Important Initial Steps You’ll Need to Take to Be Prepared Confirm your Place in the Program Submit the Confirmation Form in your MyIESabroad account. Check, Renew, or Apply for your Passport This is even more important than your plane ticket! If you do not have a valid passport, renew or apply for one immediately. Read your Predeparture Information and Student Handbook This Predeparture Guide is filled with nearly all the information you need to know to be prepared to go abroad. Navigate through this Predeparture Guide using the dropdown above. Find the Student Handbook in your Predeparture...

Berlin Travel Delay/Late Arrival If your travel will be delayed due to changed or cancelled flight, please be sure to complete the Travel Delay Form which will notify the appropriate parties of your updated travel status: Travel Delay Form

Orientation The mandatory orientation, which includes a day trip to the Black Forest, will focus on language preparation and serve as an introduction to various aspects of life in Freiburg. Orientation will be partially virtual and on-site, and will begin before you even set foot in Germany! On-site orientation is a great opportunity to become acquainted with the Freiburg staff and your fellow students. You will receive practical information on living and studying in Freiburg, covering topics such as housing, the city, leisure activities, diversity and academics. During this time, you will...

As soon as a preliminary program calendar is available, it will appear below. However, this calendar is subject to change. Please do not make independent travel arrangements (including visits from family or friends) before you arrive on-site, receive any calendar updates from the IES Abroad Center staff during orientation, and finalize your course registration. Remember that you will not be excused from academic obligations, including final exams or required IES Abroad events, in order to travel independently. You can easily make personal travel plans once on-site! Please note: if we have not...

Customs The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides helpful information about international travel and U.S. customs. For more information on international travel, students can also look to their airline and the border control agency of their host country. Shipping Precautions Shipping internationally can be very expensive. Packages aren’t guaranteed to arrive, and IES Abroad cannot influence local custom rules. As fun as it may be to get packages from home while abroad, be prepared for potentially restrictive foreign customs and long delays. If friends and family want to send you...

Customs The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides helpful information about international travel and U.S. customs. For more information on international travel, students can also look to their airline and the border control agency of their host country. Shipping Precautions Shipping internationally can be very expensive. Packages aren’t guaranteed to arrive, and IES Abroad cannot influence local custom rules. As fun as it may be to get packages from home while abroad, be prepared for potentially restrictive foreign customs and long delays. If friends and family want to send you...

For more location-specific tips, check out these packing tips from former IES Abroad students. Freiburg is located in the Black Forest of Germany. Because it lies in a valley the temperature is slightly warmer than in other regions of Germany. While it is pleasantly warm in the summer, it also can have short and heavy thunderstorms. Winters in Freiburg are relatively mild with only a few days of sub-freezing temperatures per year. You will find styles of dressing in Europe to be somewhat different than in the United States, and will notice that local students dress less casually than American...

Preregistration The Course Preregistration Form must be filled out in order for IES Abroad to start preparing your course schedule. As class size may be limited, course preregistration forms will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. It is your responsibility to obtain course approval from your home institution for all courses you intend to take, including alternate courses, before your departure, especially if you intend to fulfill specific degree requirements with those courses. To select courses, you will first submit the Preregistration Form in your MyIESabroad account, which...

Orientation The mandatory one week-long orientation serves not only as an introduction to the ESS program and the various aspects of life in Freiburg, but also provides the framework for the intensive phase of your German and ESS classes. Program information sessions are also organized to help you orient yourself in Freiburg. Discussion points include housing, health and safety, and academics. This is an ideal opportunity for you to get to know the IES Center staff, study abroad mentors, and fellow students and to become comfortable in your new home in Germany, through activities such as a day...

If you enroll in partner university courses, you are required to complete partner university exams before departure and depart IES Abroad housing the following day. Partner courses at the University of Freiburg for ESS are also three-week modules, with examinations within the modules. If you use a university module instead of an IES module, the exam is in the module period, i.e. before the official move out. If you extend your stay with a fifth module at the university, the exam is also within the extended period - no exams are planned or permitted after the module periods and so also not...