Summer at the Kartause
For most Franciscan University students, time at the Kartause Maria Thronus Iesu is a beautiful but all too brief season in their walk through life. As alumni they may journey…
Deepen your undergraduate studies and your Catholic faith when you study abroad in Austria through Franciscan University of Steubenville. Travel from the main campus in Ohio and spend a semester in Gaming, Austria, with about 200 students from Franciscan and other private and public universities.
A journey of the heart and mind
Through the Franciscan study abroad program you’ll have a life-changing experience learning about history, culture, the world — and yourself. You’ll live and learn in the Kartause, a restored 14th century Carthusian monastery in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. You’ll take rigorous academic courses, taught in English by Franciscan University professors, and travel throughout Europe where the leading lights of Christendom and Western Civilization once walked.
Your Catholic-focused academic courses during your time with the Franciscan study abroad program are no less rigorous than those on main campus in Ohio. You’ll take courses four days a week studying literature, psychology, history, philosophy, theology, art history, foreign languages, and other disciplines. You will learn from Franciscan University professors in classes taught in English.
Every major program offered at Franciscan allows for time spent in Austria, but you need to prepare well in advance with your advisor so your academic needs are met while studying in Austria.
Then you will have opportunities to explore Europe over extended weekends and two ten-day breaks, making memories for life.
Students with Disabilities
Franciscan University encourages all students to study in Austria. Our Austrian Office and our Center for Success work to make this unique study abroad opportunity available to all. Students requesting accommodations are encouraged to contact the Center for Success as soon as they begin planning their semester abroad. The key to a successful adventure in Austria is advanced planning. Learn More at The Center for Success »
Classes offered in Austria
For the official list be sure to consult your advisor and the Austria Study Abroad page on The Port, but in general here are the courses offered in Gaming each semester:
Attend Mass daily with other students in the Kartause chapel, then share a meal together. Participate in nightly events — from Philosophy on Tap to praise and worship to men’s and women’s ministries. You’ll also have daily opportunities for adoration and confession.
Student Life Highlights
Orientation
Upon arriving in Gaming, you will find out your rooming assignments, get your keys, sign your Meldezettel Form (town registration), etc. We will then have our opening Mass in the Kartause chapel with dinner and a social to follow. Orientation week is very busy with meetings, tours, trips to nearby landmarks, and chances to get to know your Gaming classmates!
Health and Medical in Austria
We have it all covered while students are in Austria, from prescriptions to medical services to emergencies. More on medical facilities in Austria »
Your residence and home base is the Kartause, a renovated 14th-century Carthusian monastery. Located in central Austria, this historical landmark is ideally located for explorations throughout Europe. With the Eurail Pass, you can ski the Swiss Alps, see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and take a gondola ride in Venice.
The Story of the Kartause
In the year 1330, Duke Albrecht II of the Habsburg family ordered the construction of a monastery situated in the middle of the steep, rocky, and richly wooded Otscher region of Austria. It was dedicated as “Mariathron” or Mary’s Throne. The Kartause serves as the ducal burial place for Duke Albrecht and his family.
The founding of the monastery necessitated the establishing of economic and social infrastructures for its support in the area of Gaming. The roads leading through the area became routes of great importance to the salt trade as well as the iron processing industry in this region.
The style of the former ducal residence of Gaming resembles a castle, characteristic of the style of the medieval imperial castles. The construction of the spacious complex was completed with the dedications of the chapter house in 1340 and the monastery church in 1342. It was the largest Carthusian monastery of the order’s German-speaking province. It remains the largest existing Carthusian monastery of the 15th century.
The Carthusian monks occupied the Kartause until the late 18th century. The monastery fell into disrepair until 1983, when Austrian architect Walter Hildebrand undertook a complete renovation. In the Fall of 1991, Franciscan University opened its doors for the first time to its Austrian Campus when 89 Students pioneered the first semester in Gaming. Renovations have continued throughout the years. The program celebrated its 30th Anniversary during the Fall 2021 semester.
Most weekends you’ll have three days to travel. You’ll also have two 10-day breaks. Trips covered in the cost of the Austrian Program include a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi during one of the 10-day breaks, plus weekend trips to Salzburg, Vienna, and Melk Abbey. Nearer to the Kartause in Gaming, Austria, you can experience hiking, wine tasting, and creek jumping while you create lifelong memories.
