Program Description
This is a program for anyone who is interested in engineering! You will have an opportunity to study current engineering practices by touring a variety of diverse factories and see firsthand how industries actually apply technology today. You will also learn about past technologies by visiting museums. Not only will you gain invaluable engineering knowledge, but you will also be exposed to another culture and gain a global perspective by traveling in Germany for five weeks! Earn up to six credit hours during the week and travel throughout Europe or within your host country on week-ends! You do not need to speak or learn German to participate!
1.You will study state-of-the-art manufacturing and technology by touring factories in one of the world's most advanced engineering communities, Germany.
2. No language skills required! You do not need to know or take German!
3. You can experience a different culture safely right on location.
4. Traveling to other countries on week-ends is easy.
5. You will get to know one of the most beautiful and historically significant regions in Europe!
6. This program offers the most complete package for the money you pay: All meals, two day-long excursions every week, and housing and health insurance are included!
7. A low student-teacher ratio (maximum number of participants: 15) will assure first rate instruction on a personal level.
8. This is a unique opportunity to combine travel, immersion into a new culture (a great curriculum builder), and earn LSU summer school credit (technical elective and/or required engineering course) at an affordable price.
9. Prerequisites are minimal.
Program Eligibility
This program is open to students from all disciplines. Qualified applicants from other institutions are also welcome.
If you are an undergraduate, you must have at least a 2.5 gpa (A = 4.0); If you are a graduate student, you must have a 3.0 gpa.
If you are not an LSU student, you must submit an official copy of your most recent transcript when applying. Space in this program is limited. Qualified applicants from other institutions are especially welcome. If you are from another institution in Louisiana or are enrolled elsewhere but you are a Louisiana resident, you will be charged in-state tuition and fees. If you are an out-of-state student and do not have a nonresident fee waiver, you will be charged out-of-state tuition.
Program Dates:
June 30 - Aug 4, 2012
Locations
The program will take place Bavaria, the southernmost state in Germany. We will spend two weeks in Nuremberg, the cultural and industrial center of Northern Bavaria, a week in Berlin, and two weeks in Brannenburg, a scenic small town in the Alps, about one hour away from Munich and Salzburg.
Excursions in all three locations are designed to enhance the information discussed in class lectures. Field trips will include BMW, Volkswagen, Staedtler, Siemens Research Facility, Duetsches Museum of Technology, Ohm University, and more.
Brannenburg and Nuremberg are located at major train junctions which will enable students to explore the immediate vicinity, Germany, or the rest of Europe easily.
Courses Offered:
Please consult the LSU General Catalog for course descriptions and prerequisites.
CM 1020 – Engineering Graphics for Mechanical Engineering (2)
CM 1030 – Engineering Graphics (2)
ENGR 2050 – Undergraduate Seminar (1)
GERM 1101 – Introductory German I
GERM 1102 – Introductory German II
GERM 2101 – Intermediate German I
GERM 3061 – German Conversation
IE 4785 – Special Topics in IE (Manufacturing, Technology, and Society)
The engineering courses are designed to provide students with an overview of the history of technology and an introduction to applied engineering in one of the world's leaders in manufacturing.
Expected Program Fee: $4,800 (includes housing in single or double occupancy rooms, ground transportation, admission costs for all mandatory excursions, three meals a day, and health insurance)
Expenses not covered in the program fee: airfare, LSU tuition, and spending money
Although the program fee includes all meals, you should plan for additional expenditures, such as snacks or refreshments. You will also need extra money for travel and meals if you plan to spend weekends traveling, as well as some spending money for occasional outings with your friends and for souvenirs. The exchange rate may change, so your costs may go up or down. Tuition and university fees, as well as airfare, are not included.
In the event of an unfavorable change in the exchange rate, some activities may be cancelled or changed.
Faculty Paige Davis (Instructor of Engineering) has long-time experience in teaching engineering courses and is well-acquainted with the program and the excursion sites, as this is the second year she's directed Encountering Engineering in Europe.
Advice from students who went last year: We asked the students on the 2011 program to tell us what advice they would have for future participants. Here's what they said:
On packing:
You may think that you need a lot of clothing, but you really don't want to overpack. You'll want room for souvenirs on the way home!
Pack several weeks in advance.
Pack one or two sets of comfortable clothes, plenty of socks, underwear, and undershirts if you want to do laundry infrequently. Bring a second laptop charger, just in case.
Zip ties
Bring waterproof shoes
On classes:
For IE 4785, print out all sources for your research. Also, make sure you bring some sort of external hard drive for pictures and videos.
On the program:
It is not a vacation, and you do have to work really hard.
Prepare to have to adjust culturally, but once you adjust, German culture is a blast! Food and attitudes are very different.
Attend as many informational meetings as possible and talk to people that went the year before.
Try to have a small meeting before departure with just students to begin meeting each other and ask questions about each other's plans
Application Deadline:March 16, 2012
Although the application deadline is March 16, you are advised to register early in order to secure a spot in the program. The program will fill on a first come, first served basis from those who meet the eligibility requirements. A $500 deposit will be placed on your LSU billing statement at the time that you apply to the program. Students at other universities must send in a check or money order (made payable to "Louisiana State University") for the $500 deposit along with their applications. This deposit is nonrefundable after January 31, 2012.
Withdrawal from the program may result in the loss of all or part of your deposit or total payment of the program fee, depending on the date of withdrawal.
