Dates
Fall 2013:
Aug 19 - Dec 7, 2013
Spring 2014:
Jan 6 - Apr 26, 2014
Cost
$12,100
for furnished apartment (no meals included)
$12,500
for homestay option (includes 2 meals/day)
Program fee includes 12-16 credits tuition, housing, some meals if homestay option is selected, Welcome and Farewell dinners, several concerts/operas/museum visits, a monthly public transportation pass, one week-long off-site excursion, and course materials. Pre-Departure Orientation, evacuation and repatriation insurance, International Student ID card, and all administrative fees.
Airfare to and from Berlin, passport, visa fees, and other personal expenses are not included.
Credits
Students may transfer 12 to 16 credits per semester back to Mason, provided the letter grade received is equivalent to a "C" or above. The courses are transfer credit, and therefore will not factor into the GPA of the participant. Most courses are taught in English with one German course available to advanced students per semester.
Students may take courses in topics such as the following:
Cultural studies, art history, comparative literature, the European Union, German history, German and European politics, sociology/psychology, film studies, legal studies, architecture, environmental studies, transatlantic relations, business, music history, and philosophy.
Contact
Erin Mateu or 703-993-3864
Application Deadlines
Now accepting online applications! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so it is recommended to apply early!
Fall semester: March 1st
Spring semester: October 1st
Downloadable Documents
Spend a semester or two in Berlin studying at the Freie Universität, either learning German for the first time or immersing yourself in the language you have already begun to explore.
Berlin is a dynamic, multi-cultural, Central European metropolis whose cultural offerings include world-renowned orchestras, opera houses, and theaters. The area's many lakes, parks, and forests, also offer one ample recreational opportunity and the public transportation network in Berlin is first rate.
Students take classes in the FU-BEST European Studies Program at Freie Universität and can choose from classes in Architecture, Art History, History, Music History, European Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Film Studies, Business, Sociology, Comparative Law, Environmental Studies.
Participants must take six credits of German language and 2 or 3 content courses offered in English or in German for advanced language students. Prior study of the German language is not required but all students with prior study will be required to sit for an online placement exam prior to arrival in Berlin.
Before the first week of classes, there will be an orientation program, including a welcome dinner to help you settle in and to tell you about the university and campus life. Opportunities for contact with German students and German society in general are made available during the semester.
In order to get your first choice of courses apply early! This entails completing both the CGE and FU-BEST's application forms early!
Check out the DAAD website for scholarship opportunities specific to studying in Germany.
Note
This program is open to Mason students ONLY. Students must be at least a second semester sophomore at the time of departure and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students should not study abroad the last semester of senior year if they plan to graduate on time.
Housing
Apartments or homestays. See link below, under "Downloadable Documents" for details.
Excursions
One full week, off-site excursion to Poland, Munich, Vienna, Dresden, Prague, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Budapest, Paris, London, or other destinations (varying from semester to semester), plus local fieldtrips.
Resources
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Watch a 20 minute video about the FU-Best program.
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Read a Press Release about FU-Best's successful international programming!
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BBC Poll: Germany most popular country in the world (May 2013)
*CGE reserves the right to make changes to a program in light of currency fluctuations, changing security and safety conditions, or any other unforeseen circumstances.
