Goethe University in Simple Language

Welcome to the website of Goethe University Frankfurt. Here you can find information in simple language.

Note on Simple Language

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About Goethe University Frankfurt

Goethe University welcomes people and knowledge from around the world.

Here, you can
• undertake studies,
• work, and
• carry out research.

Through research, scientists discover new knowledge.

This knowledge is important for our future.

A professor stands at a lectern in a lecture hall. He looks out at many students seated in rows of desks in the auditorium.

The citizens of Frankfurt founded Goethe University

over a hundred years ago,

in 1914.

A square in a city surrounded by several buildings. People are moving about the square. On the square, there is a small booth and several trees.

Goethe University has been a university foundation under public law since 2008.

This means:

Goethe University is independent and can make many decisions on its own.
It belongs to the city of Frankfurt and the people who live there.
The university ensures
that many people can participate in its offerings.

A document with the title "Certificate." In the lower right corner of the document, there is a red seal.

Goethe University is named after Johann Wolfgang Goethe.

Goethe was a renowned German poet and writer.

He was born in Frankfurt.

Goethe also conducted research.

He made significant contributions to science.

Goethe University is one of the largest universities in Germany.

More than 40,000 people study there.

It is also one of the largest employers in the city of Frankfurt.

At Goethe University, you can study many subjects from various fields:

Humanities,
Social Sciences,
Law,
Medicine,
Natural Sciences, and
Life Sciences.

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When a university offers such a wide range of subjects and disciplines,

it is called a comprehensive university.

Goethe University is a comprehensive university.

Research at Goethe University is excellent.

Excellent research means:

The scientists at Goethe University carry out a great deal of research.
Their research topics are significant for the future.
And they are beneficial to society.
In their research, scientists from various disciplines collaborate.

A man and two women are standing side by side, each holding a certificate in their hands. All three people are smiling.

Goethe University collaborates with other universities and research institutions:

With the Technical University TU Darmstadt and the University of Mainz as part of the Rhine-Main Universities alliance.
With 15 universities in Germany
that focus extensively on research and knowledge in the area of medicine.
This alliance is called German U15.
With 15 research institutions in the Rhine-Main region through the scientific network Frankfurt Alliance.

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Research

From the very beginning, Goethe University has provided ample space for new ideas and scientific experiments.

Goethe University collaborates with its partners to research important questions facing society.

This enables them to develop solutions for the world's major challenges.

A woman wearing a white lab coat, safety goggles, and a face mask is holding a test tube with a yellow fluid in her right hand and another container with the same fluid in her left hand. She is looking at the test tube. In front of her, there is a microscope on a table. On the table, there are two sheets of notes and a green pen.

Goethe University has six special areas dedicated to research.

These areas bring together various sciences,

and enable researchers to collaborate particularly effectively.

These areas are called Research Profile Areas.

Profile Area: Science for Health
This profile area brings together medical disciplines, neuroscience, and pharmaceutical research.
Its goal is to improve the understanding and treatment of diseases.

A woman wearing a white coat and a stethoscope around her neck is holding a sheet of paper in her hand and smiling.

Profile Area: Structure & Dynamics of Life
Living things consist of many tiny particles.
Scientists aim to discover
how these particles change over time and how they interact with one another.

Profile Area: Space, Time & Matter
Here, scientists research the fundamentals of natural sciences.
They investigate how the universe is structured.

Several stars and a crescent moon against a dark blue sky

Profile Area: Sustainability & Biodiversity
In this profile area, scientists do research into what is important for life on Earth,
such as the climate and weather.
They also investigate ways to protect nature.

Profile Area: Orders & Transformations
Here, researchers study society.
They aim to understand
the rules that exist within societies
and why these rules sometimes change.

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Profile Area: Universality & Diversity
Researchers carry out research on the following questions:
How can people live well together when they have various religions, cultures, and languages?
What should a diverse society pay attention to?

Several people are placed within an outline of the map of Germany. The people all look different, representing various genders, skin tones, hair colors, and ages, and they are dressed in colorful clothing.

Studying

Goethe University has an important resource:

The area of studies and teaching.

Here, you'll find support for all topics related to learning and teaching.

This resource is here for you, whether you're studying or teaching at Goethe University.

