International Education
Semester Program in Heidelberg, Germany

Academics at the University of Heidelberg

The University of Heidelberg, founded in 1386, is the oldest known university in Germany. It is known as an important center for modern research and teaching. The university enrolls 25,000 students with some 4,500 international students from 130 countries. It is one of the most popular German universities among students from abroad.

SMCM students who have completed at least two years of university-level German language study may apply for a semester or an academic year at Heidelberg. Students are eligible to take a broad range of classes taught in German to further their language skills while they work within their academic fields.

The university offers international students special courses of study and degrees. In addition to its program for German as a Foreign Language, there is a growing number of courses offered in English.

Students have the option of taking a free, month-long intensive language course at Max Weber Haus prior to the beginning of each term. You will then enroll directly into classes at the university.

There are three types of classes at Heidelberg: Vorlesungen, Seminare, and Ubungen.

Vorlesungen:
This is strictly a lecture class. The information is generally basic and intended as background information. There is rarely interaction between the professor and students. No written work is submitted and there are no tests.

Seminare:
There are different levels of Seminare—Proseminare (for beginning students), Hauptseminare, and Oberseminare (for advanced students). These classes involve more interaction between professor and student than a Vorlesungen; you generally will have to give a presentation and turn in a paper at the end of the semester.

Ubungen:
These classes are to help students practice in a certain area, such as, for example, pronunciation. Some literature classes are a combination of Vorlesungen and Ubungen, which usually entails the professor giving an introduction to the text and then following up with a class discussion.

Academic Credit for Coursework Abroad*

Credits earned abroad will count toward your degree at St. Mary's, often fulfilling Core Curriculum, major requirements, or elective credit. Each course is evaluated for its equivalency at St. Mary's.

To transfer credits to St. Mary's, SMCM students complete the Pre-Approval of Transfer Credit Form and e-mail it to the Registrar's Office and the Office of International Education. The registrar will work with the department chairs to determine equivalencies for individual courses taught abroad.  As stated in the catalog, the college may refuse to grant credit for study-abroad courses taken by the student that have not been pre-approved. 

*In addition to submitting a pre-approval of transfer credit form, students attending the University of Heidelberg must obtain Scheine (certificates of completion) from their Heidelberg professors at the end of each semester. The Scheine must be turned into the university's academic office that oversees international exchange students for a transcript to be generated. This must be done before the student leaves Heidelberg. For details on this process, see the Blackboard course for Heidelberg under Academics on transferring credits, or visit the SMCM International Education Office.  

More information about how to ensure credits earned abroad transfer successfully to St. Mary's is available in the college catalog under Academic Policies and on the Pre-departure Blackboard course.