The environmental movement took root in Freiburg long ago—and now it’s a way of life. Known for taking the lead in the development of eco-friendly technologies and architecture, Freiburg also attracts researchers and environmental organizations from around the world. Come study Freiburg’s many unique contributions to this important movement, while simultaneously benefiting from the city’s location near the beautiful Black Forest and Rhine River Valley.
This English-taught program allows you to explore topics in Environmental Studies, Forest Ecology, and Sustainability, while living in Freiburg, a well-known center for environmental innovation. Freiburg and the surrounding regions will be your classroom. Can you imagine traveling to the Rhine River Valley to take samples and observe local ecology; or traveling to the forests of the Swiss Alps to further your discussions on forest management and tourism? Welcome to study abroad! Wherever possible, your courses take you outside the classroom to give you hands-on experience and to take advantage of all that your study abroad location has to offer.
The program offers courses taken alongside German and international students at the distinguished Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg and at the IES Abroad Center. Courses are organized as a series of three-week modules that focus on the sustainable management of natural resources, with a special emphasis on the adaptive management of forests, ecological processes in ecosystems, and human effects on the environment. Optional modules and research assistantship opportunities are also available at the end of the term.
In addition to Environmental Studies topics, you have the opportunity to study German language at the beginning, intermediate, or advanced level at the Sprachlehrinstitut (SLI) of the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg.
Finally, to help make study abroad more sustainable, IES Abroad purchases a carbon offset for the approximate round-trip air travel for students attending this program.
These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.
If you are taking only IES Abroad courses.
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 Environmental Studies and Sustainability, as well as other topics, through an in-depth and hands-on approach. Our world-class professors and course options at the IES Abroad Center and the prestigious Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives each day in class.
You take 15-19 credits per semester. Courses are taught in a modular format, meaning you take one course at a time, one after the other.
Academic Structure
Research assistantship offered at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (3 credits in Fall 2013, 2 credits in Spring 2014)
The program begins with orientation and a three-week intensive German course for 3 credits. You can choose to continue your German study for 3 hours per week for 8-9 weeks once the regular university semester starts to earn an additional 1 credit hour of German.
After your intensive German course, you take the first Environmental Studies module - a required IES Abroad-taught course. In the Fall, the required course is ES300 Ecology and Management of Forest Landscapes in Southwest Germany and the Swiss Alps. In the Spring, the required course is ES310 Change of Ecosystems as a Result of Long-Term Human Activities in Southwest Germany and the Swiss Alps.
The required course is followed by a choice of modules taught at IES Abroad or in the MSc in Forest Sciences program in the Faculty of Forest and Environmental Science at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Modules at the University are taught at a first-year graduate level but are appropriate for IES Abroad students; tutorial support is available.
Program Extension OptionsOptional Modules After your program ends, you can spend three weeks furthering your academic experience in Freiburg by participating in an additional 3-credit course at the University. A separate fee applies.
Research Assistantships You have the opportunity to apply for a Research Assistantship to enhance your educational experience by working with a faculty member from the University of Freiburg on a specific research topic. Research Assistantships take place after the conclusion of the semester (six weeks for Fall 2013; four weeks for Spring 2014). Students who participate in a Research Assistantship must remain in Freiburg through the end of the assistantship period. An additional fee applies.
Securing an assistantship is a competitive process and placements are not guaranteed. Placements depend on availability, on a student's background and skills, and on the quality of a student’s CV/résumé. Language requirements may apply. Final placements are determined by an on-site interview.
Examples of assistantships in various departments at the University of Freiburg include:
IES Abroad Courses
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität CoursesGerman Language Courses The university does not provide syllabi for their German language program. They teach Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced language courses according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR). Download a description of CEFR language levels here:
Environmental Studies Courses Fall university course offerings may include:
Spring 2013 university course offerings include:
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Optional Module 5
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg One of Germany’s oldest and most respected universities, the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg consistently ranks as one of the top institutions of higher education in the country. Since 2007, the University has been one of the nine universities recognized in the German government’s Excellence Initiative, awarded based on the University’s achievements in research and teaching.
