Language courses and short-term programs abroad
Not all students can afford to spend a semester or a whole year abroad, and a prolonged stay may not always fit everyone’s schedule either. Intensive language courses and summer and winter schools allow students to gain experience of living abroad and hone their international skills on a short-term academic program.
Intensive language courses
Intensive language courses are a kind of “crash course” in language learning. They last around three weeks, teach languages at various levels and are a good way to either learn a language from scratch or consolidate your existing knowledge. The language courses usually end with an examination, and you will be given a certificate or another form of proof showing the level you have achieved. Some courses also award credits. Please ask your department whether you can have these recognized at the University of Bonn.
Intensive language courses (apart from English) can be funded with a PROMOS scholarship. You can find the application criteria on the PROMOS scholarships website. The DAAD scholarship database (only available in German) lists scholarships for other specific language courses.
Summer and winter schools
Summer and winter schools are two- to four-week short-term academic programs for students. Completing the program earns you credits, which might be able to be recognized at the University of Bonn. You should clarify with your department in advance whether you can have your course recognized in this way.
We have put together a selection of courses below. If your chosen university is not listed, contact them directly to find out what is available.
The courses are subject to a fee. Some universities will give you a discount or offer to waive the fee. Please contact us before you apply.
Summer and winter schools can be funded with a PROMOS scholarship. You can find the application criteria on the PROMOS scholarships website.
Countries and courses
Below you will find an overview of courses that are currently open for applications. Please contact the organizers directly if you have any questions about applying or how your stay will be organized.
Note that we primarily include courses offered by partner universities on this page and are not allowed to recommend any commercial providers of language courses.
Countries and courses
The University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) offers two versions of the UBC Vancouver Summer Program for one month each. From June 7 to July 7 and from July 12 to August 12, 2024, Bachelor students can experience Canadian university life up close in various course packages from a wide range of subjects.
- Application deadline for the June session: March 01, 2024
- Application deadline for the July session: April 05, 2024
Information on the programs, application documents, costs, etc. can be found on the website.
Summer schools at the Université de Bordeaux
From may to september, the Université de Bordeaux is organizing a series of digital events on different topics. Some courses cover urban planning in Africa, mass spectrometry for analyzing preserved cultural heritage, the impact of globalization on the humanities, materials science, and medical questions, while others tackle materials for storing energy, agricultural and neurosciences, and enology.
The dates, fees and application deadlines vary from program to program. Please see the Université de Bordeaux website for details.
Rothberg International School
In Summer 2023 the Hebrew University of Jerusalem offers the Rothberg International School. Summer study go beyond the classroom. Participants will join students from more than 90 countries around the world and enjoy a summer schedule packed with enriching seminars, fun activities, and local trips designed to help explore Israel’s geographic and cultural landscape. Classes include Israel & Middle East Studies, Language Studies, STEM classes and many more.
Program dates, application deadline and costs depend on the chosen program.
Ritsumeikan Short-Term Program
Ritsumeikan University offers programs for undergraduate and graduate students with minimal knowledge of the Japanese language, providing a comprehensive introduction to Japanese language and culture. There are a a five-week program, and a two-week intensive program. All of these programs consist of two major subjects: intensive Japanese language class, which provides participants with a thorough introduction to the language, and Japan Studies classes, where students can learn about Japanese culture and take part in fieldwork to cultural spots in Kyoto.
Program dates, application deadline and cost are dependant on program choice.
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid offers a Summer School in Economics and Bussiness (SSEB) as well as in Tourism. The SSEB takes place from 01 to 26 July, 2024 and is structured as follows:
Four of the university’s regular courses of 6 ECTS credits, taught in English, in a 4-week intensive format (choose 1 or 2):
- Environmental Economics and Policy Analysis
- International Finance
- Global Marketing
- Doing Business in Spain
The Summer School “Selected Topics in Tourism, International Hospitality and Attractions Management” takes place from July 15 to 26 July, 2024. This is a 2-week intensive course of 6 ECTS credits, taught in English, covering the following topics: sustainable tourism, crypto-economics and metaverse applied to tourism, human resources management, hotel finance, customer experience management, and attractions management in Madrid.
There is also a new option to enroll only in the first two weeks of the SSEB (July 01 to 12, 2024) for students in our Tourism Summer School and in the Climate Change Summer School.
“Go East” summer and winter schools
Study and research visits for students
Local universities organize Go East summer and winter schools on all kinds of different topics. The program is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
From March 01 onward, students will be able to apply for one of the 47 summer schools in 19 countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Uzbekistan.
The DAAD has suspended applications for Russia and Belarus. In cause of the risk assessment, applications for DAAD-Scholarships to Ukraine are currently suspended.
- Dual-track application procedure: Apply to the summer school for a place and to the DAAD for a scholarship.
- Application deadline: The respective application deadline for each summer school.
You can find more information on the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) website.
Contact
Hannah Scharf
0.002
Poppelsdorfer Allee 53
53115 Bonn (Germany)
