| Academics |
Academic Program
UAS7 is a strategic alliance of seven leading German Universities of Applied Sciences committed to excellence in teaching and research. UAS7 offers a broad variety of 500+ degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels across their member universities. UAS7 universities are world leaders in Computer Science/Information Technology, all forms of Design and Engineering, International Business, and various Life and Social Sciences, with unparalleled connections to German as well as global industries and innovations. UAS7 stands for well-established and future-oriented degree programs ‘made in Germany,’ professionally relevant programs and application-oriented courses, international perspectives from a distinctly European and German vantage point, small and effective learning communities, and close relationships to German industry.
If you are a STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math) student, you can go for a semester or a full academic year. Make studying in a German city your best decision yet, by spending the fall semester taking courses and the spring semester interning full-time, *one of the two* – or both!
**Please note that students CANNOT study with UAS7 for the fall semester ONLY due to Academic calendar overlaps. Academic Year programs are only way to make the fall semester possible.**
Look through the 7 different universities of applied sciences to select your top three choices for your program.
Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Münster, or Osnabrück
In your UAS7 application, you will identify your top 3 choices for university, based on your best academic fit. Navigation is easy: You can find out your best fit by searching for English speaking courses that match your interests, as explained below – or German courses, of course. The host university will make the final decision, based on your qualifications. If accepted, you are likely to be placed at your first preference, but you may be offered a spot at your second choice.
Credit Conversions: Many European countries use the ECTS academic credit system. The credits from UAS7 will be converted to SUNY credits as follows: for each course, ECTS credits are divided by 2 and rounded up (Ex.: 6 ECTS = 3 SUNY credits; 5 ECTS credits = 3 SUNY credits; 3 ECTS = 2 SUNY credits). Generally, a minimum of 24 ECTS credits are required to be considered an equivalent to a full-time student in SUNY. This does not mean that UAS7 courses are double the work – the courses just count differently!
Choose from THREE different program options:
Study Program (1 semester)
Internship Program (1 semester/ 2-6 months)
Study and Internship Program (1 academic year / 9 months)
Study Program
This is a one-semester/ semester long opportunity. You must complete a Study Plan with possible courses to take during your study period at a UAS7 university.
It is not necessary, but recommended, to speak German in order to participate in these programs. You may choose courses in English or German.
You can enroll in an intensive German course before the term starts or enroll in a German course during the semester - the sooner you register for those the better.
Browse through the English academic course offerings HERE. Please let us know if you consider taking classes in German.
Internship Program
These opportunities vary between 2 and 6 months. Hands-on research opportunities are available in laboratories and research institutes run by faculty on UAS7 campuses. Internships offered by UAS7 member faculty allow IP participants to work in and alongside teams in our campus research laboratories and institutes.
In most cases academic credit can be issued for successfully completed internships.
This is a full-time internship, complete with a full-time credit load and full-time tuition, whether in the fall, spring, or summer semester. There is no non-credit/non-tuition option. In order to earn 12 SUNY credits, you should expect to spend at least 360 hours in your internship/research. These hours may not always be spent in the university lab or research institute but generally most will be. You may also have expeditions or excursions where you accompany your internship supervisor and fellow research team members, and you may sometimes work unsupervised. You can earn up to 15 SUNY credits by interning/researching for more hours (a total of 450+) and/or by submitting a capstone project that will be evaluated by your research supervisor.
The research internships have a duration of 2-6 months. The exact length and timing of your research internship is determined by the professor offering the internship, but in many cases there is some flexibility.
Browse through the internship offerings HERE.
Study and Internship Program
In this one-year opportunity, spend your Fall semester (‘Winter semester’ in Germany) taking courses at one of the UAS7 universities, then complete a full-time internship in the Spring semester (‘Summer semester’ in Germany).
You must complete a Study Plan with possible courses to take during your study period at a UAS7 university.
It is not necessary, but recommended, to speak German in order to participate in these programs. You may choose courses in English or German.
You can enroll in an intensive German course before the term starts or enroll in a German course during the semester - the sooner you register for those the better.
Browse through the course offerings HERE.
You may choose between two internship program options.
SIP Lab: Intern in one of the UAS7 labs. You must apply for a position in the lab within your program application to UAS7.
SIP Company: Intern in a company in Germany. You are responsible for finding your own internship (the professors at UAS7 would be happy to help you search). You may apply for the internships after your arrival in Germany.Internships with corporations typically last 5 to 6 months, but UAS 7 research internships may run from 2 to 6 months.
