Stay abroad in San Diego, California (USA)

Thank you for your interest in studying abroad at our partner university Alliant International University, San Diego. Already more than 50 students have taken the opportunity to study at Alliant for one or two semesters since the beginning of our cooperation in 2012. Our students appreciate the family atmosphere on the Alliant campus and that students are noticed and cared for. In addition, many students find it convenient that classes are held two to three days a week in the evenings between 6 and 10 pm. And should there ever be a problem? Then we are there for you, you can rely on us 100%. You can look forward to an exciting, unique and great time in your life.

What can you expect in San Diego (and surrounding areas)?

San Diego is located directly on the Pacific Ocean, beaches can be found in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, in La Jolla and in Torrey Pines. With a population of about 1.4 million, San Diego is the second largest city in the state of California and the eighth largest in the United States. The average annual temperature is 21 °C, and there is little rain.

The recreational offerings in San Diego are huge and sports play a big role everywhere: water sports, beach walks, jogging, biking and hiking are among the main leisure activities. Top sports are also available to spectators: San Diego, for example, is home to the San Diego Padres (baseball, MLB) and the San Diego Aztecs (American football and basketball). Soccer also plays a big role in the city and you can join "pick-up games" everywhere and just play along.

In the evenings, the Gaslamp Quarter or one of the many bars in Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Hillcrest and Northpark are especially popular with students. Culinary-wise, San Diego is home to mostly Mexican food such as tacos (Taco Tuesday), but also numerous burger, BBQ, sushi and all sorts of international restaurants. If you are culturally interested, you can visit many museums in Balboa Park, such as the Museum of Art or the Aerospace Museum. The San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park and Sea World also offer an attractive change of pace. Heading inland, you can quickly reach the mountains, Los Angeles is only about two hours away by car, numerous national parks, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, San Francisco are very easy to reach, and Mexico is only about 20 minutes away by car.

How can you have your stay abroad count towards your studies with us?

International and intercultural competencies, foreign language skills and contacts abroad are becoming increasingly important, because many companies already organize work in international teams and international contacts are also a must in research. By spending time abroad, you can decisively set yourself apart from your competitors. We at the Environmental Campus of Trier University therefore consciously support the possibility for our students to spend some time abroad.

Specifically, we offer our Environmental Campus students in the 5th semester of the Environmental and Business Administration Bachelor's program and in the 3rd semester of the Environmental and Business Administration Master's program, as well as Trier University Bachelor's students in the International Business program, the opportunity to spend one or two semesters at Alliant International University, San Diego. The time our students spend abroad is fully credited to their regular studies, so there is no loss of time for their domestic studies. In the Master of Environmental and Business Administration  is even the option of earning an MBA in addition to the regular degree. Thus, with only one semester more, two university degrees can be earned at once, namely the Master of Arts (Germany) and the Master of Business Administration (USA).

Further information on the recognition of your achievements abroad with us.

Academic calendar and Course offerings

Course offerings 2023/2024

ACBSP accreditation is one of the leading international accreditations in business and management. Currently, over 1200 educational institutions in 60 countries are ACBSP accredited. Founded in 1988 by representatives from 150 business schools, ACBSP serves as the leading accrediting agency in higher education support and awards. The agency places particular emphasis on teaching quality. ACBSP emphasizes the importance of research and inquiry, and institutions are encouraged to find an appropriate and mutually beneficial balance between teaching and research. Further, ACBSP encourages faculty engagement within the business community to improve the quality of instruction to contribute to an excellent education for students.

The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) is responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, and four-year colleges in the United States. WSCUC accredits institutions as a whole, not individual programs. The WSCUC accreditation process therefore promotes not only the development and maintenance of effective academic programs, but also a high level of quality in teaching and learning. Regional jurisdiction: California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and others.

How do we support you?

Due to our cooperation, our students at Trier University enjoy numerous benefits, such as tuition reduction, waiver of application fees and crediting of courses taken at our environmental campus towards an MBA program. From the beginning, a personal contact person from Alliant International University, San Diego, will be available to answer your questions about the application process and your stay at Alliant.

There are many very good financial support options, for example, Bafög abroad, Promos (awarded internally at the university), Fulbright scholarships, HAW.International, Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, Vereinigung der Freunde der Hochschule, and many more, please contact us.

Feel free to contact us if you are interested in spending part of your studies at one of our partner universities in San Diego. We will provide you with advice and assistance in your endeavor.

What do our students have to say about it?

We have summarized the most important information for you in an "Info Document". This document is constantly updated by our students who have been to Alliant and contains information about costs, financial aid opportunities, what to consider before departure (expression of interest, online application, deadlines for scholarships, visa, etc.), what to consider when you arrive in San Diego (housing, public transportation, car, driver's license, cell phone, opening a bank account, working, etc.) and what to consider when you are back in Germany (final report). This way, the information is always up to date and you can start your stay abroad perfectly informed.
Here you can find some of the reports from our students (in german).

DAAD Award

We fully credit the time spent studying abroad to your studies at the Environmental Campus, so that you can enjoy the benefits of a stay without losing time for your studies at home.

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