Summer schools, also known as winter schools in the southern hemisphere, are mini-semesters that universities around the world offer during the holiday season. International students are often warmly welcomed and can gain a lot of academic and personal experience within just a few weeks. You can earn credit points, deepen your knowledge, get a taste of other subjects, expand your worldwide circle of friends and get to know foreign cities and countries. A thirst for knowledge and a love of travel can be perfectly combined in this compressed alternative to an Erasmus stay .
Europe
Heavy metal history in Helsinki
When it comes to where to stay, Finland probably isn't immediately on your radar. Wrongly. Because: The education system is excellent, the “you” rules in the seminar and, outside of it, there is plenty of culture and nature. The 21 summer courses at the University of Helsinki offer the opportunity to get to know each other, including crazy ones like “Heavy Metal Music in Contemporary History and Society” or “Science Fiction in Literature and Culture”.
Period: August 4th to 20th, 2015
Course fee: €640*
You can register here .
Entrepreneurship basics in Utrecht
Utrecht University, the second largest in the Netherlands, has one of the most extensive summer school offerings in Europe. Over 180 courses cover almost every interest – from “Why we need bees” to “Kick Start Your Business Venture Through Evidence Based Entrepreneurship”. The courses last one to six weeks. If you stay that long, you should do as the locals do and buy a “Fiets”, a bicycle ;).
Period: June 1st to August 31st, 2015
Course fee: €350 to €3,510*
You can register here .
App development in Leeds
Ok, the fun isn't cheap. The Scottish Leeds and its university score points with two top 10 placements: as a city that you absolutely have to see according to Lonley Planet, and as a research institution that is one of the best in the United Kingdom. Twelve courses are on the summer curriculum, e.g. B. “Smartphone Applications” or “Electronic Music: History and Practice”.
Period: July 3rd to August 2nd, 2015
Course fee: approx. €3,596*
You can register here .
Everything about the EU in Brussels and Geneva
How does the EU work? What does EU economic law contain? How does the World Trade Organization work? These questions will be addressed in three summer courses taking place in Brussels and Geneva. In order to give a live insight into politics and economics, it also includes attending conferences and international organizations.
Period: June 27 to July 17, 2015
Course fee: €200 to €1,200*
You can register here .
Banking, macroeconomics & Co. in Barcelona
Banking regulation and risk management, time series and panel data analysis, democratization and corruption – the seminars at the Garduate School of Economics in Barcelona revolve around these and other topics. Courses can be taken in the areas of banking, labor market theory, macro and micro economics, and political economy. And after work? Tapas, sangria, La Rambla and Gaudi buildings.
Period: June 29 to July 10, 2015
Course fee: €625 to €1,100*
You can register here .
Make your own short film in Tallinn
- until July 31, 2015
The Tallinn University Summer School offers courses in all possible areas: you can improve your English or learn Chinese, learn how to compose or make a short film, develop your own app or plan to build a house made only from natural materials. A good argument for the Estonian capital: the course fee is unbeatably cheap.
Course fee: €80 to €600*
You can register here .
Australia
After university to Bondi Beach in Sydney
Ok, the fun really isn't cheap. The Winter School at the University of Sydney offers a lot of interesting seminars for almost every field of study. Further bonus points: plenty of culture, a vibrant nightlife and over 170 beaches in the urban area of the Pacific metropolis alone. The exact course program will be online from April 2015.
Period: June 29 to July 24, 2015
Course fee: approx. 2,200 to 3,600 €*
You can register here .
Asia
Peace psychology in Haifa
The summer mini-semester program at the University of Haifa is small and fine and focuses primarily on issues relating to the Israel conflict. In addition to courses on “Green Technologies” or “Business Networks”, you can also take “Terrorism and Responses” or “Peace Psychology” and discuss current regional and global political issues.
Period: June 8th to July 2nd, 2015
Course fee: approx. €1,300*
You can register here .
Business and calligraphy in Shangha i
For China fans, the Antai Global Summer School at Jiaotong University Shanghai is a unique experience, because within three weeks you get to know the “Middle Kingdom” in almost all its facets. Economics and learning Chinese are on the curriculum, as is the culture of the vast empire. Visits to companies and sightseeing tours provide practical insights; Chinese cooking is taught in workshops or the traditional art of penmanship is introduced.
Period: July 5th to July 24th, 2015
Course fee: approx. €1,800*
You can register here .
Southeast Asia excursion from Singapore
The “FASStrack Asia” summer school at the University of Singapore focuses not only on the city state, but also on the whole of Southeast Asia. The courses are aimed primarily at students of political science, linguistics and economics. Frontal teaching is rare; the whole thing is rather experience-oriented. This often includes learning units outside the classroom or even tours through China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Myanmar or Cambodia/Thailand.
Period: June 22 to July 24, 2015
Course fee: approx. €2,200*
You can register here .
North America
Get a taste of elite university life at Harvard
- June to August 8, 2015
Harvard – the name is already a real house number when it comes to academic image and the amount of tuition fees. Anyone who has studied here can be almost certain: the application will end up high on the pile in the human resources department. During the summer semester holidays, the Ivy League university offers over 300 courses from a wide variety of subject areas. Some of the seminars are so-called “hybrid courses”, meaning they take place partly on the historic campus and partly online via video or web conferences.
Period: June 20 to August 8, 2015
Course fee: approx. 2,200 to 4,800 €*
You can register here .
California Dreamin' and Learnin' in Berkeley
The University of Berkeley is one of the world's leading universities, particularly in business, computer science, engineering and mathematics. However, the 600 summer courses advertised also cover many other disciplines. And beyond the seminar room? San Francisco, San Jose, Sillicon Valley, a road trip along the Pacific coast…
Period: May 26 to August 14, 2015
Course fee: from approx. €2,000*
You can register here .
* There are also costs for flights, visas and accommodation, and sometimes other fees charged by the respective university. However, in some cases special scholarships can be applied for.
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- Global Village: International Student Organizations / Worldwide Events
Summer schools are mini-semesters that universities around the world offer during the holiday season.
