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Program Description:
The College of William & Mary’s Berlin summer program offers participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in German language and culture. It provides courses for students who have one year of German language instruction (GRMN 101-102) as well as intermediate and advanced German speakers. Courses for the program will generally meet from Mon-Thurs, with excursions on Fridays.
During their time in Berlin students live with host families or in shared apartments with German students. Breakfast will be provided.
Course Information:
Students earn credits through classes in German language and culture. Students will be assigned to the appropriate courses based on their language level. Courses for Summer include:
There is a required 1 credit course to be taken in the Spring prior to departure, which you will be registered for following program acceptance. This course is designed specifically for students going on the summer program and is intended to enhance your cross-cultural understanding of Berlin and to cover a variety of pre-departure information. The scheduling of this course will be dependent on the class times possible for program participants.
Book List: No textbooks are required for this program.
Courses are taught by W&M faculty and faculty at the FUBiS office of Freie Universität Berlin. Grades will appear on W&M transcript and will be included in GPA calculations.
GRMN 201/202: Intermediate German I/Intermediate German II (4 credits)
GRMN 210: Advanced Grammar Review (3 credits)
GRMN 290/390: Topics in German Studies - Berlin in Film (3 credits)
Berlin is one of the cities where cinema originated, and the films of the Weimar era are now considered an essential part of world cinema. In this class, we will focus on films set in Berlin and analyze how the city itself emerges as a character, and how this character changes over the course of the eventful 20th and 21st centuries. Starting with silent movies, we will discuss the possibilities early filmmakers saw in this medium that was then new and unexplored. Early footage shot on location exists in a productive tension between the mere “documentary” and the edited “narrative,” and we will use these diametrically opposed poles to organize our analysis of all the following films. From pre-war Berlin we move on to the so-called Trümmerfilme or rubble films and war-time destruction, then to the Berlin Wall and the representation of everyday life in the divided city, and finally to the “New Berlin” of the post-reunification era.
Language Requirement:
One year of German language instruction. GRMN 101-102 or equivalent
W&M Faculty:
Jennifer Gully
Term:
Arrival date: June 7, 2025
Departure date: July 19, 2025
Deadlines:
Application Deadline: December 2, 2024
With a deposit ($750) due deadline: March 7, 2025 (Friday prior to Spring Break)
And a balance due deadline: April 1, 2025
Application fee information:
The application fee ($75) is due by the deadline and should be paid online at the GEO Marketplace Store. Whoever is making the payment will need student 93#, email, and phone number. The application fee is refundable in the event that you are not accepted into the program or the program is canceled by W&M.
Program fees:
2025 program fee: $7,975
Students are responsible for airfare, visa expenses (if applicable), and some meals.
To view the estimated costs for this program and important payment information please visit here.
Reves Summer Scholarships are available for this program.
If applying for a Reves Summer Scholarship, please apply to the W&M faculty-led application BEFORE applying to the Reves Summer Scholarship.
Program Features:
- Welcome and Farewell dinner
- On-site Orientation
- Excursion admissions and some meals on excursions
- Housing
- CISI insurance
- W&M credits
- Partnership with highly ranked host institution and rigorous academic coursework
- Fulfills COLL 300
Eligibility:
- Students must be an active W&M undergraduate student in good standing, not on academic or disciplinary probation during time abroad, and eligible to take classes at the W&M Williamsburg campus to study abroad.
- Students currently on-campus must successfully complete 1 credit spring course.
- For more information about eligibility, please visit our Policies that Affect You page.
Summer Abroad Handbook 2025