business + culture

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By Term

• Fall 2013
• Spring 2013
• Spring 2014

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Program Overview

Investigate the impact of new global demands on business strategies in Germany, the seat of Europe’s largest national economy.

In Berlin, headquarters to dozens of major German and European firms, develop your understanding of fundamental economic concepts and increase your management expertise by focusing on problem solving and strategy.

Study abroad in Berlin and you will:

• Gain and strengthen fundamental business and economics knowledge while sharpening your tools of analysis in an international setting
• Study the distinctive features of the Berlin, German, and EU economies
• Compare and contrast characteristic differences in German and U.S. business cultures
• Begin or continue your German language study while you live Germany’s dynamic capital city of Berlin

The CIEE Difference

Coursework

Rigorously study the fundamentals of business practice, administration, and law at one of the best and most innovative business schools in Germany. In addition to a German language class, you’ll choose from a full range of courses, taught in English, and have the opportunity to study side-by-side with both German and international peers.

Excursions

Throughout the semester CIEE will offer three site visits to important Berlin locations. In each instance you will be introduced and guided by a local Berliner closely connected to the site.

You will also enjoy one over-night excursion to another economically important and culturally significant German city such as Hamburg, Dresden, or Munich. On this trip equal focus will be placed on both cultural and business-focused destinations with site visits to historical places, manufacturing facilities, and small start-up companies.

Immersion

Living with host families or in studio apartments offers you the chance to live among Berliners, like a Berliner. Language exchange programs and the “Buddy Program” at the BSEL connect you with local native speakers. Berlin is a big, vibrant city with something for everyone, and many Germans, young and old, are interested in meeting Americans for cultural exchange.

Dates, Deadlines & Fees

We want to make sure you get the most out of your experience when you study abroad with CIEE, which is why we offer the most inclusions in our fees.

• Tuition and housing
• Pre-departure advising and optional on-site airport meet and greet
• Full-time program leadership and support
• Field trips and cultural activities
• CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits

Please note, program dates are subject to change. Please contact your CIEE Study Abroad Advisor before purchasing airfare. Click the button to view more detailed information about dates and fees.

Program

Application Due

Start Date

End Date

Costs

Fall 2013 (24 wks)

Extended to: 05/01/2013

09/06/2013

02/24/2014

$17,850

Program Date Notes

Program Fees

In addition to the items outlined below, the CIEE program fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, orientation, residence permit fees, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

Participation Confirmation *

$300

Educational Costs **

$12,598

Housing ***

$4,850

Insurance

$102

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

* non-refundable

** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

*** Students in the homestay option have two meals per day provided as part of the program fee. No meals are included in the student apartment option.

Estimated Additional Costs

Meals not included in program fee *

$2,600

International Airfare **

$1,450

Local Transportation

$400

Books & Supplies

$300

Personal expenses

$2,800

The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

* For students in apartments. Homestay students should budget $900 per semester for meals not included in fees.

** round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

Spring 2013 (20 wks)

11/01/2012

03/06/2013

07/22/2013

$17,850

Program Date Notes

Program Fees

In addition to the items outlined below, the CIEE program fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, orientation, residence permit fees, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

Participation Confirmation *

$300

Educational Costs **

$12,598

Housing ***

$4,850

Insurance

$102

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

* non-refundable

** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

*** Students in the homestay option have two meals per day provided as part of the program fee. No meals are included in the student apartment option.

Estimated Additional Costs

Meals not included in program fee *

$2,600

International Airfare **

$1,450

Local Transportation

$400

Books & Supplies

$300

Personal expenses

$2,800

The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

* For students in apartments. Homestay students should budget $900 per semester for meals not included in fees.

** round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

Spring 2014

10/01/2013

to be announced

to be announced

Program Date Notes

Program Fees

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

Estimated Additional Costs

The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

Eligibility

• Overall GPA 3.0
• 3 semesters of college-level micro- or macroeconomics, accounting, finance, management, marketing, or statistics

Recommended Credit

Total recommended credit for the semester is 16-17 semester/24-24.5 quarter hours.

Program Requirements

Upon arrival all study abroad students enroll in two weeks of intensive German language following orientation and before the beginning of the BSEL semester. All students continue German Language study during the semester at the Berlin School of Economics and Law.

