International Undergraduate Study Program

About IUSP

Although German as a foreign language has become less commonly spoken among students around the world, students' interest in getting to know Germany and Europe during their studies has not diminished. Only a small number of German universities offer courses in English that would meet this interest while at the same time ensuring an academic curriculum fully recognized by universities abroad. IUSP has been designed to fill this gap.

About Marburg

The university city of Marburg, with its history, the Old City nestled between the Lahn River and the castle, the college flair and the scenic countryside surrounding, is an attraction for visitors from near and far.

Venice is known for its thousand bridges, Marburg for its stairs and alleys. Even Jacob Grimm once said: "I believe there are more steps in the streets than in the houses.” Crooked, bumpy, angular and steep, such is Marburg 's Old Upper Town . Here the medieval times are still tangible - you can see it, you can perceive it with all five senses. That is also how Boris Pasternak felt: "If only this were a city! But in fact it is a medieval fairy tale!” Not without reason does Marburg lie today along the German Fairy Tale Road.

In this Section

Program Offerings

Cost

Financial Assistance

Dates

Accommodation

Eligibility

Transfer of Credit

To Apply

Links

Marburg Home Page

IUSP Home Page

MU Course Catalog

Program Offerings

The regular course load consists of an intensive German course plus a German history and culture course during the first six weeks (i.e. prior to the start of the regular IUSP semester), and two subject courses for the duration of the eight-week regular IUSP semester. This regular load equates to 17 US credit hours. All courses, except the intensive German course, are taught in English or offer English tutorials to aid students not proficient in German. No prior knowledge of the German language is required.

• Intensive German (beginner, intermediate or advanced, as determined by a placement test in Marburg)
• German History and Culture
• Political Science
• Economics
• Psychology
• Theology
• Biology
• Art History
• Ethnology

• Introduction to International Relations
• Introduction to the Political System of Germany
• Analyzing Post-Conflict Environments – The Example of Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Forms of Conflict Resolution
• A simulation-based approach to the United Nations
• Public Economics
• Cost Accounting
• Close Relationships
• Handling norm conflicts (presentation, moderation, mediation)
• Life on the Land and Sea: Cultural and Political Ecology
• Myth, Magic and Society: Weltbild, Values and the Organization of Canadian Indigenous Peoples
• Anatomy and Physiology of Plants
• Contemporary Canadian Cinema

Cost

Students pay an IUSP program fee of EUR 4,500 which includes tuition for 4 courses: German Language, History and Culture and 2 seminars, accommodations, and a meal stipend. A ticket for free public transport, and participation in the Marburg Orientation program for foreign students are also included in this cost.

Students also pay a non-refundable, non-transferable $400 MU program participation fee. The program participation fee is due approximately one month after program acceptance.

Financial Assistance

Students should investigate loans that may be available such as the application for Federal Student Aid. Scholarships have individual regulations, and students should contact their home institution's Financial Aid Office to determine if their scholarships are transferable. Please see Financial Considerations for more information.

Dates

Students may choose to study abroad either for one semester or for a full academic year. The fall semester begins in early September and ends in mid-December. The spring semester begins in late February and ends in mid-June.

Accommodation

Students typically have a single room, with a sink, in one of the university dormitories. There are common bathrooms, showers and a kitchen. Laundry rooms can be found in every dormitory building. Bed sheets will be provided, but students must bring their own towels. Students will receive their room assignments on arrival day.

Like most German students, IUSP participants may choose to eat lunch in the Mensa, located about a 20 minute walk from the Studentendorf or they may eat in town. Snack bars and lounges are in the Mensa and in the classroom buildings. During the semester, an evening meal is also available in the Mensa, although many students prefer to cook their own dinner (as well as breakfast) in the dormitory kitchenettes. Shopping in the local stores, and eating in the dormitory, provide excellent opportunities to meet German townspeople and students.

Eligibility

Most students who study abroad are traditionally juniors. However, students can and do study abroad anytime after they have completed 24 credits. Students should complete an application to study abroad one semester before wishing to go abroad. Please stop by the Office of Global Education & Partnerships to pick up an application and ask about deadlines. A minimum of a 2.0 GPA, an official transcript and two letters of recommendation from professors from your home university are also required. The Director of Global Education & Partnerships will then interview students and a selection will be made shortly after the interviews are completed.

Transfer of Credit

Students should work with their advisors to select courses which will fit into their major(s), minor(s), and General Education requirements, if appropriate.

A Request for Study Abroad Resident Credits form, available in the Office of Global Education & Partnerships, must be completed before the student leaves. Students will receive transfer credit for coursework completed through IUSP. It is the student's responsibility to follow the procedures and policies of his/her home institution with regard to transfer credit and appropriateness of course choices for his/her academic program. After the study abroad program is completed and a transcript is sent to Millersville University, the Registrar's Office determines the final transfer of credit. All courses taken at IUSP will come back to Millersville just as if you had taken them at another U.S. institution. Please consult the Undergraduate Catalog ("Transfer Credit") for the transfer policy.

To Apply

Applications for this program are available in the Office of Global Education & Partnerships, Cumberland House. For spring semester study, applications are due by mid September and for fall semester or year-long study, applications are due by mid February.