Studying Abroad

The Department of Germanic Languages in cooperation with the Office of Global Programs offers the following Columbia-managed study abroad programs for its students:

Berlin Consortium for German Studies

The Berlin Consortium for German Studies is an academic-year or a spring-semester program dedicated to helping students improve their German language skills by providing intensive language training, encouraging them to function independently in the German university system, and offering a program that allows them to fully experience German life, customs, and culture.

The semester begins with a six-week German Language Practicum that helps students refine their language skills and prepares them for success in the German academic system. After the practicum, students register for three courses. All students take the BCGS course on a topic in German studies offered by the resident faculty. The remaining two courses are cho-sen from the broad range of courses offered by the Freie Universität Berlin (FU). The FU has over 100 different programs of study in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Those with special interests may also enroll in courses at other local institutions such as the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Technische Universität Berlin, the Universität Potsdam, the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee, and non-studio courses at the Universität der Künste Berlin, and Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler."

For more information and application information, please go to www.bcgs.columbia.edu.

FUBIS Program

Traditionally, the Department receives stipend funding from the Max Kade Foundation and the Germanistic Society of America that provides up to 10 summer language scholarships to CC, Barnard, and/or GS undergrads who have completed one full year of German language instruction in the Department's German language program by the spring semester. Students are enrolled in a four-week intensive language course at Berlin's "Freie Universität Internationale Sommerschule" and are eligible to receive college credits upon return to the CU program and completion of the next higher level of German.

Calls for applications are announced in early spring semester by the chair. Details of the FUBiS program are available at www.fubis.org. Details of the most recent call for applications can be viewed here.

Application forms and detailed information on Summer 2010 FUBiS language scholarships at the FU-Berlin can be downloaded here.