IES Abroad Vienna

Looking back on my time in Vienna never fails to bring a smile to my face. Before this program, I had never thought about visiting Austria, I didn’t speak German, and had no idea what to expect. Once I arrived, I was shocked by how much I loved the culture, people, food, and atmosphere. You can spend hours uninterrupted in a coffee shop, or stroll through the stunning streets of the first district. The public transportation is one of the best designed in the world and makes it easy to explore the entire sprawling city, and also has access train stations and airports which makes traveling on weekends seem effortless. Over only 6 weeks, my friends and I were able to also visit Salzburg, Hallstatt, Munich, Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest. The city of Vienna is incredibly rich with history and I truly felt like I’d discovered something magical when I lived there. Taking courses in Psychology in the field’s own birthplace was absolutely surreal. I learned so much about Austrian culture, about the history of Vienna, and most significantly about myself as an independent student and traveler. I will forever be grateful for this incredible experience, and I am being truly honest when I say my friends from the program and I frequently message one another desperately wishing we could go back.

I knew I wanted to study abroad and when searching for programs, Vienna with IES Abroad seemed to be the best fit for me. I had a friend in high school that lives in Vienna, so it was nice knowing there was a familiar face there. Orientation and classes once I got to Vienna gave me a pretty good sense of what I had gotten myself into. What I had gotten myself into was a city of culture. A city of experience. A city that truly felt like home after only six weeks. The classes I took while there helped me learn the language and experience some local culture with field trips. I lived in an apartment with two roommates who were willing to explore with me. Overall, this experience was life changing. I wish I could go back tomorrow, but until then, I'll relive my journey through sharing my experiences with others. If studying abroad is something you are considering, I highly suggest IES Abroad Vienna.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the music semester program at IES Abroad Vienna. The IES center itself, a clean, well-maintained (as old as it is), historic, beautiful palace has a central, accessible location that is relatively close to two metro stations. The classes are manageable, allowing study abroad students ample time to explore the city and immerse themselves in all Vienna has to offer, from its many world-class concerts to rich history to unique culture. I loved the easy access to many extremely affordable concerts: 4 euro standing room tickets at the Vienna State Opera, 6 euro tickets to Musikverein concerts… Attending so many high quality concerts exposed me to excellent music-making, a wide range of repertoire, and really helped me grow as a musician.
The faculty are knowledgeable and well-connected in Vienna, giving students access to a wealth of cultural insight. The applied music faculty consists of professors and professional musicians from Viennese conservatories and music schools, and this opportunity to work with local, professional musicians was very, very rewarding—I loved my teachers and learned a lot. IES Abroad Vienna is a bit lenient on attendance, but not so much that it interfered with the quality of classes. The IES staff are very helpful, friendly, and quite organized. IES also offers excellent well-planned, optional excursions for additional fees.
I lived in the Margaretenstraβe apartments, which were very nice and comfortable to live in and made traveling anywhere in the city, and on the continent, very easy, with easy connection to the train station and airport. There are also very nice practice rooms next door to the Margaretenstraβe apartments, making practicing a breeze. In all, I had a wonderful time at IES Abroad Vienna and would highly recommend it to aspiring musicians.

Vienna is an amazing place to spend a semester abroad and the city has perfected mixing history with modern day. The academics are manageable and the professors are very understanding and are willing to work with you should you need it. The apartments are nice, but are definitely smaller and different from what American students are accustomed. The public transportation is affordable and very easy to figure out and is also very convenient. The city is safe and a lot of fun. It was so cool being able to walk by St. Stephen's cathedral every day or see a palace on the way into the city. I highly recommend Vienna to anyone thinking about studying abroad.

IES Abroad’s Vienna program, focusing on European Society and Culture, was an absolutely amazing experience. Not only did I get to learn about new subjects that aren’t offered at my home university, but I got to actually go out and see manifest examples of the material I was studying. For example, after learning about the Hapsburg royal family of Vienna in my Vienna Past and Present course, the next class period was spent visiting their national treasury in the city hosting all of the family jewels, crowns, and royal robes. Another thing, that was immensely helpful at IES Vienna, was their language instruction. I arrived in Vienna with mildly good German, but the skill and care of the professors there helped bring my language proficiency to the next level. Our professors also helped push us into immersion situations in a very encouraging way. One example, was the provision of German buddies. The program had set up a list of locals willing to meet with IES students weekly to try speaking German in conversation. Aspects of the program, like these, were inexplicably helpful in learning the language. Outside of the studying aspect of the program, IES offered many extracurricular trips such as day trips to Austria’s stunning Wachau Valley, or a weekend trip to partake in a traditional apple festival and tour the beautiful city of Graz. Both of these trips that I partook in (among the many more that IES Vienna offers) were amazing and provided insights into Austria and its people and culture. These are experiences that were so real and unique, that I definitely would not have been able to participate without the help of IES’ planning. Overall, IES Vienna is an amazing program in one of Europe’s most stunning cities.

I loved Vienna! It is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve been in. Vienna offers you everything a big city has with a small-town vibe. There was something happening almost every night whether it be an opera, a jazz bar showcase, or a ball. The music program was amazing. All the music staff I interacted with were performing in Vienna. It was great to get their first-hand experience and connections to concerts. A professor connected me with a local choir that I got to sing and perform with during my semester in Vienna. I love Vienna, I already want to go back. Whenever someone tells me they are studying abroad I tell them they have to go to Vienna, at least visit it. The culture surrounds you everywhere and the people are so nice. I did a teaching internship when I was there and it was great to get out into the city and meet even more people. IES Vienna is just a great place, with amazing faculty and staff, and I’m so happy I went. I made a lot of new friends and just loved my time there, I can’t wait to go back!

IES offered so many ways to weave Viennese culture into the already-excellent academic experience. Field trips to the most amazing cities in Central Europe (Prague, Budapest), world-renowned professors from all over Europe, and a wide range of language courses were the most obvious examples. But IES did more than teach us about European culture and history. They taught us how to bite into Krapfen, delicious Viennese filled doughnuts. They taught us how be independent and curious, and encouraged us to fill our weekends with adventures around the continent. I saw 15 countries during my time at IES, and many of my favorite moments from the semester were spent with the incredible friends I made through my IES classes. I still correspond with three of my professors, as well as my internship supervisor. The adventures, friends, and memories I made through IES will be with me for my entire life!

I had an absolutely unforgettable experience with IES Vienna. It was the best decision I made in my college career and I can't wait to return to Europe. I was not only immersed in the culture through my living and educational experiences, but also through internships with local students and by hanging out in the coffee shops. I will never forget my experiences and the people I met while I was in Vienna.