Immersion
Immersion is your opportunity to study language, culture, and history up close and allow yourself to be transformed by this unique experience. From Maymester courses to study abroad, opportunities abound.
Immersion Opportunities
Courses
Numerous courses have an Immersion component that fulfills the graduation requirement. For example, GER 2432: Soccer: Media, Art, and Society investigates the game’s relationship to issues such as political power, globalization, gender, migration, economic and social inequality, national identity, and transnational commerce. In the past, funds have been provided through an Immersion grant allowing students to travel to London and Manchester over spring break to conduct research on soccer.
Study Abroad and Maymester
Many students studying German, Russian, and European studies take part in various study abroad programs or complete a Maymester course where travel is involved. Learn more about study abroad and Maymester opportunities in the department.
Immersion Stories
Yining Ding
Yining Ding, a cognitive studies major, minoring in German studies and computer science, traveled to England with her professors and classmates to study European soccer culture. There, she visited several soccer museums and stadiums, including the Liverpool arena, where she witnessed the famous phenomenon of fans singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Along with her class, Ding also got to interview hardcore soccer fans, stadium volunteers, and reporters from sports media, in order to hear their personal stories about soccer. Ding completed an audio-visual project based on her research experience to complete her Immersion requirement. “I not only collected some first-hand materials for my Immersion project, but I also gained a more comprehensive understanding about soccer and soccer fan culture in England.”
Taylor Wilson
During her time at Vanderbilt, Taylor spent a week in Vladimir, Russia, on an alternative spring break trip. She also studied in St. Petersburg through the CIEE Russian language program. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Russian, she worked as an ESL teacher for two years at The American Home in Vladimir, Russia. “The breadth of my education at Vanderbilt stoked my curiosity to learn more about the world at large and encouraged me to live abroad. The connections I made at Vanderbilt helped me find my former job in Vladimir, which pushed me to grow personally as well as linguistically.”
International Summer School
A group of students fulfilled their Immersion requirement by attending International Summer School in Antwerp, Belgium. Below are some of their reflections about the experience.
“Upon entering Belgium, I had no idea what to expect. I had never been to a foreign country before, and I only speak one language. However, upon arrival I found that there were very few major differences. Yes, there were minor things: roads were not the typical perpendicular layout we have here, buildings were centuries older than ours, and we speak different languages, but fundamentally, we are very similar. I quickly bonded with many of the students, and though I was only there a week, I believe I made lifelong friends.” – Ethan Conner
“Attending summer school at the University of Antwerp was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. Even though the program was only a week long, I was presented the opportunity to connect with students from all around the world—South Africa, Armenia, Belgium, France, Turkey, Slovakia, Malaysia, and so many other countries—and to learn and understand the world from a different perspective. We focused on the concept of fraternity, as the final chapter of the slogan from the French Revolution. Especially with the crisis in Greece and within the European Union and with immigration policy and with the social welfare system, we explored how fraternity intersects with all aspects of life in both Europe and around the world.” – Robyn Du
Study Abroad
Students can take advantage of several study abroad programs to further enrich their understanding of a country they are studying in depth. Visit the Global Education Office for specific program details.
Spring Semester in Bremen
Students who would like to spend a semester in a German-speaking country can receive Vanderbilt credit for study abroad in Bremen, a historic, midsized city in northwestern Germany. This is a language-based cultural immersion program: the main language of instruction is German, and students may take no more than two courses in English. Participants are fully enrolled at the host university and can become active members of the local and student community. The University of Bremen is particularly strong in political science, European studies, geoscience, climate science, and health science. Students live in dormitory style apartments near the university, participate in excursions, and may complete internships during their stay. Vanderbilt financial aid applies to this program.
Year Abroad in Freiburg
Freiburg is a small, vibrant, historic university city in southwestern Germany. After taking a month-long intensive German language and culture course, students develop their own course of study with a combination of university and program-specific coursework. Students live in dormitories near the university and participate in cultural excursions offered by the program. The main language of instruction is German. Vanderbilt financial aid applies to this program.
Bard-Smolny in St. Petersburg
One of the most fascinating cities in Russia, St. Petersburg is known for its rich history and its spectacular white nights. This program offers direct credit for summer, semester, and year-long study in the city.
Maymester
EUS 2260-05: Migration, International Health, and Alpine Adventures, from the Swiss Alps to Italy
In this Maymester, Professor Barsky makes the link between radicalism and creativity, safe haven and international law, and medicine and international engagement by exploring institutes, specialists, and natural settings in the Swiss Alps and in Rome, Italy.
Beginning in Geneva, students are introduced to the international legal and non-governmental organizations that uphold international laws, notably the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations, UNICEF, the International Labor Organization, the World Trade Organization, Doctors Without Borders, and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Students meet with high-ranking officials from those organizations, and witness firsthand the work that is directed from Geneva offices.
