Berlin: Full Description

Residential Programs | Berlin: Overview | Berlin: Full Description
Berlin: Student Testimonials

Contents

• General Program Description
• Eligibility
• Course Information
• Internships
• Semester Schedule
• Program Costs and Financial Aid
• Transportation and Documents
• Living Accommodations
• About Berlin
• Living in Berlin
• Application Forms
• Contact Us

This program is run in conjunciton with Studienforum Berlin.

General Program Description

"Nazareth-in-Berlin" is a full-time fall semester undergraduate program with humanities courses, a professional internship and language learning. Students are encouraged to go in their sophomore or junior year, although some seniors can still fit the program into their major.

This Program allows students from any academic major and with little or no experience in the language to become exposed to a European capital city environment and international culture. Students live with English-speaking families and experience European life in the heart of the European Union.

The application process includes a minimum US-based grade average (GPA) of 3.00. "Nazareth-in-Berlin" is conducted in cooperation with Studienforum Berlin, an educational and research association.

The Program offers three courses in liberal studies taught in English, one course in German language at the student's own level (including elementary level), and one credit-bearing internship, for which the student can expect to use her/his English language. (Some internships require proficiency in German.)

The liberal studies courses are regularly taught on the campus of the Freie Universität-Berlin and students may benefit from some of the campus services (dining; internet hookup; bookstore; library).

Students take German language courses together with other international students at the Neue Schule and are placed in courses from elementary to advanced, according to their present skills. Further language development takes place in a two-language environment with the host families.

 

Credit-bearing internships are conducted using the guidelines set down for internships on the Nazareth campus and will be monitored, mentored and assessed in the same way. Many types of internships are available through Studienforum Berlin, which finds the closest match possible to fit the academic and professional goals of each student.

Professional areas include: investment banking and consulting; national and global businesses; non-profit national and international organizations; museums, informational technology; telecommunications; mathematics and biological sciences; business research organizations. All internships are unpaid.

Financial arrangements for students from other academic institutions are made directly through Nazareth College, and federally backed financial aid loans can continue.

The Program provides a director and a student coordinator who sees to the academic and personal needs of the students. The semester begins with a week long orientation experience, during which students are introduced to the city, the public transportation services (U-Bahn subway, S-Bahn light rail, bus and streetcar). Tours include the major government sector, museums, concert halls and other cultural highlights. Students may choose to rent cell phones through the Program at reduced rates. Insurance at a maintenance level for health, accident and liability is included in the cost of the Program.

The Program cost includes some weekend and day trips out of town to other major cities and cultural sites (Prague Czech Republic, Poland, Potsdam, Erfurt, Weimar, etc.) The schedule also includes some three-day weekends and a fall break for independent cultural enrichment and travel.

Academic credit is granted by Nazareth College, and students visiting from other colleges and universities receive automatic transfer of credits to their home institutions.

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Eligibility

Students usually attend the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program as sophomores or juniors to complete general college requirements. In some cases seniors attend who still have general requirements to complete or who will use the courses as elective credits. Students are accepted based on their academic performance and ability to work independently abroad. Student applications showing no prior knowledge of the German language are assessed equally with other applications. Those students with prior knowledge of the language will be able to make an easier transition to all aspects of the study abroad experience. The minimum acceptable grade point average (over all GPA) is 3.00. Students planning to attend as sophomores should expect to present evidence of solid work/study skills at the level of upper class students.

Applicants must see that all application forms are submitted to Nazareth College, along with a complete, official college transcript, by the application deadline. Application forms should not be sent to Studienforum Berlin.

Students from other colleges and universities are welcome to apply to the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program. In these cases students must: 1) acquire formal approval from their home campus to study in the Program; and 2) receive the home campus' promise that the study-abroad credits will be accetped in transfer.

All students must show evidence of good character and must agree to conduct themselves as representatives of Nazareth College, of their own country and to respect the dignity of others in our global environments.

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Course Information

The courses in Nazareth College's Nazareth-in-Berlin Program are taught in English by professors holding the Ph.D. in at least one of the two disciplines referenced for each cross-listed course. Each of the humanities lecture courses can be given credit in one of two disciplines. Courses may be taken for 3 or 4 semester credits, depending upon the requirements of a student's home institution. (Students complete additional written work for increased credit.) Nazareth College administers the university-level credit.

