Semester in Berlin

Berlin, Germany

New for Fall 2025!

Study Program Part-Time Internship

Select a Term...

Tentative Dates

Sep 8 - Dec 20, 2025

15 weeks

Costs

$19,950 See Full Breakdown

Credit

12 - 16 semester hours

18 - 24 quarter hours

Application Deadline

May 1, 2025

Request Information

Spend your semester putting your German skills to use (or begin developing them) while immersing yourself in the vibrant city of Berlin! Designed for students from all academic backgrounds, the Semester in Berlin program immerses you in German culture and invites you to participate actively in the local community while earning credits toward your undergraduate degree. The flexibility and diversity of courses at ��911and at our local host institution allows you to select a unique mix of classes to move forward in your degree progression as well as take courses with a local flavor, such as the creative industries, German history, culture and language, and more. You can choose from local university courses at Berlin University of Applied Sciences (SRH) in Berlin Neukölln and ��911courses offered at ��911Berlin in the Kreuzberg neighborhood – both districts known for their multi-cultural vibes, great restaurants, and nightlife.

Outside the classroom, you'll participate in exciting co-curricular activities and extracurricular excursions to some top Berlin attractions as well as some “off-the-beaten-path” destinations organized by ��911to enhance classroom learning and develop intercultural understanding.

Unique Experiences

Visit famous landmarks

such as Checkpoint Charlie, the Jewish Museum Berlin, the Reichstag Building, and the historic Mitte District

Join a local artist on an exciting Berlin street art tour

to explore the secrets, history, techniques, rules, and personal stories of graffiti and street art; discover murals, rooftops, "bombing and "tagging," stencils, paste-ups, and stickers which are all expressions of this culture

Spend a weekend with a local host family (mini homestay)

and go on neighborhood tours, enjoy a dinner together, and gain cultural insights

1,700+

BRIDGES ACROSS BERLIN – MORE THAN VENICE

175

DISTINCT MUSEUMS ACROSS THE CITY, RANGING FROM THE WORLD-CLASS ART AND HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS ON MUSEUM ISLAND TO THE STRANGE AND ABSURD LIKE THE DISGUSTING FOOD MUSEUM

170

NATIONS ARE REPRESENTED AMONG THE OFFICIAL RESIDENTS OF BERLIN

Your Destination

The thriving global city of Berlin is home to more than 3.7 million people. Live among the locals and see for yourself why Berlin is ranked among the top cities for urban quality-of-life globally. Excellent public transportation means you’ll have no problem exploring the city’s parks, orchestras, museums, festivals, and historical landmarks.

Berlin’s 24-hour public transportation system is extensive and connects the areas of the city accessibly and quickly. ��911Berlin is steps from a neighborhood subway station with easy access to the rest of the city. Located in the heart of the Kreuzberg district, ��911Berlin offers students easy access to a large public market hall, restaurants and cafés, and a variety of shops. The SRH campus is reachable within 20min by public transportation from the ��911center.

��911wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local ��911staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Berlin.

The Culture

Excursions & Activities

Each semester, students on the Semester in Berlin program are invited to join us for one overnight excursion to one of various destinations around Germany and two daytrips to destinations closer to Berlin. Though overnight destinations may vary from semester to semester, some of our favorite places to go include Nuremberg in Bavaria in the south, the East German gem of Dresden, or Rostock up on the Baltic coast. You will get to know the city through a local tour guide, enjoy a traditional German meal, and have plenty of free time to explore the neighborhoods, museums, and institutions that make each of our destinations unique!

For day trips, we invite you to various places close to Berlin, such as the beautiful city of Potsdam with its famous Rococo castle Sanssouci, nearby Lutherstadt Wittenberg, the waterways and forests of Lübbenau, or the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial.

Projects

�մǱ��ܲԳٱ��Բ�: Give back and create a deeper connection to Berlin. Students have opportunities to volunteer at local organizations, youth centers, schools, and more. As long as the local health and safety regulations permit, in-person volunteering will be offered.
��Գٱ��Բ��󾱱��: Build new skills and intercultural competencies through the ��911academic internship and become an active member of the Berlin professional environment.
Research: Pursue a research project of your own design incorporating independent, local field work.
Service-Learning Projects: Combine course-based learning with practical, relevant project experience to meet a community-defined need.

Program Blogs

From CIEE

Deborah Moreno: “��911Berlin introduced me to many people who helped make the experience better and with whom I have been able to explore and try new things”

By ��911Berlin at CIEE

We love to hear about the experience of our students who, in addition to studying, do their internships in Berlin. This is the case of Deborah Moreno, one of our... keep reading

german vs portuguese language study abroad

From CIEE

German vs. Portuguese: Key Differences & Similarities

By College Study Abroad at CIEE

German and Portuguese are worlds apart in some ways, yet closer than you might think in others. From German's precise grammar to Portuguese's melodic flow, both languages open doors to... keep reading

From CIEE

An Afternoon Chat with Claire: From Minnesota to Berlin's Heartbeat!

