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Goethe Study Experience Program

Regular student of Goethe University interested in participating? Please see tab below. 

Are you a student of one of Goethe University's partner institutions and find it difficult to figure out what classes to take during your semester at Goethe University?

How about participating in one of these thematically focused short-term study programs? Combine studying in English about certain topics with learning German! We currently offer the following pre-packaged bundles of academic classes for students with no prior knowledge of the academic field (introductory classes will be provided):

  • Critical Theory Past and Present: The “Frankfurt School" and its legacy  
    Discover the history and aftermath of the influential group of social scientists gathered around Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno. Founded in the 1920s in Frankfurt, the Institute for Social Research went into exile after 1933 at Columbia University New York and returned to Frankfurt after World War II. At the forefront of socio-political and socio-cultural debates, the “Frankfurters" dominated the socio-political discourse during the 1950s and 1960s and inspire social theory and social sciences until today.

  • A European Banking Hub: Financial and Economic Policies in the EU
    The Frankfurt based European Central Bank is just the tip of the iceberg: Frankfurt is a city of Finance. Learn more about the European banking system and its political and historical background as an important asset of the European Union.

  • Europe in the Age of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
    Far more than the namesake of our university, Goethe stands at the center of an era of reform, revolution, and the reinvention of German culture and national identity. During Goethe's lifetime, Europe experienced profound transformation in society, science, technology, literature, philosophy, art, and music. Learn more about Europe in the age of Goethe in classes from various disciplines.

  • A Matter of Time and Space: Languages and Cultures in Interdisciplinary Perspective
    Discover the potential of language and culture studies. The lecture series “Understanding Languages and Cultures: Insights Through Research", taught by professors from the Faculty of Linguistics, Culture and Arts, introduces research perspectives and methods in linguistic and cultural studies. Introductory courses offered in English deepen your understanding. Within one semester, you will travel time and space through an interdisciplinary perspective on language and culture studies.
  • "pre-packaged" academic bundles / introductory class to the academic discipline of choice - no previous knowledge required
  • open to international exchange students from partner institutions
    • advanced undergraduate and master's students of partner universities
    • no German required
    • English B2 required 
  • thematically focused study tracks at choice: 
    • Critical Theory Past and Present: The “Frankfurt School" and its legacy  
    • A European Banking Hub: Financial and Economic Policies in the EU
    • Europe in the Age of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
    • A Matter of Time and Space: Languages and Cultures in Interdisciplinary Perspective 
  • Duration: 
    • fall semester incl. pre-semester (September - February) 
    • summer semester incl. pre-semester (March - July)
    • early-leaver options to be discussed
  • Language: English as teaching language / optional German classes
  • Credits: Earn up to 30 ECTS credits per semester that may transfer to your home university.
  • Certificate: „Certificate of International Studies at Goethe University“ available to those who earn at least 24 ECTS (see tab below for details)
  • Fees: no tution fees

Study one of the academic tracks

  • introductory class in the month before the semester (September / March) / In the Languages-and-Cultures-track, the introductory course (lecture series) is offered during the semester. 
  • regular classes during the semester (admission cannot be guaranteed; subject to capacity)
  • German classes in the month before the semester and during the semester (regular German classes open to all exchange students)

Critical Theory Past and Present: The “Frankfurt School" and its legacy 

Discover the history and aftermath of the influential group of social scientists gathered around Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno. Founded in the 1920s in Frankfurt, the Institute for Social Research went into exile after 1933 at Columbia University New York and returned to Frankfurt after World War II. At the forefront of socio-political and socio-cultural debates, the “Frankfurters" dominated the socio-political discourse during the 1950s and 1960s and inspire social theory and social sciences until today.

Are you a regular student of Goethe University and are interested in participating? Please see tab below. 


A look ahead on the program of fall/winter term 2026/27:

Introductory class (7 to 23 September 2026; Mon/Tues/Wed 2-4 pm):

Dr. Jonas Heller: "Frankfurt School Critical Theory“ (3 CP)

Excursion (in September, as part of the introductory class; only for participants of the introductory class): 
  • guided tour through the "Institut für Sozialforschung" (IfS) with its director, Prof. Dr. Stephan Lessenich
  • tour of the archives of the university library 

Regular classes (during the semester):
(Please click on the links for more information. Please note: You will have to register for these classes individually.)

