Course at a Glance
Course: HIST 317A (3 Credits)
Class and Credits: Berlin: Its History and Art (3 Credits)
Location: Berlin, Germany
When: 20 August to 16 September 2025
On-site in Berlin: 29 August to 1 September 2025
Register By: 6 August 2025
Status: OPEN
Highlights:
- “Hitler’s” Bunker
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower
- Palace of Tears
- The Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, and Unter den Linden
- Museum Island (Pergamon Museum, Old National Gallery, Museum of German History)
- New Palais and Castle of Sanssouci
- Holocaust Memorial
- East Side Gallery and Mauerpark
- Escape Tunnel and Air-raid Protection Bunker from WWII
- Roof top of the New Berlin Castle
- Festival of Lights 2024 (Berlin Illuminated)
Tuition and Fees:
- $750.00 Undergraduate 3-credit hour tuition cost
- $400.00 Field Study Additional Fee includes: (museum/ticket fees, private tours, excursions or other events organized by the faculty). Not included: meals, transportation to and from the location, and hotel accommodation. Please note that the fee is subject to change based on potential increases in ticket prices.
Travel to Berlin and explore this vibrant city during this field study program at UMGC Europe.
A European center of cultural dynamism and political power, Berlin is much more than the commonly held image of Third Reich bombast and Cold War tensions. Established on the banks of the Spree River, Berlin has seen splendor in architecture, theater, and art, along with philosophical, literary, and scientific dynamism. These elements have evolved side-by-side with the erratic legacy of the ambitious Hohenzollern royal dynasty, the cataclysmic Nazi Third Reich, and the wintery years of East and West Cold War divisions. Berlin is a city that enthralls the observer today with its cultural contributions while simultaneously producing a sense of bafflement at the raw ambitions and ideals of the city's driven political leaders during the last 300 years.
Topics include:
- Berlin and the rise of Prussia: A center of Hohenzollern dynastic power and glory
- Bismarck and the 1871 unification of Germany: A Hohenzollern triumph
- Berlin and the disaster of World War I
- The Weimar Republic: Cultural splendor and political catastrophe
- The Nazis come to Berlin: A city at the heart of the Third Reich
- Life in former East Germany
- Cold War divisions and the final reunification: Berlin rises from the ashes
Faculty member: Professor Dr. Heike Raphael-Hernandez, e-mail: heike.raphael-hernandez@faculty.umgc.edu
Students should consult an academic advisor to determine how the course fits into their program.
Course Information
Pre-Course and Week 1
You will gain access to the online LEO classroom approximately one week before the start of the course. The official course start date is 20 August 2025. Once you access the classroom, take a virtual course walk-through and begin reading assignments and review the on-site itinerary.
On-Site in Berlin
29 August to 1 September 2025
Sample Itinerary (Final confirmed itinerary will be available in the course syllabus)
Meeting point provided by the faculty member teaching the course
Potsdam: New Palais and Castle of Sanssouci
Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Unter den Linden
Dinner around the Alexanderplatz
TV Tower
Hitler’s Bunker and the Story of the Third Reich
Holocaust Memorial
Rooftop at New Berlin Palais
Pergamon Panorama
Alte National galerie
Meeting point at Alexanderplatz at the famous World Time Clock
Underworld (Tour of Air Raid Bunkers and/or Tour of the Tunnel System that was used for the escape from the East to the West)
East Side Gallery and Mauerpark
CheckPoint Charlie and Museum
Textbooks and Course Materials
Please refer to the current course syllabus found on the schedule for details about course materials.
Registration Details
You may register for the 3-credit field study course with your local program coordinator or online at MyUMGC. Tuition assistance or financial aid can be applied toward tuition costs. For more information, contact the UMGC Field Study Office at CIV +49-(0)631-534-800, or e-mail fieldstudies-europe@umgc.edu.
Before completing your travel plans, please verify with your local program coordinator or the Field Study Office at fieldstudies-europe@umgc.edu. that the course will be held as scheduled. If you drop/withdraw from a field study course after the registration deadline, you will be charged a fee of $100. A one-credit hour field study will be charged the amount equal to the pre-purchased tickets. Please see the additional field study fee.
How is a field study course different from a regular course?
A field study course packs all of the 48 contact-hours of other courses into adventure-filled days on location, so you can earn one to three credits at an accelerated pace. In addition, rather than taking place in an education center, a field study course takes place in a historical European city where the subject being studied has its roots. You will visit historical sites and museums as well as participate in lectures that bring it all together for a one-of-a-kind learning experience.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
Helpful Hints
Before you leave:
- Contact your travel agency concerning insurance coverage for cancellations.
- Contact your health insurance company for information concerning coverage at your destination.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of your destination country.
- Check the weather forecast for your destination.
- Obtain city maps for your destination.
- Leave contact information with people at home who may need to reach you during the course.
- Make sure your legal affairs are in order and leave a short-term power of attorney with someone you trust.
- Make two photocopies of your passport and the contents of your wallet--leave one copy at home and bring the other with you.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Resources page.