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Germany - Austria

Courses and Academic Information

The Germany - Austria program takes place during the fall semester.

Orientation

Students accepted to participate in the program are required to participate in the planned orientation sessions during Spring Semester, prior to departure. Orientation is designed to prepare the student for the cross-cultural experience and will include passport information, readings, films, lectures, and discussions with former participants of the program. Students will receive 1 semester credit (ID24) for successful completion of the orientation program.

Course Work: Germany

German: In both Marburg and Berlin, students will be able to receive language instruction at all levels and will be placed into courses according to their level of proficiency.

Contemporary German Culture: Taught in both Marburg and Berlin, this course deals with issues confronting Germans as they move into the next century. These include the move of the capital from Bonn to Berlin, the status of Germany's extensive social programs, questions arising from Germany's population changes and the recognition of Germany as a multicultural society. Students will gain a firsthand perspective on these issues by meeting with various governmental and citizens' groups as well as with private individuals, and by visiting relevant sites.

Course Work: Austria

Courses offered in Vienna are taught in German by university professors of the Universitat Wien and include the following:

Art History: This course takes advantage of Vienna's incredible architectural and artistic treasures, from 12th century castles to landmarks of the art nouveau movement. The course fulfills a general education requirement in Fine Arts.

Politics and Public Policy-Making in Western Europe: A host of issues face Europe and Austria as teh millennium approaches, including economic integration and unification, an increasingly multicultural European society and the role of the state in social welfare. This comparative course will examine such issues with a focus on Austria and Western Europe. The course fulfills a general education requirement in Social Science.

German and Austrian Prose and Drama: This course focuses primarily on the works of the nineteenth and twentieth centureis, with special attnetion paid to works by Austrian writers. All efforts are made to include works currently being performed at one of Vienna's many fine theatres, giving students the opportunity to attend as well as read drama.

Ethnographic Study: Students will engage in a study of a particular aspect of Austrian culture in which they are interested. One of the goals of the project is for students to begin to examine program sites through the eyes of Austrians rather than as outside observers. Examples of projects include studies of social organizations, refugee support organizations, and various facets of schools.