About The City

Berlin is home to roughly 3.4 million people and has been a place of vigorous growth and change. As the capital of Germany, business and governmental decisions made in Berlin reverberate through the European Union and world. Berlin is increasingly the home to small online start-up businesses with other growth occurring in communications, life sciences and environmental services, media and music, and mobility and business services. As a result of low living costs, excellent public transportation and services, and immediate local access to parks and playgrounds, Berlin is ranked among the top of global urban quality-of-life indices.

Meet The Staff

Benjamin Lorch

Benjamin Lorch heads the CIEE Study Center in Berlin by both developing and leading study abroad, customized and faculty programs in partnership with major Berlin universities and educational institutions.

Lorch is a double graduate of The University of Chicago where he studied urban development policy, sociology and media. His 2004 master's thesis "Vertical Reservations: Imaging Urban Blight and Renewal in Chicago" was praised by Professor W. J. T. Mitchell as demonstrating "…an incisive sense of the meaning of pictures and graphic displays accompanied by a discourse of disease in the urban landscape" and "…an important contribution to our understanding of urban renewal."

Prior to joining CIEE, Lorch served as Managing Director of the Chicago Public Schools | University of Chicago Internet Project, a model program for educational outreach and community partnerships. In 2006, upon being selected as a Robert Bosch Fellow, Lorch returned to his ancestral German roots and moved to Berlin. He worked at the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (International and EU Cooperation Division — Bonn), and then subsequently headed communications and recruited students for the Berlin School of Creative Leadership Executive MBA Program.

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Berlin is a city that wakes up every morning to reinvent itself. It is a city where business and governmental decisions made reverberate strongly throughout the European Union and around the world. As corporations and governments search for new economic models of recovery and sustainability in times of uncertainty, studying in Berlin allows students to witness new businesses grow while older pillars of the German economy shift and adjust their strategies. In addition, students in Berlin are able to contrast political-economic policies based on capitalism, Keynesian intervention and socialist systems in the marketplace of ideas that thrives in Germany’s capital city.

The city serves as headquarters for major German and European firms such Air Berlin, Axel Springer, Deutsche Bahn, Bombardier Transportation, Siemens, Universal Music Germany and Vattenfall Europe and, of course, it is the capital of the largest economy in Europe.

At the crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe, Berlin is influenced by strong and, at times, conflicting political and cultural forces which make it a vibrant city brimming with creativity and an energy that demands reinvention at every turn. You can feel that in Berlin.

It has been said “Paris is always Paris but Berlin is never Berlin!” and indeed, that is true. Come change Berlin. Let Berlin change you.

— Benjamin Lorch, Resident Director

“”

Maren Specht

Maren received her Degree in German and Italian Literature and History of Art from the Free University of Berlin. She studied abroad in Siena/Italy on Socrates Erasmus Scholarship. After working with students at the European Information Center Berlin, she joined CIEE in 2011. She brings a wealth of knowledge about Berlin and Germany to study abroad students and assists the Resident Director in coordinating housing, excursions, cultural activities and program development.

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Andreas Zaby

Professor

Prof. Dr. Andreas Zaby is Vice President, Department of Business and Economics at the BSEL and as such a member of the senior management team of the university in charge of international affairs. He is also Professor for International Management. Prof. Dr. Zaby has deep leadership experience in both the private biopharmaceutical sector and academic research and administration. Zaby is also quite familiar with the U.S. education system hav- ing earned an MBA from the San Diego State University (with distinction and Beta Gamma Sigma). Prof. Dr. Zaby later earned his Ph.D. at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena.

In his role of Academic Advisor for the CIEE study abroad program, Professor Zaby ensures that curricula are rigorous and demanding. In addition, he works with the Resident Director and BSEL International Office to regularly improve the program in response to the needs of CIEE sending institutions and students. Lastly, he serves as the academic and administrative link between CIEE and BSEL at the highest level.

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Where You'll Study

The Berlin School of Economics and Law (Die Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin), with an enrollment of 9,100 students, focuses on business, management, and administration skills for the private and public sectors. The University campus is located in the pleasant neighborhood of Schöneberg/Wilmersdorf, not far from the Rathaus Schöneberg where President Kennedy famously delivered his 1963 “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech at the height of the Cold War. Together with six other German universities, the Berlin School of Economics and Law has formed an “Alliance for Excellence” strongly committed to quality and the international perspective.

