Vienna - European Society & Culture

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Overview

Quick Facts

City:

Vienna [1]

Country:

Austria [2]

Program credits:

15-19 per semester (5-6 courses)

Language(s) of Instruction:

English

German

Language prerequisites:

None

Offering both English- and German-taught courses, the IES Abroad Vienna European Society & Culture program allows you to study the culture, history, business, and politics of a region that continues to play a major role on the world stage.

Open to students at all language levels, our program brings more than 60 years of experience to a variety of unique courses taught by faculty from top European institutions. Courses are clustered into the following topics:

German Language
European Business, Economics, and Politics
Society and Self
The Arts

Vienna will be your classroom. Can you imagine learning about Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis and then touring his home and the office where he practiced? Or studying politics and international organizations and visiting the UN, the OSCE, or OPEC? How about exploring art history in Vienna’s world-famous galleries and museums? Welcome to study abroad! Wherever possible our courses take advantage of the city’s historical, artistic, and cultural sites and include a hands-on, practical component.

With sufficient background in German, you can also enroll in courses at the prestigious Universität Wien, where you experience the Austrian education system and have the option to participate in student activities. Maybe you’ll even make some Austrian friends while you’re at it.

We want you to feel at home in Vienna, so we will do everything we can to help you integrate into life in the city. Whether it’s through an internship, volunteer opportunity, or our language partner program, you’ll have numerous opportunities to get to know local residents.

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 best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences. We offer unique courses that explore Austrian History, Culture, Art, and many other topics through an in-depth and hands-on approach. Our world-class professors, as well as course options at the prestigious Universität Wien, enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives both in and out of class.

You take 15–19 credit hours per semester, and all courses are worth 3 credits unless otherwise specified. Language courses are taught in German, and all other courses are taught in English, unless otherwise noted. Academic programming is scheduled five days a week.

If you have taken fewer than 4 semesters of college-level German or the equivalent, you enroll in English-taught IES Abroad courses. If you have advanced-level German language proficiency, you may enroll in a combination of German- and English-taught courses or all German-taught IES Abroad courses. Students with advanced language skills can also enroll in partner university courses.

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

IES Abroad German course (required, 4 credits)
English-taught IES Abroad electives (3 credits)
German-taught IES Abroad electives (3 credits)
English- or German-taught courses at partner universities (advanced German required, credits vary)
IES Abroad Internship or Field Experience (includes internship/field experience seminar, 3 credits)

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].

Partner Institution(s)

Universität Wien
www.univie.ac.at [4]
Enrolling approximately 70,000 students, the Universität Wien offers a wide variety of courses in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. The University boasts recognized academic strengths in Germanic Studies, Political Science, and Theology.

Founded in 1365, the Universität Wien is one of the oldest universities in Europe.

Courses
Listed below is the broad range of disciplines available at the University. You must have advanced-level German language skills to enroll in courses. For specific course offerings, visit the Universität Wien website [5], and click “Blättern” to browse options. Please note that course offerings vary from semester to semester.

Business & Economics
Chemistry
Computer Sciences
Earth Sciences, Geography & Astronomy
History & Culture Studies
Law
Life Sciences
Mathematics
Molecular Biology
Musicology
Philology & Culture Studies
Philosophy & Pedagogy
Physics
Psychology
Social Sciences
Sports Science & Sports
Theology
Translation

Universitätssportinstitut Wien (University of Vienna Sports Institute)
www.usi.at [6]
Students interested in pursuing Dance while in Vienna have access to a wide range of offerings through the University of Vienna Sports Institute.

Courses
Classes are available at beginning and advanced levels in a variety of dance styles, including:

Ballet
Caribbean and South American Dances
Flamenco
Folk
Jazz
Modern
Oriental
Step Dance

You will need to complete at least one full credit of advanced level classes (the number of semester credits awarded for the advanced level ranges from 0.5 to 1; no credit is awarded for the beginning level) irn order to receive IES Aboad credit. You may also apply for beginning or advanced classes for no credit and at your own expense.

All options may not be available every semester, so placement is not guaranteed and final registration occurs after arrival in Vienna. The Sports Institute follows the regular university calendar, so some adjustments must be made for semester-only students.

Location & Commute Time
The main buildings and lecture halls of the University are centrally located on Vienna’s Ringstrasse; other university buildings are scattered throughout the city.

The Center is about a mile from the University’s main buildings. The commute from IES Abroad-located housing to the IES Abroad Center varies from a short walk to a 45-minute ride using public transportation. Vienna has an excellent public transportation system, which makes commuting easy and efficient.

Calendar
Courses at partner universities end in January/February for Fall, and July for Spring. An additional housing fee may apply.

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. The internship we organize for you can also provide invaluable cultural experience and help you develop professional and personal skills.