Language courses in German meet at regular intervals, and each student's language abilities will be assessed for placement into the right course. Internships will be monitored, mentored and assessed according to the Nazareth College guidelines.

Humanities Lecture Courses

LST 304

• Germany and Jews: History of Germany in European Contexts, 1914 - 1989
  3 or 4 cr. To be taken as History or Sociology

Readings and discussion of articles, chapters of books and other materials about the history of Germany, from the beginning of World War I, to the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall, in October, 1989. The course will focus on Germany's changing place in turn-of-the-century Europe (19th to 20th century), the capitulation in 1918, bust and boom of the 20's; the clash of socialism and nationalism; Nazi rise to power and attempted domination of Europe; Holocaust and defeat; role of NATO; new industrialism and cultural bonds with the West; Germany's East-West status; Cold War and divided Germany; development of European cohesion; fall of the Wall.

LST 306

• The Berlin Republic: Politics and Economics in a Unifying Europe
  3 or 4 cr. To be taken as Political Science or Economics

Readings and discussion of articles, chapters of books and other materials about the end of the cold War, the subsequent merger of West and East Germany in 1990, and the emergence of the "Berlin Republic." Society, political culture and the economy will be explained, as well as the main components of the German polity. Discussion of the political, economic and financial challenges that come from the reform of European Union institutions and from the eastward enlargement of the EU. Visits in Berlin to the German Reichstag and meetings with representatives of political parties and business associations.

LST 308

• Theater, Film and Cabaret in Berlin
  3 or 4 cr. To be taken as Theater or Literature

Reading and discussion of prose, poetry, theater and cabaret texts from the Weimar Republic to the present, including Brecht, Döblin, Tucholsky, Kästner, Peter Schneider, Biermann, Kunert, Brussig. Overview of the history of theater in Berlin (Max Reinhardt, Gustav Gründgens, epic theater, post-war theater in divided Berlin). Study and attendance of plays currently being staged in Berlin. Viewing of selected films set in Berlin from the Weimar Republic to the present (Berlin, Symphonie einer Großstadt, 1936 Olympics , Die Mörder sind unter uns, Der Himmel über Berlin, Die Sonnenallee). Excursions to film museums and other cultural sites in Berlin and Babelsberg/Potsdam. Artistic works will be discussed as a reflection of social milieus, ideologies, moral and philosophical questions, as well as creative and asthetic forms. All students fulfill common course requirements and complete separate syllabus tracks for Theater or Literature credit.

Language Courses

All language courses are conducted through the Neue Schule, a multi-language institute that amphasizes speaking proficiency. All instructors are qualified in language pedagogy and conduct the courses in an accepting atmosphere that promotes active learning. Classes are comprised of internation university students, personnel attached to embassies and people engaged in global business.

GER 101
GER 102

or

• Elementary German I or II
  3 or 4 cr. (for students with no or little knowledge of German)

GER 103
GER 104

• Intermediate German I or II
  3 or 4 cr. (for students with some knowledge of German)

GER 201
GER 202

• Advanced German
  3 or 4 cr. (for students with grammatical and spoken skills in German)

Internships

Internships at the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program through Studienforum-Berlin are semester-long, credit-bearing courses that follow academic criteria applicable at Nazareth College. Internships in Berlin are available in several professional areas such as: telecommunications; informational technology; media; banking; non-profits; international service organizations; education; molecular and micro-biology research; museums; software development companies; mathematics. Internships are unpaid.

Berlin is is one of the few places on the European continent where students with limited knowledge of the foreign language can effectively perform in a credit-bearing internship while using the English language. Knowledge of German is a decided "plus" for certain internship placements. A few placements require a practical command of German. Students should request an internship area based on their own academic and general practical experiences that may be transferrable to the professional environment.

Students rank their choice of internship areas on the Application Forms, and Studienforum Berlin locates for the best match in the internship list for each student. Students will be expected to prepare for their internships by reading orientation materials on internships provided by the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program. In all internship placements students will be expected to interact professionally and to learn and work in an environment appropriate to the Program's expectations.

INT 484

• Internship for credit.
  3 or 4 cr.

