law, which is a German legal framework – the qualification it prepares for does not transfer automatically.

Where is MHB located in Germany?

MHB has no central campus. It operates across four sites in Brandenburg, the state that surrounds Berlin: Neuruppin, Brandenburg an der Havel, Bernau bei Berlin and Rüdersdorf. Each is tied to a hospital, and students move between them as the curriculum progresses.

• Neuruppin – the main site, on the grounds of the Ruppin-Brandenburg University Hospital. Administration, the dean's office, the early medical semesters and the psychology bachelor's are based here. A small lakeside town of around 30.000 people, roughly an hour from Berlin.
• Brandenburg an der Havel – the municipal hospital and a teaching campus at Nicolaiplatz. Later medical semesters and the dentistry programme are taught here, with a simulation centre for emergency and examination scenarios.
• Bernau bei Berlin – the Brandenburg Heart Centre, focused on cardiac and vascular medicine. Used mainly for placements and parts of the practical year.
• Rüdersdorf – a university hospital with psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine and the institutes for health services research. Parts of the Health Services Research master's run here.

MHB spreads across four hospital sites in Brandenburg instead of one central campus.

Be realistic about daily life. These are small and mid-sized towns, not international student cities. Everyday German is essential – at the supermarket, the registration office, the doctor's surgery and on the ward. Berlin is close enough for weekends and offers a large international community, but it is not where you will be living. Housing is comparatively easy to find and the university helps with the search; some hospital sites offer rooms on campus. An overview of other institutions in the region is available on our Brandenburg universities page.

How does the application process work at MHB?

The process runs in three stages and takes several months. First a written application with a letter of motivation and evidence of practical experience in healthcare. Then a written personality and aptitude test. Finally a personal interview or an assessment centre. Grades matter far less than motivation, hands-on experience and social competence.

Capacity is limited and known in advance: 84 places per semester in Human Medicine, with intakes in both the winter and the summer semester, and 48 places per year in Dentistry. The psychology programmes use a two-stage selection procedure of their own. Application deadlines differ by programme and intake and are published on the university website.

International applicants should work backwards from the start date. Certificate recognition through anabin, a language certificate, the selection procedure itself and then three to four months for the visa add up quickly. A year of lead time is a sensible plan, not an overcautious one.

Career prospects: can I work in Germany after graduating?

Graduates of the medical and dental programmes receive the Approbation, the German licence to practise, after passing the state examination. It permits independent medical work anywhere in Germany. Doctors trained abroad usually also have to pass a medical language examination at C1 level; graduates of a German programme have already demonstrated that capability through six years of study in German.

Non-EU graduates of a German university may apply for an 18-month residence permit to look for work, and switch to an EU Blue Card once employed. In medicine this is largely theoretical: Brandenburg has a documented shortage of doctors, particularly outside the larger towns, and hospitals in the MHB network recruit from their own students. Anyone holding a hospital scholarship has a position waiting by contract.

Psychology graduates follow a different path. The master's in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy prepares for the state licensing examination, after which further specialist training leads to full practice as a psychotherapist. That training is paid, but modestly, and takes several more years.

For whom is MHB the right choice – and for whom not?

MHB suits a specific profile: someone who wants to practise medicine or psychology in Germany, speaks German well enough to argue a case in an interview, and is comfortable in a small-town clinical environment rather than a large urban campus.

MHB is the right choice if you …

• … speak German at university entrance level and are ready to study, examine and treat patients in that language
• … want a medical or psychology place that is decided by motivation and experience rather than a grade cut-off
• … intend to work in Germany after graduating, ideally in the Brandenburg region
• … learn better in groups of eight to twelve than in a lecture hall of 400
• … are willing to consider a hospital scholarship and the regional commitment that comes with it

MHB is a poor fit if you …

• … are looking for an English-taught degree – there is none, and no partial English track either
• … cannot fund six-figure tuition without German state support, since BAföG and most student loans are closed to international students
• … want to study in a large, international city with an English-speaking everyday environment
• … plan to return home immediately after graduation and need a licence that transfers without further examinations
• … prefer a fully online or distance format – only the psychology bachelor's has a hybrid variant, and clinical training is on site by definition

Comparable options are worth checking before you decide: see our overviews of medical degree programmes and psychology programmes at private universities in Germany.

Frequently asked questions about MHB