Proficiency in German language is not required for the Education Field Experience or Public Service internships, but is recommended for Arts & Culture and Business internships.

The program offers a variety of opportunities:

Arts & Culture Internships — The arts and culture internship offers first-hand experience and involvement in Austrian cultural institutions (including museums and theaters), businesses, and service organizations engaged in the fields of arts, culture, and entertainment in Austria. Proficiency in German is recommended.
- Past placements include: Belvedere Gallery, Vienna Review, Gramola

Business Internships — Apply foreign language skills while building an international résumé. Most business internships require the equivalent of four semesters of college German, but this is not a prerequisite for all internships.
- Past placements include: Bank Austria, International Chamber of Commerce, Eurosearch
Education Field Experience — Supervised teaching involves 30 hours of teaching English in selected Viennese secondary schools. Students attend lectures once a week on the structure and function of the Austrian school system and comparative teaching methods. Proficiency in German is not required.
- Past placements include: Preschools, grade schools, and high schools
Public Service Internships — Supervised public service internships involve 30 hours of work with environmental, social, medical, and charitable organizations. Proficiency in German is not required.
- Past placements include: Women Without Borders, Greenpeace Climate Project, World Wildlife Fund

Required Coursework
You take a required seminar that offers contextual support to your practical work experience. An IES Abroad faculty member supervises the academic work and internships and field experience are routinely and formally monitored. A grade, based on the academic and practical components, is awarded for the 3-credit internship/tutorial combination and will be recorded on the IES Abroad transcript.

Field Study

IES Abroad Vienna organizes field study trips that complement IES Abroad courses and help you build your general knowledge of Austrian culture and society. Past field study excursions have included visits to:

Political and economic institutions such as the Austrian Parliament and the United Nations office in the Vienna International Centre “UNO City”
Historical sites
Theater performances
Classical concerts

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 Vienna, it will feel like home.

Apartments – You have the option to live in an apartment that houses between three and six students. Some apartments are set aside for students interested in taking a language pledge and speaking only in German while at home.

Homestays – You have the opportunity to live with one or more IES Abroad students and an Austrian landlady/landlord or Resident Assistant.

Residence Halls – Allowing you to live among Austrian and international students, residence halls feature double rooms with a shared bath.

You have full access to kitchen facilities for preparing meals, which are not included in the program fee. All housing options include free Internet access.

Student Life

Part of making you feel at home in Vienna 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 field trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.

Orientation

The program begins with an orientation that introduces you to the IES Abroad staff, your fellow students, and the city of Vienna. Topics such as academics, housing, transportation, and health and safety are covered.

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 preparing for the return home.

During the weeks following orientation, you spend half of each day in intensive German language instruction. The rest of your time is spent in academic advising, lectures on contemporary Europe, Austria, and Vienna, and tours of Vienna and the surrounding area.

Extracurricular Activities & Cultural Events

Redefine the way you live and learn in Vienna through our cultural events, such as:

City tours
Museum visits
Theater events
Extracurricular sporting activities through the Universitätssportinstitut (for a minimal fee)

IES Abroad Vienna participates in a “buddy system” for language learning with native German speakers. The program lets you practice German and meet local students.

Field Trips

Although your adventure begins in Vienna, our field trips take you to other great cities in Austria and beyond to provide contrast and context for what you are learning in Vienna. These trips are partially subsidized by IES Abroad. Past destinations are listed below.

Central Europe Tour
10 days | Fall
This optional field trip provides an introduction to the history and culture of Central Europe in relation to Austria and Vienna. Explore the Jewish quarter and the Old Town in Krakow, and travel outside the city to visit Auschwitz or the famous salt mines. Visit sites including the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. Walk across the historic Charles Bridge and gaze up at five distinct architectural styles on Castle Hill in Prague.

Germany Tour
9 days | Spring
Berlin serves as a base for stops in Dresden and Leipzig. See the Zwinger, Semper Opera, Church of Our Lady, and Green Vault in Dresden; explore Leipzig, one of Germany’s oldest university towns; and spend a full week touring the many sites of Berlin (Check Point Charlie Museum, remains of the Berlin Wall, Reichtstag or seat of German government, Jewish Museum and Holocaust Memorial, etc.). You may also, in your free time, take a short day trip and visit Frederic the Great's Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam near Berlin.

Wachau
1 day | Fall & Spring
Visit the famous Melk Abbey.

Austrian Alps
3 days | Fall & Spring
Ski Austria’s famous slopes.

Styria Tour
2 days | Fall & Spring
Tour this Austrian region known for its delicious wines and vineyards.

Center

IES Abroad Vienna [7]

Also known as the Palais Corbelli, the IES Abroad Vienna Center is an elegant 18th century palace in the heart of the city and is just minutes from many of the museums, theaters, and other major cultural attractions that have bestowed international fame on Vienna.

