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Vienna Program

The Vienna Program is NMU's longest running and most popular faculty-led study abroad opportunity. Find out why!

Start Planning for May 2026

What an experience this past summer (2024)! We managed to do everything from hiking the Alps to boating down the Danube; from visiting Prague, Bratislava, and Hungary to regular excursions up and down the countryside of Lower Austria; from daily coffee and pastry to meals that left us exhausted; from ballet to opera and everything in between. Castles, palaces, cathedrals, Roman ruins. Museums of history, art, war, anthropology, hunting. Hikes through vineyards and mountains. And most of the participants remained after the Program to wander Europe (not lost, just exploring with others after the Program..."Not all who wander are lost.")

So if you are reading this, you either already know what a fantastic program this is or you want to find out more about this amazing immersion experience in European culture.

Either way, the Vienna Program is NMUs longest running and most popular faculty-led study abroad opportunity. We are well into our third decade of going to Central Europe for a month-long cultural immersion with a unique twist. There is a reason the Program is so popular; contact us to find out why: program leader Prof. Robbie Goodrich (rgoodric@nmu.edu) or International Programs Office (goabroad@nmu.edu).

Mark your calendar for our upcoming dates (see Calendar):

Recruiting meetings: September/October 2025
Applications due: 31 October 2025 (for early acceptance); otherwise 15 November 2025
Program dates: 9 May to 7 June 2026

We will not be offering the Vienna Program next year in May 2025 in keeping with our policy of two years on, one year off. But it is never too early to start planning for 2026. It may seem far off, but in less than year we start meeting. This lead time gives you all the more time to start saving and planning. In the meantime, talk to the Program leader or the folks at the International Program Office.

JACKSON SCHOLARSHIP NEWS: Did you graduate from a UP high school? If so, the Jackson Scholarship may have $3000 for you to participate in a study abroad! Check out the descriptions for this and other NMU study abroad scholarships and submit your Scholarship Applications.

PROGRAM APPLICATIONS for 2026 accepted staring fall 2025

NOTE: early applications close 31 October 2025. You may still apply after that date, but you may be placed on a ranked waitlist.

Our cultural activities include a wide variety of adventures. Here is a partial list:

Day trip down the Wachau (the Danube river gorge northwest of Vienna)
Visit to the famous Baroque monastery of Melk
Hikes up the mountain to Castle Duernstein where Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned
Day trip to Heiligenkreuz in the Vienna Woods, the spiritual home of the Babenbergs
The Kunsthistorisches Museum (world-famous Museum of Art)
The Albertina (world's greatest collection of sketches)
The Hofburg (imperial castle and political center of the Habsburg empire)
Schoenbrunn Palace, the Habsburg rival to Versailles
Walks through every part of historical Vienna and the surrounding country
Daily coffee and pastry breaks at the renowned coffee houses
Hikes through the Viennese Forest, including stopping off at local Heurige (wine house)
Concert and ballet evenings at the State Opera and the People's Opera
The annual Summer Palace Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic
Tour of the ancient Roman capital of Carnuntum and Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia
A long weekend in Prague (always a highlight)
Trip to Sopron, Hungary for its medieval town and exquisite cuisine
A dizzying array of visits to all of the layers of Austrian history from Roman to modern
And oh so much more!

We will coordinate a variety of excursions and events for afternoons and some evenings and weekend days. However, you will have ample time to use at your discretion. You may also elect to travel to additional countries or explore the outlying area of Austria.