Summer Study Abroad in Germany

Students enroll in a four- or eight-week summer intensive language course at the Goethe Institute, a world-class German language school. Participants will meet other students from all over the world who come to the Goethe Institute to learn German.

Students fill out a self-evaluation of their German skills with their application and take brief written and oral tests upon arrival in order to determine their level of proficiency. No previous experience in German is necessary; the Institute teaches German to beginning through very advanced students. Students receive 18 units of German language transfer credit (two courses) for four week courses, or 36 units for eight week courses.

Click here for our Frequently Asked Questions on studying in Germany .

Course of Study
Classes meet at least 20 hours per week. Students are placed at the appropriate level for their language abilities. All classes are taught exclusively in German by a native speaker. At some institutes, classes are held in the afternoon only. Weekends are always free for personal travel or excursions offered by the Institute.

Housing
Students generally live with another course participant in double rooms. In some cities, students can choose to live in a dorm or be housed privately; in other cities, only private housing is available. Private housing situations vary tremedously; some students live with German families and have a good deal of contact with them, others live in a small apartment; still others have a room in a private home with little or no contact with a family. Housing assignments are given to students upon arrival at the Institute. Every attempt is made to honor housing requests, but no guarantees can be given.

In the smaller cities, students generally live within walking distance to the school. In the larger cities, however, students may live up to an hour by public transportation from the school. Students in the larger cities will need to purchase a pass for public transportation in their city, regardless of where they live relative to the school.

Dates and Costs

*Price includes:
Tuition, books, and a private room. Some locations have double rooms available for a reduced price. See Prof. Christian Hallstein for specifics.
NOTE: Prices are subject to change according to the value of the US Dollar

Additional Costs
Students should plan to take at least $1000 for each month to cover the costs of food, more if extensive travel or significant purchases are planned.

Arrival Day
On the day of students arrival at the Goethe Institute, they are tested and placed into the proper class, receive their room assignment, and are given their housing assignments. No classes are held on arrival day.

Deadlines for 2009
The deadline for application to the program is April 20, 2009.

Max Kade Scholarships for Study Abroad at the Goethe Institute
Through a generous grant from the Max Kade Foundation, Carnegie Mellon students who are majors or minors in German can apply for a summer study aboard scholarship for study at the Goethe Institute.

Applicants must be German majors or minors before they can submit a scholarship application. If you are not now a major or minor in German and would like to become one, please see Prof. Stephen Brockmann (major advisor, BH 245B) or Prof. Christian Hallstein (minor advisor, BH 237A) to register.

The minor in German requires six courses at the 300 level or higher, one of which may be a course about German culture or history from a department outside Modern Languages. The major in German requires a 3-unit senior seminar and ten courses at the 300 level or higher, two of which may be courses about German culture or history from a department outside Modern Languages.

The deadline for scholarship applications is February 18, 2009.
Click for more information about these awards.

Other Study Abroad Scholarships
Our department along with The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is offering study abroad scholarship opportunities for students to study for a semester, full-year, or summer overseas. Scholarships can be put towards tuition, room and board, airfare and/or book expenses at any accredited study abroad program. Click for more information about these awards.

Additional campus resources may be helpful for students who are evaluating whether to pursue a study abroad program:

Visit the university's Study Abroad page:
http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/sab/index.cfm

View the university's Office of International Education:
http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/

For more information, contact:
Chris Hallstein
Teaching Professor of German
Department of Modern Languages
Carnegie Mellon University
Baker Hall 237A
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: (412) 268-2897 Fax: (412) 268-1328