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 more training 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 insures 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.

The once exception that is of interest to participants in Ripon’s International Study Program is the University’s European Semester. Designed for students interested in international relations, political science and business, the European Semester provides students with a first-hand introduction to European issues. Students participate in seminars devoted to European law and the political structure of the European Union (formerly the Common Market), and they attend workshops in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg, where EU agencies have their headquarters. The European Semester also includes a month-long orientation and students receive German instruction, but their other courses are conducted in English.

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. In years with sufficient enrollment, members of Ripon’s Bonn program take their own extensive tour of parts of Germany they otherwise might not see. 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 three semesters of college German unless they are participating in the European Semester. 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.

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