• To be taken as credit in a discipline appropriate to a student's major or as an elective
  Students will be assigned to internships according to their preferences and availability. Most internship opportunities will welcome and may require the use of English for communication and writing. It will be assumed that participating students have adequate English writing skills. Some internships require a practical command of German. Students can expect to become acquainted with general expectations for internships. Internships for US citizens are unpaid, by law.

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Semester Schedule

All academic and cultural events of the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program are conducted by Studienforum Berlin. The fall semester schedule runs parallel with the campus calendar at Nazareth College (late August -- early December). Students are advised to depart from home one day before the program begins and to arrive on the morning the program commences. Students usually leave for home immediately at the end of classes in December. The Program will meet the students upon arrival in August and take them to the train station or airport in December, at the completion of the semester. (Students who wish to stay or travel after the end of the semester must make their own arrangements.)

After the semester begins classes are regularly held Monday through Thursday, permitting students to study, see cultural sites and travel on weekends. The first few weeks of the semester will make use of all five weekdays for on-site orientation, intensive German language classes and the start-up of the humanities courses. Internships will commence shortly after the semester has begun, and students will spend the better part of each Thursday at the internship site.

To help students adjust to the new situation, Studienforum Berlin provides in the first week of the program extended orientation to the city of Berlin, and to Germany, as part of the EU. In this important component students will become acquainted with each other and with the academic and administrative staff, particularly with the student coordinator. The participants will get an overview on the recources, facilities, services and procedures of Studienforum Berlin, as well as the logistics of living in Berlin, such as housing, transportation, health, safety and personal security, and recreation. Also, issues concerning living in an international setting as a challenge of cross-cultural learning will be discussed. The orientation week will be supplemented with lectures, short field trips, group discussions, selected readings and films, as well as social gatherings.

The student coordinator will be available to students for the duration of the fall semester. The coordinator's job is to meet the special needs of the students. Additionally, the coordinator organizes sightseeing tours in Berlin and to Potsdam, as well as academic excursions to places of historical and cultural interest outside of Berlin. Studienforum Berlin regularly makes reservations for cultural events (theatres, operas, concerts, exhibitions etc.).

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Program Costs and Financial Aid

Services included in the Berlin Program fee are for tuition, room and board (meals with host families, excluding lunches) are payable to Nazareth College. Additional service costs are also payable with semester fees, to include: insurance; residency permit; course reading materials; events lab fee. Separate costs to the student include: transportation to and from Berlin; city transportation (student rate); lunches and miscellaneous; computer access; optional cell phone rental; personal weekend and fall break travel.

Nazareth Students pay the on-campus cost for the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program and continue to use their financial aid package and payment plan. Undergraduate students matriculated at Nazareth College are eligible for all financial resources for which they would qualify if they were studying on the Nazareth College campus.

Visiting Students to the Program will be assessed the standard semester fees for the Program in addition to a modest administrative Fee. Visiting students are advised to consult with their home campus Financial Aid Office for any other support they may receive from their institution.

Students will be provided with a cost estimate for out-of-pocket expenses for the semester or year. Nazareth College does not include the cost of travel to and from the study site in its list of charges payable to Nazareth College.

The Room and Board program is covered in Berlin from the time of scheduled arrival until day of return. (Students who may wish to stay in Berlin for a short period at the end of the program must first come to an agreement in advance with the host family. In this case they may have to pay an agreed-upon daily fee directly to the family.)

Federally subsidized loans can be used for the purpose of study abroad through Nazareth College. In addition, all students should apply for outside scholarships and grants to supplement their support resources. Annually, numerous travel and study stipends available to U.S. students go unused. For more information, go to "Student Scholarships for Study Abroad."

There is no opportunity for students to receive U.S. Federal "work study" funding while studying in Berlin.

The Refund Policy is accordance with the Bursar's Office of Nazareth College (585-389-2033).