Review the UAS7 SIP website for more information regarding this unique combined opportunity.
Please reference the UAS7 Frequently Answered Questions
Note: These offerings are subject to change, based on the scope and schedule of the researchers' projects.
Course Descriptions and Syllabi
You may also choose to enroll in an intensive German language course before the beginning of the study term and/or a during the study semester.
UAS7 Course offerings for the Study Program and Study Internship Program can be found HERE. If you happen to be a good German speaker, please let us/ UAS7/ UAlbany office know, and we assist you in finding the right classes in German for you – and course selection will be even larger then.
General Education Information for UAlbany Students
Credits earned on this program will automatically satisfy the International Perspectives requirement. Three credits of foreign language study will satisfy the Foreign Language requirement. No additional approval is required for you to earn these general elective credits.
Major/Minor Information for UAlbany Students
Courses may also satisfy major and minor requirements, upon approval by the department.
Transcript
All courses taken abroad count towards UAlbany General Elective credits. Credits and grades will appear on your UAlbany transcript. You may file a request to have additional courses approved for equivalency as necessary.
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| Faculty |
Your Instructors
UAS7’s 111,000 students, 2,400 full-time faculty members, as well as several thousand part-time lecturers from local industry, study, teach, and research in Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Münster, and Osnabrück. German and international faculty also supervise research and internships for both degree and exchange students. UAS7 faculty all bring extensive experience in their respective fields, and their research as faculty members often sustains private and public sector connections. Altogether, UAS7 members maintain cooperative relationships with over 1,000 companies, from multinational firms like Airbus to 'hidden champions' who are often global leaders in their market niches. |
| Accommodations |
Housing
You will be prompted to apply for housing once accepted by UAS7. Accommodation in university dorms is provided on a first-come, first-served basis and is not guaranteed. You may choose to share an apartment with other students or to stay with a host family. Most international offices maintain an online inventory of student apartments and host families. A variety of neighborhoods are quite livable and convenient due to high-speed trains, buses, and bike-friendly streets. Your semester ticket fee entitles you to a student card and free access to city and even some regional transportation.
Meals
You can dine in university cafeterias and nearby cafes, restaurants, and brauhauser (taverns). You can purchase food at local stores and cook in your shared apartment, if you choose that option. In home stays, host family members usually serve meals as part of your room and board.
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| Costs |
Estimate of Costs
Germany UAS7 All Locations EXCHANGE Estimate of Cost
More Information
Click for more information on Program Costs and Financial Aid.
Remember to speak with the Office of Financial Aid at your home campus to determine how your aid package could apply towards your program abroad.
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| Eligibility |
Academic Requirements
This is a rigorous study abroad program. You should be a sophomore or above and have a strong academic record in order to apply. A GPA of 3.0 or above is preferred.
There is no language requirement but prior experience with German is a plus. If you are proposing to take coursework in German, then you will need to demonstrate adequate proficiency during the application process.
Learn more about UAS7 eligibility requirements HERE.
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| Excursions |
Experiential Learning
Experiential or applied learning is at the heart of UAS7 education. Through the semester Internship Program (IP) and academic year Study-Internship Program (SIP), you can conduct research in a university laboratory or intern at a corporation that is closely affiliated with UAS7 faculty. In the semester Study Program (SP) and academic year Study-Internship Program (SIP), you can choose a hands-on, problem-based course and work on an interdisciplinary, international research team. In 2018, SUNY students participated in UAS Bremen's Airbus Café and HAW Hamburg’s MARS Lab.
Student Clubs and Organizations
There are various UAS7 student interest groups that you can join. There are also activities and excursions for visiting international students as well as a We Buddy program, in which degree students welcome exchange students and help them adjust to German academics and student life. |
| Scholarships |
Funding Opportunities
Most financial aid and academic awards will apply to semester programs.
External scholarships, listed on our website, are a good way to partially fund your study abroad experience. In addition, the Center for International Education and Global Strategy offers two scholarship programs for UAlbany students studying abroad on UAlbany or 4-year SUNY programs.
More information on applying to these scholarships is located on the Scholarships web page.
University at Albany and SUNY students will be considered priority over non-partner students for the UAS7 Travel Scholarship in the amount of 1,000 Euros. The scholarship will be distributed by the university's international office, after you arrive in Germany. In reciprocity, you will author an essay on your UAS7 experience at the end of your stay. In Germany, you can open a short-term bank account (for international students) to deposit these and other funds.
Check out the Gilman Scholarship program for options in Germany and around the world.