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Here you’ll find plenty of information and support:

If you want to learn more about a degree program.
If you’re applying for a course at university.
If you’re enrolling at the university.
For planning your studies.
If you need psychological counselling.
If you’re interested in studying abroad.
If you’re looking for a scholarship.
If you have exams.
Or if you’re planning your future and career.

Goethe University supports you through various stages of life.

For example:

Transitioning from school to your course at university,
studying abroad,
moving from a bachelor's degree to a master’s degree,
and transitioning from your course at university to your profession.

During your studies, small and large challenges may arise.

Or you might have questions

where you need help or advice.

Goethe University is here to support you,

including with these questions:

How are studies structured?
How and where can I have my achievements recognized?
Can I study
if I have a disability?
Where can I find help
if I’m facing personal challenges?
What career options do I have after completing my studies?

Goethe University helps you quickly find the right support,

such as the right advisory office or the right contact person.

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Teaching

Each faculty at Goethe University develops a plan.

These plans are called teaching profiles.

They describe
how teaching and courses should be organized within the faculties.
The plans reflect
how the faculties perceive themselves.
They explain
how and what the faculties aim to teach,
and what they expect from students.
The plans are designed to help
maintain the quality of courses and teaching.

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Goethe University provides support to staff and faculties

to help them improve their courses and academic offerings.

Goethe university also assists with advertising for degree programs.

Experts advise the Executive Board on matters related to the development of courses and teaching.

Five people are seated at tables in a seminar room. To the left of the group stands a man speaking to them, holding a sheet of paper in one hand while gesturing with the other. In the background, there is a flip chart.

Exchange and Transfer

Goethe University is the first German university

founded by citizens.

It conducts science for the people in society.

A larger group of people is standing together and smiling. The group is very diverse: the people all look different, have different genders, skin tones, hair colors, and ages, and are wearing colorful clothing. Among them, one person has a white cane and an armband, another person is in a wheelchair, and another person has a walking cane.

That is why it offers many opportunities for dialogue and connection.

Here, citizens can learn a lot about science.

And they can actively contribute to shaping science.

In this way, Goethe University can bring science into society and the economy.

In the center of the image, a man is standing at a lectern, delivering a speech or lecture. Next to the lectern, two women and a man are seated at a table, each with a microphone in front of them. A larger audience, seen from behind, is watching these four people in the center of the image. Behind the lectern and the table with the people, there is a white screen.

At Goethe University, there are 3 key areas for dialogue:

Apply

Researchers and students often have new ideas.

And they invent new things.

With new ideas and inventions, it’s possible to start new companies, for example.

These companies can create better products.

This way, inventions reach people

and can help

solve the problems in our society.

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Communication

Goethe University engages in dialogue with many people and groups.

For example, with citizens,
individuals working in politics,
and companies and enterprises.

Science communication makes research accessible to everyone.

It explains

what science has discovered.

Two men and two women are standing together, chatting.

Advise

Goethe University brings together people who are active in

science,
politics
economics,
or everyday life.

These meetings provide an opportunity to exchange knowledge.

They share the results and discussions from research with society.

With this information, society can make better decisions.

Several people are placed within an outline of the map of Germany. Several people raise their hands and wave. The people all look different, representing various genders, skin tones, hair colors, and ages, and they are dressed in colorful clothing.

International

Diversity is very important to Goethe University.

For Goethe University, diversity means:

Many different people study and work here.

People from other countries and cultures are welcome.

The university also supports its own students

when they want to study in another country.

That's why Goethe University has connections all around the world.

It has a plan

to collaborate effectively with universities in other countries.

A woman wearing a headscarf, a man with dark skin, a person perceived as Asian, and a man wearing a turban stand side by side, smiling.

Many people from around the world teach and work at Goethe University.

They find an excellent environment for their academic work and research here.

Goethe University offers help and guidance for people

who are new to Germany.

There are also special services for individuals

who have had to flee their home country.

A woman in a wheelchair sits at a table. At the table, a man is working on a computer, typing on the keyboard. Both are smiling and engaging in conversation. In the background, there is a bookshelf filled with binders. On the table, there is a binder and a stamp.

Images: © Lebenshilfe für Menschen mit geistiger Behinderung Bremen e.V., Illustrator Stefan Albers, Atelier Fleetinsel, 2013.