Students then travel to Grindelwald and Murren to explore the sublime heights that have inspired so many artists, writers, painters, and philosophers including Dorothy and William Wordsworth, Lord Byron, Mary and Percy Shelley, John Turner, James Fenimore Cooper, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Friedrich Nietzsche, and others. The Swiss tour completes at Monte Verità, where students encounter Dada (Hugo Ball, Emmy Hennings, Hans Arp), psychoanalysis (Carl Jung, Otto Gross), modern dance (Rudolf Laban, Mary Wigman), anarchism (Otto Gross, Mikhail Bakunin), expressionist art (Paul Klee), and more.
Students finish in Rome, returning to refugee and migration studies with visits to the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center; the International Organization for Migration Rome office; the Migration, Asylum and Social Integration Center; and other migration organizations in the country that are at the flashpoint of the current crisis.
Find more information about past Maymesters or about possible future Maymester courses.
Maymester in Russia
Vanderbilt’s popular VISAGE Russia program includes academic study such as basic Russian lessons, interaction with Russian university students who are studying English, and lectures and presentations. The program also provides a variety of cultural experiences, including community service, home stays, excursions to UNESCO world heritage sites, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, and weekends at a dacha and in a rural village.
Campus Publications
Students have the opportunity to write for or serve on the editorial boards of campus publications—an ideal opportunity to build friendships and gain practical, resumé-building experience.
Vanderbilt Lives is an annual publication of undergraduate creative nonfiction. This publication is a collaborative effort between the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities and The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy. Under the direction of a faculty adviser, student editors review, edit, and publish an annual volume of outstanding creative nonfiction essays composed by Vanderbilt undergraduates.
Vanderbilt Hustler is a bi-weekly newspaper and news source for Vanderbilt University’s campus and a forum for students’ perspectives. The Hustler’s content is divided into six sections, each of which is run by a student editor and staffed by Vanderbilt students: news, life, opinion, sports, voices, and multimedia.
Award and Fellowships
A number of awards are presented to undergraduate students in the department in recognition of exceptional academic achievement.
European Studies
Max Kade Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
The Max Kade Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research provides a $750 prize and honors undergraduate students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in European studies research. Eligible recipients include graduating seniors and students who have published their work. Up to three awards may be granted to deserving candidates, who are selected through a nomination process.
Max Kade Discovery Fellowship
The Max Kade Discovery Fellowship is designed to support undergraduate students who have taken or are currently enrolled in an EUS course and who plan to travel to Europe for a range of academic purposes, including research, summer programs, language study, internships, or study abroad. The award amount, expected to be up to $2,000, will depend on the number of applications received. Graduate students are also eligible, with preference given to those planning activities in Germany.
Interested students are invited to submit a one-page application outlining their plans and financial need, along with a curriculum vitae and a brief budget, by April 15.
Max Kade Wordsmith Award
The Max Kade Wordsmith Award recognizes outstanding papers or assignments written for EUS courses. Up to three awards of $500 each may be granted to students who demonstrate exceptional writing skills and academic excellence. Recipients are selected through a nomination process.
German Studies
Dieter and Ingrid Sevin Award for Academic Achievement in German Studies
Each year the department recognizes the achievements of one student in German studies. The award honors their academic accomplishments in German throughout their time at Vanderbilt.
Dieter and Ingrid Sevin Award for Graduating Senior in German Studies
Each year the department recognizes one graduating senior in German studies for outstanding accomplishments during their senior year.
Hans-Joachim Schulz or Dieter and Ingrid Sevin Undergraduate Research Fellowship
This fund supports undergraduate student research projects and language education, including travel to and within German-speaking countries. Sevin Fellows typically receive up to $1,000 in support. Application deadlines are November 1 for spring and March 1 for summer or year-long stays. Application materials include a one-page rationale, a current transcript, and a resume. Students apply directly through the department.
Russian Studies
Hans-Joachim Schulz Award for Academic Achievement in Russian Studies
Check back for more information soon.
Hans-Joachim Schulz Award for Undergraduate Research (travel)
Check back for more information soon.
American Council of Teachers of Russian Post-Secondary Russian Scholar Laureate Award
The ACTR Post Secondary Russian Scholar Laureate Award (PSRSLA) seeks to provide national recognition for outstanding junior and senior university-level students—those students who best embody an enthusiasm for studying the Russian language and learning about Russian area studies. Students must be nominated between January 1 to March 1.
American Council of Teachers of Russian National Post-Secondary Russian Essay Contest
Student taking Russian in accredited colleges and universities are invited to participate in the annual contest. The first day to register is January 15 and results are posted the week of April 10.