Housing & Meals

Study abroad students will be placed in homestays or in furnished studio apartments not more than a 45-minute commute by public transportation from BSEL, which is standard for Berlin. For students staying in apartments, meals are not included in the program fee and are the responsibility of the student. Inexpensive discounted meals can be purchased in the BSEL cafeteria is located on the 5th floor of the main building. This cafeteria is operated by Studentenwerk, the German Student Association. Restaurants near the BSEL and CIEE Study Center also provide reasonable alternatives.

For students in homestays, two meals are provided—generally breakfast and dinner.

Orientations

Each semester begins with a mandatory orientation session organized by CIEE. The orientation includes an introduction to Berlin and German society and culture, first day ‘survival’ skills, and tips on health and safety. Excursions in and around the city serve as a general introduction to the subway system and major points of interest as well as needed resources and amenities. A second orientation to the BSEL is also conducted at the beginning of the semester to inform students of important academic and program-related details.

Internet

You are encouraged to bring a wireless-enabled laptop. Some student apartments and homestays have Internet connections, and wireless Internet and printing capabilities are available at BSEL and the CIEE Study Center.

Culture

Cultural Activities and Field Trips

Throughout the semester CIEE will offer three site visits to important Berlin locations. In each instance you will be introduced and guided by a local Berliner closely connected to the site. These visits may include the East Side Gallery, Local Artists’ Studios, or the Kreuzberg Neighborhood of Berlin.

The BSEL also offers cultural and social activities throughout orientation week and during the semester. Sites include museums, historically significant places, Bundestag/Reichstag, Potsdam, and walking/cycling/river tours of the city.

Overnight Excursion

CIEE will offer one over-night excursion during the semester to expose you to another economically important and culturally significant German city such as Hamburg, Dresden, or Munich. On this trip equal focus will be placed on both cultural and business-focused destinations with site visits to historical places, manufacturing facilities, and small start-up companies.

Immersion

Living with host families or in studio apartments offers you the chance to live among Berliners, like a Berliner. Language exchange programs and the “Buddy Program” at the BSEL connect you with local native speakers. Berlin is a big, vibrant city with something for everyone, and many Germans, young and old, are interested in meeting Americans for cultural exchange.

Academics

All study abroad students begin their semester with an intensive study of the German language at their level of aptitude determined by placement test. Students continue their study of the German language throughout the semester by taking weekly classes offered by the BSEL.

At the Berlin School of Economics and Law, one of the best and most innovative business schools in Germany, CIEE students are provided the opportunity to rigorously study the fundamentals of business practice, administration, and law. Students will study side-by-side with their German and international peers. CIEE students have the opportunity to take a full-range of courses in English, and for those with appropriate ability in German, courses in German are also available. Students interested in taking business and law courses in German are tested upon arrival. Students with a high level of German language proficiency also have access to additional legal studies courses in the Department of Public Administration and Department of Policing and Security Management. These courses, taught in German, are offered on the Berlin-Lichtenberg Campus which is a 25-minute subway ride from the main Berlin-Schöneberg Campus.

Company Visits

CIEE organizes several visits to Berlin companies for students to meet with local executives and managers to better understand German business practice and gain a sense of the decisions and challenges faced by these leaders.

Academic Culture

Like local German students, CIEE study abroad students are expected to study with a high degree of independence and self responsibility, structuring their own progress through course materials. Because classes meet just once a week students are encouraged to engage in ongoing work on homework assignments, research, and reading materials throughout the week.

Nature of Classes

BSEL business courses are offered in seminar style, meeting once a week for a three-hour period of instruction interrupted by a short break. Classes are generally given in the form of an “instructional talk” rather than straight lecture meaning students are able to pose questions and hold discussion with the instructor and their peers. Business courses have up to 40 students whereas the number of students enrolled in each BSEL German language section does not exceed 25.

CIEE Community Language Commitment

In line with the CIEE Community Language Commitment resident staff encourages students to use their language skills in everyday settings and through curricular and extracurricular programming. It is hoped that as student language proficiency increases, engagement with German local speakers will grow correspondingly.

Grading System

Students are graded on the basis of class participation, homework, individual project work, presentations, and mid-term and final examinations.

Language of Instruction

The language of instruction is English, although there are classes offered in German.

Faculty

The University has an academic staff of approximately 170 professors and 500 lecturers, plus nearly 270 research and administrative personnel. Together with six other German universities, the Berlin School of Economics and Law has formed an "Alliance for Excellence" (UAS7). The UAS7 members are strongly committed to quality and the international perspective, fostering joint research projects and encouraging the development of common research strategies.

Course Description

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