German, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese Studies
Study Abroad at UNCG
GAR students in good standing have the opportunity to study a summer, one semester or academic year abroad. The "Academic Year" and "Semester Abroad" programs are administered through the Office of international Programs which, on average, place between 10 and 15 GAR majors each year in German Universities. Our preferred German exchange partner is the State of Baden-Wurttemberg with over a dozen sister campuses. Under these arrangements, students study abroad for approximately the cost of being in residence at UNCG.
Besides German programs, opportunities for such exchange are available in Austria, Sweden, Poland, Russia and Japan. As a member of the Washington-based exchange organization ISEP, the Department of German and Russian is able to place students in any one of one hundred cooperating universities in 35 countries overseas. The cost of such study is about the same as being in residence at UNCG. Moreover, GAR students may spend a summer, semester, or year abroad under the auspices of a group or institution approved by the UNCG Study Abroad Committee. While generally more costly than ISEP or the UNCG programs, this option often are of interest to students seeking particular experiences not otherwise available.
The Department also has a Baecker Scholarship - named after a former Department Head - which allows us to award approximately $2000 per year to study abroad students. Typically this means two awards, based on academic merit. We are proud to say that the first two students sent abroad from UNCG after the establishment of the Office of International Programs in 1991/92 were German majors. Our department has been very active in the promotion of this program. Dr. Kathleen Ahern and Dr. Penelope Pynes serve as the Academic Advisors for OIP.
The Office promotes two different types of programs: (1) General education programs for Sophomores and (2) Junior year abroad programs. Among these program is the spring semester program to Poland. We send approximately 6-8 students per year, many of them from Russian classes. Our recently retired Department Head, Professor Joe Baer was the director of the Program since its inception in 1993.
Moreover, students can go on a semester or year-long exchange on four different German-speaking programs: (1) Fachhochschule Rheinland-Pfalz in Worms to enroll in a business program; (2) University of Bamberg in Bavaria; (3) University of Klagenfurt in Austria, designed for Music majors; (and 4) The system-wide North Carolina/Baden-Wurttemberg (NC/BW) exchange program coordinated for the state and housed at UNCG under the direction of Dr. Penelope J. Pynes. This program provides a month-long language course before the semester begins, and is by far the most popular of the programs.
This year the Department has sent 16 students abroad to German-speaking countries (all but three on full-year exchanges): Worms (3), Bamberg (1), Klagenfurt (2), BW (10). This year the BW students are in Heidelberg (2), Konstanz (2), Mannheim (5), Stuttgart (1). All students received travel grants and four students were awarded Departmental Baecker scholarships. In 1998, the Department had placed approximately 10-12 students into various German programs.
Click here to visit the Office of International Programs Study Abroad Page.