Baden-Württemberg Exchange | Germany

This exchange program enables PSU undergraduate and graduate students with diverse majors and interests to study at one of seven universities in Baden-Württemberg for an academic year or semester. Sites include Freiburg, Heidelberg, Hohenheim, Konstanz, Mannheim, Stuttgart, and Tübingen. Students can select between traditional liberal arts universities, technical universities, or institutions specializing in education and teacher training, music, or art.

Many partner universities have excellent offerings in German as a Foreign language for students who want to focus on German language skills development or earn credit for a German major or minor.

Students can also directly enroll in regular university classes, which are primarily taught in German and sometimes available in English. Students should consider their own language level as well as prior work in subject area (in the case of pre-requisites) when evaluating course offerings. Many students find they are most successful when they mix German as a Foreign Language classes with regular university classes, or focus on German language skills during their first semester and enroll in regular university classes during the second semester.

Some universities offer a wide selection of classes taught in English, depending on the academic area. Business, International Studies, Media Studies and Journalism, and Political Science are examples of subjects with good course offerings in English.

The Baden-Württemberg exchange program is open to undergraduate and graduate students from all fields of study. To be eligible, students must meet the following minimum requirements before departure:

• 45 credits or more (sophomore standing)
• Good academic standing

German language proficiency requirements depend on your intended academic pursuits while in Baden-Württemberg.

• Students wanting to focus on German as a Foreign Language classes must have completed at least one year of college-level German. (For students still in their first year of German language studies, please see the Heidelberg Accelerated Program).
• For students who will be taking regular university classes taught in English at certain university partners, no previous German language is required (though strongly encouraged).
• Students wanting to take regular university classes taught in German should have strong German language skills at the 3^rd or 4^th year level, depending on the academic area and university.
• Some academic programs may require previous successful completion of upper-division coursework in the academic field at their home university.

Students must continue to make satisfactory academic progress throughout the application process and during their study abroad program, and otherwise comply with policies and procedures of the host university, IE₃ Global, and their home university study abroad office.

Housing varies from university to university, but there are a few constants: all students will be housed in single rooms in university student housing (Wohnheim). The typical room has a bed, desk, chair, shelves, large closet, and a sink. Usually about 8-12 students share a kitchen, showers, and toilets. Your floor mates will be German and international students.

Dorms are co-ed but bathrooms and/or shower stalls can be locked. Shared laundry facilities exist in each building complex. All student housing has in-room internet access.

Oregon students are supported by two Resident Directors, Sarah Taylor and Kerstin McGaughey, in the Oregon Study Center in Tübingen.

The Resident Directors travel to each university several times throughout the year to assist students with academic, logistical, and personal matters, and is always available to respond in-person to any critical needs. It is also the Resident Directors‘ role to support and strengthen the institutional connections between campuses in Baden-Württemberg and Oregon.

In addition, students have the support of the International Office staff at their BW university.

IE₃ Global seeks to make its programs affordable and accessible. For detailed information regarding the program budget, please refer to the Cost Estimate tab on the brochure page for the Baden-Wuerttemberg Exchange.

Check out this Returnee Story of Haley who participated in the Baden-Württemberg exchange program.