Study Away: Trinity-in-Vienna!

Trinity-in-Vienna offers students the opportunity to study at the University of Vienna, one of Europe’s top institutions of higher learning. The program is appropriate for students with an interest in Central Europe who have an interest in Philosophy. There are courses offered in English in the disciplines of Philosophy, International Studies, Political Science, History, American Studies, English, Women & Gender Studies, Human Rights, Economics, and other areas. All students on the program study German; students proficient in German can choose from a full range of University classes.

The Trinity-in-Vienna Global Site was developed by Professors Hyland and Vogt in the Philosophy Department; it sent is first students in Spring 2005. The program each spring semester and typically enrolls 5-10 students per semester.

The City

Vienna has a population of 1.6 million people and is one of Europe’s historical, cultural, intellectual, and geopolitical centers. As the former showpiece of the Hapsburg dynasty, Vienna is a beautiful city with grand avenues, stately parks, impressive monuments, and ornate baroque buildings. The city has produced many preeminent philosophers and is well known for its famous Vienna Circle, the center of the study of logical positivism, a revolutionary philosophical movement of the 1920s and 1930s. Vienna’s cultural life features a choice of 50 theaters, three opera houses, 100 museums, and numerous festivals and other attractions. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Vienna has resumed its role as a bridge between East and West, making Vienna an ideal setting for the study of Central European philosophy, politics, and culture. 

The Program

Course	Credits
Intensive German Language – February Course	1.0 credit
Program Core Class- VIEN 110: Thought and Culture of Vienna	1.0 credit
Philosophy Core Class – VIEN 341: Issues in Contemporary Central European Philosophy (required for philosophy majors; optional for other students)	1.0 credit
Semester German Language (optional)	1.0 credit
1-3 Regular Courses at the University of Vienna	1.0 credit each

Students arrive in Vienna in late January or early February and enroll in an intensive three-week German course at the appropriate level through the Wiener Internationale Hochschulkurse, affiliated with the University of Vienna. The intensive language course gives students a strong foundation in the German language, while allowing continuing German students to further develop their language skills. Once the intensive language course ends, students have the option of continuing their language study for the duration of the semester, which is highly recommended.

All students enroll in the program’s core course, Thought and Culture of Vienna, taught by the Trinity-in-Vienna On-Site Director, Gerhard Unterthurner. This class is offered for students on the program and is designed to introduce them to the city and its rich history, politics, and culture. Philosophy majors and students interested in Philosophy take a Philosophy core course, Issues in Contemporary Central European Philosophy, taught by Professor Erik Vogt at the University of Vienna. In addition, students enroll in 1-2 other classes at the University of Vienna. Classes are offered in English, German, French, and other languages.  Classes typically offer 1.0 credit each.

The program includes excursions in and around Vienna and trips to Salzburg and Graz. Students have the option of completing an exploratory internship for .50 credit in a local museum or cultural organization, as space allows; options include the Jewish Museum and the Freud Museum.

The University of Vienna

The University of Vienna, founded in 1365 by the Habsburg Duke Rudolph IV, enrolls 86,000 students from over 130 different countries and offers more than 135 undergraduate and graduate degrees. The University has six faculties: Economic and Computer Science; Human and Social Studies; Humanities; Catholic Theology; Protestant Theology; Law; and Sciences and Mathematics. The University of Vienna is one Europe’s most attractive urban universities. The main campus, located in the center of the city on the Ringstrasse, is the home of numerous departments, the university administration, the library, and a newly constructed auditorium. In 1998, the University of Vienna opened a nearby campus on the grounds of the former General Hospital; this houses many departments of the Humanities in a popular area full of restaurants and shops.

Program prerequisites

All students must be in good academic and social standing with a preferred minimum GPA of 3.0. Although prior study of German is not required, it is recommended that students have a minimum of one year of college-level German or the equivalent prior to participating in the program.

Program dates

The program begins in late January or early February. Students study intensive German for the first three weeks of the program and begin the Program Core course during this period. Most University of Vienna courses begin in March, but some intensive “block” courses begin later in the semester, including Professor Vogt’s Philosophy Core course. Students complete their studies by late June.

Who’s who on-site

Core Course, Professor Erik Vogt

Professor Vogt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Trinity College. He received his Habilitation from the University of Vienna, and is very familiar with Vienna, the University, and its faculty and staff, especially its Department of Philosophy. Professor Vogt teaches at the University of Vienna each spring at the conclusion of Trinity’s semester, offering the Philosophy core course during this time.

On-Site Director, Gerhard Unterthurner

Gerhard Unterhurner is a faculty member in Philosophy at the University of Vienna. He is fluent in English and familiar with the American academic system. He assists students in housing arrangements, orientation to the city, and registration, and serves as a liaison between the language program, university, and Trinity College. He also teaches the program’s core course. 

Housing and meals

Students live in international student residence halls in Central Vienna. The residence halls are modern with excellent facilities. Students prepare simple meals in the basic kitchen facilities located in the residence halls or eat in local restaurants.

Expenses/Deposits/Financial Aid

Students participating in the Vienna Global Learning Site are billed for Trinity tuition, housing, and fees. Students are responsible for paying for their own meals. Students who receive financial aid from Trinity College will have that aid transferred to the Global Learning Site semester. Application for the transfer of financial aid must be made early and in consultation with the Office of Financial Aid. Upon acceptance to their particular program, all participants will receive detailed information about applicable credits, personal expense estimates, and an orientation packet. 

Application Information

All Trinity students who wish to study away are required to submit a Request for Approval to Study Away by the first week of December of the academic year prior to study. Upon approval, students must submit a program application by the next September 15. Applications are available in the Office of International Programs in 66 Vernon Street. Once accepted, all students will receive a program handbook that includes details on visas, finances, health issues, and other relevant information.

For general questions, contact:

Office of International Programs

Trinity College

300 Summit Street

Hartford, CT 06106

Phone: 860-297-2005

Fax: 860-297-5218

E-mail: oip@trincoll.edu

For academic questions, contact:

Faculty Sponsors: Trinity College Department of Philosophy: Professor Drew Hyland, drew.hyland@trincoll.edu and Associate Professor Erik Vogt, erik.vogt@trincoll.edu

Affiliated Faculty: Trinity College Department of English: Professor Paul Lauter, paul.lauter@trincoll.edu; Trinity College, Department of Language and Culture Studies: Professor Johannes Evelein, johannes.evelein@trincoll.edu

            Program Highlights

• The University of Vienna offers regular courses to students in English (indeed, in three other languages: German, French, and Italian). This allows Trinity College students not yet fluent in German to take regular courses taught in many departments.

• The program integrates Trinity students academically, fully immersing them with degree-seeking students from Austria in classes taught by University of Vienna faculty.

• Students on the program receive excellent intensive courses in German, allowing them to make rapid program in the language.