By ��911Berlin at CIEE

Today, Claire Molson, one of our Open Campus students from Fall 2024 shares her impressions of Berlin. She grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and I go to school at... keep reading

Housing

��911Berlin offers a variety of housing options to ensure you're comfortable in your home away from home. We strive to meet your accommodation preferences in the form of residence halls, homestays, and shared apartments. Additionally, all housing options are located in neighborhoods with convenient access to public transportation, shops, and restaurants.

Standard Housing: Includes one of the following options: (1) a single room at a homestay; (2) accommodation in a triple or quad room at ��911Berlin; or (3) - if dorm capacity is exceeded - a double room off-campus in a shared apartment/residence hall located within 45 minutes of ��911 Homestays feature a kitchen, living room, and bathroom shared with a host family. Off-campus shared apartments offer kitchens, common areas, and laundry facilities shared with other students. Triples and quad rooms on campus offer an ensuite bathroom and are fully furnished and equipped with a fridge, microwave, and Wi-Fi. The residence hall has four large, shared student kitchens, five student lounges, and a laundry room.

Students who live with host families receive breakfast and dinner daily. In residence halls and at shared apartments, students can prepare their own meals in the (shared) kitchens. Basic cooking utensils are provided. In the neighborhood or throughout the city, there are plenty of restaurants ready for students to explore.

Select Housing: Includes a double room at ��911Berlin, or if dorm capacity is exceeded, off-campus a private bedroom within a shared apartment located within 45 minutes of ��911  The on-campus residence hall rooms offer ensuite bathrooms and are fully furnished and equipped with a fridge, microwave, and Wi-Fi. The residence hall has four large, shared student kitchens, five student lounges, and a laundry room. Select housing requires an additional fee.

Select Plus Housing: Includes a single room at ��911Berlin. The on-campus residence hall rooms offer ensuite bathrooms and are fully furnished and equipped with a fridge, microwave, and Wi-Fi. The residence hall has four large, shared student kitchens, five student lounges, and a laundry room. Select Plus housing requires an additional fee.

A note: The default criterion to assign housing is first-come, first-served; however, other factors may also be considered. If we cannot accommodate your first housing choice, we'll let you know before you arrive.

Meals

Homestays: Include two meals, usually breakfast and dinner. For non-homestay housing, meals are not included in the program cost.

Shared apartment/residence hall: Students can prepare their own meals within the kitchen facilities. ��911provides basic cooking utensils and cleaning supplies. Students can also explore the myriad restaurants in our multicultural Kreuzberg neighborhood or throughout the city. Students should be prepared to have a food budget.

Residence Hall

Shared room

Residence Hall

Shared room

Residence Hall

Shared kitchen space

Meals

Traditional German meal

Academics

The Semester in Berlin program offers a full range of courses in English at ��911and SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences (SRH). Students with a C1 level of German language proficiency have the option to take courses in German at the local partner host institution. Students with lower levels of German proficiency can improve their language skills taking ��911or SRH-delivered language courses.

SRH University of Applied Sciences

SRH Berlin was founded in 2002 and is a state-accredited private university in Berlin. SRH is currently listed as an AACSB member and aims for accreditation by October 2024. The university offers undergraduate courses in many fields, with special strengths in Technology, Creative Industry Management, International Business Administration, Business Psychology, Illustration, Advertising & Brand Design, as well as Computer Science and Web Development. SRH’s new location at the waterfront in the lively neighborhood of Berlin-Neukölln is a short commute from the ��911center offering state-of-the-art facilities for students, interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities, four engineering labs, three film and photo studios, stages, cinema and a large library.

At ��911Berlin, you can choose from a selection of semester-length interdisciplinary courses (with a focus on language, culture, history and sociology).

GPA

2.5

Additional Requirements

Please refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for ��911courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors. Your study abroad advisor and ��911staff can help you understand your course options if you don't see a recommendation that fits your course needs.

Requirements

All students take courses for a total of 12-16 U.S. semester credits, which can include any combination of ��911and up to two SRH courses.

In the fall semester, you can attend up to two consecutive 5-week-block courses (3 U.S. credits each) at SRH OR one 8-week-block course (4 U.S credits) at SRH. If you choose two 5-week-block courses at SRH, you can combine that with up to 3 ��911courses for 15-16 semester credits but due to the concentrated nature of the SRH modules, choosing 2 ��911courses would be recommended for a more moderate workload. If you choose one 8-week-block course at SRH, you must choose 3 ��911courses alongside the SRH course for a total of 13-14 semester credits.

In the spring semester, you can choose up to two consecutive 5-week-block courses (3 credits each) at SRH and up to five ��911semester-length courses (3 credits each) for 12-16 semester credits in total.

