Academic Year in Germany
Founded in 1959 in Mainz, the Middlebury School in Germany provides students with the opportunity to live, study, and socialize with Germans and immerse themselves completely in the local culture.
This program is intended for students with a well-developed proficiency in German who can adhere to the Middlebury Language Pledge® while they are abroad. The program is available only for the full year.
Graduates earn a total of 9 credits during their year abroad. One credit is earned by a mandatory first semester course on academic writing, and the other 8 credits are earned by taking mainstream courses at Middlebury’s partner institutions in either Mainz or Potsdam.
Students supplement their cultural and language immersion through cocurricular activities, internships, or volunteer work.
Mainz
In Mainz (‘Das ist Mainz!’) is a city at the heart of the Rhine area and about 30 minutes from Frankfurt International Airport. Students experience the legendary Gemütlichkeit of the Rhineland while enrolling in courses alongside their German peers in all fields offering courses conducive to their German Studies focus at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität. Read more about the Mainz program.
Potsdam
In Potsdam, a 20 minute train ride from Berlin Zoologischer Garten, students get the best of both the Brandenburg and Berlin state: enrolling at the University of Potsdam in any number of disciplines conducive to their German Studies focus, students may opt to take a break while enjoying the Mediterranean flair of the park surrounding the Neue Palais and Sans Souci Castle, and/or choose to spend the afternoon on Berlin’s museum island and enjoy a gig in one of Berlin’s music clubs at night. Read more about the Potsdam program.
Guidelines and Handbook
Please review Middlebury’s Schools Abroad General Handbook and the School in Germany handbook.
Housing and Student Life
Most students in Germany live in dormitories, which provides contact with German university life. Students can also choose their own housing in apartments with students or young professionals, but to maximize linguistic and cultural immersion no one is permitted to share accommodation with another English speaker. See Dates and Fees for estimated expenses. Read more about student life and housing at Middlebury’s School in Germany.