Application Deadlines
OIE Program Adviser
Links
Location Information
LOCATION INFORMATION
This university is located in Aachen, Germany. To learn more about this city and country, please visit:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_4965.html
http://www.iiepassport.org/pages/sitecontent/country.aspx
http://www.iiepassport.org/pages/sitecontent/cities.aspx
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations
HOST INSTITUTION
For more information about this program, including pictures of Aachen and campus, please click here.
RWTH Aachen University is the largest university of technology in Germany and one of the most renowned technical universities in Europe. It currently has around 28,000 enrolled students, most of them in the field of engineering. Every year, a large number of international students and scientists come to the University to benefit from its high-quality study programmes and excellent facilities, both of which are internationally recognized. Almost 5,000 international students are currently enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and PhD programmes. The proximity of Aachen to the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and its variety of cultural heritages has placed the University in a unique position for international collaboration with other educational and research institutions as well as with business and industry. Aachen's unique location in the "Euregio" border region is apt to enhance and accelerate research activities and technology transfer between Germany, the neighboring states of Belgium and the Netherlands and Europe at large.
RWTH Aachen University was founded as a polytechnical institute (Polytechnikum) in 1870 by an industrial initiative, in a then fringe area of the Prussian heavy industry. As early as 1899, it was granted the right to award doctoral degrees. Re-established after World War II as the Institute of Technology of North Rhine-Westphalia (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen) it soon obtained the status of a university. Within a period of forty years, students numbers increased from around one thousand to 38,000 students in the 1990s. The rapid advance in the sciences and in engineering and the concomitant growth of the departments resulted in the creation of further faculties in engineering and the natural sciences. As early as the 1960s, the university met the increasing societal demands by expanding its range of degree courses. The Faculties of Arts and Humanities and Medicine were founded in the 1960s, followed by the Faculty of Business and Economics in the 1980s.
Teaching and research are characterized by an international, innovative, and interdisciplinary approach and a close cooperation with business and industry. The main educational objective of RWTH Aachen Universitys is to provide solid knowledge of the basic scientific subjects, including the ability to apply this knowledge to engineering problems, and a high level of expertise in the various fields of specialization, fostering the students' capabilities to transfer research results into economic and technical applications. In addition, the intensive interaction between the various fields of study in teaching and research is a direct response to the demands placed on future young professionals. Our engineering professors usually hold leading positions in industry before they become faculty members, and other experts from industry teach special courses which enable students to benefit from their expertise in bringing technological know-how to market. RWTH Aachen University has a long history of close and wide-ranging cooperation with national and international research centres and industries and thus contributes to the success and development of the German economy, increasingly extending this role within the European Union.
HOUSING AND MEALS
Housing
- student housing
- off-campus apartments/rooms for rent
RWTH Aachen University tries to arrange accommodation upon arrival for exchange students. The student has to apply at the Studentenwerk for a room in a student hall of residence. Please note that rooms are in short supply and reservations will be made on a first come, first served basis. Accommodation is always available on the first day of a month. Students booking accommodation in a hall of residence will be invoiced upon arrival and will be required to pay for accommodation at the Students Services (Studentenwerk) during their first day at RWTH Aachen University. The rent depends on the hall of residence (ranging from older buildings to new buildings of higher standard ); the average rent ranges from 250 to 300 euro per month (single room, all meals excluded). The accommodation will comprise a standard single room with a single bed, ward robe, desk, lamp, bed sheets.
Some students prefer to live in a rented accommodation in the local area. There is a good amount of accommodation available within a convenient distance of RWTH Aachen University. The average rent in private accommodation arranged by the accommodation office is about 250.00 to 350.00 Euro per month. If a student confirms a reservation made for private accommodation s/he is in any case obliged to pay the first installment of rent even if s/he does not move in. Upon request the international office may provide students from abroad with addresses of private landladies/landlords in and a round Aachen.
Meals
- NO meal plan
- on-campus dining
Eligibility
- Georgia Tech degree-seeking student.
- Good Academic Standing with a 3.0* (or higher) GPA at time of application
- Undergraduates complete at least two semesters of full-time, regular college-level study prior to participation*
- At least 18 years of age by the program's departure date
- Be able to stay at the host university for the duration of their semester, INCLUDING through their exam period
- Be in Good Standing with the Office of Student Affairs and Housing
- All Non-U.S. Citizens are welcome to apply to participate in an exchange outside of their home country only. This rule applies to all who do not have a U.S. passport, including U.S. Permanent Residents.
- All study abroad participants are required to have a passport prior to any visa deadline dates, and any needed visas prior to departure date (Students are responsible for securing all required travel documents per the host country’s regulations prior to departure).
Academic Info
ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Subject Areas Available:
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- Architecture
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- German
- History, Technology, and Society
- Industrial and Systems Engineering
- International Affairs
- Literature, Communication, and Culture
- Management
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Modern Languages
- Philosophy, Science, and Technology
- Physics
- Psychology
- Sociology
Language and Course Information
In addition to a mandatory German class, students on the RWTH Aachen Summer exchange program conduct a research internship (in English). In order to see the currently available research projects, please click here.
Additional Program Admission Requirements:
- 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate student
- GPA of 3.2 or higher
- Student of a North American university with US or Canadian citizenship
Credit Transfer
CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM
Students on this program will earn 6 credits of research and 4 credits of German, but will need to complete the credit approval process outlined above to determine the exact courses they will receive.
GRADING SYSTEM
RWTH Aachen uses the following grading system listed below:
RWTH Aachen Grade = US Grade
1.0-2.7 = A
2.8-3.9 = B
4.0-4.9 = C
5/6 = F
Program Costs (Estimated)
- Semester program participants must pay tuition to the GT Bursar for each GT semester they are abroad. No other expenses associated with this program are paid to GT; instead, these expenses are paid on site.
- Keep in mind the costs of books, health insurance, food, living expenses, and travel money, as well as pre-departure costs like your passport and visa.
- Following are cost estimates for one semester at the exchange program school that may help you prepare for your term(s) abroad. All costs are in USD.
GT Mandatory Fees
* Miscellaneous
Round-trip airfare
Mandatory Insurance
In-state Total
Out-of-state Total
Additional Financial Information
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) created the Undergraduate Scholarship Program to support undergraduate US and Canadian students interested in studying, doing research, or completing an internship in Germany. The scholarship review committee is looking for students who are currently Sophomores or Juniors in any academic field, are seeking DAAD support for a 4-10 month period in Germany during the German academic year, and demonstrate an interest in contemporary German and European affairs and who explain the significance of their project in Germany to their future studies, research or professional goals. The application deadline is generally in late January for the following academic year. More information about this scholarship opportunity is available on the DAAD web site: click here
The currency in Germany is the Euro (EUR). Exchange rates fluctuate, so check the newspaper or click here.
DON'T FORGET TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS!! See the OIE web site for more info: click here
Visa and Passport Information
- Complete information about how to apply for or renew a U.S. passport is available here.
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You must obtain all proper immigration documents, such as an official passport and a visa if required. Students are responsible for securing all required travel documents per the host country’s regulations. For visa information visit the U.S. State Department website here.
This program only accepts applications with US or Canadian citizens.
U.S. citizens are allowed to stay in Germany for 90 days without a visa. For stays of more than 90 days, you must apply for a visa. For visa information, contact the German Consulate in Atlanta click here Top