The Law Faculty
The Law Faculty at the University of Potsdam is the “heavyweight” among Brandenburg’s Law Faculties, with over 2,000 students and about 250 graduates each year. Jurists and attorneys are educated here for work in the judicial system, government ministries, state and municipal administrations, law firms and notary offices, professional associations and companies. Our high-level expertise in the fields of international law and human rights, international private and civil procedure law and media law makes the University of Potsdam a central institution for the education of lawyers for European establishments and international organizations, whether in the public or private sector.
The Faculty’s “core business” is the qualification of students and preparation for the First State Examination in Law. Our orientation towards research-based teaching means that the latest research flows directly into the design of our courses. This principle attains visible expression in the large number of textbooks, printed by top publishers and distributed nationwide throughout Germany, written by members of the Law Faculty of the University of Potsdam. Students therefore enjoy the advantage of hearing a lecture and then reading it again later, black on white.
The quality of our graduates in Potsdam is high. They achieve the best grades in the national average and complete their degree within the standard time for completing a degree program at above-average frequency. This is one result of good one-on-one supervision with a comfortably sized faculty, close-knit campus locations, and the close contact that prevails among instructors and students.
The priority fields of commercial, European and international law have shaped the Law Faculty in Potsdam. Focus is also placed on the fundamentals of jurisprudence. This distinction insists on the practical relevance of educational content while simultaneously upholding scholarly depth. Only in Potsdam can students study commercial law in these subject combinations.
While classical legal education aims to produce fully attorneys “qualified to be a judge,” the Law Faculty has offered since the winter semester 2013/14 about 1,200 students the option to earn the terminal degree of “Bachelor of Laws” (LL.B.) after the sixth semester of study. This grants all students who want to begin practicing and specializing the opportunity – nearly unique in Germany – to craft their degree to fit their professional goals. Supplemented by the option to continue studying in the classical State Examination program, to pursue a master’s degree (LL.M.) or Magister (MagisterLegum), students earn degrees, whether in Germany or abroad, that are modern and meet the expectations of the legal field. The course offerings for other Faculties are customized precisely to their needs. The dual-degree bachelor’s degrees in “Business Law” and “Public Law” are oriented primarily towards students at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences. Students at other Faculties can also take advantage of courses that are attractive to those not specializing in law. Potsdam’s Law Faculty is also innovative and modern when it comes to the increasingly important field of continuing education. Course offerings are seamlessly connected to the commercial orientation of the priority fields. The master’s degree program in Commercial and Tax Law is designed to be friendly towards families and part-time students, and its over 100 students enjoy a program that is one-of-a-kind in the region. The Mediation Certificate Program is widely popular, and not just with lawyers. There is also offering in the municipal sciences, which meets the growing demand for training in municipal and community administration.