Bucerius is Germany's first private law school.  Founded in 2000 as an alternative to the state-run legal education system, Bucerius offers a practice-oriented legal education with a focus on international business.  Its German students are all required to be fluent in English and to spend a semester abroad.  Each year in the fall semester, Bucerius hosts approximately 70 exchange students from partner institutions around the world.  The courses offered as part of this exchange are taught entirely in English by renowned international and German professors.  Courses typically include European Union (EU) law, comparative law, alternative dispute resolution, international business transactions, and German law.

The law school is located on the edge of a beautiful botanical garden in a fully renovated historic building and includes modern classrooms and library facilities.  Hamburg, Germany's second largest city, is an elegant cosmopolitan city with parks and canals, cultural amenities, and an active night life.  It is also a major education hub with over 65,000 university students.

Up to 2 Georgetown law students will be approved to study at Bucerius for the fall 2009 semester.  Students can register for a maximum of 14 credits.  Two Bucerius or ECTS credits equal 1 credit at Georgetown Law.  Most courses at Bucerius carry 4 ECTS credits (2 Georgetown credits).  

FALL 2009 ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Date	Event
May 15	Course descriptions posted online
June 10	Deadline for submitting Response Sheets online
June 1 - July 15	Housing: available sublets from Bucerius students will be posted online
July 15	Deadline to submit visa papers: proof of health insurance & financial affidavit, copy of passport, separate sheet with your name, date and place of birth, current e-mail address, mailing address in Hamburg
July 20 - August 2	Course pre-registration online
September 3-4	Orientation Program (mandatory)
September 7	Session I law and German classes begin
September 25	Bucerius Commencement Ceremony
October 3	German Reunification Day (National Holiday)
October 16	Session I ends
October 19-23	Exam Week Session I
October 25-29	Study Trip to Berlin & Potsdam (optional)
November 2	Session II begins
December 11	Session II ends
December 14-18	Exam Week Session II
December 18	Farewell Ceremony

 

AVAILABLE COURSES

Click here for a tentative list of available courses for the Fall 2009 program.

Students are also welcome to register for a German language course while at Bucerius.  Please notify the Law Center’s Office of Transnational Programs should you decide to register for a German language course.

HOUSING

 

Most Bucerius students find housing on the free market in an area of their choice. Most students live within a 15 to 30 minute commute of the law school. A limited number of apartments and rooms will be available on a sublet basis by Bucerius students who will be leaving for their semester abroad in the fall. Most accommodations will be for single students, but a few apartments for two or more students will be available.  Rent can range widely -- from EUR 200 to EUR 650 per month depending on size and location.

To facilitate the process of finding housing, Bucerius will post available sublets on their website.  Students who are admitted to the Bucerius program will be able to access the website with their Bucerius password in May.

APPLICATION TIME LINE

 

Deadline to submit the Georgetown Law Center Semester Abroad Application to the Office of Transnational Programs (OTP)	March 18
Deadline for OTP to notify applicants if their Bucerius applications have been approved.	March 25
Deadline for approved students to do the following: Submit online application to Bucerius; Email personal statement indicating academic interest and reasons for applying to the Bucerius Program to OTP (in most cases, the statement of interest submitted with the Georgetown Law Center Semester Abroad application will suffice); Email or deliver 2 passport-size photos to OTP	March 31 Note Bucerius materials are due one day before other programs' materials.
Deadline for Bucerius to notify approved students if they have been admitted to the Bucerius program.	April 22

More information about Bucerius is available on the Bucerius International Program website and the Program Information Sheet.  Students who enroll in the Bucerius Program are responsible for reviewing the information provided on this website.

Click here to read reports from past participants.

Revised January 22, 2009 (ms)