CIEE Berlin

After acceptance to study abroad as an Illinois student to a CIEE program, you will need to submit a host provider application as well. Navigate to the Host Provider Application with the link below.

CIEE Application

Application Notes

• • Once on the application page, you'll need to create an account as a new user. You'll come back to this account to complete various requirements as part of the application. Application requirements may vary based on the program you are applying to.

  • The Illinois study abroad office will forward your official transcript over to CIEE for you, so you should not have to include that in your CIEE application.

CIEE has significant opportunities in scholarships, and has awarded more than $9 million in awards for 2018-19. There is one application for consideration of all scholarships, and an overview of how to apply can be found on their scholarships webpage. Below is a sample list:

• • Academic Honors Scholarships

  • Guaranteed GAIN travel grants for Pell-eligible students

  • CIEE Gilman Go Global grants for Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship eligible applicants

There are two grants of up to $3,000 set aside each semester by CIEE for Illinois students who apply to study for a full, 3-block semester on this program in Berlin. For a 2-block semester, the grant is prorated.

Scholarship application deadlines

• • Summer & Fall - April 1

  • Winter/Spring - October 15

  • Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship - February 14

In addition to scholarships, CIEE will occasionally offer flight vouchers. Be on the look-out for these promotions prior to starting your study abroad application with CIEE. You'll need to use the application link provided as part of the promotion versus the application link listed in the host application process instructions.

Program Dates

• • Spring 2021 Block 1: tbd

  • Spring 2021 Block 2: tbd

  • Spring 2021 Block 3: tbd

  • Summer 2021 Session 1: tbd

  • Summer 2021 Session 2: tbd

  • Summer 2021 Session 3: tbd

  • Fall 2021 Block 1: tbd

  • Fall 2021 Block 2: tbd

  • Fall 2021 Block 3: tbd

Arrival information, including where to go for your airport pick-up on the scheduled days, and about the orientation schedule will come from CIEE. Therefore, do not book your airline tickets until first verifying the expected arrival and departure dates with them.

Housing

• • Residence Hall: Students live in double, triple, or quad rooms with en-suite bathrooms and shower facilities. Lounges and kitchens allow students to mingle over meals, cultural activities, study groups, and special events. Larger common areas are on the ground floor and inner courtyards offer comfortable spaces to work and relax.

  • Homestay (Semesters Only): A limited number of homestays are available, with preference given to those whose universities require living with a local family. Students can indicate their preferences in the pre-departure housing survey.

  • Apartments (Semesters Only): Students may also be housed in shared apartments. Final housing assignments are solely at the discretion of CIEE

Meals

• • Residence hall: Meals are not included. Rather students can prepare their own meals in the full kitchens. CIEE provides basic cooking utensils and cleaning supplies. Students also may get coffee, tea, soft drinks, snacks, and sandwiches at the on-site café, or explore the myriad restaurants in the Kreuzberg neighborhood.

  • Homestay (Semesters Only): Students who live with homestay families receive breakfast and dinner daily.

Student Voices on Housing (Fall/Spring semester)

• • I was located in a neighborhood just south of the center of Berlin (Kreuzberg). There was great security, and was located in a very safe area of the city ‐ to be frank there aren't many dangerous parts of Berlin. There were no meals provided. My roommate and I got along wonderfully. Compared to the U.S., it was quite similar except for the fact that it was a dorm and no meal plan.

  • Make sure that you get to know your roommate and do not be afraid to switch if need be because it is close quarters and you want to enjoy your study abroad experience.

Semester students are required to enroll in two courses each block. Students attending the program for all three blocks in a semester may select one block in which to enroll in only one course. Summer students must enroll in one 3-credit CIEE course per session. Be sure to view notes on CIEE's courses on their webpage for semesters or summers.

Class Format

• • Courses taught at the CIEE Global Institute are typically for CIEE students only. Classes are scheduled Monday-Friday and meet either two, three, or four times per week, and attendance is strictly enforced both for classes and required co-curricular excursions.

  • For semester students, you should expect an average of two hours of preparation required for each hour in class. Instruction is supported and augmented online by CIEE's learning management system, Canvas.

Grading

• • The U.S. grading scale of A-F is used. Students are graded on the basis of attendance, class participation, homework, project work, presentations, and mid-term and final examinations. Learning outcomes assessment is continuous through personal reflections, evaluation feedback, self-assessment, and requirements as set out in course syllabi.

Academic Culture

• • Each six-week course (four weeks for summer) is a full semester in content, so the pace is accelerated and the workload is demanding. CIEE courses are designed to follow U.S. academic culture and standards. The class environment typically features a combination of traditional lecture and discussion with co-curricular excursions and activities. Heavy emphasis is placed on student participation. To avoid falling behind, students should not plan personal travel out of Berlin when classes are in session and, for semester programs, plan trips for the long weekends in between blocks.

Transcripts

• • Transcripts will be sent to Illinois automatically after the end of the program. However, the time for receipt and processing can take a few months. Be patient, and you can track to see when your transcript is received by the Office of the Registrar by when the digital copy is uploaded into your My Study Abroad documents.

Student Voices on Academics (Fall/Spring semesters)

• • This depended from block to block. For the first 6 weeks of my program I had class 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday (in the morning everyday from 9‐1130 and then Monday and Wednesday from 4‐7). The next 6 weeks I had class 5 days a week. This consisted of class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1230‐3pm and then Tuesday and Thursday from 4‐7. My last 6 weeks I only had one class on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4‐7pm.

  • The campus was definitely an American bubble because it was only American students, but it was easy to get out into the city and explore.

  • Difficulty of classes: They were absolutely all over the place. There were some classes that required a lot of work and others that required nearly none at all. It appeared to be due to the subject of the course and the instructor. It was difficult to get a feel of grading, as well, because there were so many different students from so many schools across the country that it was a mess to have a standard for what was considered an A.

Student course recommendations: (Which course(s) that you completed abroad did you find most interesting/meaningful?)

• • I thought that the most interesting class I took was my Music and Society class because it made me look at the institution of music in a completely different manner than I had for the rest of my life. It was so interesting.

Excursions can include:

• • Visit the German Institute for International and Security Affairs to discuss cyber security.

  • Walk along the East Side Gallery – the longest existing stretch of the Berlin Wall – with a local artist and political activist.

  • Tour Jamba!, a ring-tone creator and marketing firm that has become one of Berlin’s most successful tech start-ups, and more.

  • Students living in the residence hall can experience a weekend homestay with a local German family.

CIEE Student Blogs

Previous Illinois Student Quotes

• • Berlin was very different than more European cities because most places will not take credit cards, but other than this everywhere will take card so I just recommend having a credit card that doesn't have an international transaction fee and having a spreadsheet of your finances and making sure you don't go over your budget for the week.

  • Berlin is a beautiful place where everything goes. Truly, everyone is included and you can have total freedom to express yourself.

  • CIEE advising was wonderful and they also were just great to get to know. Because the program was so small it was awesome because everyone was on a first name basis with everyone.

  • Get out into nature and the museums to see how much different it is.