Medical University of Lausitz – Carl Thiem (Cottbus)

The Medical University of Lausitz – Carl Thiem, known as MUL-CT, was established on 1 July 2024 in Cottbus from the Carl-Thiem-Klinikum, making it Germany's youngest state medical university. It is an institution of the state of Brandenburg that brings together research, teaching, and patient care under unified management. The former Carl-Thiem-Klinikum, opened in 1914, was already the largest hospital in Brandenburg before the university was founded, with around 1,200 beds and approximately 3,200 employees.

The Humanmedizin programme is planned to start in winter semester 2026/27 as a model curriculum with an integrated structure, in which theoretical and clinical content are intertwined from the very beginning. The institution is still being built up: capacities, professorships, and curriculum are being developed step by step; reliable figures on places in the first cohort are not yet publicly available. This location suits you if you are willing to help shape a newly developing programme and can work with the current state of a young institution. Those expecting established structures, a large student society, and a proven curriculum will find that at longer-established faculties.

The Humanmedizin programme is still under development. In principle, places in state university medical programmes in Germany are allocated nationally via hochschulstart.de, distributed through the top-grade quota, the additional aptitude quota, and the university's own selection procedure. How MUL-CT weights Abitur grade, TMS result, and other aptitude criteria in its own selection procedure had not been definitively published as of August 2026.

As a state university, MUL-CT charges no tuition fees. Only the semester contribution is due. Living costs in Cottbus are below the average of major west German university cities, particularly for accommodation.

Germany's Newest Medical University

The Medical University of Lausitz – Carl Thiem was founded on 1 July 2024 as a Brandenburg state institution from the Carl-Thiem-Klinikum, which thereby became a university hospital. The first cohort of the model Humanmedizin programme starts in winter semester 2026/27 with 36 study places. By 2035, this number is to grow step by step to 165 places per year, with 200 as the long-term target. You will be studying at an institution that is only just being built.

What Defines the Model Curriculum

The curriculum does not separate foundations, clinical theory, and practice into separate blocks, but teaches them continuously together. Learning is case-based and problem-oriented, in small groups. Patient contact begins from the start, supplemented by communication training with simulated patients, interprofessional learning groups with students from other health professions, and telemedicine and virtual simulation training. A particular focus is placed on outpatient and rural healthcare and on health services research — the Lausitz region serves as a model region for this.

Practice, Examinations, and Degree

Famulaturen and the Praktisches Jahr are completed in the clinical reality of the region, primarily at Universitätsklinikum Carl Thiem with around 1,200 beds, the largest hospital in Brandenburg. The programme follows the Approbationsordnung für Ärzte, leads through the Staatsexamen examinations, and concludes with Approbation. Honestly: structures, elective offerings, and student life are still being created here. Those expecting finished processes will be better served at an established faculty.

Cottbus and the Lausitz

Cottbus is Brandenburg's second-largest city and a region undergoing structural transformation: the coal phase-out shapes politics, the labour market, and public mood, while significant funding flows into new scientific institutions. Student life here is not at zero — BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg has brought students to the city for years, with student societies, halls of residence, and a bar scene. Even so, Cottbus is a manageable city, not Berlin.

Campus, Housing, and Getting Around

The hospital campus is on Thiemstraße near the city centre; the listed Jugendstil building from 1912–1914 is still part of it. Much is reachable on foot or by bicycle. The housing market is relaxed and rents are well below those of Berlin, Dresden, or Düsseldorf — for many, the strongest argument. You can find halls of residence and shared flats here without the scramble familiar from larger cities. Berlin is about one and a half hours by regional express; Dresden and Leipzig are also accessible; the Spreewald and Branitzer Park are practically on your doorstep.

When does the medical programme in Cottbus start?

The first cohort of the model Humanmedizin programme begins in winter semester 2026/27 with 36 study places. Capacity is to grow to 165 places per year by 2035. You will be among the very first cohorts at this institution.

How do I apply?

Applications are submitted via hochschulstart.de. For the winter semester, the deadline is 31 May if you obtained your Hochschulzugangsberechtigung before 16 January, otherwise 15 July; for the summer semester the deadline is 15 January. Medschool Experts advises on NC-free medical programmes abroad and does not handle applications via hochschulstart.

Does only the Abitur grade count?

No. Alongside school grades, personal strengths, completed vocational qualifications, practical experience, and community service are considered, as are results from the university aptitude test. Additional quotas are planned, including a share for second-degree applicants and a planned rural doctor quota for under-served regions of Brandenburg.

Is the degree equivalent to other faculties?

Yes. A model curriculum also follows the Approbationsordnung für Ärzte and concludes with the Staatsexamen examinations. After passing, you apply for Approbation just as at any other German faculty. The path is organised differently; the destination is the same.

Who is Cottbus right for?

For you, if you want small cohorts, close personal contact with teaching staff, and hands-on training in routine clinical care, and if you are keen to be part of building a new university. Less suitable if you expect a wide range of electives and research opportunities, a large university environment, or big-city life.