The John F. Kennedy Institute brings together six disciplines under one roof: History, Culture, Literature, Political Science, Sociology and Economics. Each discipline is represented by a separate department. Department chairs are assisted by experienced junior and adjunct faculty as well as a secretary.

Individual departments not only work together within the framework of the institute, but have a longstanding tradition of productive cooperation with their disciplinary partners at the Freie Universität. The focus on North America, however, ensures the particularly close collaboration of the departments within the institute. The John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies  is not simply multidisciplinary, but expressly and rigorously interdisciplinary.