Study Abroad in the Black Forest of Germany
|Dates | Costs | Location | Activities | Courses | Language | Eligibility
Housing and Meals | Application | Visa
Furtwangen University (HFU) is beautifully located in the heart of the Black Forest and offers not only a high standard of academic programs in computer science, engineering, business, and media, but also excellent opportunities for study and leisure. HFU has been consistently rated as one of the top Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany. The International Business program is ranked consistently as one of the top five programs in Germany.
Click here to watch a music video about Furtwangen University
With a student population of 4,600, HFU is small enough to support excellent staff-student relations, yet large enough to provide state-of-the-art facilities and excellent student services. The University of Furtwangen has won several awards for services provided to international students.
Visit the International Exchange Student website here for more detailed information.
Dates
Fall Application Deadline: March 12
Fall Semester: September/October - February
Spring Application Deadline: October 1
Spring Semester: March - July
Costs
Students participating in exchange will pay tuition and fees to UNC. They will pay all other expenses in Germany. The budget given in US dollars is an estimate and is subject to change.
Click here for the most current exchange rate. Exchange rate current as of 1/13.
(1 USD = .77 EUR) |
Estimated Costs |
|
Tuition & Fees |
$3,300 |
Paid to UNC in USD |
Study Abroad Administrative Fee |
$300 |
Paid to UNC in USD |
Study Abroad Insurace |
$170 |
Paid to UNC in USD |
Living Expenses: room and board, mandatory German health insurance |
$4,452 |
670 Euromonth |
Miscellaneous: mobile phone, public transport, incidentals, etc |
$1,994 |
300 Euro/month |
Round Trip Travel |
$1,200 |
Paid to Airline in USD |
German Visa Fee |
$100 |
Paid to German Government |
TOTAL |
$11,516 |
|
*All costs are estimated based on a five-month semester.
Location
Furtwangen is located in the southern Black Forest region of Germany with a population of approximately 10,000 inhabitants. The ground elevation ranges between 850 – 1149 meters above sea level. The River Danube’s spring is located at the edge of town and the river flows through the middle of campus. If weather permits, the Swiss Alps can be seen from the Brend mountain. The city of Freiburg, a town founded in the medieval age, is a university town, and can be reached within approximately 45 minutes by car. The French province of Alsace, the Swiss city of Basel, or Lake Constance are all close enough to be destinations for day-trips.
Most UNC students will be studying in Villingen-Schwenningen. It is located approximately 30 kilometers from Furtwangen. Its history dates back to the Celts, who are thought to be the first settlers in this area. Villingen and Schwenningen used to be separate and independent towns. They merged into one administrative unit in 1972. Today’s twinned towns are a regional service capital with more than 80,000 inhabitants. It is the administrative, cultural, and economic center of the Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg region, the county in which Furtwangen is also located. The geographic region offers an ideal bio-climatic environment.
Click here for more information about Villingen-Schwenningen
Click here for more information about Germany
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Activities
Due to its geographic location, in the mountains of the Black Forest, Furtwangen offers great opportunities for outdoor activities such as: mountain biking, climbing, hiking, snowboarding, and skiing. Villingen-Schwenningen similarly offers a great variety of sports activities including squash, tennis, and ice-skating - to mention just a few. The International Center offers an extensive program of excursions and activities each semester such as trips to Berlin, Munich, Dresden, Nuremberg, Freiburg, Heidelberg and Strasbourg; company visits (Daimler car factory, a local brewery); cultural events (Stuttgart Opera); as well as various outdoor activities (cross country skiing, hiking).
Courses
Students can take a wide variety of international business courses taught English along with intensive German language courses. The Monfort College of Business has pre-approved courses from Furtwangen for transfer back to UNC.
Click Here for Course Catalog
Click Here for list of transferable business courses
Furtwangen uses the ECTS credit system. You will enroll in a minimum of 24 ECTS credits a semester while abroad, which is equivalent to 12 UNC transfer credits.
Language of Instruction
Courses are taught primarily in German. However, the International Business Management B.A. is taught in English.
Eligibility
This program is best suited for business majors, but is open to all majors with no limit on the number of UNC students who can participate each semester. Students may apply for one semester or one academic year. To be eligible to apply students must have at least a 2.5 GPA and have completed at least two semester of courses at UNC.
If students only plan to study abroad for one semester, they must apply for Spring only since German semester do not align with UNC semesters.
Housing
The International Center arranges accommodation for all exchange students. On Furtwangen Campus they will get a room in one of the two dormitories:
On Schwenningen and Tuttlingen Campus they will get either a room in a dormitory or
a privately owned room.
Important: Rooms can only be rented for a 6 months period (March to August or
September to February)!
The student residences are furnished. Students will have a private room with a shared living space. Students may purchase meals or snacks at campus cafeterias and bistros. Students may purchase a card similar to the UNC student ID, which can be prepaid to use at campus eateries. Student may also purchase groceries and cook for themselves.
Application
Students must first complete the UNC application for exchange. Applications will be evaluated and selections will be made immediately after the application deadline. If selected, the student will need to complete an additional admissions application for Tours.
Once accepted, students will complete an additional application for Furtwagen. Accepted students will then need the following:
- CV/resume
- Letter of Motivation
- Official Transcript
- Letter of Motivation
Visa
U.S. students do not need to apply for a visa in advance. They may get a student visa once they have arrived in Germany.
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