At first glance, Kiel is not a "real" student town. Even right next to the university, there are none of the cafes, printing shops and fast-food stalls you would typically expect in a place rife with students. Right on the Westring, a four-lane street, is Christian Albrecht University. It is the largest university in Kiel and in the state of Schleswig Holstein. About two-thirds of the city's nearly 30,000 students are enrolled here. The university's campus, with its concrete central courtyard, is in 1970s style, but everything is together in one place.

Biology in practice

Christian Albrecht University offers 140 degree courses, from agricultural science to theology. But it's especially well-known for its marine research. At the university's Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM GEOMAR), students can complete a master's degree in oceanography, for example.

"Kiel is naturally something special, because you're right next to the water," says Andrea, who did her master's degree at IFM GEOMAR. This 26-year-old biologist especially liked the practical component of the course. She completed her bachelor's degree in the US. "We never had that in the US," she says. "I never once sailed out on a ship while I was there. I could never do anything practical."

Directly behind the building, IFM GEOMAR has its own pier where research ships are moored. The institute has gained an international reputation in everything that's related to the sea. All relevant aspects, from ocean beds to the atmosphere, are studied here. And the main operative language is English. Tim, a biology student from Hamburg, made a conscious decision to study in Kiel because he likes the fact that the classes are smaller than at other universities.

A canteen with a view

Fabiana from Brazil is one of the 5,400 students who in the 2008-2009 winter semester were enrolled at Kiel's University of Applied Sciences. She comes from Rio de Janeiro and studies shipbuilding. Everyday she takes the ferry to the university, which lies on the east side of the Kiel Fjord. The campus here is incorporated into a normal residential district and all of the university's buildings are just a five-minute walk away. The on-site canteen is always worth a visit, simply because of the great view that it offers. When you eat your lunch here, you gaze out towards the river Schwentine, one of Schleswig-Holstein's longest rivers, as it flows out into the Kiel Fjord.

Art school: studying in a triad

The Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts and Design is small but respected, with around 540 enrolled students during the 2008-2009 winter semester. The students study here together with peers from other courses, as the academy's Web site clearly explains: "Here, you study within the triad of art, space strategy and design." And, like at other Kiel universities, you will experience the same friendly atmosphere. Whether it's 540, 5,400 or 21,000 students, university life in the city is straightforward and interaction is casual.

Author: Janine Albrecht