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Wein Semester

Linfield College Semester Abroad in Vienna, Austria (This page in English only)

(Please see Interntional Programs webpage for more details and/or visit the International Programs office in the basement of Melrose.)

Study intensive German at the University of Vienna and enjoy conversations in your favorite Vienna Kaffeehaus. Spend nearly five months living with an Austrian family. Explore culture and history in the city of Mozart, Strauss, and Freud. Experience Vienna as a gateway to the nearby countries of Eastern Europe. Spend a week in a lovely Austrian village, singing, hiking and learning with the locals. Join a Kletterclub and go rock climbing with natives. See the innermost workings of the Viennese Opera house. Watch the famous Lippizaner horses during their morning practice. These are just a few of the things you will do when you spend fall semester in Austria's capital, Wien.

Location, Administration & Housing:

The program is located in the heart of Vienna, right behind the Opera house, at the Amerika Institut (Austro American Institute of Education). Frau Gretl Weissgärber, Linfield's semester abroad program's dynamic and enthusiastic leader, presided over the Amerika Institut for thirty-some years. Not too long ago her son, Herman Weissgärber, succeeded her in this position as the Institute's director, which frees up Frau Weissgärber for her beloved study abroad programs.

During the first week of August, students are introduced to Austrian culture by living in the beautiful mountain village of Dorfgastein. Upon their return to Vienna they move in with their Austrian host families.

Dates:

The program runs from approximately the first week in August until mid-December. The August weeks are spent in orientation and intensive language practice, some of which takes place in Dorfgastein. After one week there, students move in with their host families in Vienna. The regular academic program -- language courses as well as the Austrian Culture course, the Theater and Music course, and the Austrian Politics and Society course -- begin in early September and last until mid-December. There is a ten-day break during the month of October, a good time for traveling around Europe or remaining in Vienna to explore. A study tour to Prague and an excursion to lovely St. Aegyd are generally included during the semester abroad as well.

Applications for Linfield's semester abroad in Vienna, Austria, may be obtained in the International Programs Office in mid-November. Applications are due in mid-February. Students that have been accepted to the program will be notified just before spring break.

Curriculum (19 credits):

Before departure: IDS 031 Intercultural Communication: Departure and Reentry - 1 credit (Pass/Fail)
Students take one of these in August:
MLG 220 German Language Practice I - 3 credits (Pass/Fail)
MLG 320 German Language Practice III - 3 credits (Pass/Fail)
MLG 370 German Language Practice V - 3 credits (Pass/Fail)
Students take one of these in fall:
MLG 221 German Language Practice II - 5 credits (Graded)
MLG 321 German Language Practice IV - 5 credits (Graded)
MLG 371 German Language Practice VI - 5 credits (Graded)
All students take in fall:
MLG 206/HST 206 Austrian Cultural History: Art, Literature, and Society (VP, DG) - 4 credits (Graded)
MLG 365 Austrian Politics & Society in a European Context (IS, DG) - 3 credits (Graded)
MLG 210 Theater & Music in Vienna (IA, DG) - 3 credits (Graded)
(VP = Vital Past; IS = Inquiry Seminar; DG = Global Diversity; IA = Images and Arts)
The German Language Practice courses in fall -- following the August course in Dorfgastein -- are taught at the University of Vienna. Students attend Deutsch als Fremdsprache courses with other foreign students from countries such as Korea, Ukraine, Russia, France and Turkey. Austrian Cultural History, Austrian Politics and Society, and Theater and Music in Vienna are taught at the Amerika Institut. The professors who teach these courses -- all experts in their fields -- have many years of experience with our Linfield's semester abroad students. Students' level of German language proficiency will influence the amount of English used in these courses.

Costs:

The cost of studying in Austria is approximately the same as the cost of spending an equivalent period of time (one semester and part of one summer term) on the McMinnville campus. Linfield students may use their financial aid while abroad.

Linfield pays for a round-trip ticket from Portland International Airport for all eligible students. Linfield also covers the cost for orientation, instruction, and administration.

Students pay regular tuition for the semester and a prorated summer term at Linfield. Room and board charges are set at the applicable on-campus rate. Mandatory insurance and activity fees are charged. Out-of-pocket expenses, passport and visa fees, and local or regional travel are the responsibility of the student.

Since fees for each academic year change a bit, the costs listed below are estimates only.

August Tuition $1,010 plus housing cost of $270
Fall Semester
Tuition $10,800
Housing $1,685
Board $ 315
Administration Fee $30
Activity Fee $300( Includes the Prague, Kreuzenstein and Klosterneuburg excursions.)
Total cost: $14,410

The International Programs Office will be happy to give interested students estimated budgets for meals and other expenses while abroad.

Selection Criteria:

Students must complete the equivalent of one year of college-level German to be eligible for the Austria program (two years are preferred). All participants are required to take or audit the appropriate level of German class in the spring semester directly preceding study in Vienna. The program is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good academic standing. Students can only participate in both a semester abroad and a January Term travel course with special permission from the Director of International Programs.

The number of students for the Vienna program is limited to 15 students, interest is high, and selection is competitive. On the basis of an application, supporting documents, and a personal interview, a selection committee judges each applicant in terms of personal maturity, motivation, and academic preparation for a study abroad experience. Final decision on participation rests with the Director of International Programs. Orientation meetings are held in the spring semester prior to departure and must be attended.

It is highly recommended that students take TCC 230/ANT 230 (Intercultural Communication: Global Perspectives) before participating in the program. Courses in European history and politics (such as Europe Since 1500, 19th Century Europe, 20th Century Europe, Modern Germany, Eastern European Politics, and International Politics) also provide excellent preparation.

Applicants are encouraged to attend weekly German language table at noon as well as other activities related to German and international topics. (Please check the activities sections of this webpage for activities of interest and current events.)

German Minor and European Studies Minor:

For a minor in German, students may count up to 12 credits taken in Austria (5 credits of German in the fall semester, 4 credits of Austrian Cultural History, and 3 credits of Austrian Theater and Music.) All students must take a language course at the 300 level on the home campus to complete the minor. Flyers describing the German Minor and the German Major are available in the Modern Languages department.
Students interested in earning a minor in European Studies should contact Professor Margaret Krausse, French, or Professor Scott Smith, History.