Program Credit

Total credit: 12-16 U.S. semester/18-24 quarter credits

Course Credit

��911Courses: 3-4 U.S. semester/4.5-6 quarter credits, 45-60 contact hours
��911Internship: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 seminar hours, 100-120 internship placement hours
��911Directed Independent Research: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 contact hours, 100-120 research hours
��911Service-Learning Project: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 seminar hours, 90 service hours
SRH courses: 3-4 U.S. semester/4.5 - 6 quarter credits, 45-60 contact hours

Academic Culture

��911courses are designed to follow U.S. academic culture and standards. The class environment typically features a combination of lectures and discussion with co-curricular excursions and field trips. Heavy emphasis is placed on student engagement. The SRH University of Applied Sciences is characterized by its international orientation and student body. At SRH, students learn in 5-week blocks or 8-week blocks.

All Semester in Berlin courses feature a very student-centered approach. The focus is on skill acquisition and knowledge gain in small groups. Similar to classes at U.S. institutions, students should expect to spend an average of two to three hours of preparation and study for each hour in ��911classes. To avoid falling behind, students should not plan personal travel out of Berlin when classes are in session and plan trips for the long weekends.

Class Format

Courses taught at ��911Berlin are for ��911students only. Classes are typically scheduled Monday through Thursday and meet twice per week. Attendance is strictly enforced both for classes and required co-curricular excursions. Instruction is supported and augmented online by our learning management system, Canvas. With a large pool of possible examination formats (from the typical exam up to a learning diary) you can demonstrate your skills in the way that is the most well-suited to the competences that are relevant for the subject in question. You will receive continuous performance feedback throughout your studies.

Classes at SRH are typically scheduled Monday through Friday. You are expected to attend face-to-face sessions

Grading

��911reports all final course grades to students’ home institutions using a U.S. letter grade equivalent scale of A-F. For CIEE-administered courses, students’ grades are based on attendance, class engagement, homework, project work, presentations, and midterm and final examinations. Learning outcomes assessment is continuous through personal reflections, evaluation feedback, self-assessment, and requirements as set out in course syllabi. Host Institution courses at SRH are graded using a range from 1.0 to 5.0 with 1.0 being the highest grade and 4.0 being the minimum passing grade; ��911reports final grades for host institutions course using recommended U.S. letter grade equivalents, following a predetermined grade conversion scale.

Language of Instruction

English and/or German

Course Information

Course Information

If you can prove a C1 level of German language proficiency, you have the option to take courses in German at the local partner host institution, SRH.

Not all SRH courses are offered every semester, and some courses have prerequisites. The final list of courses is made available during the course enrollment process later on in the application process.

The following list of courses constitutes a representative sample of course offerings through the SRH and is subject to change. In some cases, prior background knowledge may be required to enroll in a class.

Sample course list:

Entrepreneurship
App programming
Business Intelligence and Big Data
International Management
Global Supply Chain Management 4.0
Market Research
Staged Photography
Foundations of Illustration 1

If you can prove a C1 level of German language proficiency, you have the option to take courses in German at SRH.

Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between ��911and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple ��911sites.

Discover Internship Opportunities

We're excited you're considering this program! Next, explore the types of internships you can choose from for an epic internship abroad with ��911Study Abroad.

Browse Internship Opportunities

Explore internship placements available through this program to find the right fit for your academic and professional goals.

Find Internship Options

Disclaimer: Internship placements are subject to availability and host employer hiring discretion. Application and payment of ��911fees does not guarantee specific placement. This internship listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between ��911and any applicant, student, institution, or other party.

Scholarships & Grants

��911offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.

Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:

Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
��911Gilman Go Global Grant
MSI Grant
Trailblazer Grant

To be considered, submit the ��911Scholarships & Grants application within your ��911program application.

Learn more about scholarships

Dates & Fees

You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.

Program	Application Due	Start Date	End Date	Fees & Housing
Program Fall 2025 15 weeks	May 1, 2025	Start Date September 8, 2025 ^*	End Date December 20, 2025 ^*	Fees & Housing $19,950

^*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.

To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500.

What's Included

Tuition

Housing

Pre-departure Advising

Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions

Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet

Orientation

Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city

On-site Staff

Full-time program leadership and support in your city

Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities

Excursions and/or Study Tours

Travel Protection

��911iNext travel protection

24/7 emergency on-site support

Our Staff

Andrea Adam Moore

Center Director

Andrea Adam Moore holds a Master in Business Administration. Andrea was previously the Director of the Indiana University Europe Gateway in Berlin.

Greta Krumbholz

Academic Director

Greta Krumbholz has a Master’s degree in German and Slavic Studies and a Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of Hamburg. She has taught at the University of Hamburg, the...

Eric Ginola

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT LIFE

Having grown up in the Chicago area and completed his undergraduate degree at Macalester College, Eric went on to complete his graduate work at the University of Washington-Seattle, where he...

Get Started

Here’s what you need to do to take the next steps:

Start an Application

You're one step closer to an amazing internship abroad experience!

Connect With Your Campus Study Abroad Office

Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.

Contact CIEE

We're here to help! Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.

Interested in an optional internship?

After being accepted to this program and submitting the required internship documents, work with ��911staff on your internship goals and select which positions to interview for. ��911will reach out to companies that would be a good fit for you, your interests, and your qualifications. Finalize your internship placement upon arrival!