Dr. Jonas Heller: Critical Theory (lecture)
Dr. Vangelis Giannakakis: Critical Theory: Concept and Problems (3 CP)
Dr. Vangelis Giannakakis: Education for Anarchy (3 CP)
Dr. Rodrigo Maruy van den Broek: Critical Perspectives on Technological Dependency
Dr. Lukas Sparenborg: Climate Justice in an Unequal World (4/7 CP)
Manuela Santamaría Moncada: Critical Theory, Public Sphere and Experience

more classes tbd



A look back on the program of spring/summer term 2026:

Introductory class (9 to 25 March 2026, Mon/Tues/Wed 2-4 pm):

Dr. Jonas Heller: "Introduction to Critical Theory: Key Positions of the Frankfurt School“ (3 CP)

Excursion (in March, as part of the introductory class; only for participants of the introductory class): 
  • guided tour through the "Institut für Sozialforschung" (IfS) with its director, Prof. Dr. Stephan Lessenich
  • tour of the archives of the university library 

Regular classes (during the semester): 

Dr. Aziz Bagadirov: Liberalism and Its Critics
Louise Bechtold: Anthropology of Food

Sladana Branković: Critical race and decolonial perspectives on sex/gender/sexuality politics and activism
Dr. Vangelis Giannakakis: Critical Theory: Adorno, Marcuse and the Long May '68
Dr. Vangelis Giannakakis: Education for Autonomy
Dr. Lukas Sparenborg: Historical Injustice
Dr. Amadeus Ulrich: Critical Theory and Authoritarian Politics
Dr. Amadeus Ulrich: Theories of Justice


A look back on the program of fall/winter term 2025/26:

Introductory class (16 September to 8 October 2025, Tues/Wed 2-4 pm):

Dr. Jonas Heller: "Thinking in Context: Introduction to Critical Theory“ (3 CP)

Excursion (in October, as part of the introductory class): A guided tour through the "Institut für Sozialforschung" (IfS) will be given by its director, Prof. Dr. Stephan Lessenich (only for participants of the introductory class).

Regular classes (during the semester): 

Dr. Vangelis Giannakakis: "Critical Theory: Concept and Problems" (3 CP)
Dr. Vangelis Giannakakis: "Critical Theory: Adorno's Theory of Negative Dialectics" (3 CP)
Manuela Santamaría Moncada: "Environmental Theory and Critical Theories of Nature: An Introduction."
Dr. Simone Pfeifer, "Theories of Culture and Society 1" (3CP)
Prof. Darrel Moellendorf, "Political Theory and Environmental Crises"

A European Banking Hub: Financial and Economic Policies in the EU

The Frankfurt based European Central Bank is just the tip of the iceberg: Frankfurt is a city of Finance. Learn more about the European banking system and its political and historical background as an important asset of the European Union.
Are you a regular student of Goethe University and are interested in participating? Please see tab below. 

A look ahead on the program of fall/winter term 2026/27:

Introductory class (7 to 25 September 2026; weeks 1/2: Wed-Fri, week 3: Mon-Wed, 3:30-5:45 pm):
Dr. Ingo Sauer: "The European Central Bank Demystified: From Its Mandate to a Delicate Balancing Act of European Financial Tensions“ (3 CP)

Excursion  (in September; only for participants of the introductory class):
visit to the ECB including a lecture titled „Role/task of the ECB“ 

Regular classes (during the semester): 
(Please click on the links for more information. Please note: You will have to register for these classes individually.)

Makroökonomik 1 (6 CP)
Ökonometrie Economics (6 CP)
Ökonometrie Management (6 CP)
Accounting and Capital Markets (6 CP)
Current Issues in Insurance (6 CP)
Business Cycle Theory and Policy (6 CP)
Survey Research (6 CP)

A look back on the program of spring/summer term 2026:

Introductory class (9 - 25 March 2026, Mon-Wed, 3:30-5:45pm):
Dr. Ingo Sauer: "The European Central Bank Demystified: From Its Mandate to a Delicate Balancing Act of European Financial Tensions“ (3 CP)

Excursion (in March; only for participants of the introductory class): 
visit to the ECB including a lecture titled „Role/task of the ECB“

Regular classes (during the semester): 
(Please click on the links for more information. Please note: You will have to register for these classes individually.)

