Studying in Cottbus

Cottbus offers you 13 degree programmes in English at 1 higher education institution.

In Cottbus, you can witness a city’s transformation: The region’s former brown coal mining areas are currently being filled with new life such as the “Ostsee” lake which will be the largest artificial lake in Germany. In addition, Cottbus draws you in with its numerous parks, short walking distances and cheap rent. Fans of culture will also enjoy the second largest city in the state of Brandenburg.

Cottbus is located in Lower Lusatia (Niederlausitz in German), about 30 kilometres from the Polish border. The only higher education institution in town is the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, or BTU for short. With around 6,800 students, it is the second-largest higher education institution in Brandenburg. The number of students has been rising since 2021 and the proportion of international students is now above average at 40%.

Despite this very international atmosphere at the BTU, it is unfortunately not always easy for foreigners. However, both the city and the BTU are strongly committed to protecting international students from discrimination.

What students appreciate most about Cottbus is the peace and quiet, along with the nature. Cottbus has five parks. The Schillerpark and the Puschkinpark are located directly in the city, and on the outskirts of the city, you will find the famous Branitzer Park with its pyramids, which are unique in Europe. They all offer a place to relax after a hard day in class. And in summer, enjoy the cool waters of the Lusatian Lakeland. If you need a change of pace, Dresden and Berlin are not far away.

A special highlight awaits those students interested in sports: The nearby Spreewald is a real paradise for canoeing and other water sports. With a little practice, you can even start your paddle tours into the surrounding countryside right in the city.

Life in Cottbus

100,000 residents

High-speed train connections
Dresden train station in 90 km distance
International airport
Berlin airport in 89 km distance
Coast
Baltic Sea in 240 km distance
Mountain range
Zittau Mountains in 100 km distance
Other countries
Poland in 30 km distance
Attractions within 100 km
- Spree Forest in 10 km distance
- Branitz Castle in close vicinity
- Brandenburg State Museum for Modern Art in close vicinity

Study in Cottbus

1 higher education institution in Cottbus

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Subject groups of degree programmes in Cottbus

There is a wide range of degree programmes in Cottbus. Here you can see the main subject groups. Currently, degree programmes in Cottbus are mainly offered in the subject group Engineering Sciences, followed by Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Economic Sciences, Law. Find out more information here about the subject groups and degree programmes offered in Germany.

0
Agricultural and Forest Sciences
5
Humanities and Social Sciences
15
Mathematics, Natural Sciences
1
Art, Music, Design
4
Language and Cultural Studies
1
Medicine, Health Sciences
8
Economic Sciences, Law
30
Engineering Sciences
0
Teaching Degrees

Four smiling people with bicycles stand in front of a lake and a pyramid.

The pyramid-shaped burial mound is one of Cottbus' landmarks.

All signs in the city are bilingual: this is because of the Sorbian minority. By the way, Cottbus is called Chóśebuz in Sorbian.

Cottbus' city centre has spruced itself up in recent years. After the German reunification in 1990, it was still grey and in parts quite unsightly, but many millions of euros were spent to remedy this. Buildings were renovated and squares redesigned: for example, the Altmarkt, the heart of the city centre with many gastronomic offerings. Or the Filmtheater Weltspiegel, the second oldest cinema building still in operation in Germany. Incidentally, the cinema is one of the venues of the FilmFestival Cottbus, which is dedicated to the Eastern European film scene.

With the end of coal mining, the city with its approximately 100,000 people and the surrounding region are undergoing a fundamental transformation. You can experience this structural change first-hand on several levels.

You might be able to take advantage of the city's economic reorientation and take the first steps in your career – a lot of opportunities are brand new here. For example, the Lausitz Science Park was opened in 2022 with the aim of becoming an outstanding science and technology location. The BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, large companies and important research institutes such as the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the German Aerospace Centre are involved in the new venture. You can visit some of these institutions during the annual "Night of Creative Minds".

In terms of nature, the huge open pits once mined for coal offer a lot of potential for a restart. Above all, the old mining areas are gradually being converted into a lake district. Some of these lakes and canals are already usable and others you can watch being created: For example, the Ostsee Lake, which is particularly close to the city, is currently being flooded. Sometime in the mid-2020s, you will be able to jump into a deep lake!

And finally, Cottbus has another big plus - its affordable rents. Cottbus is one of the cheapest cities in Germany. Whether it's a student hall or a shared apartment in a historic building - many things are possible in Cottbus!

You can find more information at study-in-germany.de

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