Open Campus Block
Unique Experiences
STAY IN BERLIN
for the duration of your study abroad or add on blocks in other CIEE Open Campus Block locations in Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dublin, Kyoto, London, Madrid, Monteverde, Paris, Rome, Santiago, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and Yucatán.
ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECES AND WORLD-CLASS ARTS SCENES
are waiting throughout the city for you to explore.
SEE HOW GERMANY AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
are addressing major healthcare challenges through courses and fieldwork.
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 for global urban quality-of-life. 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. CIEE Berlin is steps from a neighborhood subway station with easy access to the rest of the city. Located in the heart of the Kreuzberg district, CIEE Berlin offers students easy access to a large public market hall, restaurants and cafés, and a variety of shops.
Students may commute to classes or live on campus, where the classrooms, center staff, and social spaces are waiting to welcome you. Regardless of your housing accommodations, an introduction to the public transportation system is provided during orientation and students are responsible for securing their own public transportation pass. Program housing is convenient to public transportation.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Berlin.
The Culture
FEATURED EXCURSION
Each block, students on the Open Campus program are invited to join us either for one overnight excursion to various destinations around Germany or two day trips to destinations closer to Berlin. Though overnight destinations may vary from block to block, some of our favorite destinations 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 are inviting you to various places close to Berlin, such as the beautiful city of Potsdam with its famous Rokoko castle Sanssouci, nearby Lutherstadt Wittenberg, the waterways and forests of Lübbenau, or the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial.
OTHER EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES
Ample activities and day trips will be offered to immerse you in Germany’s culture and historical heritage. Excursions can include:
- Check out famous landmarks such as Checkpoint Charlie, the Jewish Museum Berlin, the Reichstag building, and the historic Mitte district.
- Walk one of the last remaining stretches of the Berlin Wall still in place at the East Side Gallery – the longest open-air art gallery in the world.
- Get an inside-look at Berlin's thriving start-up scene at a networking event or pitch night.
- Learn more about Germany’s difficult modern history at important memorials and sites, such as the memorial and museum at the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
Please note this list of activities is based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to both adapt to local circumstances and participant feedback. Our goal when revising itineraries is always to enhance your experience. Every activity is designed to provide you with a deep immersion in your topic, local culture and sights.
PROJECTS
- Volunteering: 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.
- Internships: Build new skills and intercultural competencies through the CIEE academic 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
An Afternoon Chat with Claire: From Minnesota to Berlin's Heartbeat!
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
Spanish vs. German: Which is Better?
Considering learning a new language, like Spanish or German, during an upcoming study abroad adventure? You’re in the right place! Follow along as we take a closer look at these... keep reading
2 Best CIEE Travel Grants for College Students
If you’re planning for a study abroad adventure, chances are you’re starting to get organized and assess what needs to be done ahead of your travels. And one of the... keep reading
HOUSING & MEALS
HOUSING
CIEE Berlin 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 CIEE Berlin, or (3) - if dorm capacity is exceeded - a double room off-campus in a shared apartment/residence hall located within 45 minutes of CIEE. 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 en-suite 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 or shared apartment on campus at CIEE Berlin, or if dorm capacity is exceeded, off-campus in a private bedroom within a shared apartment located within 45 minutes of CIEE. The on-campus residence hall rooms offer en-suite 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 CIEE Berlin. The on-campus residence hall rooms offer en-suite 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. CIEE provides 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.
Academics
Stay in Berlin for the duration of this unique study abroad experience or add on blocks in other CIEE Open Campus Block program locations (Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dublin, Kyoto, London, Madrid, Monteverde, Paris, Rome, Santiago, Shanghai, Sydney, and Yucatán) to experience more intercultural learning. Students can choose from a variety of disciplines within seven different tracks: Art and Architecture; Business; Communications, Journalism, and New Media; Global and Community Health; International Relations and Political Science; Language, Literature, and Culture; or STEM and Society.
CIEE Berlin: Most courses are taught in English by CIEE faculty; German language classes are available at six different levels; advanced speakers (at least four semesters of college-level German or the equivalent) might have the option of enrolling in CIEE content courses taught in German, depending on availability.
