University of Oldenburg
The cycle-friendly city of Oldenburg is located in northwest Germany between the cities of Bremen in Germany and Groningen in the Netherlands, not far from the North Sea.
Residing in one of the few German cities to escape the war relatively unscathed, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg has become renowned for its environmental focus, top-ranked and affordable organic canteens (cafeterias), and interdisciplinary sustainable development studies programs.
Key information
Application information
Student experience
Check out this video about international student experience at Oldenburg
Program details
English Programs:
Oldenburg offers a European Studies in Global Perspective program, designed for English-speaking exchange students. This program offers two thematic clusters: Society, Economy and Politics (Economics, Business, Sociology, Political Science, International Relations, and Law & Society) and Languages, Cultures and Education (History, Literary & Cultural Studies, Linguistics, Education, and Sociology). Students will attend one course focused on German language & culture, which includes a weekend field trip, and then choose 2 courses from their desired cluster. As long as students complete at least 24 credits, they will receive a certificate at the end. Please see the European Studies webpage for more details and the offered courses in each cluster. Note: full year exchange students will take a more advanced German language course in their second semester.
If preferred, exchange students can also choose from the entire list of modules on offer. Oldenburg also offers modules and individual seminars in various courses of study in English: overview of modules offered in English. Click on the black dots under "Fach-Bachelor" (FB) or "Zwie-Fäch-Bachelor" (2FB) by the relevant Faculty and you will see a list of "modules" offered in each Department.
German-taught Programs:
Oldenburg offers a variety of programs (modules) taught in German - including Fine Arts, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computing Science, Economics, English, Germanic Studies, History, Math, Media, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Sport Science (Kines), Women's Studies, and more. Some unique programs not offered at UCalgary but taught at Oldenburg (in German) include Dutch Studies, European Studies*, Gender Studies, Migration and Intercultural Relations*, Renewable Energy, Slavic Studies, Sustainability Economics and Management*, and Water and Coastal Management*. *selection of courses offered in English. Refer to the course links above.
Course Information:
Students at Oldenburg typically take 24-30 ECTS credits per semester. 6 ECTS credits = 3 UCalgary units (1 standard semester course).
Oldenburg's academic year is divided into 2 semesters. Semesters in Germany are named after the season they end in, rather than when they start (like in North America).
- The "Winter" Semester (equivalent to UCalgary Fall Semester) runs from early October* to late February
- The "Summer" Semester (equivalent to UCalgary Winter Semester) runs from early April* to late July
*an optional 4-week pre-semester German language program starts approximately one month before semester start. See FAQs for details.
Students are typically not able to finish "Winter" courses before January, so full Academic Year or "Summer"-semester study is recommended.
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Costs
Exchange students pay their tuition and academic fees to the University of Calgary. Other expenses are paid directly to the service provider. Also, remember to include things like visas, insurance, vaccinations, etc. in your budget planning.
One of the most affordable options for exchange, Oldenburg's accommodation costs ranges from approximately €300-€500 per month. It also offers very affordable Mensas (dining centres) where students can pay €1.5-€4 per meal.
Upon registration at Oldenburg, students generally receive a semester ticket (valid for 6 months) for public transit - this includes networks within the city as well as many regional trains in a wide radius around the city.
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Funding
Did you know that you can take your UCalgary funding with you on exchange? Since you remain a degree seeking student at UCalgary while on exchange you remain eligible for any awards and scholarships you are eligible to receive from the university as well as student loans.
Internal and External Funding opportunities for study abroad in Germany, including DAAD awards, the AGEC award, etc. are available on the funding page.
Our office administers several awards, including the Global Access Fund (based on a funding-first model where students apply prior to committing to a global learning program) and the Global Learning Award (students apply after being accepted to a global learning program; the amount varies year-to-year as the money is split among chosen recipients). Students may only receive these awards once. Please see the funding page, linked below, for more information.
Come To Oldenburg Grant: Students selected for Oldenburg are eligible to apply for the "Come to Oldenburg" Grant, which supports exchange students with up to 2000 euros for a minimum 4 month stay (award may be competitive). The award is dispersed over 4 months in 500 euro increments. Note: Deadline to apply for this award is Jan 28th in the calendar year you wish to study at Oldenburg. For Fall or Full year studies, please see the link above for details on the documents you will need to prepare to submit to the exchange advisor immediately after the January priority deadline.
Oldenburg offers affordable options in 11 Halls of Residence - the cost of living in a student residence ranges from roughly €200 to about €475 per month. If you want to apply to residence, you will be able to apply as a part of the host university application process, after you are nominated for the exchange by UCalgary.
You can also arrange for your own accommodation with the assistance of Studentenwerk Oldenburg (SWO). Applications for assistance with finding accommodation through SWO should also be submitted with the application for accommodation noted above.
You should start looking for accommodation in Oldenburg well in advance (6 months before arrival), as the average waiting time is about 4 months.
