Based in the city of Berlin and managed by Columbia University, the Berlin Consortium for German Studies (BCGS) offers an intellectually challenging and diverse program of study meeting the highest academic standards common to its member institutions. University of Chicago, Columbia University/Barnard College, The Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University established the BCGS in 1995; Cornell University and Vassar College joined the Consortium as associate members in 1999. The BCGS welcomes applications from all qualified students.

BCGS Member Students and Visiting Students

BCGS member students are students who attend one of the following schools:

Barnard College/Columbia University
University of Chicago
Cornell University
Johns Hopkins University
Princeton University
University of Pennsylvania
Vassar College
Yale University

Visiting students are students who attend a college or university other than those listed above.

The Program

This semester- or academic-year-long program provides in-depth study of German language, culture, and society, and the opportunity to observe first-hand the emerging impact of a reunited Berlin—now considered Germany's cultural, political, and economic center—on the rest of Europe.

The program begins with a six-week intensive language practicum which, in conjunction with a month-long homestay, prepares BCGS students for direct study in the German university system. Upon completion of the practicum, students enroll in one course taught by the BCGS directors which reflects their academic interests and focus on topics such as culture, politics, history, literature, theater, or cinema, and for at least two, possibly more, Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin) courses for which they meet the prerequisites.

The FU Berlin offers a wide range of courses in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Students with special interests may also enroll in courses at other local institutions such as the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Technische Universität Berlin, the Universität Potsdam, the Hochschule der Künste Berlin, the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee, and Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler."

Program tutors are available to assist BCGS students with the transition from the language practicum to taking courses in the German university system.

A month-long homestay with a German family and various cultural activities and field trips support the academic program. Past trips have included the opera, exhibitions, Potsdam, Weimar, and Cologne. Some students also work in internships during the semester and between the fall and spring semesters.

The Freie Universität Berlin

Approximately 44,000 students comprise the FU Berlin student body, including over 5,000 international students from more than 140 countries. The main campus is located in the upscale residential district of Dahlem, while some departments are located in the neighboring districts of Steglitz and Zehlendorf. The main campus encompasses lecture halls, charming villas, green parks, and wooded areas. There are several computer laboratories on campus with Internet access and printing services as well as the John F. Kennedy Institute, a world-renowned center for North-American Studies, which houses a multimedia library.

Housing and Homestay

The BCGS provides students with the opportunity to experience different living situations during their time in Germany. Students meet each other and are introduced to Berlin during orientation weekend, while staying together as a group in a local hostel. After orientation, students are placed into homestays with German families throughout Berlin for a month of immersion into German language, culture, customs, and society. For the remainder of the program, students may choose to live in dormitories or arrange their own housing in private apartments.

The photo at right shows an example of a dormitory room.

Excursions and Cultural Activities

The program organizes a series of excursions and cultural activities in and around Berlin.

Cultural Program

During the first six weeks of the program, the directors lead visits to places that help orient students to Berlin and provide a deeper understanding of German culture. Places visited have included museums, memorials, monuments, the theater, the opera, Charlottenburg Castle, and Potsdam.

Field Trips

Each semester, German foundations or think tanks invite the program students to participate in two or three day seminars where administrators, politicians, and scholars speak on topics such as German history, the political system, reunification, and its role in the European Union. The students have traveled to Bonn, Cologne, and Weimar to participate and often these trips include a free afternoon which allow students to explore the cities.

Internships

Students who are interested in participating in unpaid, not-for-credit internships are encouraged to do so. The Resident Administrative Director will make every effort to assist interested students in finding internships but positions are not guaranteed. Positions are generally easier to find during the break between the fall and spring semesters but some students do intern during the semester as well.

BCGS students have held internships with local government offices, banks, consulting firms, cultural centers, political organizations, and film production companies. A high command of German and previous experience in the field of interest are required.

On-site Orientation

Upon arrival in Berlin, students take part in a comprehensive orientation session which includes the introduction of program staff and host families. Discussion topics include practical advice about living in Berlin and the customs and cultures students will likely encounter during their stay. The orientation also includes a tour of the campus and the surrounding neighborhood.

On-site Staff

The BCGS staff and offices are housed at Freie Universität Berlin.

On a rotating basis each academic year, the BCGS member institutions send a faculty member to Berlin as Academic Director to oversee the academic program and teach courses on selected topics in German Studies. The Academic Director for 1999-2000 is Andreas Gailus, Assistant Professor of German at the University of Chicago. The Academic Director for 2000-2001 is Thomas Y. Levin, Associate Professor in the German Department at Princeton University.

In conjunction with the Academic Director, the Resident Administrative Director conducts orientation, organizes program activities, and is available to assist students with academic and cultural adjustments. Carmen Müller has been the Resident Administrative Director since the program's inception. Dr. Müller received her Doctor of Philosophy from the Freie Universität Berlin and is a historian specializing in 19th- and 20th- century European and German history, German-American relations, and methodology. Dr. Müller also teaches a course during the spring semester.

The Language Coordinator directs and teaches the German language practicum. Detlef Otto holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy and has extensive experience teaching German to English speakers.

Select here for information about the program's courses.

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