BYU Vienna Study Abroad Information

The Shock of the New: Art and Revolution in Vienna

Study Abroad Summer 2011

Dates:
Summer Term    20 June–10 August 2011

What Is Study Abroad?
One of the main benefits of studying abroad is the opportunity of working closely with BYU professors. As a result of small class sizes and students/professor interaction, you will get to know your professors well. Furthermore, each course features learning experiences designed to actively involve you with the people, history, arts, attitudes, and traditions of your host country.

While studying abroad, an important part of your educational experience will include visiting sites related to your course work. Visits to cultural sites as well as other field trips such as museums, cathedrals, monuments, and theatres related to your course work will be enhanced by studying about the places before and discussing them after your visits.

Vienna, Austria
From the moment you arrive in Vienna, you know that you are in an imperial city. Stroll through the city center; the majestic cathedrals, lavish palaces, grand theatres and vast museums all testify to the power and dominance of the Habsburg Empire, whose influence extended throughout Europe until the end of World War I. But Vienna is a city not only of rulers, but also of revolutionaries--in politics, culture, and the arts. Vienna is the city where Mozart simultaneously worked for the emperor, and created operas that lampooned aristocrats and championed the common man. It’s the city where self-titled “Secessionists” like Gustav Klimt and Otto Wagner met in cafés to plan their assault on academic painting and traditional architecture. It’s the city where Freud first shocked the world with his exploration of the human psyche. In short, Vienna is a city of magnificent contrasts that will breathe life into your understanding of the development of Western history and culture.


Program Details
•    This program is open to all BYU students. The course offerings will seek to satisfy a variety of General Education requirements.
•    Students will take a course in either beginning or intermediate German, as well as a course focused on Vienna’s place in the cultural history of Europe.
•    Your work in the classroom will be augmented by many experiences outside the classroom. Leave the Power Point slides behind and see real masterpieces live and in person in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Leopold, the Albertina, and the Belvedere. We’ll attend concerts in vast music halls and soaring cathedrals. And we’ll introduce you to the many unique offerings of life in Vienna, from the cakes and conversation of its café culture, to the joys of swimming in the Danube, shopping for food at the vast Naschmarkt (outdoor food market), or taking  a ride on the giant wheel at the Prater (Vienna’s amusement park).
•    The program includes a short bike tour through the Austrian countryside to the magnificent Melk Abbey, a monastery overlooking the Danube.
•    As part of the program, we will also travel to Salzburg for the opening of the annual Salzburg Folk Festival. We’ll enjoy a few days of concerts, performances, and visits to local places of interest, such as Mozart’s birthplace, the Salzburg Cathedral, and Hellbrunn Palace. From Salzburg we’ll head to the small village of Dorfgastein, nestled in the Austrian Alps, and enjoy hikes to local farmhouses where we’ll sample the fresh cheese and famous pastries. Then it’s back down the mountain for an evening of traditional music and dance at the town hall. Finally, we’ll cross in to Germany to explore Munich and its surroundings, including the famous Neuschwanstein castle built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria.
•    Students will also have the opportunity for independent weekend travel. Options include Prague, Budapest, Venice, etc.

Course Requirements
There are no prerequisites for the program. The courses in Vienna will include the following:
•    GERM 101H/102H/201H Beginning or Intermediate German Language (4 credit hours). German classes will be taught by native German speakers at the Amerika Institut located in the heart of Vienna, directly across the street from the Vienna State Opera. Students will immerse themselves in listening, speaking, and writing German and will return home with a solid foundation for further work in the language.
•    HUMANITIES 202/HONORS 295R “The Shock of the New: Art and Revolution in Vienna” (3 credit hours). Students will trace the development of art, music, architecture and literature from the late 16th Century to our contemporary time; grades will be based on journal and essay writing, unit exams, and a final student project. The course will include numerous visits to museums, concerts, and architectural landmarks in Vienna.

Where Do Students Live?
•    Students will each stay with a family selected by the Amerika Institut. This has been a very successful tradition. Families who work with our students often specifically ask for BYU students, and they take good care of them. They are under contract to feed them breakfast every day and provide one main meal a week.

Preparation for Study Abroad
•    All students must register through ISP for a one-credit, pre-departure course held Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. during winter semester. Room to be announced.
•    Upon acceptance, all students must apply for a passport.
•    Upon receiving a passport, all students must apply for a visa in the European Union, since this program will be longer than ninety days. ISP will help you with this.

What Funding Sources Are Available?
•    Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to Study Abroad programs.
•    Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application when they apply, and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB), will be considered for a Study Abroad Scholarship.
•    Some department scholarships are available.

Application Process
•    Application deadline is Wednesday, 15 December 2010
•    You may apply online at https://kennedy.byu.edu/isp/online/app/home.php
•    Contact the directors for an initial interview once your application is complete. Early applications are encouraged.
•    ISP’s Study Abroad reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost estimates due to conditions beyond its control.

How Much Does This Cost?
•    Approximately $5,400-$5,600
•    Includes undergraduate full tuition (increased cost for graduate and non-LDS students), housing, continental breakfast, some meals while in Vienna and on excursions, and transportation in and around Vienna.
•    It does not include airfare, personal expenses, some museum entry fees, and all meals in Vienna or on excursions.

Interested Students Should Contact:
Curtis or Kathryn Isaak. Curtis currently works with the Student Alumni Association at BYU. He served an LDS mission in Germany, received a BA in German and an MA in German Language Acquisition, and taught German at BYU. Kathryn teaches Humanities and Honors Writing classes at BYU. She has an MA in Humanities with emphases in Film and German Literature. Kathryn has taught art history courses for BYU’s Berlin and Vienna Study Abroad programs.

For More Information, email:

kathryn dot isaak at gmail dot com
or
curtis dot isaak at byu dot edu