Features include:

Classrooms
Practice rooms and instrument storage
Concert hall
Student lounge and small library
Computer lab
High-speed Internet and printer access

Center staff:

Dr. Morten Solvik
IES Abroad Vienna Center Director
An international scholar, Dr. Solvik holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Music and Intellectual History from Cornell University. Born in Norway, he speaks Norwegian, German, and English fluently, and uses French as a research language.

Dr. Solvik was instrumental in setting up the IES Abroad Vienna Music Program, which he has coordinated since 1999, and has also designed and taught numerous courses in Music History. In addition to his work with IES Abroad Vienna, Dr. Solvik has served as lecturer at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst (The University for Music and Fine Arts). His teaching and administrative experience is augmented by his active and productive scholarly career as an expert on Gustav Mahler.

IES Abroad Vienna Staff
Kendall Burgess, M.A.
Registrar / Assistant to the Center Director

Dr. Kent Canzoneri
Manager of Student Affairs and Facilities

Meral Kölblinger
Student Health & Safety Coordinator / Student Affairs

Apaporn Ertl
Accountant

Tobi Sigmund
Customized Programs Coordinator / Student Affairs

Dieter Strobl
Facilities Coordinator / Library Services

Helmut Summesberger
Student Housing Coordinator / Student Affairs

IES Abroad Vienna Faculty
Gabriele Amon
Studio Art
Mag. Art, University for Applied Arts in Vienna; Univ.-Lekt. University of Applied Arts, Institute for Art and Technology – dept. of Textile

Ulrike Anton
Music History
Music Performance
1er Prix - Degré Superieur (Conservatoire Hector Berlioz, Paris) ; Professional Performance Diploma (Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester); Master of Music (University of Manchester); PhD in musicology (University of Vienna/University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna); International concert flutist

Roswitha Benesch
Art History
Doctor philosophiae, Lektorin Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien

Joelle Bouffa
Music Performance
Dilpoma in solo piano, chamber music, and vocal accompaniment at the Convervatoire royal de Liege; Coach for the Institute for Voice and Musical Theater at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna

Deirdre Brenner
Music Performance
BA, Dartmouth College (USA); MMus, Royal Academy of Music (London, UK); Master's in Lied and Oratorio, Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversitaet (Vienna, Austria)

Ana Dimova
Diploma in piano at the State Music Academy Pantcho Vladigerov (Bulgaria), collaborative pianist in the String, Woodwind, and Percussion Departments of the Vienna Conservatory (Privatuniversität Wien)

Peter Fischer
International Law
Dr.juris Vienna University Dr.juris honoris causa Bratislava University Professor emeritus Vienna University Professor Bratislava School of Law

Tibor Frank
History, Cultural History
Dr. Univ., a történettudomány kandidátusa az MTA doktora; egyetemi tanár, Eötvös Loránd
Tudományegyetem, Budapest, Hungary

Michele Friedman
Music Performance
B.M., M.M., California State University; Lehrauftragte - Universität Mozarteum Salzburg; Lehrauftragte - Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst ; Lehrende – Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität

Peter Gerlich
Political Science
Doctor rerum politicarum, Master of Arts, Ordentlicher Professor, Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Wien

Barbara Gorzynska
Music Performance
M.A. in Music Performance (violin), Academy of Music in Lodz, Poland; Adjunct, Academy of Music in Lodz; Visiting Professor, University for Music and Performing Arts in Graz

Gerold Gruber
Music Theory
PhD Musicology, University of Vienna; Univ. Doz., a.o. Univ. Prof. Musicology at the Institute for Analysis, Theory and History of Music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna

Carolyn Hague
Music Performance
BM, Stetson University; MM, University of Louisville; DMA, University of Maryland at College Park; Lehrende - Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität

Günter Haika
Literature, Culture and Gender Studies
Mag. phil., Professor University of Vienna; Wake Forest University Vienna Program

Peter Haiss
Economics
Doctor rerum oeconomia, Dozent, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Karl-Franzens Universität Graz und Universität Innsbruck

Antonia Hanreich
History, Cultural History
Doctor philosophiae, University of Vienna
Freiberufliche Vortragende der
Kulturgeschichte

Monika Johnson-Schönstädt
German
Mat., Akademia-Vienna
Sprachtrainerin

Katharina Klettermayer
Public Service Internship
Mag., Social and Cultural Anthropology
University of Vienna

Doerte Kuhlmann
Art History, Architecture
Ph.D.,Bauhaus University in Weimar; professor of Architecture Theory, Gender Studies and design, Institute of Architectural Sciences,Vienna University of Technology

Géza Kállay
Literature
Ph.D., Doctor de Letteren (Leuven, 1996); professzor, Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem, Budapest, Hungary

