German Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS7) Study Program (SP)
Study, live, and practice German in one of the world's most livable cities! Make a semester in a German city your best decision yet! Whether you are an Arts, Business, Social Science, or STEM student, UAS7 is an excellent fit for you. Choose from Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Münster, or Osnabrück, each with their unique, vibrant student life and welcoming urban community. German Universities of Applied Sciences 7 offer hundreds of English-language courses, taught by highly experienced faculty who are integral to German scientific and business innovation.
Check out this Recorded Information Session for a summary of the UAS7 program!
Application Deadline
Program Start
Program End
Program Details
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 600+ degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. UAS7 is a world leader 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.
Choose from semester-long Study Program (SP, spring) and Internship Program (IP, spring and summer), and the academic year Study-Internship Program (SIP) at 7 Hochschule (city-universities) in Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Hamburg, Munich, Münster, and Osnabrück. In your UAS7 application, you will identify your top 3 choices for university, based on academic fit. 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.
UAS7 posts a useful Frequently Answered Questions guide.
In most cases, SUNY students who wish to participate in the UAS7-SUNY bilateral consortium exchange must apply through UAlbany.
Note: This webpage features the SP. There are separate webpages for the IP and the SIP. Apply for only one.
Credits from the host university 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). In general, you need at least 24 ECTS for full-time enrollment.
Course Descriptions and Syllabi
Every university offers a different selection of courses. Not all courses at all universities are open to exchange students, so selection may be limited. Review UAS7’s website for more information regarding course offerings. Select the universities that you are interested in, then look at the “Courses in English” column, which will direct you to the available courses for exchange students in those locations.
The following is a general overview of academic programs (offered in English) that are available in each location:
Berlin: Business (Accounting, Administration, Information Systems, International, Management), Criminal Justice, Economics, International Affairs, Law (fall), Political Science, and Security Management (fall)
Bremen: Architecture, Business (Inter-Cultural Competency, International, Management, Organizational Behavior), Computer Science, Engineering (Civil, Electrical, Environmental), General and Interdisciplinary Studies, Media Studies, Life Sciences, and Social Sciences (Political Science). Details on courses taught in English are available here.
Köln/Cologne: Design, and/of/with, Concepts, Ecology, Economy, Gender, Identity, Image and Motion, Interface, Manufacturing, Production Technology, Science, Thesis and Research, Typography and Layout
Hamburg: Art and Design, Business (International), Computer Science and Digital Information (spring), Education (Early), Engineering (Aeronautical, Automotive, Environmental, Information, Mechanical, spring), Health/Life Sciences (spring), Media and Film Studies, Social Welfare (spring)
Munich: Architecture, Business (Administration, Inter-Cultural Competency, International), Computer Science / Information Science and Applied Mathematics, Engineering (including Marketing in fall, Aeronautical and Automotive in spring), Fiber Optics (fall), General and Interdisciplinary Studies, Geology (spring), Mechanics (spring), Social World (spring), and Tourism
Münster: Architecture, Business (Administration, International Organization and Project Management), Computer Science, Design, Engineering (Civil, Chemical, Electrical, Environmental, and Mechanical), Environmental Science, Health/Life Sciences
Osnabrück: Architecture (Landscape), Business (Administration, Management), Design (International), and Engineering (Agricultural/Environmental, Quality)
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.
Your Instructors
UAS7’s 92,000 students, 2,500 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.
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 brahaus (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.
Estimate of Costs
Germany UAS7 All Locations EXCHANGE 2019-20
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.
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 SP eligibility requirements here.
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), 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.
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.
If accepted by UAS7, you will receive a 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.
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.
About the City
As the economic and innovation leader of Europe, Germany is the perfect location for your study abroad semester.
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.
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
Note: The Study Program is generally not available during the fall semester due to the incompatibility of the UAS7 and SUNY academic calendars (the German fall/winter semester ends with exams in February and the SUNY spring semester begins in January).
Spring 2019
03/01/2019 – 07/20/2019
These are approximate dates only. Each UAS7 university has a distinct academic calendar, with orientation beginning in early March, followed by a free German language mini-course, and exams concluding in mid-July. Your exam dates depend on your courses and will not be announced before you make travel plans. Wait to purchase flights until you have received official acceptance from UAS7 and your updated university-specific schedule.
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 the week before the end of Spring UAlbany classes 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.