Study Abroad

German students at the U of A have the opportunity to study, work, or research abroad for a summer, semester, or year. The programs that we partner with are listed below, but we also often work with students who are interested in a particular city or field to make sure their credit transfers. So, for example, one student studied piano in Freiburg, Germany and another art history in Vienna, Austria.

Whether in one of the programs below or another, students should meet with the undergraduate advisor, Dr. Condray, before making plans to study abroad in order to discuss program aspects and transfer credit.

regensburg german students study abroad

Above: Students of German, Selina and Anthony, during their study abroad experience in Regensburg, Germany. Check out Anthony's blog or Selina's blog from The Study Abroad Office.

Direct Exchange Programs

Direct exchanges allow students to trade places with students at institutions abroad, thereby significantly reducing study abroad costs. Students take real university courses with native speakers and live in dormitories. The U of A offers three direct exchanges in German-speaking countries.

Graz is the direct exchange of the University of Arkansas, which means that students essentially pay no more to attend classes in Austria than on our home campus, since they are trading places with Austrian students. Graz is a beautiful mountain town with hiking and skiing that was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Students live in dormitories and receive special help from Austrian student partners who have either studied at the U of A or intend to. Any course taken in German above the B2 level is eligible for German major or minor credit; thus, one student was able to earn 20 hours of advanced German credit during a year’s study in Graz. Students take an intensive preparation class in German language before attending regular university classes alongside native speakers.

Visit the Hogs Abroad Graz Program page for application information.

Regensburg was initially built by the Romans, and parts of the Roman settlement are still standing today, as are medieval sections of the city, since it was largely untouched by the bombing during World War II.

The program offers an intensive preparation class to help students prepare for the Zulassungsprüfung, or entrance exam; after passing this exam, students can take classes alongside native speakers. Housing is in dorms, although students can request host families to visit with if they would like to get to know the people and culture better.

Visit the Hogs Abroad Regensburg Program page for application information.

In addition to housing the engineering university that Albert Einstein recommended to his nephew, Darmstadt is also home to the European Space Agency and over 30 other scientific institutions.

This exchange is part of the five-year International Engineering program that allows students to earn undergraduate degrees in both German and engineering. Students spend the fourth year in Germany. In the fall, they take engineering courses at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, which is one of the leading German technical universities in the T9 consortium. Then in the spring, students work in internships at German companies through Cultural Vistas.

Visit the Hogs Abroad Darmstadt Program page for application information.

Other Recommended Programs

Holzkirchen and Eutin Programs

Our German department has been sending students to Eutin (beginning level) and Holzkirchen (intermediate level) for decades; each program offers 9 hours of credit that always reliably transfer. Included in the program costs are tuition, excursions throughout Germany, spending money, and room and board. Students live with guest families in an immersion environment. Eutin is a small city in northern Germany, and Holzkirchen is actually a suburb of Munich, so students can ride the subway into the city to see concerts and go to museums in the evening and on the weekends.

Taos (Die deutsche Sommerschule)

This is an immersion language school where only German is spoken in the ski valley of Taos, New Mexico. Although located in the United States, many students make more progress here than abroad because of its intensive nature; it is ideal for students who cannot get abroad for whatever reason or for those studying abroad for a semester or year who want to polish their German before hand. Students take the certification exams of the Goethe Institute at the conclusion of the program.

For more information, please visit this page.