Life Changing Year in Berlin

The Berlin Consortium for German Studies is an amazing opportunity to master the German language, deepen your studies and knowledge of German culture and society, and mature into a well-rounded adult while residing in one of the most exciting cities in the Western world.

Unlike most other study abroad programs, BCGS is dedicated to the complete integration of the students into German academic life, the German language, and living in Berlin as a resident rather than as a guest, visitor, or tourist. Rather than relegated to boring and belittling classes taught in English for international students or living altogether with other study abroad students in a large compound or dorm, this program allows students to explore independently their course of study and seminars at the various universities in Berlin and requires participants to immerse themselves into the city by finding one's own apartment with German residents, while at the same time providing ample logistical, bureaucratic, and emotional support to be able to feel at home in a foreign country and to eventually thrive.

The most unique and attractive aspect of the program is the requirement to take the same seminars as any other normal German student would at the university. Although challenging, it's an excellent way to improve one's spoken and written Germany as well as to acquire a different way of viewing the world and learning in higher education. The seminars I attended at the Free University were instrumental in preparing myself for PhD programs and becoming a future professor of German studies.

Additionally, the program has an excellent array of extracurricular events and trips, ranging from seeing new plays in avant-garde theaters in Berlin to traveling as a group to Cologne, Dresden, or Nuremberg. All of these events are included in the program fees, so there is no extra cost for exploring other areas of the country and enjoying the fine arts.