Major University-Sponsored
These trips are official University events that usually require significant planning and preparation on the part of University staff, and generally take place each semester. These trips are advertised and promoted by the University through various channels, and are usually placed on the official semester calendar. University staff or representatives accompany students on these trips. Unless otherwise noted, these trips are partially or fully subsidized financially by the University. These trips involve transportation, lodging, meals, and/or other services that are arranged or coordinated by University staff. All University-sponsored excursions traveling outside of Austria are considered “major” with respect to this policy.
Minor University-Sponsored
These trips are official University excursions that generally require less advanced planning and preparation than major trips. University staff or representatives accompany these trips. The University will provide transportation, lodging, meals, and/or other services that are arranged or coordinated by University staff. Students can decide to go on these trips when they are in Gaming, but are not required to go. These excursions are student subsidized and are subject to change based on interest and faculty/staff availability.
Past destinations have included:
Non-University Excursions
These trips are not promoted by the University. The director of the Austrian Program may restrict or prohibit advertisement of non-University sponsored excursions on the Austrian campus. The University does not recommend or endorse excursions to non-European countries, to countries or locations for which the U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning, or to pilgrimage sites that have not been officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church. These trips are not subsidized financially by the University. University staff or representatives generally do not, but occasionally may, accompany these trips or make arrangements for transportation, lodging, meals, and/or other services. These trips are not approved by any University official, and University staff are not acting as agents of the University on these trips. Examples of non-University sponsored excursions include most student-organized trips and informal, family/private trips involving staff/faculty accompanied by one or more students.
Since the Kartause is Franciscan University’s campus in Austria, tuition, room, and board for the Austrian Program are the same as main campus in Steubenville. The additional costs associated with the Austria Program include:
International Health Insurance
The Schengen Student Visa requires all students to have International Health Insurance. Franciscan University purchases the needed coverage from Cultural Insurance Services International and then bills you the ~$200 cost, which covers the entire semester abroad. It includes the following coverages:
If you are longing for the life-changing experience that the Austrian Program provides but are unable to join us for a full semester, then check out Franciscan University’s Austrian Summer Program!
The Austrian Summer Program offers an academic mini-session between 3 to 6 weeks with the opportunity for school-sponsored excursions and independent travel on the weekends. Although the summer program is shorter than our traditional program experience, we strive to maintain the key components that make the Austrian Program a holistic, transformative, one-in-a-lifetime experience!
If you are a college student or recent graduate interested in attending and seeing a Franciscan University Master of Fine Arts flourish, please help us assess the demand for such a program by filling out this three-minute survey.
The MFA is a specialized terminal fine arts degree at the graduate level. This degree qualifies the graduate to teach art at the undergraduate and graduate level. The program would take place in the 14th–century Carthusian monastery that houses our study abroad program (130km from Vienna, Austria).
For most Franciscan University students, time at the Kartause Maria Thronus Iesu is a beautiful but all too brief season in their walk through life. As alumni they may journey…
The smoky scent of a wood fire drifts up and through the open-air walkways of the Kartause, mingling with puffs of mint, eucalyptus, and clove billowing up from a vendor’s…
I stop to catch my breath. Breathing heavily at 7,000 feet, the water vapor condenses into a thousand tiny droplets of ice. My foggy breath lifts into the air and…
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After an amazing weekend of driving through central Europe, we had to head home from Lake Bled to Linz. In Linz we would drop off our rental car and then…
My friends and I took advantage of our first free weekend. We spontaneously planned a trip in two days and ended up spending time in 4 countries: Austria, Germany, Italy,…
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My friend Isiah Springer-Blacke and I hiked to the steel cross on Book mountain last night. We were surrounded by fog and clouds until about seven pm when the sky…
Most students returning from Austria will tell you similar things: “It was a great semester.” “It feels so weird being back.” “I’m still processing.” It was no different for me.…
