Our University
The Friedrich Schiller University Jena, founded in 1558, is one of the oldest universities in Germany.
Group picture in the University's central courtyard at the occassion of the 450th anniversary.
Historical physics lecture hall at the Max-Wien-Platz in Jena.
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)The Friedrich Schiller University Jena, or "alma mater jenensis" in Latin, is one of the oldest universities in Germany. At the time of its founding in 1558, the subjects of research and teaching were confined to the classical academic areas of philosophy, theology, law and medicine. During the past centuries, many prominent scholars have been professors at this university. During the classic-romantic "miraculous era" at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, Jena became famous through the influence of such world-renowned poets and philosophers as Goethe, Schiller, Hegel and Fichte, who further elevated its intellectual atmosphere.
Nocturnal lighting show in Jena.
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)At the beginning of the 20th century, fortunate circumstances led to the historical collaborations that continue to define Jena's academic and industrial position even today. The physicist and professor Ernst Abbe, who developed the theory of image formation in microscopes, the engineer Carl Zeiss, who founded a workshop for optical instruments (now Carl Zeiss AGExternal link) and the chemist Otto Schott, who developed optical glass with tailorable refractive indices and founded the Institute for Glass Technology (now Schott AGExternal link), paved the way for Jena's economic prosperity. This close and fruitful collaboration of applied research and industrial production using state-of-the-art technology is a distinct feature of the Jena area.
At around the same time, Ernst Haeckel, perhaps the most important protagonist of evolutionism second only to Charles Darwin, became a professor at our university and maintained this position for more than 45 years. At the start of the 20th century, the professor of medicine Hans Berger measured an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the human brain for the first time. Last but not least of our famous professors was physicist Max Wien, one of the pioneers of wireless communications, who developed a radio transmitter which was used, for example, on the famous RMS Titanic.
Working on problems together.
Image: Anna SchrollThe Friedrich Schiller University Jena is a vibrant university which continues to grow and develop. With an enrollment of more than 18,000 students, it is one of Germany's fastest growing universities. Even though the number of students has quadrupled since 1989, the university is not overcrowded. More than 2,000 lecturers and researchers, including 360 professors, ensure quality teaching and training. In addition, more than 800 scientists and technical staff work on research projects financed by outside sponsors. The university is structured into ten faculties:
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
- Faculty of Philosophy
- Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy
- Faculty of Chemical and Earth Sciences
- Faculty of Biological Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine
Wagnergasse in downtown Jena.
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)No tuition fees are required for enrollment in regular courses! Each student must, however, pay a mandatory semester contribution of about EUR 250, which supports various student social services. This contribution includes the purchase of a semester ticket, which will guarantee a student discount on all food offered by the cafeterias of the University, free admission to theaters and museums, and free travel on local public transportation services (bus, tram) as well as on all regional rail services in the state of Thuringia. For more details, including information in Chinese, please visit the webpages of the Office for International Students at the University and for special support for international students. Please note that the information on enrollment deadlines in these two sources may not apply to students of the Abbe School of Photonics.
Zumba time!
Image: Christoph Worsch (University of Jena)The Friedrich Schiller University is a member of the prestigious Coimbra GroupExternal link, an association of multidisciplinary European universities with high international standards. The group is dedicated to the creation of special academic and cultural ties to promote internationalization, academic collaboration, excellence in learning and research for the benefit of its members. For its specific commitment with respect to international students and their great satisfaction with the excellent study conditions in Jena, our University was awarded the "Excellent International Student Satisfaction Award"External link in 2014 and 2016. The latest edition of this Award is based on 15,965 student reviews. In these reviews, students can rate their experience on a scale of 1 to 10 and assess to which extent they would recommend this experience to their friends.
Final amplification stage of the high-power POLARIS laser system.
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)The fields of optics and photonics are at the heart of research, education and industry in Jena. There is hardly another city worldwide in which optics and photonics play such a dominant role as in Jena. Its long history of outstanding research in optics and photonics has led to Jena's high international reputation as the "City of Light". In this rich tradition, LIGHT is distinguished as one of the University's key research areas within the triad LIGHT - LIFE - LIBERTY de, which represents the University's long-term institutional strategy.
Front facet of the ACP research building.
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)The Friedrich Schiller University Jena has always enjoyed an excellent reputation for its academic potential. The most striking features of research in Jena are its interdisciplinarity, synergetic networking and innovative approaches. On a national scale, the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy in Jena receives one of the highest research funding sums compared to all physics faculties across Germany. The Abbe Center of Photonics (ACP), founded in 2010, hosts the Abbe School of Photonics and is the key enactor of the profile line LIGHT within the University. As an interfaculty university center, ACP comprises more than 50 high-profile optical scientists from various university faculties specializing in a wide range of research fields within the areas of modern optics and photonics as well as scientists from Jena's non-academic research institutes.