Eligibility
- 18 years of age or above
- Good academic and disciplinary standing at Penn State
- 3.0 cumulative GPA or better at the time of application review
- Junior standing or above at the start of the program
- This program is only open to students at Penn State Harrisburg
Program Description
This program is specially designed for students studying engineering at Penn State Harrisburg. Students interested in this program should contact the Penn State Global Commonwealth Campus Representative at Penn State Harrisburg to discuss their interest in the program. The program is a direct-enrollment exchange program; on-site support is provided by the International Office at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. Students take all of their coursework directly at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences with other German and International students.
Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, also known as, Hochschule Darmstadt or h_da, puts science into action. With a student body of approx. 15,000, it is one of the largest and most distinguished universities of applied sciences in Germany. Its excellent reputation is the result of a scientifically grounded, real-world approach to higher education and the professional success of its graduates. The 2006 “trendence” study, for example, ranked h_da graduates in the top five among German Universities of Applied Sciences. And according to a survey conducted by the business magazine Wirtschaftswoche, h_da graduates have long been among the favorite picks of German companies.
Dates
Fall: early September - late December
Spring: late February - late July
Refer to the program website for the specific dates, if available.
Location
With a population of approximately 150,000 Darmstadt is a medium-sized city centrally located in Germany. It offers everything that your heart desires, from a variety of shopping options, a diverse nightlife and active music scene to sports and recreational opportunities. Darmstadt is also a student city with over 41,000 students between three universities.
In the event that Darmstadt starts to feel too small and you find yourself craving a "real" big city, the metropolis Frankfurt am Main is just 30 minutes away. If you find yourself in search of quiet and a place to recharge your batteries, there are plenty of opportunities to spend time in nature, in the nearby Odenwald, for example, on a hike along the idyllic Bergstraße, or in the romantic Rhine region.
As students of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, your student ID card is also your ticket for public transportation for almost all of the state of Hessen. The public transportation network is fully developed and you can travel to cities such as Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Gießen, Marburg, Fulda, and Limburg without additional cost. The central location of Hessen is also a great starting point to explore all of Germany and even Europe. There are very good train connections in all directions, thus it is very easy to reach cities such as Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Paris or Amsterdam in approx. 6 hours or less.
Education Abroad in Countries with a Penn State Restricted Travel Designation
In order to comply with Penn State’s International Travel Policy, students interested in studying abroad in countries that Penn State has designated as “restricted” for travel, a petition for a waiver must be submitted. Once a petition is complete, and if the student is approved for study on the program in question, the student may be asked to meet with the Director of Education Abroad and the petition will be reviewed by the Penn State International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC). The necessary petition will be included in the online application process for this program. To see if your program is taking place in a restricted travel country, please visit the Penn State Global website.