Study Abroad

International Exchange Program

In Economics

With Ludwig-Maximilians-University

Munich , Germany

LMU is a prestigious German University : founded in 1472, it stands as one of the oldest in Germany . The university counts 42,000 students, 7,200 of which are foreign students. LMU offers a broad array of programs, from liberal arts to professional fields (e.g. law, medicine). The Department of Economics is ranked 9 th in Europe and 1 st in Germany . It is affiliated with a well-known research center, the Center for Economic Studies (CES) - the home of some of the most famous German economists and host to economists visiting from Europe and the US . The majority of LMU foreign exchanges are with European universities and the U-W exchange is their second one with the US : they are indeed well geared to hosting exchange students and this will be a unique opportunity to meet students from diverse countries.

The Department of Economics at LMU offers a standard variety of courses similar to those offered in our department: course equivalencies with UW should be easy to figure out. They also offer courses with specific German or European content. Only a few courses are taught in English, but the bulk of the assigned textbooks or readings are in English. The Department is gradually extending its English offerings but, at this point, students interested by this exchange should be fairly fluent in German. German language courses for international students are offered regularly. Since LMU is a large liberal art university, a very wide choice of courses is also available in the other disciplines and students will be able to learn more about Germany .

Munich is a very attractive city in Southern Germany . It is the capital of Bavaria , and, as such, it boasts a fascinating historical background. LMU is located in the heart of the city, and with its efficient subway system, Munich is a very manageable place. The Bavarian countryside, at the foot of the Alps , is one of the most beautiful region in Germany : fairy tale castles, hiking and skiing grounds. As the center of gravity of Europe moved East with the accession of Eastern Europe into the EU, Munich lies now at this center. You will have plenty of opportunities to visit other countries of Europe and be exposed to the old world!

To apply to the exchange, a student needs to be an economics major, have completed Econ 300 and 301, and be in good standing – the department will select the candidates. Like most UW exchange programs, students will pay UW tuition and be responsible for travel and other expenses. For details on studying abroad (scholarship availability, credit transfer etc.), look at the International Program and Exchanges website http://ipe.washington.edu/ US students do not have to go for the whole year, they may choose one semester only. To learn more about LMU, check the department of economics web page at http://www.vwl.uni-muenchen.de/ and the web page for international students at http://www.uni-muenchen.de/conman/index.cfm?path=1076 For further questions, contact Economics Advising < econadv@u.washington.edu > or Michelle Turnovsky < mturn@u.washington.edu >

To read a student's evaluation of this exchange, click here.