Tufts in Tübingen

Program Details

Location: Tübingen, Germany
Program options: Spring Semester or Academic Year
Language of instruction: German

The Tufts-in-Tübingen program, which enrolls up to twenty students, is completely integrated into the German university system. Program participants study at the Eberhard Karls University, founded in 1477 and one of Europe’s best academic and research-oriented universities. Seven Nobel laureates are included among the university's former students, researchers, and instructors. National and international rankings consistently underline the high quality of the university’s research and teaching. A large selection of courses is offered, with more than 280 majors and minors represented at the undergraduate and doctoral levels. Tufts-in-Tübingen students have enrolled in courses across the university, from archaeology to zoology.

The university and the city of Tübingen are closely intertwined. The city has about 90,000 inhabitants, including some 28,000 students from Germany and abroad. Tübingen is centrally located within Europe and is long recognized for its international atmosphere. Rich in culture and history, the city combines the flair of a picturesque medieval town with the energy of a vibrant cosmopolitan university town. With a range of cultural and sports activities within easy access of the campus, Tübingen is an ideal university setting.

The Tufts-in-Tübingen program is designed as a one-year program of academic study and students are strongly urged to pursue the year option. However, it is possible to apply for the spring semester only.

Internships can be arranged for qualified full year students primarily during the semester breaks between the fall and spring semesters. In the past, placements have been made in schools, hospitals, businesses, government ministries, and NGOs.

Program Staff

Director: Ute Link, Magister Artium (MA)., German Literature, Linguistics, American Studies, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen.

Prerequisites

Well-prepared undergraduates (normally juniors, but occasionally some seniors) who meet the general eligibility requirements and who have taken at least two years of college-level German may apply to the program. The program is not limited to German majors only; in recent years, students from departments such as art history, biology, chemistry, economics, environmental studies, international relations, music, political science, and psychology have attended. The program welcomes applications from students enrolled at universities and colleges other than Tufts.

Fees

2022-23
$41,001 for spring semester, $82,002 for the academic year includes:

Orientation program.
Full room and board (a single room in a student apartment).
Full tuition and fees at Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen.
Participation in the Deutsch Kompakt Language Program (covered for full-year students only).
Tutorials in any course.
Monthly transportation pass.
German health insurance.
Cultural events and day/weekend excursions.
Reimbursement for German cultural activities.
Please note that airfare and certain other travel costs (visas, etc.) are *not* included- student is responsible for these charges.

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Academics

As a Tufts-in-Tübingen student, you are fully integrated into the German university system, and you will work with the Program Director to select a full course load from the offerings at the University of Tübingen. Most courses are taught in German,* and special German language courses are offered exclusively for visiting students. If you feel it is necessary, the director can arrange for you to work with a tutor. This arrangement is possible for almost all courses. (*English-taught courses are available in select departments.)

You may also take advantage of cultural mentoring that is offered throughout the semester. This program can help you develop general intercultural skills that you can later transfer into your professional life.

Courses/Faculties at the University of Tübingen

Please note: Courses listed below are a representative list of courses taken by participants in recent years; not all courses are offered every semester.

Courses/Faculties

Archaeology

Archaeology of the Middle Ages
Introduction to Scientific Archaeology

Art

Composition Techniques
Painting and Collage Techniques
Sculpture

Art History

Dutch Painting in the 17th Century
German Painting: Impressionism and Realism
War and Art

Biology

Animal Physiology I
Microbiology
Plant Physiology
Cell Biology with Lab
General Biochemistry
Introduction to Immunology
Environmental Ethics

Comparative Religion

Introduction to Islam
Introduction to Qur'an
Judaism, Christianity, Islam: Festivities in Cultural and Historical Context
Religion through Film: Islam
Women in Ecclesiastical History

Computer Sciences

Hardware Verification in Industry

Economics

Macroeconomics
European Integration
International Monetary Policy
International Trade Policy
Open Economy

English

20th Century American Culture Through Film
Censorship in North American History and Culture
Colonial and Postcolonial African Novels
English Writing in India/Indian Writing in English
Introduction to Linguistics
Modern Britain: Visual Images of the Nations
The Novel Today: Recent British Fiction
Topics in Semantics: Plurality