International Finance (6 CP)
Applied Labor and Personnel Economics (6 CP)
Market Research (6 CP)
Macroeconomics of Climate Change (6 CP)
Public Finance (6 CP)


A look back on the program of fall/winter term 2025/26:

Introductory class (9 - 25 September 2025, Tues-Thurs; 3:30-5:45pm):
Dr. Ingo Sauer: "The European Central Bank Demystified: From Its Mandate to a Delicate Balancing Act of European Financial Tensions“ (3 CP)

Excursion  (15 September 2025): guided tour of the ECB  

Regular classes (during the semester): (please click on the links for more information)

Financial Risk Management (6 CP)

Current Issues in Insurance (6 CP)
Money and Banking (6 CP)
Business Cycle Theory and Policy (6 CP)
Derivatives 1: Discrete-Time Models (6 CP)
Accounting and Capital Markets (6 CP)



Europe in the Age of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Far more than just the namesake of our university, Goethe stands at the center of an era defined by reform, revolution, and the reinvention of German culture and national identity. During Goethe's lifetime, 1750-1830, Europe experienced an era of profound transformation. Established social orders came under scrutiny, the economy modernized, scientific discovery gathered pace, and technologies such as the steam engine and the railway revolutionized everyday life. At the same time, literature and philosophy explored the full potential of the individual, while art and music captivated ever larger audiences, awakening new depths of emotion and imagination. Learn more about Europe in the age of Goethe in classes from various disciplines.  
Are you a regular student of Goethe University and are interested in participating? Please see tab below. 

This track is not yet fully available in English. If you wish to earn the Certificate, you must also take two courses taught in German (regular attendance only, no exams) and participate in a final colloquium.

A look ahead on the program of fall/winter term 2026/27:

Introductory class (7 September to 1 October, 2026; Mon, Tues, Thurs 4–6 pm):
Dr. Johannes Müller: Poet, Polymath and Politician – Goethe's Life and German History (3 CP)

Excursion:
Visits to the Deutsches Romantik-Museum and Frankfurter Goethe-Haus in September
(only for participants of the introductory class)

Regular classes in English (during the semester):
Dr. Ellinor Schweighöfer: Diplomats & Bourgeoisie. Frankfurt as Capital of Germany (1816–1866)

Regular classes in German (during the semester):
Herrschaft im Wandel – Dynastie und gesellschaftliche Veränderung zwischen 1785 und 1815
Medienereignisse des 19. Jahrhunderts


More classes tbd

This track is curated by the Faculty of Linguistics, Culture and Art. The faculty includes the following institutes: African Studies, Archaeological Sciences, Art Education, Art History, Classical Philology, Cultural Anthropology, East-Asian Studies, Empirical Linguistics, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Musicology.

A Matter of Time and Space: Languages and Cultures in Interdisciplinary Perspective

Discover the potential of language and culture studies.

A lecture series titled “Understanding Languages and Cultures: Insights Through Research", taught by professors from various disciplines within the Faculty of Linguistics, Culture and Arts, provides an overview of discipline-specific perspectives on research in linguistic and cultural studies. You will become familiar with different research perspectives and methods.

You can deepen your understanding of these disciplines in various introductory courses offered in English at the Faculty of Linguistics, Culture and Arts. Within one semester, you will get to travel time and space thanks to an interdisciplinary perspective of Language and culture studies.

A look ahead on the program of fall/winter term 2026/27:

Lecture series (during the semester):
Understanding Languages and Cultures: Insights Through Research (online exam; 3 CP)

Regular classes (during the semester): 

Please note: This track does not include a pre-semester introductory class (as in the other tracks). Instead, a lecture series takes place during the semester. If you want to receive the Certificate of International Studies (see more details below), participation in the lecture series is mandatory. 

