Academic Year – 2009-10

September 2009 to July 2010

Sponsored by the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages in the College of Arts & Letters

Arranged through the Office of Study Abroad (OSA)

What's this program about?

The Academic Year in Freiburg (AYF) program is offered through a consortium of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University.  The program offers you the opportunity to improve your command of the German language by taking a blend of specially designed program courses in language, culture, and literature, along with German classes and courses in related fields offered at the Albert-Ludwigs Universität. AYF is one of few year-long study abroad programs and offers you a unique opportunity to fully immerse yourself in German language and culture. Past participants frequently report that it is during the second semester that they truly become comfortable living and studying in Germany.

Four semesters of German, or the equivalent, are required for acceptance into this program, and while you do not have to be a German major to participate, many students choose to add German as a second or additional major when they go to Freiburg. Depending on your level of German, most or all course requirements for a German major can be completed in your two semesters on the program.

Founded in 1457, the Albert-Ludwigs Universität is located in the heart of downtown Freiburg and currently has an enrollment of about 24,000 students.  The university offers a variety of courses in most subjects that constitute a liberal arts education in the United States.  Over the years, U.S. students have benefited from being in classes with German students and have taken more than 150 courses in 26 different departments, including art, anthropology, economics, German, history, international relations, mathematics, physics, and political science. 

The AYF Program Center, located near the university, contains the office of the Resident Director and the local Administrative Coordinator.  Program classes are held at university facilities.  The Resident Director, a faculty member from one of the consortium-member universities, along with the Administrative Coordinator, will help you adjust to the German cultural and higher educational systems.

The program is committed to making your intercultural experience as rich as possible.  Vacation periods permit extensive travel throughout Europe, and students are encouraged to use weekends for shorter trips in the region.  Your cultural exploration and new friendships combined with the academic program create an unforgettable study abroad experience!

Official program Web site.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Your program will begin around the 1st of September with a month-long orientation, for which you will receive three (3) credits. The focus of the orientation course is intensive language acquisition and will include a broad cultural introduction to the region along with preparation for study at a German university. The German academic year begins in mid-October and ends in mid-July.

Orientation Course              Month of September
Winter Semester                   Mid-October through mid-February
Christmas Break                   Two weeks (usually the last week of December through the first week of January)
Semester Break*                   Mid-February through mid-April
Summer Semester                 Mid-April through mid-July

* Students are free to travel during the two-month break or remain in Freiburg to enjoy the city and its environment.  As a student enrolled at a German university you are allowed to work part-time during the semester break and also during semesters. 

Where does it take place?

Freiburg is located in the Upper Rhine Valley at the foot of the Black Forest in southern Germany.  During World War II, the city experienced extensive damage from bombing raids.  Much of the town has been restored to its scenic medieval character.  With about 190,000 inhabitants, Freiburg provides a variety of cultural activities including concerts, exhibitions, and theater.  Only 40 miles from the Swiss border and 14 miles from the French border, the city offers convenient access to Basel and Strasbourg.  Freiburg’s proximity to the Black Forest, one of Germany’s most scenic regions, offers many recreational opportunities as well, including biking, hiking, and skiing.

What can I study?

During both winter and summer semesters, you can enroll in a combination of specially designed program courses and regular university courses. Program courses in German grammar and composition are available throughout the year. The program also offers a small number of specially designed courses, taught in German by experienced local instructors and the resident director. Typically, in each semester there is one course in the area of German literature, film, or other aspects of cultural studies, and one course in the area of German history, politics or the European Union which provide a broad survey of literary or historical periods. A program course on German history will be taught in fall, and a course on the European Union will be offered in spring, provided there is sufficient enrollment.

Students with advanced language skills may choose to take most of their courses at the regular German university, or they may opt to take a combination of university and program courses.  All regular university classes are conducted in German. The resident director will meet with you individually prior to each semester to advise you on the most appropriate courses for your level of German and your degree program.  MSU students will earn MSU credit and grades for coursework successfully completed in Freiburg.  Students who wish to fulfill course requirements for the German major in Freiburg will receive academic advisement from an adviser in German prior to departure.  Students wishing to fulfill course requirements in other MSU major programs must consult with an adviser in the appropriate department to obtain approval for course equivalents in Freiburg.

This is a co-sponsored program.  Credit may be awarded for certain courses as regular MSU credit rather than transfer credit.  These courses will be listed on your official MSU transcript and will include the title of the course abroad, the number of credits and the grade earned. For further details about this policy, visit the student webpage.

What are the requirements?

Students must be of at least junior status (60 credits earned) and in good academic standing, with an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 and a GPA in German language of at least 3.0, at the time of application.  They must also have completed a minimum of two years of college-level German language (or the equivalent).

Additionally, students must also submit an essay with their application stating why they wish to participate in this program.

While this program is open to all students, non-MSU students should contact the University of Wisconsin-Madison for application information at (608) 262-2851 or e-mail.

Applicants’ participation may be denied or their participation approval may be revoked if their conduct before departure raises doubts as to their suitability for program participation.

Where will I live?

The program will arrange for your housing in university dormitories located a short tram or bus ride from the campus.  All students live in single rooms grouped on floors or in suites. In all cases you will be living alongside German and other international students. The program attempts to avoid clustering American students together. 
Each dormitory wing has shared kitchen facilities and many students prepare their own meals. Since you will be a registered student at the Albert-Ludwigs Universität, you will also be eligible to eat in any of the university cafeterias where food is available at very reasonable rates.

Many students buy a bicycle for local transportation. The public transportation system is efficient, and student passes make it affordable. 

