Exchange Program
Augustana University and the University of Potsdam cooperate in an exchange program whereby students from each institution can study at the partner institution for a semester or an academic year. Students must be nominated by the International Programs Office to study at the University of Potsdam. 

Academic Overview
The University of Potsdam offers courses in a variety of disciplines. Courses are available in the areas of Humanities and Cultural Studies, Law, Education, Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Sciences, and Natural Sciences. The course catalog (Vorlesungsverzeichnis) is available on the website. Uni Potsdam is a public university in the Berlin-Brandenburg area of Germany, which consists of four separate campuses located throughout the city of Potsdam: Am Neuen Palais, Golm, Park Babelsberg, and August-Bebel-Strasse. While approximately 30% of the courses offered at the university are in English students need to have sufficient German proficiency to undertake college-level courses.  It is recommended that all students consult with the Augustana Modern Foreign Language Department prior to applying to Potsdam to discuss academic preparation for a semester at Potsdam.

Academic Schedule
The University of Potsdam operates on a winter/summer semester schedule. The winter semester runs from October to February and is the equivalent of Augustana's fall semester.  The summer semester runs from April to August and is the equivalent of Augustana's spring semester. Study in Potsdam is possible during either the summer/spring semester or the full academic year.  Study at Potsdam for the winter/fall semester only is not possible since students would not return to Augustana until 3-4 weeks after the spring semester starts.

Location
The University of Potsdam is located in the city of Potsdam, which is the capital city of Brandenburg, a German state (Bundesland) in eastern Germany. Potsdam is approximately 40 minutes from the center of Berlin, one of the major cultural hotspots in Western Europe. Potsdam and Sioux Falls have been sister cities since 1990. The city offers numerous parks and green spaces for leisure activities, with twelve historical palaces and castles scattered throughout the area.  The city of Potsdam is rich in culture and history, from the film studio in Park Babelsberg to the historical castles of Friedrich the Great and still-present features from World War II and the Cold War.

Housing
The most popular housing option is the student residence halls (Studentenwohnheime) available from Potsdam Student Services (Studentenwerk Potsdam). Students live together with other German and study abroad students. The residence buildings are scattered throughout the city of Potsdam, which gives students the option of living nearest to the campus at which they will be studying. All rooms have a single bedroom, but some share a bathroom and kitchen with two or more people depending on the building. Rent generally runs from 180 to 280 € per month (approximately $235-375). The list of residences (Wohnanlagen) describes the features of each building. On each campus there is a Mensa (cafeteria) where students can purchase meals for 2-5 € (approximately $2.60-6.50).

Costs
Augustana students who study at the University of Potsdam pay Augustana tuition, and University of Potsdam room fees. For approximately 220€ ($300), students can purchase the Semester Ticket, which includes free public transportation and a chip card for buying meals in the cafeteria and printing materials on campus. Students are eligible to receive a monthly stipend from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) which is intended to subsidize housing and living costs. 

Additional Information
An optional two-week German language course is offered through the International Relations Office at the University of Potsdam. Participation in this course is highly recommended as it helps students to get acquainted with the German language as well as with Germany itself. It is a two-week course immediately preceding the start of the semester (last two weeks of September for the winter/fall semester and the last two weeks of March for the summer/spring semester). There is an additional charge for this course.

Application Procedures and Deadlines
Students first need to be nominated by the Augustana International Programs Office for the exchange program at the University of Potsdam. The nomination deadlines are June 15th for the winter/fall semester (if staying for the full academic year) and December 15th for the summer/spring semester. To start this process, please contact the International Programs Office at Augustana at least one month prior to the nomination deadline. Once nominated, students will receive an email from University of Potsdam that will ask them to register for UPrepare, an online software program that guides students through the actual application process to the University of Potsdam. Completed applications submitted through UPrepare are due April 15th for the academic year and January 15th for the summer/spring semester.