Spring Semester Abroad: Trier, Germany

Trier has a population of approximately 100,000, and is known as the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 AD. In 1984 it celebrated its 2000th anniversary. It was home to six Roman emperors and has many ruins including the impressive Porta Nigra, a four-story structure that was once part of the city’s walls. “Roma Secunda”, the second Rome, was another name for Trier, and nowhere else in Germany are Roman times so vividly recalled.

Trier is located on the banks of the Moselle River and lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills in the west of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, near the German border with Luxembourg; in fact, the closest city to Trier is the capital of Luxembourg, some 50 km to the southwest. It is also less than a 30 minute drive from France and Belgium, its location offering the most to a student interested in seeing a lot of Europe.

Trier is also the birthplace of Karl Marx and a university town with Trier University and Trier University of Applied Sciences, the Fachhochschule, where KU students will be studying. The KU-Trier Design exchange program has been exchanging students since 2002, with as many as 3-4 abroad at any given time from either side.

Trier University of Applied Sciences (FH-Trier)

About 6,000 students are enrolled on three campuses in Trier, Idar-Oberstein and Birkenfeld making Trier University of Applied Sciences the largest in Rhineland-Palatinate. Due to the location in the middle of Europe, the institution focuses heavily on preparing students for careers not just in Germany, but also in Luxemburg, France and Belgium. FH Trier offers a wide range of courses of study in technology, business, law, design and computer science, while the Environmental Campus of the FH Trier is concentrating on topics related to environmental issues. A course of study at Trier University of Applied Sciences means an education with a strong practical focus combined with a solid theoretical foundation, and includes supervised projects, a practical semester or a study semester abroad.

Academic Program

KU students have taken, but are not limited to, courses in Advanced Typography, Alphabet Design, Photography, and Graphic Design.
The FH-Trier Design Program prepares students for careers in the planning, design and production of visible messages of informative, didactic or advertising character in print media, multidimensional and electronic media.

Accommodations

The International Office at FH-Trier provides assistance to students in finding accommodations. Most students rent rooms in flats with other students. They have found this is the best way to make friends and learn some German.

Dates

Dates for Spring 2008: March 10, 2008 - July 12, 2008

Eligibility

Open to undergraduate or graduate Art and Design students from KU. Minimum 2.5 GPA required (exceptions considered after submission of a petition). No German language proficiency is required for the program.

Cost

$5,650 (includes tuition & fees at KU and Germany, emergency medical assistance coverage and KU orientation prior to departure)
Estimated additional costs include: international airfare, passport, personal expenses, housing and meals, German health insurance, and books/supplies.

Note
All dates, costs, and program information are subject to change as necessary due to fluctuations in the exchange rate or other reasons.

Financial Aid

KU students who qualify for financial aid in the form of Stafford and/or other loans, Pell or SEOG Grants, and scholarships may apply the aid to the cost of a Study Abroad Program.
Limited supplemental scholarships are available to KU undergraduates. Applications are available at the Office of Study Abroad. The scholarship application deadline is March 1 for academic year and October 1 for Spring.

Application Procedures

Deadline for Spring: October 1, 2008

Early application is strongly encouraged.

Applications are available in the KU Office of Study Abroad. You can also download the application.

Applications submitted after the deadline will only be considered with prior approval of the program coordinator at the Office of Study Abroad.

(Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to download an application. If your computer does not have Acrobat Reader you can download it for FREE.)

For More Information Contact:

Patrick Dooley
Professor of Visual Communication
The University of Kansas
School of Fine Arts
Department of Art
Art and Design Building
1467 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045-7531
Phone: 785.864.5652
E-mail: pdooley@ku.edu