Exchange Program for Graduate Students

Since 2005, the Department of Developmental Psychology in combination with the Center for Applied Developmental Science at the University of Jena and the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the Pennsylvania State University have run a vivid and very successful exchange program for graduate students. This program was initiated and is directed by Prof. Dr. Rainer K. Silbereisen at the university Jena and Prof. Fred W. Vondracek, Ph.D. at Penn State and is funded by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD). For further information you may turn to Dr. Matthias Reitzle, the local Program Coordinator of Jena.

Each summer, 6 American students receive a grant to do their advanced studies at the Jena Institute of Psychology, primarily at the Department of Developmental Psychology. Each year in exchange, 6 German students who do their advanced course work in Developmental Psychology have the opportunity to join the fall semester term in State College.

For German students the following attractive conditions apply:

• They receive a travel grant which usually covers the entire costs for the flight.
• If necessary, they receive a contribution to their extra health insurance (Auslandskrankenversicherung).
• In State College, they live on campus and pay no rent for housing.
• They do not pay any tuition (Studiengebühren).
• They get a monthly allowance to cover their basic costs for living.

Details for the next round of application can be donwloaded here (announcement).

Equivalent conditions apply for American students visiting Jena. They are kindly asked to contact their Department to get further details. However, if American applicants would like to get a glimpse of the city, the environment, and the academic atmosphere in Jena, we can offer some sneak previews and some written experience by their predecessors.

index

The academic part

Courses in the summer term 2011:

• Human Development in Times of Social Change: Prof. Dr. Rainer K. Silbereisen
• Applied Methodology: Dr. Matthias Reitzle
• Writing Scientific Papers in English: Dr. Verona Christmas-Best
• Prevention and Treatment of Developmental Disorders: Dr. Martin Tomasik
• Diagnosis of Developmental Disorders: Dr. Peter Titzmann
• Externalizing Problem Behavior during Adolescence: Prof. Dr. Rainer K. Silbereisen
• Internalizing Disorders: Dr. Matthias Reitzle

Courses in the summer term 2010:

• Early or late in puberty: Dr. Karina Weichold
• Methods for the Analysis of Continuity and Change: Person- and Variable-Based Approach: Dr. Matthias Reitzle
• Human Development in Times of Social Change: Prof. Dr. Rainer K. Silbereisen
• Intervention: Dr. Karina Weichold
• Independent study: Consequences of interindividual differences in pubertal timing: Effects on psychosocial adaptation in early adulthood: Dr. Karina Weichold
• Independent study: Intergroup Relations in Contexts of Migration: Alaina Brenick
• Independent study: Business Foundation and Business Succession as Future Career Choice: Developmental Pathways of Entrepreneurs: Dr. Elke Schröder

Courses in the summer term 2009:

• Birds of a feather flock together - Social Relationships of Adolescent Migrants: Dr. Peter Titzmann, Andrea Michel, Prof. Dr. Rainer K. Silbereisen
• Methods for the Analysis of Continuity and Change: Person- and Variable-Based Approach: Dr. Matthias Reitzle
• Human Development in Times of Social Change: Prof. Dr. Rainer K. Silbereisen & Sebastian Grümer
• Puberty as Developmental Milestone-Concepts, Models, and Application of Findings: Dr. Karina Weichold

Courses in the summer term 2008:

• This can be done by every child, can it? The Swiss Intelligence and Development Scales
• Human Development in Times of Social Change
• Strategies and Methods for the Analysis of Continuity and Change

Courses in the summer term 2007:

• Promotion of Work-related Personal Initiative in Disadvantaged Adolescents: (Introductory literature)
• Developmental Psychopathology
• Modeling Quantitative Developmental Change
• Positive Kids: Developmental Interventions during Childhood
• Methods of Intergroup Research
• Social Psychology and Economics: Research on Games in Social Psychology
• Design of Experimental and Observational Studies and the Analysis of Causal Effects

Courses in the summer term 2006:

• Human Development in Times of Social Change
• Methods for the study of continuity and change: Modeling quantitative developmental change
• Positive Kids in Kindergarten: Development and Evaluation of a program
• Stress and Coping: From Theory to Application
• Acculturation/Adaptation of Adolescent Immigrants
• Becoming nurse or cop? Developmental perspectives on vocational interests and careers
• Psychobiology of Anxiety and its Disorders
• Methods of Intergroup Research
• Design of Experimental and Observational Studies and the Analysis of Causal Effects

Further courses under the umbrella of the Jena Graduate School Human Behaviour in Social & Economic Change

The Jena Graduate School Human Behaviour in Social & Economic Change (GSBC) is a joint endeavor of the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, The School of Economics and Business Administration, and the Max Planck Institute of Economics. The study program of the GSBC is interdisciplinary and consists of courses offered by Applied Ethics, Economics, Psychology, and Sociology.

LINK TO GSBC's STUDY PROGRAMME

Independent Studies

• Acculturation/Adaptation of Adolescent Immigrants
• The Thuringian Founders Study: Success and Failure of innovative Entrepreneurs
• IPSY - Evaluation of a Life-Skills-Program against Substance Misuse in Adolescence

The social part

• American guests in Jena in summer 2011
• American guests in Jena in summer 2010
• American guests in Jena in summer 2009
• American guests in Jena in summer 2008
• American guests in Jena in summer 2007
• American guests in Jena in summer 2006
• American guests in Jena in summer 2005
• Some pictures of Jena, the surroundings, and the university
• Report by a former American visitor

Some helpful links

• Wikipedia Travel - Germany
• German Embassy Washington, D.C.
• German Embassy London
• BBC - Working with the Germans
• Der Spiegel - Germany Survival Bible
• DAAD - Living in Germany
• Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung - Practical hints for your stay in Germany
• Auswärtiges Amt - Facts about Germany

• Current course program of HDFS (not necessarily identical with fall term, but similar)

The social part

• German visitors in fall 2011
• German visitors in fall 2010
• German visitors in fall 2009
• German visitors in fall 2008
• German visitors in fall 2007
• German visitors in fall 2006
• German visitors in fall 2005
• Some pictures of State College, the surroundings, and the university