Automotive Electronics in Germany

Gain a hands-on perspective on automotive electronics in Germany - a world leader in automotive innovation and manufacturing.

• Visit manufacturing facilities for major German auto producers such as Porsche and BMW.
• Collaborate with German students at Hochschule Mittweida on a final class project.
• Immerse yourself in German culture for three weeks with 3-day weekends free for personal travel and exploration.

• Leverage your international experience to land an automotive-specific co-op or job after graduation.
  
  No German language required - program is taught in English.

Germany’s rich history of automotive innovation, world-class engineering, and leadership in advanced vehicle technologies make it the ideal place to study automotive electronics. This program combines classroom learning with immersive, real-world experiences that put you at the center of automotive innovation.

In the spring semester, you’ll take a course at RIT focused on how modern vehicles integrate hardware, software, and advanced control systems. Then, in early summer, you’ll travel to Mittweida University—an RIT partner and top applied science university in Germany—for two weeks of hands-on learning, guest lectures, facility tours, and cultural experiences.

You’ll gain first-hand insight into industry giants like Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche, and tour state-of-the-art manufacturing sites and research labs to see the future of mobility in action.

Located in eastern Germany, Mittweida serves as the ideal launch point for exploring the region. Just 34 miles from Dresden, it's close to key program destinations like Leipzig, Zwickau, and Chemnitz. And with free three-day weekends, you can easily explore Berlin or Prague—each just 2.5 hours away.

Program Term: Spring course with May travel
Travel Dates: May 10-27, 2026
Credits: 3

Course Details:

• ENGT-518: Global Engineering Experience: Automotive Electronics

You’ll be enrolled in a spring course in Rochester and will travel to Germany in May to complete your coursework.

No pre-requisites. Open to all undergraduate majors, 2.5 cumulative GPA or above (priority will be given to students with 2nd year status and above, 3.0 GPA and above)

Application Deadline: October 19, 2025

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: Student budget worksheet - Automotive Electronics Germany 2026 program - outlines all program costs.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships, which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program, which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting so they have time to prepare) 
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, as determined by financial aid and your FAFSA on file.

• Additional Scholarships
  RIT scholarships and national scholarships for study abroad are good options to explore for scholarship funding. Make sure you are checking scholarship eligibility requirements and take note of scholarship deadlines. 

To Apply

Applications are currently closed (application deadline has been reached)

Watch this video, which goes over all important application steps for RIT Faculty-Led Programs

Contact

Dr. Martin K. Anselm
Instructional Faculty - College of Engineering Technology
Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering Technology
mkamet@rit.edu

Dr. Christopher L. Lewis
Associate Professor, Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology
College of Engineering Technology
cllmet@rit.edu