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SEMESTER ABROAD

St. Olaf College

German-American

Exchange Program

 

Study Abroad
2007-08

  “Wer das Dichten will verstehen,
Muß ins Land der Dichter gehen:
Wer den Dichter will verstehen,
Muß in Dichters Lande gehen. “
(Goethe “West-östlicher Divan” 1819)

The Exchange

After World War II, the German government opened its universities to the world, with nominal tuition fees to any student who can demonstrate proficiency in the German language. For forty years (since 1968), Oles have taken advantage of this policy to receive an amazing immersion experience. To promote a mutual cross-cultural exchange of students and ideas, St. Olaf College has established exchange programs with four German universities, supporting Oles who study in Germany and creating a “Reciprocity Fund” to finance the cost of a study abroad experience at St. Olaf for German students from our partner universities.

 
Brandenburg Tor in Berlin

 Cost

In 2007-08 the cost to an Ole participating in the exchange is approximately $1,700 greater than the St. Olaf comprehensive fee (tuition plus room and board) for a semester and $3,400 for a year abroad. This fee covers airfare to and from Germany, room and board in Germany, pre-semester language instruction and contributes to the Reciprocity Fund. 

   

The Universities

Oles may choose to study at any of the following four partner universities, three of which have defined campus boundaries and one at the cosmopolitan center of Germany.

Humboldt University-Berlin
Founded in 1810, the Humboldt University became a model for the classical integration of teaching and research. The HU serves a student body of 30,000 with courses beyond the liberal arts in fields like archeology and anthropology and in critical languages like Chinese and Arabic. A four-week intensive language course precedes all programs and  housing is arranged by the University.  The German placement exam is on-line (www.hu-berlin.de) 

University of Flensburg
Founded in 1946 as a teaching school and converted to a university in 1994, this university, situated in Northern Germany on the Baltic Sea and near the Danish border, now offers a liberal arts curriculum and is especially strong in teaching across the curriculum. (www.uni-flensburg.de)

University of Konstanz
Founded in 1966 and located in Southern Germany on the Bodensee, near the borders of Switzerland and Austria, this university is based in the tradition of interdisciplinary study with emphasis on theory in the literatures and sciences. (www.uni-konstanz.de)

(www.uni-konstanz.de/studium/index.php?cont=lsf&lang=de)

University of Paderborn

Located near the Teutoburger Wald of Central Germany, the university transformed a school of theology, founded in 1618, into a modern comprehensive university with special strengths in economics, engineering and art design. (www.uni-paderborn.de)

 

Curriculum and Credit Transfers

A four-week intensive pre-semester language and orientation course is offered to all Oles at their chosen university. Students choose courses from a three-tiered system corresponding to St. Olaf’s 100-200-300 course system, beginning with Vorlesung (lecture) courses, followed by Proseminar, designed as an introduction to research, and then Seminar, designed  for  graduate-level  research. St. Olaf offers major and General Education (GE) credit for all courses completed at a partner university. Students earn five credits per term, three of which may count toward the German major. Credits toward other majors across the sciences and humanities are awarded through pre-arrangement with department chairs. Grades earned for all courses taken are recorded on the St. Olaf transcript but not calculated into the Grade Point  Average. 

 
Hermannsdenkmal near Paderborn

Housing

At all four sites the universities arrange housing with kitchen facilities.  Students may also eat in the university’s “Mensa.” 

Free Time

Students have two weeks of free time between the completion of their pre-semester course and the beginning of the semester. In addition, the German school calendar cancels classes for numerous national and religious holidays. Student organizations, such as the university’s AStA group, offer many cheap opportunities to travel with other students. These discounts, unmatched by any American discounts, are available in virtually all facets of travel in Europe.

Stipends
The University of Flensburg offers a special stipend of 650 Euros for St. Olaf students. The University of Konstanz offers tuition waivers of 300 Euros for students in the pre-semester language course. 

Eligibility and Admissions
All students who have successfully completed German 251 or 252 are eligible to participate in the exchange program. Students must also earn at least a B- in their last German course at St. Olaf before departure. Applications for both semesters are due on March 1 to the St. Olaf International Studies Office and must include a Lebenslauf (resume) written in German. After acceptance to the exchange program, students complete international student application forms, housing forms and pre-semester course registration forms for their chosen German university.

Calendar

Semester 1 Program:
Sept. 1:  Housing available
Month of Sept.:  Pre-Semester Course
Mid-Oct. – End-Jan.:  Classes

Semester 2 Program:
March 1:  Housing available
Month of March: Pre-Semester Course
Mid-April – Mid-July:  Classes

Contacts

St. Olaf German Exchange Program Advisor

Professor Karl J. Fink   (507) 786-3864
kjfink@stolaf.edu         

St. Olaf International Studies Office

Associate Director Kathryn Tuma  (507) 786-3228   
tuma@stolaf.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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