This exchange is open to regular, full-time students in any faculty at the UCalgary, who will have completed at least 1 full year (10 courses) at the post-secondary level before departure, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 (B-).
Courses at Oldenburg are primarily taught in German. If taking courses in English, we still recommended that students have a basic understanding of German before departing for this exchange. For German-taught courses, students should have a command of German at minimum B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR), or have completed at least two 300-level or above courses in German. Certification of language proficiency may be required.
To improve your German language skills, Oldenburg also offers short courses before and throughout each semester (see Additional Info/FAQs drop-down for more info).
Do I need to speak German?
For studies in German it is required, but for English studies it is recommended that you have at least a beginner's knowledge of German. Most English, non-German speakers are able to function fairly well in German society with a basic knowledge of the language for shopping and eating out, etc. but it's useful when navigating housing or filling out forms. See below on information about pre-semester language-learning opportunities!
What's so special about Oldenburg?
Oldenburg not only offers multiple top-ranked and very affordable canteens (cafeterias), but they also offer both a highly recommended Buddy Program as well as tutoring services for incoming international students for studies and integration into life in Oldenburg. Additionally they run trips and events throughout the year as well. There are a variety of things to do and see and various festivals in Oldenburg - where the balance of work and life is considerably more balanced than in North America.
Student Tips: "The Library was better at Oldenburg - They had a really nice café with newspapers from all over the world, and I didn't even need to buy textbooks - everything was available there. Oldenburg also had the biggest mediatech library in Europe, which was cool. Food was also better - instead of private vendors, they had a cafeteria, where for 3-4 euros one could get a very substantial meal. Student clubs were also great - they worked with the city to put on various events in the city centre. For example “Nacht der Uni” (Night of the University) took place at one point, where a lot of pubs and places around town had discounted prices for students. Most of the faculty went, it was really impressive! It was also easy to make friends. Only saying that I was Canadian would cause people to want to talk with me. In fact I was called very often “ Der Kanadier” (The Canadian), by people who did not yet know my name. My advice: Talk with everyone you are interested in, most will be very receptive. If they aren’t, you have nothing to lose!"
Is there a pre-semester German language program?
Yes. Every Winter/Summer semester, students have the opportunity to take a pre-semester German language course. These courses include 100 hours of instruction over 4 weeks, which is worth 6 ECTS (one U of C half course), however class sizes are limited to 20 students. Courses are designed for students from A1, A2, up to B1 level of German knowledge. For more specific information, including details on costs, please visit: Intensive Pre-semester German Language Courses. Additionally there are also semester-long German language courses!
What supports are available at Oldenburg?
The University of Oldenburg and the Student Administration and Studentenwerk office offer a wealth of support services and assistance for students with accessibility or accommodation requirements. This includes but is not limited to legal advice for students with disabilities, practical assistance and services, representatives to help with general questions, peer supports, counselling services, and disability advice service.
For information on accessibility of campuses across Europe, ESN has created "Inclusive Mobility.EU" which allows you to check the accessibility of universities and cities across Europe. For city-specific services and places in Europe, the Jaccede interactive platform (website and/or smartphone app - both Android and iOS) also provides a searchable user-built database to identify important accessibility information of public places and locations.
Family-friendly University: Oldenburg is fairly unique in that it offers extensive supports for students that are pregnant/new parents/have young children - the Studentenwerk Oldenburg and Uni-Eltern student association provides supports for pregnant or breastfeeding students as well as students with young families.
To get a better idea of the campus, check out this video showing Oldenburg University from a bird's eye perspective.
Have questions?
The exchange advisor for this program is: Kathryn Bauer
How to Apply
Download the application guide
This PDF contains information on how to complete your application and what to do after you have applied.
Identify three programs of interest
We recommend applying for your top three programs for the priority application deadline, as placement may be competitive. We will assess your applications in ranked order.
Check requirements and deadlines
These may vary by program, so check the individual program pages and make sure that you are aware of any different application deadlines or eligibility requirements.
Start your application
Once you have gathered everything you need, you can begin your application!
Please note: Applications will not be considered complete until all required documents are submitted in full.
International travel presents challenges that may not be found when attending classes on campus. There may be a lack of resources, emergency services, hospitals, accessibility issues and/or demands on the physical and the mental self, all of which can challenge individuals when away from their usual support systems and structures. Adequate preparation is essential.
For this reason, it is imperative that you evaluate all aspects of your own physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual condition against the rigors of the particular global learning program you are selecting. If you are unsure of whether or not this program is a good fit for you and/or if you have any circumstances that could impede your enjoyment of the program, please contact us. Our Global Learning Advisors will be happy to assist in finding the best options for you and arrange any supports or accommodations necessary to ensure your success.
If you have or are seeking a certificate from Student Accessibility Services, you should provide this early to your Global Learning Advisor to ensure that the option that you are seeking can support your needs.
Please note: All participants must adhere to COVID-19 and other vaccination-related requirements for the destinations visited on this program. Failure to do so may have consequences such as being denied access to accommodation/housing, program activities, or to the host country itself.