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| Testimonials |
In Their Own Words
In 2018, SUNY students participating on the Study Program joined UAS Bremen's Airbus Café and HAW Hamburg’s MARS Lab. Alumni stories from UAlbany students are coming soon.
View video testimonials from SUNY and other U.S. college students who participated on UAS7's Study, Internship or Study Internship Programs. Please keep checking the UAS7 website and social media for more recent videos.
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| Contact |
Speak with an Advisor
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| Location |
About the City
As the economic and innovation leader of Europe, Germany is the perfect location for your study and internship year abroad.
Berlin: Global, glamorous, and grounded, Germany’s capital and most populated city is an E.U. center for economic and artistic innovation, the ideal place to study business, economics, law, and political science.
Bremen: Once the medieval maritime trade center of the northwest, now a bicycle haven, this Free Hanseatic City-State was dubbed Germany’s first ‘City of Science’ due its high concentration of tech industries and innovations.
Köln/Cologne: Heralded as Germany’s cultural capital as well as its oldest and most cheerful city, Cologne’s prime location along the picturesque Rhine has made it a natural center for creativity and productivity for centuries.
Hamburg: As Germany’s second largest city, with the second largest port in Europe, and thousands of bridges uniting ancient and new neighborhoods, Hamburg keeps evolving as a magnet for industry, science, arts, and nightlife.
Munich: Best known for Oktoberfest and BMW, Bavaria’s capital city is also home to world-class cuisine, museums, parks, architecture, and universities. Munich repetitively places in the top 10 cities in the world for quality of life.
Münster: The capital of Westphalia is celebrated as a cultural, green, bicycle friendly, and lively ‘student city,’ with ‘cosmopolitan internationality’ and ancient Germanic history equally apparent in nearly every neighborhood.
Osnabrück: The Saxons’ 'City of Peace’ stands apart as a pioneer in innovation, production, and urban planning, open to new ideas and newcomers, while preserving its medieval architecture and distinctly German identity.
Travel Documents
A valid passport is required to participate in this program. If you are a U.S. citizen, you do not a visa in order to enter Germany. Soon after arriving in Germany, you must register your address at the local Rathaus (City Hall) in order to receive your Residence Permit. The Resident Permit entitles you to stay in Germany for a specified time period, whether for study, research, or internship, and to travel throughout the European Union (according to each E.U. member-nation's rules). If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may need to apply for a visa once accepted into the program, as well as obtain a Residence Permit once in Germany. More information regarding visa and resident permit eligibility and application processes is available upon acceptance to the program.
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| Duration |
Application Availability
Applications become available online one semester before the program start date, based on the following timeline:
- Spring/Winter/Spring Break programs: July
- Fall/Year/Summer programs: December
Program Dates
Program dates vary per UAS 7 University. Please see the linked Academic Calendars below for reference.
Semester start and end dates vary throughout the 7 different universities.
Please see the Academic Calendar for the individual universities below:
Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Cologne (Koln), Munich, Munster, Osnabruck
In Germany, the Fall Semester is called the Winter Semester, and the Spring Semester is called the Summer Semester.
The German Fall semester (aka Winter Semester) normally overlaps with the US Spring semester, making it difficult for students to study for the fall semester only. It is recommended to either apply for the full Academic year, or for only the Spring semester.
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| Overview |
About the Program
German Universities of Applied Sciences 7 is a consortium of independent collaborative universities, each a global leader in Design, International Business, and STEM. German UAS7 excels at experiential education and innovative research partnerships with German and multinational industries. The SUNY-UAS7 Exchange allows SUNY students to study or research/intern for a semester or a year at one of seven German city-universities, which offer rigorous courses and a vibrant student life. Take advantage of the UAS7 Travel Scholarship to come to Germany for this opportunity of a lifetime.
Check out this Recorded Information Session for a summary of the UAS7 program!
Program Orientations
Upon acceptance to the program, you will be required to attend a mandatory pre-departure orientation. During this time, you will have the opportunity to meet other program participants, discuss in-depth the details of your program, and prepare of the overall education abroad experience. The fall semester pre-departure orientation will be conducted in late April/early May and in late November/early December for the spring term abroad.
Upon arrival at your host UAS, you will attend a mandatory program orientation. This is an important and informative set of sessions organized by International Office of your host university.
Support Services
UAlbany’s Office of Education Abroad staff assists you during the application process, in your preparation to travel abroad, and on-site if necessary. The UAS International Office staff serve as an experienced resource for resolving issues that you may encounter in while abroad.
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