Master Sessions: Annika Simbürger – Taking the right steps

Annika Simbürger has always liked to think outside the box. After graduating from high school, it was therefore only natural for her to train as a state-certified foreign language correspondent in English and French: "I could always imagine working abroad. Good language skills are the foundation." 

Immediately after completing her training, she began looking for universities and study programs where she could apply her language skills and whose range of courses would suit her wide-ranging interests: “Before I could apply, I first studied social media channels and websites,” recalls the Bayreuth native with a smile. 

Leuphana impressed her across the board: a study model that gives her a lot of freedom of choice; many renowned partner universities that promise an inspiring stay abroad; and a campus with many offerings such as university sports. 

At the beginning of her studies, she was faced with the question: political science or law? “The study model allowed me to study both subjects: law as my major and political science as my minor,” she reports. At the same time, she took modules in complementary studies – from psychology to New Work to the Refugee Law Clinic. “It wasn't just law students there. That broadened my horizons – both professionally and personally. After all, that's how it will be later in my professional life,” she says.

Annika Simbürger now has her bachelor's degree and is in her first semester of a master's degree in the innovative law program (LL.M./1st state examination) at the Leuphana Graduate School: “The innovative idea convinced me right away. If everything goes well, I'll graduate with a Master of Laws, but I can also take the 1st state law examination,” she summarizes.

The program delves deeper into topics from civil law, public law, and criminal law. “The content is challenging, but we learn in small groups and the student-teacher ratio is just right,” reports Annika Simbürger.

In addition to her studies, she is also involved in the board of the law student association. It's a commitment she would recommend to anyone interested. The conferences of the Federal Law Student Association were particularly enriching in this context, she reports. At the same time, she pursues a second passion: dancing. She has been going to dance classes since childhood. On campus, she regularly takes part in the university sports dance evenings and even teaches her own street dance class together with Taima Güçlü: “Dancing is my balance. It's simply part of my life.” 

But it's not just on the dance floor that everything fits: coming to Lüneburg was exactly the right move for Annika Simbürger. 

Between December and May, the Graduate School's student advisory service provides regular online information via Zoom on the topics of application, admission, and enrollment. Here, interested parties can find out everything they need to know about admission requirements, the selection process, and the application procedure. In addition, the Graduate School presents selected study programs at various times in the spring, and prospective students have the opportunity to address their subject-specific questions. Program coordinators or representatives are available for this purpose.