German Program

Study Abroad

Notre Dame offers its students of German multiple opportunities for study abroad. Explore programs in Innsbruck, Berlin, and Vienna.

Innsbruck

The University of Notre Dame has operated a year-long program of study in Austria since 1964. More than 700 students have participated in the program to date, and it remains one of the University's few year-long foreign-language and culture programs. Under the supervision of a resident, on-site director, the program begins in early September with a month-long intensive language session in Salzburg. Staffed by the prestigious Goethe Institute, the language program refreshes German language skills in anticipation of the upcoming academic year. From Salzburg, students are taken on guided trips to Vienna and other local cities as part of the orientation session.

The regular academic year begins the first week of October in historic Innsbruck, a city of about 125,000, surrounded by Alpine mountain peaks in the heart of the Tirolean region of upper Austria. Since Roman times, Innsbruck has been the hub of routes leading north to Germany, south to Italy, west to Switzerland and France, and east to the Balkans. The old medieval city, or altstadt, is remarkably preserved. The juxtaposition of 16th-Century houses, baroque churches and modern additions makes Innsbruck an exciting place to live. Tirolean culture is preserved and celebrated in numerous festivals, concerts and parades throughout the year.

The program is run with the cooperation of the University of Innsbruck (UIBK), with which Notre Dame sustains a friendship agreement. Founded in 1669 by the Jesuit order, the University has been administered by the state since 1848, with full guarantees of academic freedom. Most of the University's institutes and lecture halls lie along the banks of the picturesque Inn River, while the medical school and other institutes are housed in other parts of the city. Like most European universities, the campus is fully integrated into the life of the city. The regular fall academic term in Innsbruck begins in early October and finishes in early February after Christmas and New Year's break. Students are able to travel during most of February until the Spring semester begins in March. Classes conclude in mid-June. Courses during the academic year may be selected from those offered by the University of Innsbruck, or from a roster of courses staffed by adjunct faculty hired by Notre Dame. Students are required to enroll in a German language course offered through the University of Innsbruck, and are encouraged to enroll in other regular university courses as their German language proficiency grows.

Contact Hannelore Weber at (574) 631-7751 or weber.15@nd.edu.

For further information on the Innsbruck program, please visit the following links:

Berlin

Notre Dame's Office of International Studies (OIS) is now offering the opportunity to study in Berlin, Germany, for a semester or a year as part of a facilitated program through the Berlin Consortium for German Studies (BCGS) of Columbia University.

For further information on the Berlin program, please visit the following links:

Summer in Vienna

For further information on the Summer in Vienna program, please visit the following link: