European Union

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Overview

Quick Facts

City:

Freiburg [1]

Country:

European Union [2]

Program credits:

16 per semester (5 courses)

Language(s) of Instruction:

English

German

Language prerequisites:

None

As the European Union continues to grow in size and influence, understanding it becomes key to understanding Europe and our world. Come and learn about the economic, political, social, and cultural issues that confront the European Union today.

Taught in English, the IES Abroad European Union Program gives you the chance to study Politics, Economics, Business, and International Relations like you never have before.

The program features an integrative seminar that incorporates approximately 21 days of field study to travel to numerous countries inside and outside of the EU. As you visit each new country, you develop your understanding of the European Union, its history, and its institutions.

Europe will be your classroom. Imagine visiting the European Parliament and discussing current social and political issues with EU officials, or meeting with leaders of multinational corporations to learn about international trade. Welcome to study abroad!

You also engage in a Model European Union, where you assume the role of an EU official or press corps member to analyze and debate issues of current concern to the European Union such as climate change, EU enlargement, foreign and local policies, and the Euro. The Model EU concludes the Integrative Seminar and is the capstone of the program.

We want you to feel at home in Freiburg, so we will do everything we can to help you integrate into life in Freiburg. From cultural events at our Center to tours of the city and local sites of interest, you will have numerous opportunities to get to know Germany.

Program Dates

These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.

Academics

Our mission is simple: to provide you with the highest quality academic and cultural experience abroad possible. We offer unparalleled courses that explore European Politics, Economics, Business, International Relations, and other topics through an in-depth and hands-on approach. Our world-class professors and field study opportunities enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives each day in class.

You take 16 credit hours per semester (five courses). All courses are worth 3 credits unless otherwise noted. You may earn up to 19 credits if you are placed in a post-program internship. All courses are taught in English, excluding German language courses and IR/PO355. Academic programming is scheduled five days a week.

German language study is required if you have beginning- or intermediate-level language skills. If you place beyond the intermediate level of German, you may enroll in an additional area studies course instead of a German language course if permitted by your home school.

Course offerings are the same in the fall and spring terms, excluding internships, which are offered in spring only.

You create your academic experience by selecting from the following required and optional program components:

EU Studies Integrative Seminar (required, offered at the 200-, 300-, and 400-level, with placement based on your academic background; 4 credits)
IES Abroad German Course (required for beginning- & intermediate-level students, 3 credits)
English-taught IES Abroad Area Studies Courses (3 credits)
German-taught IES Abroad Political Science Course (3 credits)
IES Abroad Internship (spring only; includes seminar and internship placement, 3 credits)

Model EU
As the capstone experience of the IES Abroad European Union Program, you will participate in a Model European Union. Over a long weekend, you will assume the roles of:

A foreign minister of an EU member state
A prime minister of an EU member state
A finance minister of an EU member state
A member of the press corp

In your role, you will debate issues of current concern to the European Union, such as:

EU reform treaties
Enlargement
Energy and the environment
Immigration
Humanitarian aid
The economy and the Euro

The Model EU, which brings together classroom-based academic knowledge and first-hand experiences gained through field study excursions, concludes the EU Studies Integrative Seminar and the program.

Courses

This is a list of planned course offerings. After you are accepted, you will see a list of final course offerings in your MyIESabroad account.

To learn more about IES Abroad’s innovative theoretical and pedagogical approaches to teaching language abroad, refer to the IES Abroad MAP for Language & Intercultural Communication [3].

Internships

While adding study abroad to your resume is impressive enough, adding an international internship experience is even more powerful and can help distinguish your application for graduate school or a job opportunity in today’s competitive job market. An internship in Brussels or Freiburg can also provide an invaluable cultural experience and give you an experiential opportunity to develop professional and personal skills.

Internships are conducted post-program and are approximately eight weeks in length. They are available to spring students only. Internships carry an additional fee.

Internship in Brussels
Internships are offered at EU-related organizations and are conducted in English; knowledge of French or another EU language may assist with placement. Previous placements have included:

Government & Politics – Assist with the preparation of political campaign materials, flyers, and PR information for organizations such as the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the European Parliament, where there are numerous and varied placements available

Internship in Freiburg
Internships are conducted in German. Placements have included:

Business – Work at a small- to medium-sized business such as Ormed or SpielPlanVier, and assist with business campaigns and updating public relations information.
Government & Politics – Assist with the preparation of political campaign materials, flyers, and PR information for organizations such as the SPD, Bündnis 90/die Grünen, and Freiburg City Council’s Foreigner Advisory Committee.
Non-Governmental Organizations – Work at a local NGO such as FESA (an agency for solar energy) and provide support for marketing campaigns and various events.