Erik Leidal
Music History
B.M. in Music History, B.A. in English Literature, Rice University; M.A. in Musicology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; independent international performer

Tamás Magyarics
History
Dr. Univ., Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem,
Budapest, Hungary

William McElheney
Music Performance
Indiana University (Bloomington); diploma in Trombone Performance from the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna; Vienna Philharmonic

Dardis McNamee
Journalism
Graduate of Bryn Mawr College in Music and Political Science and a doctoral candidate at the University of Vienna in Contemporary History, Editor in Chief of the English-language monthly, The Vienna Review

Monika Meyer
German
Mag., Universität Wien
Sprachtrainerin

Wolfgang Moelzer
Business, Management
PhD, University of Economics and Business Administration; Managing Partner of BKB Management

John Moraitis
Music History
Ph.D. in Musicology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; MA in Musicology, University of Georgia

Hanspeter Neuhold
International Law
Doctor iuris, Ordentlicher Professor, Institut für Völkerrecht, Universität Wien

Beatrice Ottersböck
Art History
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh
Freiberufliche Vortragende der Kunstgeschichte

Roman Pfefferle
Political Science
PhD, University of Vienna; post-doc researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Government at the University of Vienna

Renate Philapitsch-Aschober
German
PhD, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana; Sprachtrainerin

Frank Pokorn
Psychology
MSc, MA, University of Vienna; Lecturer for German Language,University of York, Psychologist, Vienna grammar school teacher

Pantelis Polychronidis
Music Performance
Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA), University of Michigan, postgraduate work at the University for Music and the Performing Arts in Vienna in Lied Accompaniment and Chamber Music, collaborative pianist, educator and scholar as well as Visiting Scholar at the Modern Greek Program of the University of Michigan

Wolfgang Prohaska
Art History
Ph.D. University of Vienna; Curator of Italian, Flemish, French and Spanish Baroque Painting at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna; Position at the University of Fine Arts in the University of Vienna

Heidi Roessler
Student Teaching Internship Coordinator
Magistra philosophiae, University of Vienna
Lehrerin, Bundesgymnasium Wien XIX

Tamás Réti
Economics
Közgazdasági és Piackutató Intézet (Kopint-Datorg),
Budapest, Hungary

Margarete Schachermeier
German, Cultural History
Akademisches Übersetzerdiplom, University of Vienna
Sprachtrainerin

Nadja Schmidt
Political Science, Interdisciplinary European Studies
Mag., University of Vienna, Mag. College of Europe in Natolin/Poland; Phd student and lecturer, Political Science, University of Vienna

Miyuki Schuessler
Music Performance
Kunitachi College of Music (Tokyo); diploma in Piano Performance from the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna; Lehrende – Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität

Martin Schwarz
Business Internship Coordinator
Master of Art, University of Southern California-Los Angeles; Direktor
Martin Schwarz G.m.b.H.

Birgit Schöny
German
Mag., University of Vienna; Sprachtrainerin

Andrea Sernett
German
Dip, University of Vienna
Sprachtrainerin

Morten Solvik
Music History
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania,
Lektor, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien
IES Abroad Vienna Center Director

Katalin Orbán
Communications
Ph.D. in Literatures in English at Rutgers University
Lecturer at the Institute for Art Theory and Media Studies at Eötvös Loránd University

Reinhold Stipsits
Psychology
Doctor philsophiae, Ausserordentlicher Professort, Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft, Universität Wien

Charlotte Summesberger
German
Doctor philosophiae, University of Vienna
Sprachtrainerin

Stefan Wedrac
History
Magister Philosophiae, Universität Wien

Hemma Stagl
German
Magister Phil, University of Vienna
Sprachtrainerin

Natalia Wächter
Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science
Dr. phil., Mag. rer.soc.oec, University of Vienna; senior researcher at the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna

Evelyn Benesch
Art History
PhD University of Vienna, Deputy Director of Bank Austria Kunstforum

Rosa Reitsamer
Sociology
PhD University of Applied Arts – Vienna, Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Music Sociology at the University of Performing Arts - Vienna

Lisa Regan
Art History
PhD UC Berkeley, Instructor at UC Berkely and Lecturer at UC Santa Cruz

Reinhold Stipsits
Psychology
Doctor philsophiae, Ausserordentlicher Professort, Institut für Erziehungswissenschaft, Universität Wien

Hedwig Wölfl
Psychology
MSc, University of Vienna Lecturer, University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna

Anna Ronai
Music Performance
MA, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna

Russell Ryan
Music Performance
DMA, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna; Professor of Collaborative Piano, Arizona State University

Robert Barefield
Intensive Music Performance Program
Hartt School of Music

Michael Pinkerton
Intensive Music Performance Program
Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität

Dietmar Friesenegger
Music History
MA; PhD Candidate, Cornell University

Cost