Environmental Studies/Geology

Environmental Economics
Environmental Systems
Ecosystems of the Earth
Applied Geology
Applied Geostatistics
Hydrogeology
Physical Geography

French

French Revolution: Politics, Art, and Literature

German Language

Contemporary Children's Literature in Germany
Early GDR Literature
Expressionism
Foreign Travel from a German Perspective
Franz Kafka: Narratives
Germany After the War: Short Stories and Reportage
German Syntax
Introduction to German Language and Literature of the Middle Ages
Introduction to Modern Literary Theory
Introduction to Linguistics
Literary Theories from Antiquity to Present
Literature and World War I
Literature Under Dictatorship
Lyric-Epochs: From Realism to Expressionism
Concept of Violence in Literature, Film, and Computer Games
The Weimar Republic: Culture and Literature
Theory of Literature in Historical Perspective
World Religions in 20th-Century Literature
Youth and the Avant-garde in 20th-Century Literature

History

A History of Music Aesthetics
British Colonies in North America from 1607-1776
End of WWII: Effect and Aftermath
Everyday Life in the Late Middle Ages
Germany in the 20th Century
Research Seminar: East-European History
Revolutions in European History
Society in Nazi Germany
History of the United States from WWII to the Present
Stalinism
Development of Nation-States in Europe in the 19th/20th Century

Math

Differential Equations
Number Theory

Philosophy

Ethical Theory: Principle of Happiness
Kant: Groundwork for Metaphysics of Morals
Philosophical Aspects of Modern Physics
Selected Readings in Platonic Dialectic

Political Science

Analysis of World Politics
Democratization in Latin America
Discourses of Security
Economy and Development in the Middle East
Germany in International Relations
Globalization
Parties and Party Systems in Europe
Risk Society
Seminar: The European Union
Systemic Competitiveness
The Conflict in the Middle East

Psychology

Cooperative Behavior
Introduction to Personality Psychology
Memory and Language
Psychology of Language

Special German Language Courses

Contemporary German History through Film
Conversation in German
Creative Writing in German
German Vocabulary
Economic and Legal Terminology in German
German Culture and Civilization
German Bestseller
German Mass media
Intercultural Communication
Jews in Germany: Germans and Jews
Rhetoric and Academic German
Translation: English to German

Deutsch Kompakt

For those students who need an intensive German refresher course, the Center for German as a Foreign Language (AdaF) offers a five-week Deutsch Kompakt course in September and in March. The cost of the course is included in the cost of the program for full-year students; for spring-semester students who wish to enroll in the course, there will be an additional fee of approximately U.S. $700. A three-week German language refresher course ("START Kurs") offered at the university for students who already possess a strong grasp of German will be subsidized by the program.

Internships

Non-credit internships are available on a limited basis. Internships may be possible in schools (teaching English), the university clinic, government, cultural organizations, and businesses.

Program Details

Accommodations and Meals

You will live in a single room in the German Studentenwohnheime (student residences), within halls or suites alongside German and/or other international students. You may eat in student restaurants and/or prepare your own meals in the kitchens in the student residences. You will receive a stipend to cover your meals and housing.

Orientation

Upon your arrival, you will participate in two-day orientation program that will cover university policies and procedures (including safety and security measures), German culture and society, and student life at a German university. After the program orientation, all students participate in either the Deutsch Kompakt or the START Kurs. These courses support previous language training and also offer an introduction to the German university system.

Student Activities

Students are strongly encouraged to be active in Tübingen’s and Germany’s vibrant and diverse cultural life. The program offers reimbursement (student price) for attending events relating to German culture in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This includes concerts, theaters, films, museums, exhibitions, and sports events. Students are also encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities offered on and off campus.

Two study trips will be organized, one during the fall semester and one in the spring semester. Additionally, cultural activities and excursions into the surrounding area are organized throughout the semester.

Program Dates

(Please note that dates are approximate and subject to change)

The full-year program runs from early September to late July (with a break in February/March); the spring-semester program runs from mid-March to late July. (Pre-program language course will determine specific program start dates.)

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