Requirements
To be eligible for the INRM programme, applicants must fulfil both general and specific requirements. The general requirements can be found in the General Study and Exam Regulations of HU Berlin (German only), whereas the Specific Study and Exam Regulations for INRM can be found here (German only). The INRM-specific requirements can be found in German and in English, as well as on our website under “Requirements“. You are only eligible when you fulfil all the special requirements, however fulfilling them does not guarantee a study place in the programme. The minimum requirements are evaluated by the HU.
Please note that all requirements must be fulfilled at the time of application. It is not possible to provide additional proof after the application period has ended. Applications that do not fulfil all the special requirements will be automatically denied.
Knowledge Requirement
INRM welcomes students from a variety of backgrounds, meaning that you do not need to have an agricultural/horticultural background. Generally, we look for students, that have a background in sustainability issues and either social or natural sciences, ideally with some experience in interdisciplinary studies. Holders of certain degrees automatically fulfil the knowledge requirement. These are listed on page 1 of the INRM-specific requirements (in German and in English). If your degree is not listed, there are two ways to prove your eligibility:
- 30 ECTS in one of the two knowledge areas ("Area 1: Natural Sciences and Methods/Technologies of Resource Utilization" or "Area 2: Social sciences in a broader sense")
- A total of 30 ECTS in both aforementioned knowledge areas
Mathematics Requirement
We ask applicants to have prior basics in mathematics, specifically in differential and integral calculus (analysis), since some compulsory and facultative lectures and seminars requires such knowledge. To fulfil the mathematics requirement, you need to:
- Complete a minimum of 5 ECTS or the equivalent study hours (1 ECTS = 30 study hours)
- prove your participation/completion through your transcript of records or a certificate if the course is taken outside of your university programme, e.g. online
- prove that basics in integral or differential calculus were covered. This can be done by sending in the description of the module with your application documents. We highly recommend this if the title of the module does not explicitly mention differential and integral analysis. Please note that courses in statistics do not suffice to fulfil this requirement, however they may count for the methodological knowledge requirement.
Please note that like all requirements, you must have already fulfilled the mathematics requirement by the time you apply for the programme. Therefore, if you need to take an additional course to fulfil this requirement, please ensure that you complete it and have proof of completion before you submit your application.
If you are accepted for INRM and it’s been a while since you’ve practiced calculus, we strongly recommend a refresher before the beginning of the first semester as you will need these skills right away. For this reason, a Preparatory Training Course is available on the main page of our website.
Methodological Knowledge Requirement
A good methodological background is important for any subject but in interdisciplinary studies, it’s particularly important. We do not require specific methods, and you can list a mix of methods from both the natural and social sciences. These can be qualitative, quantitative or general methodological courses (e.g. empirical social research, policy analysis, GIS, Statistics, Econometrics, Geostatistics, and/or Biometry). It is important to get an impression that you are able to plan, undertake and write an individual analysis following good scientific practice. Therefore, we require applicants to prove methodological knowledge in natural or social sciences amounting to a minimum of 5 ECTS.
English Requirement
INRM is a very international program, with about 50% of students coming from all over the world. Thus, English is the working language in lectures and seminars, for group work, presentations and exams. Furthermore, many career paths following INRM require proficiency in English. Therefore, to be eligible, you must prove a CEFR C1-level in English. For the IELTS, this corresponds to a minimum total band score of 7.0. For the TOEFL, you need a minimum of 95 points. You will find other accepted certificates, required grades and other possibilities to prove your C1-level on pages 97-98 of Annex 1.4.2 of the Central Admission, Study and Examination Regulations of HU Berlin (Germany only).