I do not recommend wine tasting when you have a cold. However, like in matters, I did not heed my own advice, and went to a wine tasting in Assisi…
One of the most chilling part of my visit to Auschwitz was how peaceful it was. The day was overcast and slightly chilling, increasing the solemness of the day. I was surprised that…
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Explore Other BlogsExplore Other Blogs Select Category Arrival Day Austria Blogs Austria FAQ Before Leaving Cohagan Fiascone For the Parents Jernberg Life at the Kartause Miscellaneous Niemaszyk Prosser Schmiesing Schmittgen…
Explore Other BlogsExplore Other Blogs Select Category Arrival Day Austria Blogs Austria FAQ Before Leaving Cohagan Fiascone For the Parents Jernberg Life at the Kartause Miscellaneous Niemaszyk Prosser Schmiesing Schmittgen…
Explore Other BlogsExplore Other Blogs Select Category Arrival Day Austria Blogs Austria FAQ Before Leaving Cohagan Fiascone For the Parents Jernberg Life at the Kartause Miscellaneous Niemaszyk Prosser Schmiesing Schmittgen…
Explore Other BlogsExplore Other Blogs Select Category Arrival Day Austria Blogs Austria FAQ Before Leaving Cohagan Fiascone For the Parents Jernberg Life at the Kartause Miscellaneous Niemaszyk Prosser Schmiesing Schmittgen…
If you ever have the chance to hike up some of the mountains around Gaming at 5 A.M., I suggest you do it. Even though it’s very dark at 5…
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On Sunday, most of the Gaming campus traveled down to Melk Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey that also served as a palace for the traveling Imperial Austrian family. It’s bright yellow…
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Explore Other BlogsExplore Other Blogs Select Category Arrival Day Austria Blogs Austria FAQ Before Leaving Cohagan Fiascone For the Parents Jernberg Life at the Kartause Miscellaneous Niemaszyk Prosser Schmiesing Schmittgen…
It’s been said to me before, usually by friends of mine or others that I meet who aren’t fully aware of what life at Franciscan is like, that this little University…
For those of you who don’t know, I recently returned from a semester abroad in Gaming, Austria – Franciscan University’s study abroad program. I also blogged about it here if…
This last week and a half, all the students studying abroad at the Kartause this semester traveled to Rome and Assisi for a pilgrimage put on by the University. Rome…
During a semester in Austria every student has the opportunity to travel almost every weekend. Since classes are 4 days a week, you have 3 days to travel each weekend.…
This semester I am blessed to be studying at Franciscan University’s study abroad program in the foothills of the Alps at the Kartause in Gaming, Austria. When people told me about…
The end of my semester abroad in Gaming. I can’t believe it. So much has happened this semester. I’ve done so many new things, seen so many beautiful places, made…
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f you are open to it, it changes your heart. You are stretched and increased in ways you could have never imagined for yourself. And it’s not because of seeing…
Each semester the study abroad program offers the students a chance to attend a 10-day pilgrimage to Rome, the heart of the Catholic Church, and Assisi, the home of our…
Europe is, to sum it up in one word, grand. We have gone on school excursions to Melk, Salzburg and Vienna. The cities are full of churches that tower over…
It’s been about three weeks now since stepping off of the bus and feeling the gravel of the Kartause courtyard under my boots for the first time. But the feeling…
“’Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and…
“Are you excited!?” This question has been ringing in my ears for almost the whole semester now, whenever it comes up in conversation that I’ll be leaving to study abroad…
There are two main options to visit your student while he or she is studying with our Austrian Program:
Let us handle all of the planning and logistics! Every semester our Pilgrimages Office coordinates a trip to Austria which spends four days based at the Kartause in Gaming, and then travels to Salzburg and Vienna for the weekend before returning to the United States. This trip includes many events at the Kartause, including a formal dinner with faculty, a student talent show, day trips, and an opportunity to see how our students live while in Austria. Find out more from the Pilgrimages Office.
Family and friends are welcome to visit the Kartause completely on their own most any time during the semester, just not during the week of the Austrian Experience. Be sure to communicate with your student and with the staff at the Kartause to be sure your visit won’t be during any other major event, and be sure any travel plans won’t interfere with the mandatory attendance policies for students.
Sign up now and start your Austrian adventure today.
Find out your next steps
At another school? Fill out our transient student inquiry form and join us for an unforgettable semester abroad.
Find everything you need to know about your child’s adventure in Austria here.