Arizona State University: Enhance your international academic coursework with optional online courses that best align with your degree requirements and interests. ASU offers thousands of online courses in asynchronous 7.5-week sessions that fit within the CIEE academic calendar, so you can study abroad with CIEE while continuing to meet all your academic goals.
Course Information
Course Notes
- Courses are listed below by block and track; course list subject to change. Courses are in English unless otherwise noted. “GI” denotes courses that are offered at multiple CIEE locations.
- Use the Course Comparison Tools to compare classes offered across all Open Campus Block programs for each block:
- Students studying for three blocks who wish to complete a lab course will be required to opt out of one course to remain within the program credit range.
- Most courses are taught face-to-face and offered only for students at one location. CIEE offers some courses in a hybrid format, available to multiple program locations to increase course choices. A hybrid class is taught synchronously in a classroom in one location, and students in the program at other CIEE locations join live online. Hybrid courses can be identified in the course list as those whose course codes end in “CIEE”, and the title will include the location of instruction. Regardless of your location, you will apply what you learn from the instructor and course materials in your location. Co-curricular activities are tailored to each student’s location to promote local, experiential, and intercultural learning for all.
Academic Projects
- Academic Projects will be offered onsite (either in-person or remotely), dependent on availability and in compliance with local health and safety regulations.
- Academic Project placement will be designed based on the student’s project learning goals, qualifications, resume, and availability of placements in location or within the Open Campus Block network, either in-person or remotely. The process is highly individualized and goal-oriented. Students enrolled in an Academic Project will receive additional academic support that informs and enhances the placement experience.
- Students applying for an Academic Project are required to submit additional materials during the course selection process.
Language Classes
- During course selection, students interested in a non-introductory German language course will be instructed to take an online German language assessment to determine their proficiency level. Enrollment will be finalized on-site and is based on assessment outcomes.
- Students may opt into the non-credit Survival German course during the on-site orientation.
Global Architecture + Design (GAD) Courses
- Eligible students may request to enroll in courses offered to the Global Architecture + Design program. All Global Architecture + Design courses have pre-requisites, which will be reviewed by Center Staff for final enrollment on site.
- Typical Global Architecture + Design courses offered are ENVI 3102 BRGE: Design and Sustainability Seminar (Block I), and ARCH 3102 BRGE: Science and Technology Workshop – Computational Design Theory and Application (Block II). More information about these courses can be found on the CIEE Berlin Global Architecture + Design page.
Fall Block I 2024
Business Track
Communications, Journalism, and New Media Track
Global and Community Health Track
International Relations and Political Science Track
Language, Literature, and Culture Track
STEM and Society Track
Fall Block II 2024
Business Track
Communications, Journalism, and New Media Track
Global and Community Health Track
International Relations and Political Science Track
Language, Literature, and Culture Track
STEM and Society Track
Fall Block III 2024
Business Track
Communications, Journalism, and New Media Track
Global and Community Health Track
International Relations and Political Science Track
Language, Literature, and Culture Track
STEM and Society Track
Spring Block I 2025
Business Track
Communications, Journalism, and New Media Track
Global and Community Health Track
International Relations and Political Science Track
Language, Literature, and Culture Track
Spring Block II 2025
Business Track
Communications, Journalism, and New Media Track
Global and Community Health Track
International Relations and Political Science Track
Language, Literature, and Culture Track
STEM and Society Track
Spring Block III 2025
Art and Architecture Track
Business Track
Communications, Journalism, and New Media Track
Global and Community Health Track
International Relations and Political Science Track
Language, Literature, and Culture Track
STEM and Society Track
CIEE proudly partners with ASU to deliver asynchronous, 100% online coursework that aligns with your degree requirements from anywhere you study abroad.
CIEE and ASU offer courses online per program eligibility, at no additional charge. Be sure to review online courses with your home school advisor.
Check the CIEE Program Dates and ASU start dates below to maximize course options within your program!
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and 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 CIEE sites.
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