Dresden Summer Program

Dresden Summer Program

The Dresden Summer Program  

Dresden-study-abroad-group-2006
Dresden, capital city of the state of Saxony, affectionately known as “Florence on the Elbe”, offers a myriad of opportunities for exploration - from its world-famous art collections to open air cinema and concerts on the river Elbe, from flea markets to opera, from the nightlife of the distinctly alternative Neustadt area to the baroque splendor of the Zwinger and Pillnitz Palace. Administered by GLL and Ohio State's Office of International Affairs (OIA), the Dresden Summer Language Program in Germany has taken place since 1995, which is to say, it started three years after Columbus and Dresden became sister-cities. Much has been achieved in the 25 years that the Program's has been running but there is no better indicator of its success than the number of participants who return to campus and continue their studies of German language and culture beyond the fulfillment of a language requirement and carry on for a minor or a major in German.

This eight-week, intensive language and culture course is offered at the Technische Universität Dresden (TUD), providing up to 25 beginning and intermediate German language students with the opportunity to increase their language abilities, study the recent history of Dresden and Saxony in general, and experience contemporary German life and culture. In addition to classroom instruction offered by OSU German instructors and guest lecturers, students participate in weekly group field trips and have ample opportunity to explore on their own.

Blog Links

the 2025 Blog is here! ♫

Check out these student-produced blogs of past year's trips: 

the 2024 Blog 
the 2023 Blog  

-- Covid-related bans on international travel and variant waves forced cancellations in the summers of 2020, 2021 and 2022 --

Dresden Study Abroad University

the 2019 Blog
the 2018 Blog
the 2017 Blog
the 2016 Blog
the 2015 Blog
the 2014 Blog

Financial Assistance & Orientation Sessions in Autumn

The program is supported by the Max Kade Foundation, which has provided generous financial assistance to each student for every year that the Program has been operating. There are also numerous grants and stipends available to students participating in this summer program, information about which is made available at the orientation sessions which we hold during the autumn semester. 

The application deadline for the Program can be found on the OIA webpage here at the very bottom.

Dr. Andy Spencer
Resident Director 1998 - 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025
spencer.4@osu.edu

Office of International Affairs

Some links that may be of interest to you if you wish to study in Dresden this coming summer!