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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 diverse professors and course-related trips enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives each day in class.
You take between 16-20 credits per semester (five courses). All courses are worth 3 credits except the Integrative Seminar and the optional semester German language course. You may earn up to 20 credits if you are placed in a spring semester postprogram internship. All courses are taught in English, excluding German language courses and IR/PO355. Academic programming is scheduled five days a week.
Create your academic experience by selecting from the following required and optional program components:
- EU Studies Integrative Seminar (PO250/350/450) (required, 4 credits; offered at the 200, 300, and 400 levels, with placement based on your academic background)
- IES Abroad German Course (optional, 4 credits)
- English-taught IES Abroad Area Studies Courses (3 credits)
- German-taught IES Abroad Area Studies Course (optional, 3 credits)
- IR/IB393 Global Leadership course (optional, 3 credits; to develop your cross-cultural leadership skills)
- IES Abroad Internship in Freiburg or Brussels* (optional, 3 credits; spring only, post-program; includes seminar and internship placement, additional cost applies)
*Please note: Internships with the European Parliament in Brussels will not be available in 2019 due to Parliamentary elections.
Intensive German
As part of your overall program participation, you will take a required two-week intensive German course during orientation. You may continue strengthening your language skills by continuing in an optional, 4-credit semester-long German language course.
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 corps
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 course-related 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.
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CU/PO 243 - European Political Cultures | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| CU/PO 334 - Migration, Ethnic Minorities, and Multiculturalism in Europe | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| EC 353 - International Economic Relations of the EU | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| EC 358 - Transition to Market Economies in Central and Eastern Europe | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| EC/IB 342 - Finance and Banking in the European Union | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| PO/EC 246 - European Union Policies in Practice | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PO/ES 333 - EU Environmental Policies: On the Road to Sustainability | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| GR 101 - German Language in Context: Novice Abroad I | Fall, Spring | German | 4 |
| GR 201 - German Language in Context: Novice Abroad III | Fall, Spring | German | 4 |
| GR 301 - German Language in Context: Emerging Independent Abroad I | Fall, Spring | German | 4 |
| GR 351 - German Language in Context: Independent Abroad I | Fall, Spring | German | 4 |
| GR 353 - German Language in Context: Independent Abroad III | Fall, Spring | German | 4 |
| GR 403 - German Language in Context: Emerging Competent Abroad III | Fall, Spring | German | 4 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PO/HS 344 - Europe - The Dynamics of Integration | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| EC/IB 342 - Finance and Banking in the European Union | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| IR/IB 393 - Leading Across Cultures: Principles and Practice | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| SO/IB 351 - Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation in Europe | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN 395 - Internship Seminar: Intercultural Management and Global Leadership | Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| IR/IB 393 - Leading Across Cultures: Principles and Practice | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| IR/PO 332 - The European Union and the Muslim World | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| IR/PO 355 - Shifting Paradigms from 'Domestic' to 'European' Politics: Germany in the European Union | Fall, Spring | German | 3 |
| PO/IR 357 - Reshaping the International Order - Power, Conflict and Change in the Black Sea Region | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| PO/IR 370 - EU-U.S. Relations: A Multi-Dimensional Partnership | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PO/LW 481 - The Power and Fragility of Human Rights in Modern Society | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| SO/IB 351 - Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation in Europe | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
Internships
Please note: Due to parliamentary elections, we are unable to offer Spring 2019 European Parliament internship placements in Brussels to students on the European Union program. Students interested in an internship during the Spring 2019 term can apply for internships in Freiburg. Note that these placements typically require fluency in German and can therefore be competitive.
Interning during your study abroad gives you a rewarding job experience with a wealth of long-lasting career benefits. You will:
- Gain a better understanding of the real-life, everyday culture of Germany or Belgium*
- Add global work experience and skills to your résumé or your application for graduate school
- Improve your confidence
All of our internships are supervised and earn IES Abroad credit. You participate in a 3-credit seminar to complement the practical experience you gain during the internship. Both optional post-program internships carry an extra cost.
The European Union internship program is approximately eight weeks long, and occurs after the spring semester only. There are two parts to the internship: a 3-credit Internship Seminar, which is primarily conducted before and after the placement experience, and the internship itself, comprised of a four- to five-week placement in Brussels*, or a four- to six-week placement in Freiburg.
During a Brussels* internship, you live in an apartment shared with other interns; during a Freiburg internship you continue to live in housing in Freiburg. You can apply for an internship before arriving on the European Union program or early in the spring term. Placements are competitive.
