Ripon College’s Bonn program assists students, regardless of their academic majors, in understanding Germany and its culture. Students with sufficient language skills can take courses in almost any field, while those who need it receive intensive training in German. Students may enroll for either the fall or spring semesters or they may opt for a full-year program. In either case, Bonn University’s Akademisches Auslandsamt ensures that they are fully integrated into university life. Ripon College’s International Study Program at Bonn is not your ordinary German program; you won’t be hanging out with a bunch of Americans taking American courses. But as Amy Letcher (Ripon ’99) said, "It was the best time of my life. Not only did I learn to travel and become independent, I also learned German and made many wonderful friends."

Location
Bonn retains much of the charm of a small town in Germany, but it has served for more than 40 years as the capital both of Germany’s first successful democracy and the world’s third-largest economy. Its university is one of the country’s foremost centers of learning and the city’s cultural activities, including two major new museums in the past decade, provide rich offerings for its students. Of course, there is all the student life one associates with a large university community, and Bonn is situated along the Rhine River, only 30 minutes away from Cologne. Travel through the immediate region is free once students have a Bonn University ID, and they have ample time to explore the rest of Germany and Europe.

Courses & Credits
All students start their semester in Bonn with a month-long orientation course. Besides orienting students to life in Germany, the course includes intensive language training. Depending on individual needs, language training continues throughout the semester and the Akademisches Auslandsamt coordinates students’ coursework to ensure that they receive credit for their language courses and for regular courses at the University. Ripon College grants full credit for all successfully completed courses. The instructional staff is German, and almost all courses are taught in German.

Germany Hands-On Internships

Germany Hands-On aims at supplementing academic work at the University of Bonn with hands-on work experience and practical insights into German society in its everyday functioning.

Living Arrangements
To help students familiarize themselves with German life, Ripon places them in University dormitories. Because no residence contains more than 10 percent non-native Germans, housing is one way to ensure that students are fully integrated into the university. Every attempt is made not to house Ripon’s Bonn students in the same facility. The Akademisches Auslandsamt offers regular activities for foreign students, but Ripon’s Bonn program believes living arrangements should be among Germans. Students have cooking facilities in their dorms, and they receive a generous monthly allowance for food.

Excursion
There are numerous possibilities for travel in the area surrounding Bonn, and the Akademisches Auslandsamt organizes a variety of excursions throughout the year. Highlights have included a trip to Berlin and tours of local castles, breweries and a chocolate museum. They also can take advantage of free concert tickets after they are registered in Bonn.

Prerequisites
Students should have sophomore or junior standing at the time of their arrival in Germany. We recommend four semesters of college German. Exceptions are possible with permission of the director. We require a minimum GPA of 3.0 and pay particular attention to a student’s German courses. The program requires recommendations from the student’s German teacher and academic advisor.

The fall orientation is in September with Bonn University courses starting in October and running until late January. The spring semester begins in March and ends in July. (We can make special arrangements to accommodate the calendar at the student’s home institution.)

Travel Information
Every U.S. citizen traveling in Europe must have a valid passport. Because it takes a minimum of two weeks to get a passport, be sure you apply early. Germany does not require a visa to enter the country, and students will get help in obtaining a residency permit once they are in Bonn.

Although our fees are comprehensive, it always helps to have a bit more money, especially if you intend to make longer trips on weekends or during vacations. Nowadays, the easiest way to get money is to use an ATM card from your home bank. You avoid a lot of fees and get a far better exchange rate than you would for cash or traveler’s checks. You might want to check with your bank to see what they charge for using the card abroad. Every student will need a German bank account, but they are free to students.

Since postage in Germany has become very expensive, be sure that your parents and friends are on e-mail. You also might want to check into your long-distance carrier’s plan for calling from Germany, because it could be cheaper than using the German phone system. German phone rates are falling, but it never hurts to check.

For more information, please see the following link to University of Bonn:

www.studyabroad.uni-bonn.de