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Germany

This experiential learning program places you in Germany's dynamic capital, Berlin. With a wide range of humanities courses as well as a professional internship, our study abroad program allows you to hone your professional skills and connect your coursework with the living history of the city.

Program Highlights:

Study abroad as a full-time student for one semester at Studienforum-Berlin.
Live with bilingual host families who provide an unparalleled cultural immersion experience.
Take three liberal studies courses in English, one course in the German language at the student's level, and one credit-bearing internship, tailored to your interests and language proficiency.
Take German language courses with other international students at the Neue Schule. You are placed in course levels according to your skills.

Program Details

Prerequisites

GPA Requirement: 3.0
Sophomore, Junior, or Senior UGs - all majors
Strong academic performance and ability to work independently

*Students from other colleges and universities are welcome to apply to the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program. In these cases students must:

Acquire formal approval from their home campus to study in the program.
Receive the home campus' promise that the study-abroad credits will be accepted in transfer.

Course Information

General Study

The courses offered through Nazareth-in-Berlin Program are taught in English by professors at Studienforum-Berlin. Three courses are taken for 3 credits each. At Nazareth, courses will be assigned the appropriate course number designation upon registration in the spring preceding departure. In general, Nazareth students can expect that they will be able to fulfill PEQ requirements with courses taken in Berlin.

List of Courses

German History 1870 to the Present
European Economics and Business Administration
20th Century German Theater, Literature, Cabaret
Sustainability – European Approaches
Symphonic Music and Opera: Mozart to Mahler
Conflict and Peace Studies

Course descriptions.

Language Learning

Each student's language ability will be assessed for placement into an appropriate German language course, which begins soon upon arrival in Berlin and lasts for seven weeks. These language courses are offered by instructors with specialized pedagogical training at the Neue Schule, a multi-language institute that emphasizes speaking proficiency, aural and written comprehension, and composition. Classes are comprised of international university students, personnel attached to embassies and people engaged in global business.

Language courses are taken for 5 credits. For Nazareth students, these will receive a course number and designation appropriate to the level they plan to complete.

Internships

Studienforum-Berlin facilitates professional, credit-bearing internships according to students’ abilities, major area of studies, technical skills, and relative ability in English and/or German. Internships are conducted full time for four weeks after the completion of courses. Internships will be monitored, mentored and assessed according to the Nazareth College guidelines.

In the past, internships have been available in professional areas such as:

telecommunications
informational technology
media
banking
non-profits
international service organizations
education
molecular and micro-biology research
museums
software development companies
mathematics

A few placements require a practical command of German or specialized academic preparation. Especially for students with less proficiency in German, strong written and oral English-language skills is a must. In order to best match students with an internship, all students must present an up-to-date resumé. Internship sites are assigned in consultation with the student and advisement from the student’s home campus. In all internship placements, students will be expected to interact professionally and to learn and work in an environment appropriate to the Program's expectations. Internships for US citizens are unpaid, by law.

Students can also substitute the internship with an independent research project with a special mentor.

Schedule

This program runs every fall semester from late August through mid December. Students are advised to depart from home at least one day before the program begins in order to arrive on the morning the program commences. The program coordinators will meet the students upon their arrival in August and take them to the train station or airport in December at the completion of the semester. Students who wish to stay or travel after the end of the semester must make their own arrangements.

Printable schedule.

Orientation

During the first week, Studienforum-Berlin hosts an extensive orientation to the city of Berlin, and German culture more generally. During orientation, students will become acquainted with each other and with the academic and administrative staff at Studienforum-Berlin, as well as to its resources, facilities, services and procedures. The participants will also start to become familiar with the logistics of living in Berlin, such as housing, transportation, health, safety and personal security, and recreation. The orientation week will be supplemented with lectures, short field trips, group discussions, selected readings and films, as well as social gatherings.

Costs and Financial Aid

The program fee includes:

Tuition
Room and 2/3's board (meals with host families, excluding lunches)
One week orientation
Sightseeing trips in Berlin and Potsdam
Two multi-day excursions in Germany and beyond.

The program fee is payable to Nazareth. An additional service fee is also payable with semester fees, and includes costs such as: insurance; residency permit; course reading materials; cell phone rental and a lab fee.

Out-of-pocket costs include:

Roundtrip airfare (to and from Berlin)
City transportation (student rate)
Lunches
Miscellaneous personal items and personal weekend and fall break travel.

Students will be provided with a cost estimate for out-of-pocket expenses for the semester.

Nazareth students pay the on-campus cost for the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program and continue to use their financial aid package and payment plan. Matriculated students are eligible for all financial resources for which they would qualify if they were studying on the Nazareth College campus (including federally subsidized loans, but excluding Room Grants). Students are also encouraged to apply for outside scholarships and grants to supplement their support resources.

Students from other universities will be assessed the standard semester fees for the program in addition to an administrative fee. Visiting students are advised to consult with their home campus Financial Aid Office for any other support they may receive from their institution.

There is no opportunity for students to receive U.S. Federal work-study funding while studying in Berlin.

The Refund Policy is in accordance with the Bursar's Office of Nazareth College (585-389-2033).

Travel and Documents

Students will be responsible for arranging and paying for their round trip airfare. Nazareth College will advise all students of the best flight connections for timely arrival at the study site. Questions about travel are amply covered at orientation meetings on the Nazareth Campus or to visiting students through advisement by telephone or email. All students will be met at their arriving train station or at the Berlin Tegel Airport, provided they give advance notice to the program.

All students will need a valid passport that continues to be valid at least six months after the conclusion of the semester program in Berlin. After arrival in Berlin, Studienforum-Berlin will help students obtain a German residency permit (visa). For international students studying in the US, different regulations may apply. The Nazareth–in–Berlin Program director will provide support in this process prior to departure.

It is necessary to take proof of health insurance coverage, although a European-based maintenance health program is included in the Program. It is mandatory to take a valid student ID from the home campus.

Living Accommodations

All students at the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program live with families that are eager to have international students live with them. Host families are chosen for their ability to effectively communicate with the student and provide cultural enrichment. Generally, host homes are located in quieter neighborhoods easily accessible to public transportation. Students eat breakfast and dinner at home and should expect to participate from time to time in the cultural life of the family, as well as respect the day-to-day needs of the family members.

The Housing and Academic Form requests personal information about each student for the purpose of a suitable student-family match, based on information the student provides: eating needs; health needs; family pets; etc. Host families remain in contact with Studienforum-Berlin to ensure a good learning and living environment for the students.

About Berlin

As the capital of Germany, Berlin is the largest city of the Federal Republic and is home to 3.5 million people. Best known for its multi-cultural heritage, stunning architecture, and turbulent past, Berlin is full of life and history. There is always something going on in the city - from festivals and concerts to art shows and cabarets. Berlin is also a very youthful city with over half of its residents under the age of 35, making for its exciting and vibrant atmosphere. Explore all the famous landmarks of Berlin including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the Berlin Wall, and the Schloss Charlottenburg.

For more information about life in Berlin, see these English-language sites:

Berlin Municipal Homepage (English)