International

Students studying Betriebswirtschaftlehre (BWB) are welcome to apply. Students must apply by mid December to begin in August of the next year.

To Apply:

To initiate the application process, students must submit the following materials to Sabine Bethge (deadline: December 15)

• Letter of interest: One-page, written in English. The letter should state planned course of study, reason for wishing to study at MSU and in the United States in general.
• CV/ Resume: In English.
• Academic Transcript: a description of courses taken and the grades received. HTWG Students should hand in their "Notenkontoauszug" (English version!).
• Course Selections and Course Description Prerequisites: Students must plan of what courses they want to study while abroad, and prove that s/he meets the course prerequisites for those undergraduate courses. For hints on what course previous exchange students have taken, please see the section on "Courses and Assessment" below. Additional information on course offerings and course prerequisites is available here
• Personal Statement of Finances: Can be written in German. Must state how student plans to finance the required 6600 USD per semester.
• Copy of passport: EU Reisepass. Immigration in the US requires a valid, computer scanable passport
• Two passport pictures

A WS department committee will review the applications and select the most qualified applicants. Once students have been admitted to the exchange program, the following information must be handed in to the HTWG International Office (AAA):

Please find downloadable application forms and accompanying explanations here

• J-1 Visa Application and proof of financial support: Students must fill out the J-1 Visa Application and submit it to MSU via the AAA. Once MSU has processed the application and has received the TOEFL scores, the student will be sent the DS-2019 form, which must then be taken to a US consulate in Germany. For more information, visit the US consulate website
• Lifelong Education Application Form: This form is to register student at Michigan State University.
• Course Selection Form (Business): Students must plan of what courses they want to study while abroad, and prove that s/he meets the course prerequisites for those undergraduate courses.
• Residence Hall Application Form: This form is used to secure campus housing for students. (See section, "Living in the Dorms," below.)
• Airport Pickup form: Only if students wish to be picked up at the Lansing Airport.
• Student Insurance Waiver Form: MSU recommends that students purchase the MSU student insurance. However, students can waive the MSU insurance if they have an insurance policy that is considered equivalent to that offered by MSU.
• Copy of Learning Agreement
• The Proof of Financial Support Documentation: an official statement from bank certifying that the student will have at least $1100 per month while at MSU ($6600 per semester). Ex: XY Bank hereby certifies that (your name) has $6600 in personal funds available for his/her period of study at Michigan State University. Proof of financial support must be provided before the J-1 Visa application can be processed!
• TOEFL scores: In order to be eligible for study at MSU, students must have minimum overall score of 550 and 52 on each of the subsections. TOEFL scores can be submitted later, but should be done as soon as possible.

The HTWG International Office (AAA) will support you in your application process. For further information, please visit the MSU Incoming Exchange Students Website.

Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan. East Lansing is a suburb city of Lansing, the capital city of Michigan.

In terms of student body, Michigan State University is one of the largest institutions of higher education in the United States. Approximately 45,000 students study at MSU, over 30,000 of which are undergraduates. In terms of physical size, it has the largest university campus in the US. The size of the campus can be a shock for incoming exchange students. It could take as long as 40 minutes to walk from one side of campus to the other.

The size of MSU is certainly a major advantage to its students. There is always something going on at MSU. Students have ample opportunity to become involved in clubs, organizations and sports. Because MSU is such a large university, the institution is often under the watchful eye of the public. Often the attention received is positive. MSU has contributed greatly to scientific research, particularly in the areas of agriculture and animal science, and has also enjoyed the recent success of several of its sports teams. In addition, the large student body has attracted political debates, major concerts and many celebrity appearances. For example, former US President Bill Clinton and Vice President Dick Cheney have both recently given speeches at MSU, and in 2002 MTV sponsored a surprise Eminem concert on campus. Unfortunately, MSU has also received its fair share of negative attention in recent years. The student body still feels the repercussions of the student riots of 1999. After loosing an important basketball game in the national play-offs, MSU fans took to the streets in East Lansing, causing serious damage to city property, turning over police cars, and burning couches in the streets (for which MSU is now famous).

MSU takes great pride in its campus. Many of the buildings in the north campus area date back to MSU's founding in 1855. You will find that the grounds are well kept to preserve the character of the collegiate experience. Spartan Stadium, where the MSU football team plays, seats 75,000 (roughly the population of Konstanz) and is full on game days in the fall.

Living in the dorms
Living in the dorms will provide you with an excellent opportunity to practice English and become acquainted with America's diverse culture. Almost all HSK students are placed in McDonel Hall. McDonel is located close to the Business College and houses approximately 1,000 students. Normally, two students of the same sex share a room. It is university policy to place international exchange students in a room with an American student. All college freshmen are required to live in the on campus, and therefore you might find that in general most students who live in the dorms are rather young. On ever floor, there is a hall "Mentor". This is a student who acts as a leader for the floor and who enforces dormitory policies. There are also "Minority Aids" designed to help meet the special needs of minority students.

