International Programs / Study Abroad

Germany (Graduate)

Germany for Graduate Students

This program is a unique one-time offering from DePaul’s Study Abroad Program available to graduate students in IDS, MALS and International Studies.  The program consists of 6 weeks of classroom sessions on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus followed by a 7-day intensive study tour through Southern Germany. Students must speak with their faculty advisors to determine how the course can be used toward their degree.

Program Dates:
Weeks of January 4 through February 8, 2010:  2-3 weekly meetings, with 30 contact hours (days of the week and times TBD)
February 19-28 (dates tentative): Intensive Study Tour through Southern Germany
Students are welcome to extend their stay in Germany at their own expense.

Courses   

The program is led by Dr. Bernhard Beck-Winchatz from the Scientific Data Analysis and Visualization Program.  The course is designed especially for non-science students who would like to explore the past and present of scientific discoveries and technological advances in Germany. Students will gain hands-on experience with some of the most important scientific discoveries made by German scientists over the past 400 years, and explore German history and culture in the context of the lives of these scientists. Specific topics that will be addressed in the course and the subsequent study tour include:

· The transition from astrology to astronomy that occurred at the beginning of the 17th century. Johannes Kepler’s discovery that the motions of the planets are ellipses and can be described with simple mathematical equations was a key event in this transition. Students will conduct their own celestial observations using planetarium software, and apply Kepler’s discovery to determine the masses of planets in the solar system.
· The idea that light can sometimes behave similar to water waves, and at other times similar to baseballs. Students will carry out experiments that expose this strange behavior, which was first discovered by Max Planck, Albert Einstein, and others around 1900.    
· The discoveries that clocks on an airplane tick more slowly, that gravity can bend light, and that mass and energy are really the same thing by Albert Einstein. Students will test Einstein’s Equivalence Principle in an elevator.

As noted above, all course topics will be presented in a way that is accessible to students who do not have scientific backgrounds. You should come equipped with a curiosity and interest in science and the history of science, but do not need to have any prior knowledge related to the course topics. In addition to lectures, discussions, and labs, students will also work on an independent research paper, which they will present at the end of the program.

The pre-travel portion of the course is comprised of 6 weeks of classroom meetings.  These meetings are mandatory and absence may result in your removal from the program.  Following the pre-travel portion in Chicago, students embark on a one-week study tour through southern Germany, which serves as a complementary resource for the students’ final research papers.  Students are encouraged to use field work as material for their projects and will present their projects upon their return to Chicago.

Circumstances, such as an unexpected event abroad or a curriculum change at a host institution, may require DePaul University to make changes to the program. DePaul University reserves the right to cancel or alter programs and courses without notice.

Living Arrangements   

Students will be housed in comfortable hotels/hostels in South German cities throughout the study tour portion of the program.

Expenses   

 In addition to DePaul tuition for the appropriate number of credit hours, costs include a program fee.  For updated information on specific program expenses, click here:

  • Cost Information*

The program fee covers study abroad health insurance, accomodations, group activities, and some meals.

Students must plan their budgets to cover airfare, passport and visa fees, local transportation, supplies, text books and personal expenses.

Program fees are based on actual costs of the prior year and projections for the current year.  Inflation and fluctuating exchange rates make it impossible to state a fixed cost.  DePaul University reserves the right to adjust program fees without notice.

*Cost Information currently TBA.  Please check back for updates.

Application   

This program is only open to Graduate students.  To apply to this DePaul Study Abroad Program, students must submit the following:

  • A complete DePaul Study Abroad Program application form
  • Two academic recommendations
  • An ID-sized photo
  • An official DePaul transcript

DePaul University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex or handicap in admissions, employment or the provision of services.  Inquiries regarding this policy should be addressed to the Director of Human Resources, 243 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604-2287.