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!

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.