FAQs
Yes. The deadline is the 31st May of the particular year.
The program is designed for undergraduate, graduate students and young professional, that have a law background. US students need to have finished the first year of Law School. More information for US students can be found here
Upon the successful completion of the U.S.-German Summer Law School Giessen, you will be awarded credits [ECTS] by the University of Giessen. You will be awarded 6 ECTS credits for successfully passing your two selected courses (3 ECTS for each course) of the academic program and 1 ECTS credit for the successful participation in the (optional) German language course.
Credits will only be awarded upon passed examinations.
If you want to apply for a partial scholarship please do so via our application form. You can get more information on the requirements and the procedure here .
Since we have students and teachers from all over the world in our classes, obviously the teaching language is English. To make sure that you will be able to follow the content discussed in class and also to make sure that you will be able to pass the exam, it is really important that you are proficient in English. Unfortunately, a letter from a teacher, a professor or a friend does not serve the purpose. We know that taking official tests such as the TOEFL, the Cambridge Certificate or the IELTS can be very expensive. Therefore, we accept certificates from English language courses at your university or certificates of Legal English classes. A proof that you have studied abroad in an English speaking country will also do the job. If you are unsure whether your certificate is sufficient, just contact the team. We are glad to answer all your questions.
Yes. If you got accepted for the program and also accepted the offer, you need to pay a service fee of 250 Euro. This service fee will not be refunded under any conditions. The date of rescission during the particular year will influence the amount of the already paid program fee that will be refunded. (Until March 31st: 100%, until April 30th: 75%, until May 31st: 50%, until June 15th: 25%). No refunds will be issued after the June 15th of the particular year of the program.
This depends on your nationality and your country of general residency. In some cases, you need to visit the German embassy in order to apply for a “Schengen VISA”. More information:
A health, liability and accident insurance is included in the program fee. This insurance is valid ONLY for the duration of the program.
Yes, there is an attendance policy. You are allowed two absences, for both of your two classes each, without any consequences. There is no distinction between classes and other academic events, so as an example if you do not show up for our guided tour through the German Bundestag this will count towards the absences in your classes. For any additional absences you will need to bring doctors note. Please be aware that being late will count as an absence, as well. If you do not excuse a third absence, you are not allowed to write the final exam and will therefore be unable to receive academic credit.
Yes. You can arrive before the arrival date and depart later, after the departure day. Please keep in mind, that we CAN'T provide accommodations for the extra time, only for the duration of the program. Make sure that you arrange accommodation for additional days on your own. If you need assistance, please let us know.
In early June, approximately 6-4 weeks before the program starts we will set up Facebook groups so that you guys can get into contact with each other before you will meet here in Giessen.
This is a very individual questions that is not easy to answer. It highly depends on your habits and how many activities outside of the program you want to participate in. We think that you will use approx. 15 and 20 Euro per day (including food, souvenirs, etc.).
In general, it’s most common to pay cash, also in bars and restaurants. Therefore, it’s advisable to always have some cash money on hand. Apart from that, you can pay with debit or credit card with a PIN number to be used at all ATMs. If you have a credit card without PIN number, you may have problems, paying in smaller shops and restaurants, as they may not accept the credit card.
There are laundry facilities in town. Before arrival you will get a little guide on lots of practical things and how they are done in Giessen. This guide will list the address of the laundry facility nearest to your hotel.
This highly depends on your country of origin. In general, there is a voltage of 230, meaning that you might get problems using electrical devices designed for a lower voltage than that without an internal voltage converter. Most electrical devices such as smartphones and laptops are equipped with these but please make sure about the equipment of your devices. Devices such as hair dryers for example are mostly not equipped with an internal voltage converter so they might only work very slow, very fast (danger of overheating!) or not at all. Concerning plugs, Germany uses type C and type F plugs. Sockets are mostly type F (which fit type C and type F plugs). Very rarely there are type C sockets (which only fit type C plugs).
If you have any physical impairments, nutritional or other dietary restrictions, please let us know as early as possible in advance so that we can help you making all necessary arrangements.
Breakfast will be provided in form of a buffet in your hotel and in the hostels on our field trips. Other meals are not included, but you will be given a Mensa card for inexpensive meals on campus, which you can charge with your own money. There will be three occasions where we will provide dinner in the form of catering: Welcome Day, Summer BBQ Party, Closing Ceremony.
Please note: We also take consideration for food intolerances, but we cannot guarantee that all food items in the hotel will be edible for everyone.
Participants of the SLS will stay in the local “Residenz Hotel”. You can see pictures, as well as additional information right here .
Please be aware, that medical service can't be provided for every minor complaint. The sport events of the program will be supplied by medical service. At those events the German Red Cross and an ambulance are present to be able to help immediately in the case of an emergency. If it's necessary, the invalid will most likely be transported to one of the following hospitals:
- The UKGM
- The St. Josef Krankenhaus Balserische Stiftung
- The Akaplesion EKH Mittelhessen
For illnesses that only require seeing a doctor, we work together with doctors of our confidence. The decision for a particular doctor will be made from case to case. If you need additional detailed information concerning the insurance policy, please contact the Summer Schools Team via e-mail or phone.
Our Summer School Team will be available (almost) 24/7 during the program via our emergency phone. You can also send us WhatsApp messages there. The number will be announced as we get closer to the actual start of the program and will be listed in our Pre-Arrival Guide as well.
Generally speaking, participation in social events is optional but participation in academic events is mandatory.
Mandatory Events include:
- All classes (including German language classes if you signed up for those)
- Welcome Presentation on Welcome Day
- Berlin - city tour by bus, visit to the German Bundestag, visit to the Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin
- Brussels - city tour, visit of the European Parliament
- Closing Ceremony
Optional Events include:
- City Rally and Welcome Dinner on Welcome Day
- Sports Day
- Summer BBQ Party
- Rhine Valley Tour
Please be aware that we need the grades from both classes you took during your stay before we are able to issue your certificates. After being issued they have to be signed by the officials. You will receive a version via mail, as well as an electronic version. Please make sure that we have your current address in our database. It is very important that you inform us if you move. We really want you to receive your certificate and don’t want to waste paper, as well as money for sending our several certificates to you.