Take German 208 and finish your language requirement in the heart of Germany! Live in homestays and experience German life and culture.

Dates: Summer 2025 – July 7th – August 3rd, 2025 

Jena, a small but vibrant city in the state of Thuringia, was once considered the intellectual heart of Germany, if not Europe.  The city and several towns and communities surrounding it were home to Luther, Goethe, Schiller, Romantic writers and thinkers such as Schlegel, Tieck, and Novalis, scientists like Ritter (ultraviolet light) and Zeiss (optical glass), and philosophers such as Fichte and Schelling.  Alongside Jena’s rich intellectual history is its industry.  Manufacturing has always been important in the area, and Zeiss, Jenoptic, Opel, and now Rolls-Royce Turbine Manufacturing call Jena home.  An additional part of Jena’s charm is that it has managed to maintain much of its unique German character.  Because it was located in the former East Germany, the city has not been Americanized, and many of its inhabitants are reluctant to speak English, if they can speak it at all – a definite advantage for those trying to learn German!

Students will take German 208, an introduction to literature course, which will fulfill the university’s foreign language requirement.  In this course, we will examine texts that deal explicitly with the region and its history, with a particular emphasis on East Germany, the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 which brought down the Berlin Wall, and the nation’s subsequent process of reunification.  In addition to gaining fluency in German, students will also learn a great deal about German culture, history, and politics in the midst of the locations and landmarks where these important events unfolded.

Note: GER 153 will be offered on the WFU campus during summer session I. Students interested in completing their language requirement over the summer could take 153 at WFU during summer session I and then 208 in Germany over summer session II.

2025 Faculty Leader
Grant McAllister
Associate Prof of German
E-mail: mcalligp@wfu.edu

Homestays, two students per house. Breakfast and most dinners provided.

NOTE: All students participating in the WFU Jena: German Language Study program are required to live in program-provided housing. Housing accommodations you may have on campus do not automatically transfer to abroad and certain housing accommodations (single rooms and private bathrooms, for example) may not be available.

Excursions include a trip to Berlin, a unique European metropolis, where we will see remnants of the former Eastern regime and explore the city’s dazzlingly diverse cultural offerings.  We will also visit charming Weimar, where we can tour Goethe’s home; Leipzig, the seat of the Peaceful Revolution; and the concentration camp Buchenwald, where we will learn about the area’s role in World War II and the Holocaust.

Interest in German language and culture
Successful completion of GER 153

The total cost of summer study abroad can be broken down into four categories:

Program Fee – Usually covers room, in-country travel, excursions, some meals and other costs associated with the program.
Tuition – Students on WFU summer programs pay WFU summer school tuition per credit hour. The 2025 summer rate is $950/per credit hour. 
Airfare (estimated) – Varies per location. Students are responsible for their own airfare unless otherwise noted.
Personal Expenses (estimated) – These will vary depending on the students’ spending habits, cost of living in the destination country, and the number of meals included in the program fee. This may also include visa fees, vaccinations, academic supplies/books and other miscellaneous daily expenses.

Program Fee (estimated) – TBD
Tuition (3hrs) – $2,850
Airfare (estimated) – TBD
Personal Expenses (estimated) – TBD
Estimated total cost – TBD

Scholarships are available through the Center for Global Programs and Studies. Deadline February 1st.

The German Department also offers the Sanders Scholarship, with awards up to $2,000. The Sanders Scholarship deadline is the first Monday after Thanksgiving break. Applications are available in the German Department Office, Green Hall Suite 333.

Passport Information
Students need to check their passport’s expiration date and ensure that it will be valid for at least 6 months after the program’s end date.

Students going on a summer program need to make sure their passport is valid through at least mid-February of the following year.

US passport holders who need to renew their passport should visit the U.S. Department of State’s passport website for information on this process.

Non-US passport holders who need to renew their passport should refer to their home country’s passport office.

Visa Information
If you are a US citizen, you most likely will not require a visa for your summer abroad program. If you do, details will be shared with you by GPS. Non-US passport holders should check with their host country’s embassy or consulate to find out if a visa is required for their program or not.

2025 Faculty Leader
Grant McAllister
Asst. Teaching. Prof of German
E-mail: mcalligp@wfu.edu

Amanda Batten
Study Abroad Advisor
Center for Global Programs and Studies
Phone: 336-758-3194
E-mail: battena@wfu.edu