University of Cologne Global Study Program (CGSP)

  • Location: Germany - Cologne
  • GPA Requirements: 2.75 GPA
  • Application Deadline: February 20 for fall programs and September 20 for spring programs
  • Program Term(s): Fall, Spring, academic year
  • Official Website: University of Cologne Global Study Program (CGSP)
Program Dates
Term Start Date End Date
Summer 2024 Early-April, 2024 Mid-July, 2024
Winter 2024 October 9th, 2024 February 2nd, 2024
Summer 2025 Early-April, 2025 Mid-July, 2025

These dates are tentative. Confirm program dates before booking travel.

CGSP students have the option to do an “early leaver” program for the winter semester, in order to return to Allegheny for the start of our spring semester. Instead of February, the program will end mid to late December.

Where: Cologne, Germany

Located on the Rhine River, Cologne is an ideal site for study in Germany. It is rich in art and culture, and although its history dates back to Roman times, it is a modern and vibrant center. Known as the broadcast center of Germany, Cologne is also one of the country’s most cosmopolitan cities, with large ethnic neighborhoods and international arts festivals. Cologne is considered a university city, with more than 100,00 students studying at more than 20 institutes of higher education.

Academics

The Cologne Global Study Program (CGSP) is an academic certification program designed for students of the University of Cologne’s partner universities. It combines classes on Contemporary European Studies (taught in English) and German language courses. The program’s main goal is to provide an academic environment for exchange students who do not speak German but wish to study at the University of Cologne. Core courses in Contemporary European Studies are clustered in three different subject areas: History & Culture, Economy & Society, and Politics & Law. The core course catalog is updated each semester. Students are also enrolled in German as a foreign language courses during the semester and have the option to attend a pre-semester language course. The program consists of German language classes for beginners or advanced German classes if you already studied German.  Students may also choose to take European Studies electives in the wider University curriculum.

Courses

For a full list of course offerings and more information about the program, see CGSP’s brochure here and here.

Credits and Grades

The University of Cologne uses the European Credit Transfer System, ECTS for short, and you divide the ECTS credit value in half to get the US credit value.  Most modules in the CGSP are 3 ECTS credits which converts to 1.5 credits at Allegheny. German language classes are typically 9 ECTS so they come back as credits at Allegheny.  If students complete the entire CGSP and receive letter grades for all of their courses equivalent to a C or better, they will earn 30 ECTS credits or 15 credits at Allegheny for the entire program.

Eligibility

2.75 G.P.A. No German language requirement. Students must meet with the Allegheny German department before applying to the program.

Housing & Student Life

Allegheny students are guaranteed housing and are expected to live in one of the 84 dormitories managed by the Koelner Studentenwerk. All housing is located off-campus and is managed by the Koelner Studentenwerk and not the University.

With over 50 different student organizations to choose from and a variety of extracurricular activities to participate in, students will always find something to do in the vibrant city of Cologne.

Visa Information

U.S. citizens will apply for a residency permit upon arrival. Please coordinate with the university regarding your permit. Non-U.S. citizens should consult with the Global Education office regarding the visa application process.

Fees & Costs

Students pay Allegheny tuition and an off-campus study fee of $800. Allegheny financial aid, except work/study, is applied to program costs. Students are responsible for paying for housing and meals separately in Germany and are also responsible for paying the University of Cologne student services fee (around 300 Euro). The services fee includes a ticket for rail transportation in North Rhine-Westphalia.. Estimated additional costs include: books and supplies, international airfare & local transportation, health insurance, and personal expenses.

Application Process

Allegheny students must apply for approval to study off-campus from the Global Education office AND apply directly to their chosen program. For this program, the program requires a nomination from Allegheny’s Global Education Office before students can apply directly to the program. So, students must complete the Allegheny approval application and then wait for further instructions to apply to their program. The Allegheny approval application deadline is February 20 for fall programs and September 20 for spring programs. Study away approval applications will be reviewed immediately following the appropriate semester deadline. After a student has been approved by Allegheny, the Global Education office will send the student’s nomination and/or application documents to the program abroad. Students will receive instructions directly from the host program’s visiting student office with their next steps. For more information about the study away application process, please visit the application steps page.