There are no cooking facilities in the dorms. Students must take all hot meals in the cafeteria. Each dorm (or group of two dorms) has a cafeteria that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day except Sundays, on which there is no dinner offered. The price of meals is included in the rent, and students can eat as much as they want with no additional charge. When applying for housing, students must choose how many meals the want per week. Students can choose 10, 15, 20 or unlimited meals per week. More information can be found at

Living in East Lansing
East Lansing, a suburb of Lansing, had a population of 46,525 in 2000. The city was first known as College Park, but was renamed when it was incorporated. It is a residential city that adjoins the state capital of Lansing and is the seat of Michigan State University.

Local Transportation:
The Lansing area offers a public bus service. The CATA (Capital Area Transportation Authority) has many different lines that will take you around the greater Lansing Area, as well as all over campus.

Dining:
The International Center and student Union have food courts with fast food restaurants. In all restaurants, (except of course fast food) you are expected to tip your server according to their performance. The average tip is generally 15%, but could be higher or lower depending on the quality of service. If you have a larger group of people at a restaurant, often 15% gratuity will be included in the bill.
More information can be found at

Restaurantdb.net has an excellent database of restaurants in and around East Lansing.

Shopping:
Grand River Ave. offers many good specialty stores, restaurants, coffee shops and bars. Goodrich's, located on Harrison Road and Trowbridge offers a good selection of German foods that can't be found anywhere else. Meijer, a truly Michigan phenomenon, is open 24 hours a day and sells everything from groceries to clothing, hardware appliances to toys. Meijer in Okemos is accessible by bus. Other inexpensive department stores include Target and Wal-mart, which do not sell food.

There are two major shopping malls in the East Lansing area. The Meridian Mall is across from Meijer and offers a wide variety of stores. The newer Eastwood Town Center is located on Lake Lansing Ave. and is an open-air mall. It also has many restaurants, in addition to a good selection of clothing and other specialty stores, and of course, a Starbucks.

Costs
Approximate expenses for room and board are $2,500 per semester. Students are required to pay $1,500 within the first two weeks of the semester. The rest of the money ($1,000) is due by the fourth week of the semester.

Former MSU exchange students have found that after room and board, one can live on $200-300 per month. Thus, the total expense is approximately $3500 per semester (5 months).

All courses at MSU require students to purchase books. The professor gives students a list of required books at the beginning of the semester. The cost of books is rather expensive. Business students can expect to pay $300 for one semester. Students in Arts and Letters pay somewhat less. Often, professors will also require a course pack, which is a packet of articles or worksheets assembled by the professor. Course packs can cost anywhere from $5 to $50, depending on copyright costs. The books can normally be purchased at any of the student bookstores near campus; however, course packs may be available at only one particular bookstore or copy shop. Your professor will announce at the beginning of the course where course materials can be purchased.

The general cost of living in the United States is relatively high, and life in a University town is certainly no exception. Food prices tend to be slightly higher than in Europe. However, certain clothing items, such as jeans and shoes, tend to be cheaper than in Germany.

Alcohol:
You will find that alcohol policies are strictly enforced in the United States. The official drinking age in all 50 states is 21. If you wish to purchase alcoholic beverages, you need to be sure to have some form of ID with a photo and date of birth. Most Americans use their driver's license as official ID. Michigan state law requires that store clerks check the ID of all customers wishing to purchase alcohol who appear to be under the age of 27. You may even notice older people being "carded" (asked to show ID). Stores that are caught selling alcohol to minors are severely punished, and therefore most stores are careful to check ID. The rule is simple: No ID, no alcohol.

Alcohol is not to be consumed in public places (ex. public parks, on the street)! Public intoxication is not tolerated, and can have serious consequences. You may consume alcohol at home or in bars in restaurants.

Extracurricular Activities
MSU offers a wide variety of extracurricular activities to it's students.

Sports:
Sports are a very important part of the collegiate experience in the United States. MSU is part of the "Big Ten" sports conference, which organizes competitions between schools of similar size in the Mid-West. Michigan State offers varsity sports for men and women. Fall means football season in the United States and many MSU students purchase season football tickets. The game between the University of Michigan and Michigan State is always the most important game of the year. In the winter, the university rallies behind its men's basketball and hockey teams. Getting tickets to games can sometimes be difficult, but seeing a MSU basketball or hockey game is certainly a worthwhile experience. Other varsity sports include women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's soccer, women's rowing, and women's volleyball, just to name a few.

Students also have the opportunity to partake in sports. The university offers an intramural sport program, where students can sign up to play on teams and participate in competitions. To find out more about such opportunities, visit the MSU intramural sport Website . There are also numerous sports facilities on campus that are free for students to use.

Activities:
MSU's campus offers many cultural events throughout the school year. The Wharton Center hosts many major theater productions, such as Broadway play and musicals, as well as many concerts. In addition to being the home of the men's and women's varsity basketball teams, the Breslin Student Events Center hosts a variety of concerts and shows during the school year. Art enthusiasts would enjoy the Kresge Art Museum, which has a variety of Art from different time periods.

For more information about extracurricular activities available to MSU students, see the activities page of the MSU Study Abroad Handbook

• Michigan State University's homepage
• The Study Abroad Student Handbook
• MSU schedule of courses
• Travelling Information from the German Federal Foreign Office