Central College Abroad: Vienna, Austria

This course, facilitated in Vienna by the resident director, is the foundation on which your academic program is built, providing the cultural and historical context of Vienna for a broader understanding of your overall experience. The following required course is taught in German and English:

Austria in Context
This course is a thorough introduction to the complex history of Austria, its politics and role within the European Union and to current issues in Austria. Learn about religious life, social aspects of multiethnic societies, education, Austrian customs, dialects and national peculiarities in language, meals, drinks etc. In addition to lectures, many field excursions are included that explore various aspects of Viennese life and culture.

Most students choose to begin with a one or two month intensive German language program at the Goethe Institut, an internationally recognized language school in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. You will earn six credits during the one-month option or 12 credits with the two-month option.

Please see our information on the Goethe Institut to learn more about this option.

Central College Abroad elective courses are taught at the Central College Abroad center by Austrian professors. Course work is taught in German and is primarily for students enrolled in the university program and at the intermediate level or above. Instruction is in a lecture/discussion format making it a balance of American and Austrian teaching methods. These courses are held once a week and students typically select at least two of the following courses:

• German Idiomatics, Stylistics and Grammar I & II
• German Literature I: From Enlightenment to the End of the German Romanticism
• German Literature II: From Realism to the end of the 20th Century
• Music in Vienna
• Theatre in Theory and Praxis

Please see our course catalog for credits and course descriptions.

The Vienna program is designed for student of all language levels - even those with little to no German langauage experience. Therefore, Central College Abroad provides an introductory language program through Vienna International University. This option is required for students with less than three semesters of college level German.

Please see our introductory program option to learn more about this program.

The University program is designed for students with intermediate or above language levels prior to attending the Goethe Institut (optional). Students enrolled in this program level are encouraged to take courses from a variety of institutions in Vienna: one or two regular University of Vienna main lecture courses and/or two to three courses at the Vienna Institute of Translation and Interpretation or one or two courses Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, plus two Central College Abroad courses and the required course, Austria in Context.

Please see our university program to learn more about your university options.

On Central’s study abroad programs, learning begins in the classroom, but continues in many different settings outside the traditional educational environment — offering you a more in-depth cross-cultural experience. Students can choose from either an internship or a service-learning option, both for academic credit. Central College Abroad programs offer these experiences as a way to more fully immerse yourself in the language and culture. Please see our section on internships and service-learning to discover your hands-on options.