An introduction to Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

LMU Munich | Thrives on specialist knowledge

People regard the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich or Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU München) as one of Europe’s premier academic and research institutions. LMU has attracted inspired scholars and talented students from around the world since its inception in 1472, keeping the University at the crossroads of ideas that challenge and change our complex world.

The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | A brief overview

Ludwig Maximilian University is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It is Germany’s sixth-oldest continuously operating university.

Duke Ludwig IX of Bavaria-Landshut founded it in 1472. The university was relocated to Landshut in 1800 by King Maximilian I of Bavaria. The French threatened the city before the relocation to its current location in Munich in 1826 by King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

King Maximilian I of Bavaria officially named the university Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in honor of Ludwig IX in 1802.

LMU has a 500-year history as one of Europe’s leading research universities. Its excellence in teaching and research extends from the humanities and cultural studies to law, economics,  social sciences, medicine, and natural sciences. An intense interdisciplinary approach fosters critical innovation for the global future.

LMU’s academic programs focus on creative thinking, problem-solving, and research. Its Medical Center is Germany’s most prestigious and largest institution, second only to the Charité in Berlin.

Campus

The university campuses are strategically located throughout Munich. LMU, as a center of scholarship and culture, is the center of an unusually dense network of research institutions, universities, and business firms in Munich.

The institutes and research centers of LMU are located throughout Munich, with several buildings in the suburbs of Oberschleissheim and Garching, as well as Maisach and Bad Tölz.

The cluster of main buildings of the university is situated around Geschwister-Scholl-Platz and Professor-Huber-Platz on Ludwigstrasse and extends into side streets like Akademiestraße, Schellingstraße, and Veterinärstraße. Other large campuses and institutes can be found in Großhadern (Klinikum Großhadern), Martinsried (chemistry and biotechnology campus), the Ludwigsvorstadt (Klinikum Innenstadt), and the Lehel (Institut am Englischen Garten), which is located across the Englischer Garten from the main buildings.

The university’s main building lies on Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, and the main campus gets service from the München subway station Universität.

Great Assembly Hall (Große Aula)

The große Aula is in the main building on Ludwigstraße. Friedrich von Gärtner built the Aula as part of the main building, which reached the completion state in 1840. The hall begins on the first floor and extends to the second.

The Aula was safe and intact during WWII, making it one of the few pre-war venues in Munich. The first post-war concert performances happened at the Aula. It was the site of the state of Bavaria’s constituent assembly, where the enactment of the current Bavarian constitution occurred.

Today, the Aula primarily hosts concerts, talks, and lectures.

Courses

LMU degree programs combine education, creativity, and access to cutting-edge research. The University’s academic portfolio includes everything from Ancient History to Economics.

Field of study

Despite the Bologna Process, which saw the abolition of most traditional academic-degree courses such as the Diploma and Magister Artium in favor of the more widely known Bachelors and Masters system, the University of Munich continues to offer over 100 areas of study with many combinations of majors and minors.

In keeping with the university’s internationalization as a popular tertiary education destination, an increasing number of courses, primarily at the graduate and post-graduate levels, are also available in English to accommodate international students who may have little or no background in the German language.

Some notable subject areas currently offer English-language programs include psychology, physics, business, and management.

Popular programs

Erasmus Mundus 

• Erasmus Mundus Master Program in Evolutionary Biology
• Master in Materials Science (Exploring Large-Scale Facilities)
• Mundus Journalism MA Degree

Faculty of Biology

• Master Program Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Master Program Plant Sciences
• Master in Biochemistry
• Munich Graduate School for Evolution, Ecology, and Systematics (EES LMU)

Faculty of Biology / Faculty of Medicine

• Elite Master Program Human Biology – Principles of Health and Disease

Faculty of Economics 

• Master Program in Economics
• Master in Quantitative Economics

Faculty of Geosciences 

• International Master’s Program in Geophysics
• M.Sc. Geomaterials and Geochemistry
• Master’s program Geobiology and Paleobiology (MGAP)

Rankings

• QS World University Rankings- 59
• QS WUR Ranking by Subject- 40
• Graduate Employability Ranking- 131-140

Alumni

Notable alumni

• Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen (Nobel Prize in Physics)
• Valdas Adumkus (President of Lithuania)
• Max Weber (Renowned Sociologist)
• Muhammad Iqbal (Urdu Poet)
• Bertolt Brecht (Theatre Director)
• Konrad Adenauer (Former Chancellor of Germany)

Key takeaways

• The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is one of Europe’s premier academic and research institutions. The university has attracted inspired scholars and talented students worldwide since its start in 1472.
• You can find the university campuses throughout Munich. LMU is a center of scholarship and culture and central to a dense network of research institutions, universities, and companies in Munich.
• LMU degree courses combine education, creativity, and access to cutting-edge research. The University’s course portfolio includes programs such as Ancient History, Economics, Biology, and so on.

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FAQs

Q1. Does LMU Munich provide free courses for international students?

Ans- Students from other universities are not charged fees if they register as visiting students to complete those parts of their degree program at LMU Munich that are offered here, following a legal regulation or an agreement between the universities.

Q2. Does LMU Munich teach in English?

Ans- LMU offers English-taught master’s degree programs and several double degree programs in English, German, or French, with selected partner universities.

Q3. What GPA is required for LMU Munich?

Ans- The acceptance rate at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is 12%.