Orientation Courses
A placement exam after arrival determines appropriate levels. The intensive German language orientation course meets for a total of 30 hours of instruction. Each course is divided into grammar, conversation, vocabulary and culture with an exam at the end. These courses consist of small groups of exclusively AIFS students. Instructors are approved by the University of Salzburg. Orientation courses are worth 2 credits and appear on a University of Salzburg transcript.
| German language courses | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 101 fall/spring (2) |
| Course Title: | Elementary German |
| Course Description: | |
| Students with no previous German or with only one semester in college usually place into this level. Functional uses of the language as well as grammar, cultural themes, introductions, exchanging information, writing letters, the present tense, the noun and the cases, personal pronouns and possessive pronouns, sentence structure, questions, prepositions, list of irregular verbs, basic communication and listening comprehension. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 201 fall/spring (2) |
| Course Title: | Intermediate German I |
| Course Description: | |
| Students who have studied German throughout high school and continued with one semester in college, or students who have two to four semesters in college, usually place into this level. Practice of communication and speaking techniques, listening comprehension, analyzing texts and training in everyday situations typical of students studying at the University of Salzburg, reading comprehension, revision of old and learning of new vocabulary; synonyms and paraphrases in context, verb, noun, adjective, flexion, prepositions, personal and possessive pronouns, sentence structure, main and subordinate clauses, auxiliary verbs, special focus on sentence construction and use of past tenses in context. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 301 fall/spring (2) |
| Course Title: | Intermediate German II |
| Course Description: | |
| Students with at least six semesters of college German, experience living in a German-speaking country or German study on a regular basis since elementary school usually place into this level. Practice of communication and speaking techniques in everyday situations; listening comprehension, short reports, personal statements, arguing in discussions, reading comprehension, analysis of authentic texts, exercises, producing texts, deepening and enlarging vocabulary; synonyms and paraphrasing; appropriate use of vocabulary in context. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 401 fall/spring (2) |
| Course Title: | Advanced German |
| Course Description: | |
| Students who are nearly fluent usually place into this level. It concentrates on refining and further developing communicative skills, review of indicative and the subjunctive, expressions of doubt, probability, feelings, opinions. Preparation of university level texts. Reading of newspapers and modern literature texts. | |
Semester Courses
Courses at the 100 level are introductory courses. Two hundred and 300 level courses are semi-specialized courses for students with ability and background in the subject. Four hundred level courses are designed for students majoring in the discipline. The number in parentheses indicates both recommended credits and number of class hours per week. Courses with German titles are taught in German. Ten students are required to confirm a course. Courses are held Monday through Friday.
| German language courses | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 102 (3) |
| Course Title: | Elementary German II |
| Course Description: | |
| Starting with a review of material covered in German 101, this course covers grammar suitable for students who have already covered the fundamentals. Communication techniques, writing letters, present tense, present perfect tense and future tense, use of cases, pronouns, sentence structure, questions, prepositions, irregular verbs. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 202 (3) |
| Course Title: | Intermediate German II |
| Course Description: | |
| Basic grammar covered in Intermediate German I is a prerequisite, although a brief review is given at the start of fall semester. Students entering spring semester are expected to be familiar with basic grammar up to and including auxiliary verbs. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 302 (3) |
| Course Title: | Intermediate German III |
| Course Description: | |
| Students must be able to write a German text demonstrating familiarity with main aspects of text production and grammar. Readings from modern literature and newspaper articles. Oral communication, discussion, short reports, text analysis; development and usage of extended vocabulary. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 402 (3) |
| Course Title: | Advanced German |
| Course Description: | |
| Designed to prepare students to attend regular courses at the University and to complete the required written work in German. Students entering this course should be reasonably able to understand and write a scholarly text in German using complex structures and vocabulary; listening and reading comprehension. Students are strongly encouraged to audit a second level German language course at the university to intensify their learning. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 343570 (2) AND German 343571 (2) |
| Course Title: | German-English Translation (Deutsch-Englische Übersetzung) |
| Course Description: | |
| To improve translation skills, the University offers these two courses suggested for Intermediate I, II and Advanced level students. Students wishing to attend the translation courses must stay an extra month and pay a supplement. Courses are offered at the discretion of the University of Salzburg. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 305 (fall only) (3) |
| Course Title: | Living Grammar (Grammatik in der Praktischen Anwendung) |
| Course Description: | |
| Students gain expertise and confidence in speaking by using their grammar knowledge in conversation. Small classes provide the opportunity for intensive practice. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German 306 (spring only) (3) |
| Course Title: | Creative Writing (Kreatives Schreiben) |
| Course Description: | |
| Students write in German. Attention is paid to style appropriate to the nature of a subject and use of suitable, specialized vocabulary. Prerequisite: Students must be attending Intermediate German II. | |
Courses taught in English
Students with no German background may take all courses in English. Three subject areas are taught by the University exclusively for AIFS students: international relations, business and economics, and arts and humanities.