Courses Fall university course offerings may include:
Spring university course offerings may include:
Field study trips are integral to IES Abroad Freiburg and University courses and are included in the program fee. During these trips you will gather data and participate in academic research. Destinations may include:
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 Halls - You live in a single room in a co-ed suite with a shared kitchen and bath. Suites are shared with German and international students and have Internet access. Students usually prepare meals at home or dine in Freiburg’s affordable student cafeterias. Meals are not included in the program fee.
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 field 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.
The program begins with a mandatory orientation that introduces you to the IES Abroad staff, your fellow students, the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, and the city of Freiburg. 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 orientation you begin three weeks of intensive German language instruction.
Language Partners IES Abroad staff in Freiburg can assist you in finding a German language “tandem” partner who will help you to practice your German and introduce you to local student life.
University Events & Cultural Activities A number of events and activities are offered to you at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, such as:
Although your adventure begins in Freiburg, our field study trips take you to other great destinations in Germany and beyond to further your learning.
During the field study trips, you gather data and participate in academic research. The cost of field study trips is included in the program fee. Possible destinations include:
Black Forest 1 Day | Fall & Spring Study the flora and fauna of this famous forest, located just outside of Freiburg.
Swiss Alps 3 Days | Spring Hike through the Swiss Alps as you study forest management, forest education, and tourism.
Rhine River Valley 1-2 Days | Fall Explore the ecology of this fertile river valley.
In addition to these field study trips, you also have the opportunity to participate in an optional recreational field trip. You share the cost of this field trip with IES Abroad.
Vosges Mountains 2 Days | Fall & Spring Hike through this beautiful mountain range in Alsace, France led by a knowledgeable guide. Bring your camera for the opportunity to take breathtaking pictures!
Located in the heart of Freiburg, the IES Abroad Center is within easy walking distance of Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, the Freiburg Theater, and the main shopping district.
Features include:
Joachim StaguhnDirector
Alexander BreisacherAssistant Director
Joanna KingStudent Affairs Director
Katie KrakerStudent Affairs Coordinator
Language and Area Studies Faculty
Ulrich EckeltMedia and Communications M.A., Consultant for SOKRATES (European education program), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Erwin FinkHistoryPh.D., in Nationalism and Regionalism in the German Kaiserreich from the University of Toronto; Translator and Research Associate for the "German History in Documents and Images" project, organized by the GHI, Washington D.C.
Christine FreudenbergGerman Magister Artium, Language Instructor, International House Freiburg
Clemens SalmEconomics, International Business, Environmental Studies Diploma in Economics
Nikolaus GrötschGerman and Philosophy M.A., Professor of Language and Philosophy for summer and DAAD courses, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Resident Director in Freiburg for Upsala University, Sweden
Dr. Hans-Peter HagmannArt History Magister Artium, Lecturer, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Corinna HardtGerman M.A in German, Scandinavian and Italian Language and Literature; Further training for teaching German as a Foreign Language
Annemarie KöhnePolitical ScienceM.A., Head librarian at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
Franz LeitholdFilm Studies Ph.D., Media and Computer Center Director at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg library
Peter OidtmannTheaterPh.D., Senior teacher at a Freiburg gymnasium (high school)
Uta RothmundGerman language Lecturer in adult education for German as a Foreign Language and English at the Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg
Eric SchülerInternational Relations Magister Artium, Lecturer, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Hans-Joachim StübigEconomics Certified political economist and instructor at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Bettina VerrierGerman Language MA in French and Spanish Language and Literature and Geography Further training for teaching German as a Foreign Language (Goethe Institute Mannheim/Heidelberg) Lecturer in adult education for German as a Foreign Language at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg and Goethe Institute Freiburg
Wolfgang Würger-DonitzaHistory Ph.D., Freelance instructor
Environmental Studies Faculty
Michael AnstettEnvironmental Studies Diplom of Biology; Lecturer in the Department of Geobotany, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Excursion leader; Ranger at the Centre of Nature Protection, Feldberg
Jürgen BauhusEnvironmental Studies Ph.D. in Forestry from the University of Göttingen; Chair of Silviculture, Director of Institute of Silviculture, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Director of the Graduate School of Environment, Society, and Global Change, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Martin KohlerEnvironmental StudiesPh.D. in Forestry from the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Professor in Institute of Silviculture, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Vertical Tabs