IES Abroad Vienna

What an amazing program IES is. They provided the support that I needed to make my family feel comfortable to send me overseas for 5 months and for me to go abroad by myself! The initial contact with the staff in Chicago was so helpful and I never even formally met them. The staff in Vienna? Blew me away. So knowledgeable, so helpful, so welcoming. The staff was always looking for ways to help- giving us tips on where to travel, hosting a cooking class to learn how to cook authentic Austrian food, showing us all the cool local places, and having an answer to any question we had! They made my experience comfortable and easy by providing wonderful housing, hosting classes in a palace(!!), providing knowledgeable and pleasant professors for my classes, and hosting trips to travel with the IES staff to some places around Austria for some really unique experiences. They even had a networking event to allow students to meet past alumni who were back living in Vienna! I know I would not have had the same experience if I had simply gone on my own as an exchange student, and I benefitted all the more from it. I definitely recommend going with IES if you are looking to go abroad!

In addition to offering unique classes, providing comfortable and affordable housing, and enabling access to health and safety resources, IES goes above and beyond to ensure student success. Faculty promote events in your location and take students on field trips. They are excited to help and are mostly available. Programs like language buddies encourage immersive culture and fostering connections with people in student's respective locations.

As an independent student, I didn't rely on IES for help, but knew if I couldn't answer a question myself they were there to help.

I studied abroad with IES Vienna this past spring and had an absolutely amazing time. Through my experience in Vienna, I was able to take psychology classes in an essential location for the foundations of psychology, while also applying skills and ideas in an internship in a Psychotherapist's office. I was able to learn and apply so much in that one semester, and narrow my career and educational foci at the same time. Outside of the classes for my major, I was also able to study German and apply the language through living and communicating in Vienna. Learning the language was definitely a challenge for me, but I loved it, and grew a lot throughout the semester. While learning and living in Vienna, I also made great connections with my fellow students, the Center Staff, native Austrians in my housing complex, and the individuals I worked with in my internship. So many great connections were made, and I honestly just had so many amazing experiences, large and small, throughout the 4 months. I grew immensely academically, professionally, and personally during my time with IES Vienna, and that my study abroad experience was the best one of my life so far. My favorite memory of my semester in Vienna was attending the Viennese Ball in the winter! My friends from the program and I got dressed up and felt extremely elegant with the native Viennese.

I got to study with a master violinist, perform a lot, see major ensembles like the Vienna Phil and Vienna State Opera for free or for very cheap, take classes that I could use for my major, and meet a lot of locals, one of them being a lifelong friend that I'll never forget. I also learned so much more German in just one semester than I thought I would, seeing as I didn't know any when I got to Vienna. I lived in an apartment that was about 20 minutes away from the city center, which I thought was really nice--close enough and far away from all the tourists. I also took advantage of a lot of the IES Abroad opportunities like Student Council and Student Forum, which I found rewarding. There really is nothing more that I would have wanted.

I could sing my praises for the IES Abroad Vienna Music program for days (literally, because I am a vocal music major). This program went above and beyond to create a top-notch study abroad experience. The IES Abroad faculty at the Vienna center were helpful, supportive, and all-around excellent. The staff truly took care of us and always went the extra mile to personally see that each student had a fun and successful semester. As a music student, it was so amazing to be able to take music courses in Vienna that would actually transfer to my home university and that gave me the opportunity to perform there, as well. Our classes met in an old Palais in the heart of the city and we had access to a beautiful recital hall and plenty of practice rooms. The course selection in Vienna is wide, so I got the chance to take some courses outside of my field of study, too, which definitely enhanced my learning experience. IES Abroad also provided amazing field trips and social programs throughout the semester that exposed us to more of Vienna and Austria and helped make the city feel like a home-away-from-home. I can't wait to return for reunions and more time in the city of music.

As an international student studying in the US, I had a different approach to "studying abroad". I was already abroad so why would I go? Well, I'm glad I did! For me, it wasn't my first time traveling or staying at a different country for more than a month. For me, it was a great opportunity to be back at a culture that is relatively similar to mine and be back in a city where I can explore every single day and be surprised each time.
With IES Abroad, I got to feel at home in this new city right from the start! Everything was organized so well and a sense of community was already built! I initially thought that having an orientation in a different city than Vienna was a bit unusual and unnecessary --I was so wrong! Being in the same resort for a few days right from the start was the best thing possible to form close friendships right from the beginning. We had nothing to do but sight seeing in Mariazell, play endless volleyball games, hike around and chat for hours, all as a group! I made so many good friends right there and then.
To talk more about the program itself and life in Vienna, I can start by saying that it was great to live in a city with great public transportation, take classes in a magnificent old building -a palace-, and attend great events. As one of the cultural capitals in the world, Vienna had so much to offer. And IES made it much easier and much more accessible. We could get Opera tickets, attend rehearsals, have a Heuriger trip and Thanksgiving celebration and much more. Every month there were at least 2 or 3 events that the IES Staff and RA's (Resident Austrians who were living with some of the students and were in charge of technical things like talking to the landlady/landlord etc. --they were pretty cool and great way to learn more about the Austrian culture and make Austrian friends!) were organizing. These events were great to immerse us into the culture and into the city life without being stressed about organization and other details. There were also a few weekend trips organized by IES that were simply amazing! We had wine-tasting in Wachau (one-day trip), skiing in Salzburg and weekend in Graz! We had a really cool and friendly staff who would organize dodgeball trips, tell us cool places to go for a weekend, give advice on restaurants and always send information on events happening all around.
I really enjoyed my time in Vienna as well as all across Europe --I went to many trips with my friends from the program! I definitely recommend going to Vienna for a semester, learning German with amazing professors, get immersed into the culture with organized trips, travel to many countries that are only 2 hours away and just enjoy the cafes of Vienna!

This program is a great way to learn so much about the birth place of psychology, the Austrian culture, other European cities, as well as learning things you never knew about yourself. In only 6 weeks, I found great friendships I never expected to form and have grown a deep appreciation for Vienna that makes me constantly wish I could go back. My study abroad experience in Vienna was the best 6 weeks of my life!
The IES Abroad staff and facilities are wonderful and very inviting. The staff are always ready to help in any way they can with all sorts of things from helping us find secrets spots around the city to letting us borrow a hair dryer when ours didn't work. They also do an excellent job of getting you accustomed to the culture and life in the city when you arrive and being a support system until the day you leave! The classes and teachers were great as well. I never felt overwhelmed by the amount of work (the teachers totally understand that you are there to experience as much of the city and country as you can) and taking the beginning level German was more helpful than I had imagined. By the time I left I found myself understanding basic German being spoken around town.
Most importantly, the city of Vienna is absolutely amazing and I felt right at home within the first day of being there. Like always, there are some cultural differences you have to adjust to but it is a very laid back city and it doesn't take very long to feel right at home! There is so much to do right there in the city and there are lots of amazing cities in close proximity that you can easily visit on the weekend. While I was there, my roommates and I managed to travel to Salzburg, Hallstatt, Prague, Munich, and Budapest all while still finding plenty of time to enjoy our home city of Vienna!

When I went to study abroad through IES, I got the opportunity to travel around Vienna and get immersed into the culture with other students in the program. In addition, the area around the program was filled with opportunities and cultural gems, such as diverse foods and monumental buildings. The courses themselves were innovative and made me think about how the field of child development could be seen in children in Viennese schools. Overall, great experience!