Field Study

As a major component of the European Union Program, you participate in extensive field study to prominent EU institutions and important cities across Europe. During these trips, you meet and talk with representatives of member states, leaders of multinational corporations and NGOs, EU officials, and advisors on EU issues. You take three field study trips totaling approximately 21 days. These trips are included in the program fee.

See the Field Trips tab for details about the trips.

Housing

Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Freiburg, it will feel like home.

Residence Hall -The IES Abroad EU program offers you the unique opportunity to live in a single or double room in a co-ed suite shared with German and international students. Suites have shared kitchens and baths.

Meals are not included in the program fee. Students typically prepare meals at their residences or dine in Freiburg’s affordable student cafeterias.

Student Life

Part of making you feel at home in Freiburg is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it’s the orientation program that prepares you for what’s ahead, your housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the day trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is one of the things we’re known for.

Orientation

The program begins with a mandatory orientation that introduces you to the IES Abroad European Union staff, your fellow students, and the city of Freiburg. Topics such as academics, housing, transportation, and health and safety are covered. Orientation also includes an excursion to the Black Forest.

Additionally, CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive Orientation & Re-entry Experience, begins during orientation and continues throughout the semester with activities focusing on cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparation for the return home.

Following orientation, you begin ten days of intensive German language classes and the Integrative Seminar.

Field Trips

During the first trip, you visit the capital cities of Germany and the Czech Republic, Berlin and Prague.

On a second trip across Western Europe, you visit EU institutions in several important European cities, which may include:

Brussels
Frankfurt
Luxembourg
Paris
Strasbourg

For the final trip, you explore topics of current importance to the EU in one of three regions. Options have included:

London, England; Riga, Latvia or Tallinn, Estonia; and Stockholm, Sweden – Economic and Social Policies, Euroscepticism, and EU Relations with the United States
Barcelona and Madrid, Spain; and Rome, Italy – Regionalism, Environment, Migration, and Ethnic Minorities
Athens, Greece; Bucharest, Romania; and Sofia, Bulgaria – Stability, Transition, and Energy Security

Center

IES Abroad European Union [4]

The IES Abroad European Union Center is housed in a historic 19th-century building with a fully renovated interior. Located in the heart of Freiburg, the EU Center is only a short walk from the main campus of the AlbertLudwigs-Universität Freiburg, the shopping district, and the Freiburg Theater.

Features include:

Classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment
High-speed Internet and printer access
A student library and a student lounge
A large outdoor garden space

Center staff:

Ullrich Lohrmann
Director

Ullrich Lohrmann holds a Ph.D. in History from the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg. His academic interests include Africa, the United Nations, and the development of the European Union. His experience as a student in the U.S. and United Kingdom led him to seek a career in international education. He joined IES Abroad in 1993 and served in various administrative capacities, including Associate Director, before being promoted to Director of the European Union Program in 2007. He has also taught courses on the EU for the IES Abroad Freiburg Program.

IES Abroad Staff
Dr. Karin Hunn
Field Study Manager

Almut Meyer zu Schwabedissen
Academic Dean

Merle Peitsmeyer
Project and Accounting Manager

Karin Thomas
Student Affairs Director

Faculty

Surname	Name	TItle	Profession
Burret	Heiko	Diploma in economics	researcher at the Walter Eucken Institute
Fehlner	Wendy	M.A.	business consultant
Fehlner, Dr.	Gert	PhD	Head of Administration, Department of English Studies, University of Freiburg
Grasl, Dr.	Maximilian	PhD	researcher and lecturer University of Freiburg and University of Heidelberg
Haynes, Dr.	Mike	PhD	Lecturer, Institute für Sprache und Wirtschaft, University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt
Hofmann	Birgit	M.A.	PhD candidate University of Freiburg
Junger	Anne	M.A.	lecturer, IES Abroad EU Center
Kempter, Dr.	Gerhard	PhD	finance manager
Kern	Annette	Diploma in economics	Lecturer, Freiburg University of Pedagogy
Makinson	Sandra	M.A.	Masters in Applied Environmental Studies
Salm	Clemens	Diploma in economics	business conultant
Schnellenbach, Dr. habil	Jan	PhD, habil	researcher expert at the Walter Eucken Institute
Staub	Thomas	M.A.	PhD candidate; Business consultant for LMS; e-Learning expert
Wagschal, Prof. Dr.	Uwe	PhD	Chair of Comparative Politics; University of Freiburg
Wiedemann	Anke	M.A.	lecturer and researcher University of Freiburg
Zander	Hubertus	M.A.	academic advisor (German American Institute in Freiburg)

Freudenberg	Christine	M.A.	German Language Instructor
Hardt	Corinna	M.A.	German Language Instructor
Lüttgerding	Hilke	M.A.	German Language Instructor
Rückert	Nicole	M.A.	German Language Instructor
Schlenzig	Werner	M.A.	German Language Instructor
Wenk	Mirjam	M.A.	German Language Instructor

Cost