Rooms in the dormitories have Ethernet connections, so it is advisable to bring along a laptop. You will be able to register for the required modem, for which there is a monthly fee, and on-site staff will assist you in setting up your on-line account. In addition, computer labs are available in the dormitory area and at the university, although their hours of access are more limited than at MSU.

Who can tell me more about this program?

Elizabeth Mittman
Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
A609 Wells Hall
Phone:  (517) 355-5170

George Peters
Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
Department of Theatre
149 Auditorium
Phone: (517) 355-6690

Elizabeth Plagwitz
Office of Study Abroad
109 International Center
Phone: (517) 432-9544

Do I need a passport or visa?

U.S. and non-U.S. citizens need a valid passport to enter other countries.  If you already have a passport, make sure it is valid until at least six months after your return date.  If you must apply for or renew a passport, APPLY EARLY, since a minimum of twelve weeks are usually required for processing.  During peak travel seasons, more processing time is required.  Passport forms are available at many federal and state courts, probate courts, some county/municipal offices and some post offices.  They can also be downloaded from the Web.

For more information about passports visit the web page.

A visa is official permission granted by the authorities of a country where you will study or travel that allows you to enter and remain in that country for a specific purpose.  The visa itself is frequently a stamp in your passport, not a separate document. You will need a passport before applying for a visa and the passport plus visa process may take several months, so start early.   It is your responsibility to inquire about visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit while abroad; this includes countries that you plan to visit before or after your study abroad program.

For more information about visas visit the web page.

Are there special health issues?

As part of your acceptance you will complete a Student Health/Emergency Treatment Authorization. It is your responsibility to ensure that your routine immunizations are up-to-date; inquire whether there are recommended and/or required immunizations for the country/countries you will visit (including any countries you will visit that are not part of the study abroad program’s itinerary); and review educational issues relevant to your personal health and safety.

See the "Health Issues" section of the Student Handbook for further health information and recommendations.

How much does it cost?

The program fee is $10,467 (AY08-09) and includes the following:

• application fee ($100)
• deposit ($200)
• tuition and fees for 30 credits
• pre-departure orientation
• accident and sickness insurance

Amounts not included in the program fee for which participants will need to budget include:

• airfare
• additional meals
• books and supplies
• German national health insurance (required)
• German liability insurance (required)
• University Sozialbeitrag (required)
• passport application fee ($97)
• visa application fees (if applicable)
• pre-departure doctor visits
• pre-departure immunizations (if applicable)
• personal spending money

Students may request a cost sheet which estimates these additional expenses not included in the program fee by contacting the Office of Study Abroad at (517) 353-8920.

Approximately two months before the program’s departure date, students will receive an e-bill from the MSU Student Accounts Office for the study abroad program fee. 

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.

How can I get help to pay for it?

Financial assistance is available to students who make appropriate arrangements with the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) and MSU’s Office of Financial Aid. 

If you are an MSU student and indicate on your application that you plan to use financial aid to pay for your study abroad experience, OSA will forward an estimated cost sheet to the MSU Office of Financial Aid for processing.  This form will include all anticipated costs associated with the program, including airfare.

If you are a non-MSU student, please request financial aid from your home university.  If your university is unable to award you financial aid, contact the MSU Office of Study Abroad to apply for loans only and you will be provided with instructions on how to proceed.

For further information about financial aid, visit the Web page.

Additionally, MSU students applying to any credit-bearing study abroad program are eligible for OSA Scholarships.   Some scholarships are based exclusively on academic performance; others are based on a combination of academic performance and financial need.  Requirements are listed in the scholarship application.  The deadline to apply for these scholarships is March 1st for academic year programs.  

A generous endowment from the MSU Federal Credit Union, as well as additional resources provided through the Forest Akers Endowment, MSU Alumni Association, the Australia-Pacific Council, Eleanor and Charles Greenleaf Sr., Brigitte and Thomas Huff, the Georges Jules Joyaux Memorial Fund, the Kellogg Foundation, Charles and Marjorie Gliozzo, and contributors to the Overseas Study Endowment provide funding for these OSA scholarships.

Program-specific scholarship monies may be available through the Max Kade Foundation.  Only students accepted for participation in the Freiburg program are eligible to apply. 

In addition, students admitted into the program are eligible to apply for the Baden-Württemberg scholarship which provides a generous monthly stipend.  The deadline for this scholarship is early January, so it is advisable to apply to the program early.

For even more MSU scholarship opportunities through individual colleges or external scholarship possibilities (including funding for Multicultural students) visit the web page.

How do I apply?

You can apply online or download an application form.

In addition to the regular MSU study abroad application there is a special AYF Application.  The form is available at the MSU Office of Study Abroad in 109 International Center or as a download.

To be considered for admission into the program, students must submit both applications by the special AYF application deadline of the first Monday in February.

After students submit their applications, a committee of faculty members reviews the applications and conducts phone or personal interviews with each candidate.   Though processing time may differ, applicants are usually notified of their status within 6 weeks of the deadline.

A $100 application fee is required.  Students will receive an e-bill for the application fee that is applied to the cost of the program and is non-refundable once a student has accepted admission into the program.  Students who have accepted admission may also be billed for a non-refundable and non-transferable $200 deposit, also applied to the cost of the program.

Students who wish to withdraw their application are required to notify the Office of Study Abroad, in writing, that they no longer intend to participate.

Acceptance to all programs is based, minimally, on a faculty review of your transcript and a review of the Judicial Affairs Office records (MSU students) or Dean of Students Reference (non-MSU students).

Details about the admissions process, pre-departure information, what to know while you’re abroad, and information about returning home can be found in the Study Abroad Student Handbook that will be sent to you with your acceptance letter.

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.