Placement Examples in Brussels*
Internships are offered at the European Parliament (MEPs) and with EU-related organizations. Internships are conducted in English, but if you are proficient in another language, you may receive a placement that lets you use your second language too. Fields may include:
- Parliamentary Internships
- Political Organizations
Placement Examples in Freiburg
Internships are conducted in English and in German. Fields may include:
- Business
- Education
- Government & Politics
- Journalism
- Non-Governmental Organizations
-
Research
Field Trips & Events
Day Trips
Although your adventure begins in Freiburg, our day trips take you to other great destinations to provide contrast and context for what you are learning and experiencing in your new home. Examples of trips include excursions to the Swiss Alps and nearby castles. The cost of these trips is not included in the program cost.
Course-Related Trips
As a major component of the European Union Program, you participate in extensive course-related trips to prominent EU institutions and important cities across Europe. During these trips, you meet and talk with official representatives of member states, leaders of multinational corporations and NGOs, EU officials, and advisors on EU issues. You take three course-related excursions totaling approximately 22 days. These excursions are an integral part of your classes and academic program, and are included in the program fee.
During the first trip, you will explore the UK leaving the EU and will visit Berlin and Warsaw. This trip will also include Paris, as of Spring 2019.
On a second trip across Western Europe, the focus is on the structure of the EU with visits to EU institutions in key European cities:
- Brussels
- Frankfurt
- Luxembourg
- Paris (Strasbourg as of Spring 2019)
For the final trip, you explore economics, politics, and other topics of current importance to the EU in one of three regions. Options have included:
- London, England; Dublin, Ireland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; and Riga, Latvia or Tallinn, Estonia – Euroscepticism, Brexit, and EU relations with Russia
- Lisbon, Portugal; Madrid, Spain; and Rome, Italy – Regionalism, Environment, Migration, and Ethnic Minorities
- Athens, Greece; Bucharest, Romania; and Budapest, Hungary – Immigration and refugees, the Greek euro crisis, stability, transition, andenergy security
Daily 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.
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. Orientation also includes a trip to the idyllic Black Forest, where you can hike and enjoy a typical German Kaffee und Kuchen—an afternoon ritual of having cake and coffee with friends.
Our Comprehensive Orientation & Re-Entry Experience (CORE™), begins right when you arrive and continues through the semester with activities focusing on academic and cultural adjustment. Detailed information about housing, public transportation, culture, health and safety, and other important topics are also covered.
As part of your orientation, you will have 20-25 hours of intensive German language instruction, followed by a seminar that will prepare you for the first course-related trip.
Housing
We want to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding which 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.
Shared University Apartment – You live in a single or double room in a co-ed suite with a shared kitchen and bath. Suites are shared with German and international students, and have Internet access.
Single Studio Apartment – You will have your own studio apartment with a single bath and pantry kitchen. Internet is also provided. The complex houses other German and international students. Spots are limited and may include additional fees.
Meals are not included in the program cost. Students usually prepare meals in their housing or dine in Freiburg’s affordable student cafeterias.
Get to Know Your New City
Freiburg’s architecture takes in German, Austrian, French, and Swiss influences, which all compete for attention in the city’s colorful buildings.
The narrow channels of water that run through the streets of old Freiburg are one of this city’s most characteristic and charming features.
Germany’s massive, mountainous, and densely-forested area is right in Freiburg’s back yard.
Grab a Black Forest ham sandwich and a bottle of fresh apple juice from the Saturday market, find the perfect spot, and enjoy. Studying in the sunniest spot in Germany has its advantages!
A rigorous hike or an easy cable car will take you to the top of this hill, offering glorious views of the city, the nearby Vosges Mountains, and the Black Forest.
Program Cost
Consider these prices as a starting point. We encourage you to contact your study abroad office to determine the actual cost to you when factoring in financial aid, scholarships, your home school policies, and other factors.
Use our budget worksheet to calculate your costs
$5 Million in Financial Aid
Our Center
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 Albert Ludwigs-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
For a fun look at our EU center, check out Spring 2015 IES Abroad Blogger Kimberly Webber's video tour.
Our Staff
Ullrich Lohrmann, Ph.D.
Center Director
Dr. Ullrich Lohrmann has been with IES Abroad since 1993. He holds a Ph.D. in History from the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, and has academic interests in Africa, the United Nations, and the development of the European Union. He has served in various capacities at IES Abroad and has been the Director of the EU program since 2007. He has also taught courses on the EU for IES Abroad.
IES Abroad Staff
IES Abroad Staff
Karin Thomas
Student Affairs Director
Almut Meyer zu Schwabedissen
Academic Dean
Dr. Işık Gurleyen
Associate Academic Dean
Dr. Karin Hunn
Field Study Manager
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