Hessen International Summer Universities (ISU)

The Hessen International Summer Universities (Hessen:ISU) are summer programmes held at universities in the German state of Hessen. The programme was initiated and is still supported by the Hessen State Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts in Wiesbaden. Each participating university runs its own programme with academic modules, German language courses (where applicable) and a leisure programme with excursions. All programmes share a common structure, but the content of the study programme depends on the profile of each university, and teaching staff come from the participating universities and their international partners.

Classes are taught in English and/or German. Participants with little or no German take seminars in English and a beginners' German course, while those with good German can choose subject seminars in German and an advanced language course. The programmes are aimed at students and at people working in fields such as politics, economics, engineering, law, culture, technology and media. Each seminar and the German course earn 3 ECTS credits.

The programme fee covers seminars, workshops, the German course, excursions, accommodation (in some cases also meals), health insurance and study materials; current fees are published on each programme's website. Depending on the programme, participants stay in dormitories or with host families. Students from the UMass System, the UW System and Queensland universities apply first through their own international office.