Course at a Glance
Course: HIST 317A (3 Credits)
Location: Berlin, Germany
When: Meets in Berlin 23-30 July 2022
Register By: 1 July 2022
Highlights:
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower
- Palace of Tears
- The Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate
- Museum Island
- The Palais of Sansoussi
- Holocaust Memorial
Tuition and Fees:
- $744.00 Undergraduate 3-credit hour tuition cost
- $650.00 Field Study Additional Fee includes: Lodging (7 nights, double occupancy),
museum/ticket fees, excursions - Not included: Meals, transportation to and from the location, voluntary excursions
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: Ms. Heike Raphael-Hernandez, e-mail: heike.raphael-hernandez@faculty.umgc.edu
Course Information
Pre-Course and Week 1
The official course start date is 13 July 2022. Students will gain access to the online classroom one week prior to the start of the course and should take a virtual walk-through to become familiar with the content and syllabus. On-site dates in Berlin are 23-30 July. The remainder of the class will be held within the online classroom.
Tentative On-Site in Berlin
* All times are approximate
Day 1
- 1600
- Arrive at hotel
- First meeting and introduction at hotel
- Visit to: Alexanderplatz and TV-Tower (visit inside)
Day 2
- 0900
- Morning lecture at hotel
- Visit to:
- Brandenburg Gate
- Reichstag (inside visit)
- Boulevard Unter den Linden
- Gendarmenmarkt
- Nikolai Quarter
Day 3
- 0900
- Morning lecture at hotel
- Visit to:
- Pergamon Museum (inside visit)
- Deutsches Historisches Museum, Pai Building (inside visit)
- Alte Nationalgalerie (inside visit)
- Hackesche Höfe
Day 4
- 0900
- Morning lecture at hotel
- Visit to:
- Holocaust Museum (partly inside visit)
- Berlin Story Bunker Museum (inside visit)
- "Topography of Terror" at Old Gestapo Headquarters (inside visit)
Day 5
- 0900
- Morning lecture at hotel
- Visit to:
- Checkpoint Charlie and museum (inside visit)
- East Side Gallery
- DDR Museum (inside visit)
- Mauerpark
- Prenzlauer Berg Quarter
Day 6
- 0900
- Morning lecture at hotel
- Visit to:
- Spy Museum (inside visit)
- Kurfürstendamm
- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
- KaDeWe (2nd largest department store in Europe)
- Kreuzberg Quartier
- Spy Museum (inside visit)
Day 7
- 0900
- Morning lecture at hotel
- Visit to:
- Frederick the Great
- Daytrip to Potsdam and the Palais of Sanssouci (inside visit)
Day 8
- 0900
- Final lecture at hotel
- Check out of hotel
- Q&A, course summary
- Visit to:
- Departure
- Course concludes
COVID-19 Information
Do I need to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to register for this course?
Students must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to attend this course.
Do I need to wear a mask during class?
Students and faculty must observe host nation requirements in effect for COVID-19 during the course. This includes wearing a mouth-nose covering in enclosed rooms, which are publicly accessible or open to visitors or customers, unless requirements are modified prior to the course dates.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Accommodation and Transportation
For your convenience, UMGC coordinates the hotel and excursion arrangements for a field study fee of $650 per student per field study course. This fee will be charged to your student account and covers seven nights of lodging (double occupancy room), as well as local transportation costs and entry to all excursions.
The $650 fee does not include travel to and from the city where the course is held. Students must make their own travel arrangements to the course.
Textbooks and Course Materials
Please refer to the current course syllabus found on the online web schedule of classes 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 UMGC Europe Headquarters 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.
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.