One college-level course in macro/microeconomics is a prerequisite for all business courses.
Fall Semester
| International Relations | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Politics 305 fall only (3) NEW! |
| Course Title: | What are those European socialist ideas about? A History of European socialist thinking. |
| Course Description: | |
| International references about “European socialist ideas” are often used to support or discredit ideas. But what is progressive thought in Europe nowadays? This course draws on the history of progressive thought in Europe focusing on the debates, the revisions and the renewal from 1850 till 2010, from Marx, Bernstein, Crosland to Hobsbawm and the ideas of the European post-industrial left. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Politics 307 fall only (3) |
| Course Title: | Protection of Human Rights |
| Course Description: | |
| Legal aspects and achievements regarding human rights. The role of international organizations such as the United Nations and Amnesty International. Current examples of human rights violations are addressed through oral presentations, group projects and discussion. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Politics 308 fall only (3) |
| Course Title: | International Conflicts and Conflict Resolution |
| Course Description: | |
| Types of political conflict and violence on individual, group, state and interstate levels; general theoretical understanding of conflict and violence; the ethics of conflict and methods of conflict resolution. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Politics/Economics 320 fall only (3) |
| Course Title: | International Political Economy |
| Course Description: | |
| The link between economics and politics in international affairs. Different competing economic orders (East versus West and North versus South). Insight into the management of international economic relations since 1945 and the role of international institutions such as the IMF, World Bank and GATT. | |
| Business and Economics | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Business/Economics 313 fall only (3) |
| Course Title: | International Management Strategies |
| Course Description: | |
| Features of strategic management and planning and their application in an international field. Scenario-technique and portfolio analysis are practiced. Students learn to create their own strategies. Prerequisite: One college level business or economics class. | |
| Humanities | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Art 303 (3) |
| Course Title: | European Art and Architecture I: Renaissance and Baroque |
| Course Description: | |
| Trends in European painting, sculpture and architecture from the 14th to 18th centuries. Influence of Italian artists on Austria and the development of Baroque art and architecture in Italy and Austria. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Literature 310 (3) |
| Course Title: | Atrocity and Modernism: The Literature and History of 20th Century Europe |
| Course Description: | |
| The relationship of material change, literary form and ideas. Writers include Kafka, Sartre, Brecht and Anna Akhmatova. Imaginative writing in periods of war and oppression, notably Stalinism, Nazism and the Holocaust. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Music 302 (3) |
| Course Title: | Music from the Romantics to the Present Day |
| Course Description: | |
| A survey of the great composers and their works from the origins of Romantic composition in Schubert to modern twelvetone. Emphasis is placed on the contribution of Austrian and German composers -Schumann, Wagner, Liszt, Bruckner, Mahler, Richard Strauss and Schoenberg. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Philosophy 301 (3) |
| Course Title: | The Modern European Mind |
| Course Description: | |
| Formative political, social and philosophical ideas of thinkers of past centuries. Writers who originated or popularized them include Kant, Mill, Bentham, Hegel, Marx, Engels and Popper. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Sociology/History 312 (3) |
| Course Title: | Contemporary Austrian Culture |
| Course Description: | |
| Insight into contemporary Austrian culture. Focus on education, family, ethnicity, political culture, media, Roman Catholic Church, attitudes to welfare and business, leisure trends. Independent field research and the presentation and discussion of course topics is required. | |
Spring Semester
| International Relations | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Politics 309 (3) |
| Course Title: | European Integration |
| Course Description: | |
| Historical development and theoretical implications, European Union institutions and their decision-making processes and recent political developments. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Politics 311 (3) |
| Course Title: | The Rise of the Right: A History of Fascism |
| Course Description: | |
| A comparative study of European and non-European fascism from the end of WWI to the present. Focus on a variety of fascist movements in Europe, South Africa, Argentina and Iraq. The return of fascism, neo-Nazi violence, immigration issues, ethnic cleansing and the growth of the radical right in the former communist countries. | |
| Business and Economics | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Business/Economics (3) |
| Course Title: | Europe and the Global Economy |
| Course Description: | |
| Specific economic goals and achievements of the one time eastern bloc countries as they strive to establish functioning market economies. The effects of these developments on the economy of Europe and the world. Changed roles of international institutions (EC, IMF, World Bank), their consequences and multinational business opportunities. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Business 315 (3) |
| Course Title: | Communication Skills for Management |
| Course Description: | |