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Transportation and Documents

Nazareth College does not charge or pay for air travel and/or ground transportation to and from Berlin. Students will be responsible for the cost of their round trip air fare, payable directly to a scheduled airline or a travel bureau. Nazareth College will advise all students of the best flight connections for timely arrival at the study site. Questions about travel are amply covered at orientation meetings on the Nazareth Campus or to visiting students through advisement by telephone or email. Students should leave one calendar day ahead of the scheduled beginning of the program to arrive on time. Students regularly fly to a hub city (Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, etc.), and then on to Berlin. Students already in Europe regularly arrive by high speed train (EC or ICE). All students will be met at their arriving train station or at the Berlin Tegel Airport, provided they give timely notice to the Program.

All students will need a valid passport that continues to be valid at least six months after the conclusion of the semester program in Berlin. After arrival in Berlin, Studienforum Berlin will help students obtain the German residency permit (visa). No additional document is needed, except for the valid passport, for initial entry into Germany (through airport hubs in the European Union).

Normally, it is not necessary to obtain special medical documents. It is necessary to take proof of health insurance coverage, although a European-based maintenance health program is included in the Program. Students may wish obtain an International Student ID card prior to departure. It is advisable to take a valid student ID from the home campus.

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Living Accomodations

All students at the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program live with families that are eager to have international students live with them. Host families are chosen who can communicate effectively with the guest student and provide meaningful cultural enrichment. Generally, host homes are located in quieter neighborhoods easily accessable to public transportation. Students regularly eat breakfast and the evening meal at home. Students should expect to participate from time to time in the cultural life of the family and to respect the day-to-day needs of the family members.

The Program application form requests personal information about each student for the purpose of a suitable student-family match, based on information the student provides: eating needs; presence of family house pets; health needs; etc. Host families remain in contact with Studienforum Berlin to ensure a good learning and living environment for the students.

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About Berlin

Berlin is an open city, the new center of Europe in the European Union (EU), with 16 countries and a new unified currency, the Euro.

Berlin has returned to its metropolis size. It is the seat of the Federal German government and hundreds of Embassies and Consulates.

With half the population under 35, the city is host to over 440,000 people from 184 different countries. Ever since the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, East Germany, and especially East Berlin have experienced quick changes. The once somber world where East met West at Checkpoint Charlie is now the "New Berlin," a multi-cultural world, in which companies and think-tanks work equally in English or French as in German. There is always something "on" in the city: from world class orchestras to major art exhibits, plays and the Golden Bear Film awards. And every one should check out the one-of-a-kind Saturday Flohmarkt! Large as Berlin may be, it is a compact European city that permits comfortable movement from home to city-center, to the theater, or a museum or a leisurely walk along the summer spots at the lakes or at Palace Charlottenburg. Berlin is now a hub by train or air. With the arguably best rail transporation system in Europe, the "Deutsche Bahn" moves passengers quickly and quietly from Berlin to other major German cities (such as Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich, Nürnberg), and to neighboring countries.

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Living in Berlin

Students enjoy living in upscale areas of the city and can move around easily on city public transportation. Former students report that they could not possibly have seen all the important cultural sites or been to all the museums' exhibits and theater productions within a single semester.

A world class city, Berlin can easily be navigated, using English or German. Numerous other languages are spoken in the capital city, and every week there is a major cultural festival or opportunity that brings the world to the city. One can find virtually any kind of ethnic cuisine or participate in athletics or art events of one's choice. The culture available every evening, except usually on Monday, ranges from world class opera, ballet and symphonic music to plays in various languages by major dramatists. Students regularly attend events for young people close to the Hackesche Höfe.

The museums are a favorite choice of students, who can visit Museum Island (Pergamon Museum) in the city center, the museums of Greek and Roman, and of Egyptian antiquities, two national art galleries, major libraries, the new Jewish Museum Berlin or the Contemporary Museum of Art in the Hamburger Bahnhof.

Weekend day trips are possible to nearby Potsdam with its palaces, or to Wannsee lake where students can jog, rent paddle boats or visit tourist islands.

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Application Forms

The application forms for the Nazareth-in-Berlin Program may be downloaded as a PDF file. Completed applications should be sent to:

Nazareth-in-Berlin Program
Nazareth College of Rochester
4245 East Avenue
Rochester NY 14618-3790

Application Forms can be found here.

Students may also make contact with Studienforum Berlin.. Applications should be sent directly to Nazareth College.

 

Contact Us

For more information, please contact us by email or by telephone at the Nazareth College Center for International Education: 585-389-2371.

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