  • pre-semester (September / March): introductory class of academic discipline of choice and German classes (for exact dates see tab "study options" above)
  • regular "Wintersemester" and "Sommersemester": regular content classes and German classes
  • You will only need to register for GStEP, if you want to take one of the introductory classes. All other classes are regular classes; you will have to enroll in those independently. 
  • If you only want to take one of the introductory classes (and not the regular classes during the semester), please register for GStEP as well. 
  • You have to be nominated by your home institution through the regular application process for exchange students from partner institutions with a student exchange agreement; freemovers may apply but will only be accepted if availabilty permits. 
  • Register for participation in GStEP via your Mobility-Online workflow (after having received an invitation to apply which will be sent out to all nominated exchange students in July/February)
  • Priority will be given to students from partner universities with university-wide exchange agreements; after that it will be first-come first-serve. We reserve the right to reject applications to the program in case demand exceeds capacity.
  • Regular classes during the semester
    • students have to register for regular classes individually as specified in the course description (for more information about course registration see here -> Course selection -> course registration)
    • Admission cannot be guaranteed before the semester; subject to availabilty/capacity
  • English B2 required - please provide with your application one of the following (language certificate may not be older than 2 years):  
    • English proficiency confirmed by language certificate issued by home institution
    • IELTS 6.0
    • Toefl 80 
    • or equivalent certificate / proof of language proficiency
  • German not required
  • BA students must be at least in their 3rd semester
  • academic requirements:
    • introductory class (September / March): no academic knowledge regarding the study field required / open to all
    • regular classes (during the semester): 
      • please see requirements for individual classes; 
      • classes may only be open for students of the particular study field

Transcript of Records

  • All incoming exchange / guest students will receive a transcript of records after successful completion of courses at Goethe University regardless of whether or not they receive the Certificate of International Studies (see below). Please find more information about the transcript of records here. 
  • All incoming exchange / guest students need to talk to their home university about whether credits may be recognized and counted towards their degree. Home institutions may contact the GStEP team with questions regarding this matter. 

Certificate of International Studies

A „Certificate of International Studies" is available to those who earn at least 24 CP by successfully completing classes from the list (see tab "study options" above) and as determined below.

A European Banking Hub: Financial and Economic Policies in the EU

  • Introductory class (pre-semester) (3 CP) 
  • German-as-a-foreign-language classes (pre-semester 3/4 CP + during semester 6 CP) = 9/10 CP 
  • 2 of the listed classes (see study options above) during the semester* (6 CP each) = 12 CP

Critical Theory Past and Present: The Frankfurt School and its legacy

  • Introductory class (pre-semester) (3 CP)
  • German-as-a-foreign-language classes (pre-semester 3/4 CP + during semester 6 CP) = 9/10 CP 
  • 4 of the listed classes (see study options above) during the semester* (3 CP each) = 12 CP 

This track is not yet fully available in English. If you wish to earn the Certificate, you must also take two courses taught in German (regular attendance only, no exams) and participate in a final colloquium.

Europe in the Age of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  • Introductory class (pre-semester) (3 CP)
  • German-as-a-foreign-language classes (pre-semester 3/4 CP + during semester 6 CP) = 9/10 CP 
  • the listed class (see study options above) during the semester (3 CP) 
  • 2 German taught classes on subject-related topics (attendance only) (2 CP each) 
  • final Colloquium on selected subjects of the German taught courses (2 CP)

A Matter of Time and Space: Languages and Cultures in Interdisciplinary Perspective

  • Lecture series (during the semester) (3 CP)
  • German-as-a-foreign-language classes (pre-semester 3/4 CP and/or during semester 6 CP)  
  • selection of listed classes (see study options above) during the semester* 
  • other classes from the regular course catalog of the Faculty of Linguistics, Culture and Arts - please have them pre-approved for the Certificate before the semester 
  • „Certificate of International Studies" available to those who earn at least 24 CP

*We're flexible: One of the listed courses may be replaced with a different one, please talk to us!

Are you a regular student of Goethe University and are interested in participating?

  • Regular students of Goethe University may participate in the introductory classes during the pre-semester (September / March) (subject to availability); see tab "study options" above for more information about the introductory classes
  • wonderful opportunity to study Frankfurt-related topics in English 
  • great chance to study with exchange students from partner universities from all over the world 
  • please check with your Prüfungsamt whether 3 CP can be counted towards your Optionalmodul (confirmed for students of Wirtschaftswissenschaften)

Regular students of Goethe University, please apply until 17 August 2026: GStEP application 

English B2 required!

Photo credits © Steffen Böttcher