University of Redlands > Academics > Study Abroad > Salzburg Semester

Salzburg Semester

Over the past 50 years, over 3,000 Redlands students have studied in Salzburg, Austria, in a program that is renown for its excitement, cultural enrichment and opportunities. Students reside in the Marketenderschlössl, a nearly 500-year-old Renaissance building that traces its history back over 2,000 years and is set among forests and meadows overlooking the ancient heart of Salzburg. Beyond the trees in the near distance one can see the snow-capped peaks of the Austrian and Bavarian Alps.

Despite its proximity to the center of the city (10 minutes on foot), the only sounds one can hear are the songs of birds or the lowing of the cattle that graze nearby in the warmer months.

The building students occupy stands under the protection of the Austrian Bureau of National Monuments, but its interior is completely new, having been renovated in 2001 and brought up to the most modern standards. Besides cozy rooms with natural pine furniture and private baths, the building boasts a lecture hall, reading room, library, computer lab, music room, student kitchen and offices, plus a vaulted dining hall and an external lounge with a huge glass wall that looks out onto the snowy landscape in winter.

The Salzburg Semester, which Redlands has operated since 1960, is characterized by a general humanities and social sciences curriculum and offered in the context of group study and extensive travel opportunities. The program is available to undergraduates regardless of major, with preference given to those students who have shown evidence of preparing themselves academically and personally for this group travel-study program.

Field Experiences

The Salzburg program is based on the philosophy that classes are greatly enriched by on-site study and a unique feature of the Salzburg Semester has always been the group travel.

The program includes several field experiences each semester. Currently, students participate in two shorter trips to Vienna, Budapest, and two major trips titled "Balkan Express" and "Germany: Old and New, East and West." While on the Balkan Express, students will be led on native guided tours of Bosnia, explore the renaissance city of Dubrovnik and experience other Croatian wonders, and visit Slovenia's capital city. The Germany excursion allows students to learn of life in the former GDR and how with the fall of the Berlin Wall, Eastern Germany reunified with the West.

All expenses associated with these field experiences are included in the comprehensive program fee.

Opportunities exist for private travel on many three-day weekends and a ten-day break each semester.

The Setting

While in Salzburg, students live together in the nearly 500 year old castle known as the Marketenderschlössl. The house is set on a hilltop which overlooks the heart of Salzburg. The building we occupy stands under the protection of the Austrian Bureau of National Monuments, but its interior is completely new, having been renovated in 2001 and brought up to the most modern standards. Besides cozy residential rooms with natural pine furniture and private baths, the building boasts a lecture hall, reading room, library, computer lab, music room, student kitchen, and offices, plus a vaulted dining hall and an external lounge with a huge glass wall that looks out onto the snowy landscape in winter.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch are served Monday through Thursday in our dining hall. Dinners Monday through Thursday are provided by a restaurant in the city. Students are given meal money to cover meals on the weekends.

Unlike many international study programs, the Salzburg Semester is a group endeavor. Long experience with the Salzburg Semester confirms the wisdom of such a structure for those students who have reflected carefully on both the advantages and pressures of group study abroad. Salzburg alumni have affirmed that the semester offers a chance to establish lifetime friendships as well as providing memorable encounters with a wide variety of artistic, historical and cultural experiences. Seemingly without exception, returning students report that the Salzburg semester exceeded their fondest expectations.

Up to 35 students are accepted for study in the Salzburg Semester each term. Applicants must be in good academic standing at their home institution, both at the time of application to the program and at the time of their participation. Non-Redlands students should contact Sara Falkenstien, Director of Study Abroad, for a guest student application and additional information at Sara_Falkenstien@redlands.edu or (909)748-8044.

Semester Calendar (see page 2 of handbook)
Salzburg Student Handbook