| Planning for effective communication and working visually using various media. How to make effective presentations. Students are expected to present ideas to the class and accept constructive criticism from the group. | |
| Humanities | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Art/Anthropology 304 (3) |
| Course Title: | Austrian Folk Art and Folk Customs |
| Course Description: | |
| Folk art and customs of Austria, concentrating on Salzburg and Tyrol provinces. Visits to the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum in Innsbruck, National Costume Museum and Open Air Museum. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Art 307 (3) |
| Course Title: | European Art and Architecture II: Post-Baroque to the Present |
| Course Description: | |
| The development of European art and architecture since the Baroque era. Major works of this period reflect the complex and wide ranging changes, developments in thought, attitudes and major social and political upheavals of the time. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | History 301 (3) |
| Course Title: | World War II and Central Europe |
| Course Description: | |
| The causes, course and consequences of World War II. How the conflict and its aftermath affected Central Europe in general and Austria in particular. Eyewitnesses are invited to class meetings to discuss their experiences with students. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Literature 302 (3) |
| Course Title: | Concepts of Heroism in Western Culture |
| Course Description: | |
| Concepts of heroism in the literature of six epochs or cultures: Classical/ Mythological, Medieval/Christian, Renaissance, Age of Reason, Romantic and Modern. Examples vary but these are typical archetypes studied: Hercules, Achilles, Beowulf, Siegfried (Medieval), Mark Anthony (Shakespeare), Robinson Crusoe (Daniel Defoe), Werther (Goethe), Siegmund and Siegfried (Richard Wagner). | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Music 301 (3) |
| Course Title: | Music in the Age of Mozart |
| Course Description: | |
| A survey of the great composers and their works from the origins of Romantic composition in Schubert to modern twelve-tone. Emphasis is placed on the contribution of Austrian and German composers -Schumann, Wagner, Liszt, Bruckner, Mahler, Richard Strauss and Schoenberg. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | Sociology/History 312 (3) |
| Course Title: | Contemporary Austrian Culture |
| Course Description: | |
| Insight into contemporary Austrian culture. Focus on education, family, ethnicity, political culture, media, Roman Catholic Church, attitudes to welfare and business, leisure trends. Independent field research and the presentation and discussion of course topics is required. | |
Courses taught in German
Basic, uncomplicated German is used and AIFS students receive help with language requirements.
| Courses in German | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German/History 307 (3) |
| Course Title: | Hitler und das Dritte Reich (Hitler and the Third Reich) |
| Course Description: | |
| Adolf Hitler is analyzed as a psychological phenomenon and a study in tyranny. His personality is set against the complex historical situation that facilitated his rise to power: the political, economic and social climate that provided a fertile basis for the use of political terror and the first effective employment of mass propaganda as a political weapon. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German/Music 308 fall only (3) |
| Course Title: | Mozart und Seine Welt (Mozart and His World) |
| Course Description: | |
| Appreciation of Mozart’s music through a heightened understanding of his life, the world in which he lived and worked and of the works of contemporary composers. Visits to relevant sites in Salzburg. | |
| Course Code and Credits: | German/Music 312 spring only (3) |
| Course Title: | Musik: Hören und Verstehen (Music: Listening and Appreciation) |
| Course Description: | |
| Appreciation of classical music, focusing on Austria as the center of European music. Development of musical instruments, music of the Renaissance and the Baroque, the Vienna Classical Cycle (Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven), the Romantic Movement (Schubert, Brahms and Bruckner) and the 20th century (Mahler and Webern). Excursions to a master class at the Mozarteum University of Music, a rehearsal of Salzburg’s Mozarteum Orchestra and to a violin maker. | |
University of Salzburg Courses
As members of the University, AIFS students may, with exceptions, attend any of the regular courses offered. Students must check for a full listing upon arrival, as the catalog detailing courses does not appear until two to three weeks before a semester begins. If a student would like to take University courses for credit, a fall semester student must stay until January 31 and a spring semester student must stay until June 30. Students pay a fee of $900 for the extra month for accommodations, meals and administration.
The payment fee deadline for the $900 supplement is October 15 for the fall semester and March 15 for the spring semester. Students can pay this supplement to AIFS in the U.S. prior to departure.
Student wishing to matriculate directly into the University of Salzburg courses must have at least two years of college level German.
University of Salzburg Courses
English Literature
The University offers a full range of English literature courses popular with AIFS students. Leading scholars from Britain and the U.S. often visit the University to offer lectures and courses.
Foreign Languages
For students interested in other languages, the Department of Romance Languages offers courses at all levels in French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese; the Department of Slavic Languages offers courses at all levels in Russian, Serbo- Croatian and Polish. Language of instruction is either German or the language being taught.
