Take an In-Depth Dive Into Specialized Study with Hands-On Experiences
Webster University is offering new thematic Study Abroad sessions at three international campuses: Geneva, Leiden and Vienna.
Two back-to-back sessions – Summer 1 (June 8-July 3) and Summer 2 (July 6-31) – will be offered at each of these vibrant locations. Each four-week session will host thematic programs comprised of a three-credit core course and a one-credit experiential learning course.
An Historic City at the Intersection of Old and New
Often named one of the world’s top cities for quality of life, it is hard to find a more livable city than Vienna.
Here you will find a thriving center of international commerce, where business districts share the streets with the city’s famous centuries-old opera houses, cafés, magnificent palaces and the winding Danube River.
Located in Central Europe, students will be exposed to multicultural living and learning at its best.
Study Psychology, Music, or Art in Summer 2026 at Webster Vienna
Walk in the footsteps of some of Vienna's greatest composers, experience performances first-hand, explore the connections that exist between music and psychology, learn about the history of the public relations field, meet global artists and make art of your own.
Summer Session 1 has offerings in psychology, music or art. Summer Session 2 offers a psychology theme. Read more about the course offerings in each session below.
Study for four or eight weeks in Vienna or pair four weeks in Vienna with four weeks in Geneva or Leiden.
Summer Session 1: June 8–July 3
Roots of Psychology
Vienna plays a prominent role in the historical development of Psychology. No other city in the world can boast such an impressive heritage in this field. Nearly every important period in the history of psychology has seen scholars connected to Vienna. For example, Franz Anton Mesmer, whose work inspired the development of modern hypnosis, was active in Vienna in the 18 century. Karl Popper, one of the most prominent scholars in philosophy of science, lived and worked in Vienna. The philosophical foundations of Structuralism and Behaviorism can be traced to the logical positivist doctrine defended by the Vienna Circle in the early 20 century. Philosophers like Franz Brentano heavily influenced both the Austrian and German branches of Gestalt psychology. Nobel laureates Konrad Lorenz and Eric Kandel were influential in developing biological approaches to behavior and cognition. Last, but not least, Vienna is known as the birthplace of psychotherapy, and names like Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, or Viktor Frankl still resonate in the minds of practitioners worldwide.
Course Fee: $75
Analyzes in-depth issues and topics in the field of psychology.
Designed for individual student exploration of a given body of knowledge or a specific area of interest. Selected topics agreed upon between student and a member of the departmental faculty. Topic of the course, detailed learning outcomes and means of evaluation to be negotiated between student and faculty member.
Vienna: Global Art
This program is a month-long immersive experience in art production, research, art history and cultural exchange. Designed to reflect the experience of an artist residency, the course provides students with a professional, hands-on approach to contemporary art practices in a new cultural setting. Based at the Webster University Vienna campus, students will create artwork, meet with professional artists and curators, and engage with the city through workshops, excursions and cultural exploration.
Course activities include group critiques, hands-on workshops, guided exhibition tours with curators, and studio visits with local artists. Creative production will focus on working with Vienna as both inspiration and artistic material, emphasizing observation and experimentation across a range of media, including drawing, painting, writing, sound, site-specific sculpture, performance, publication and exhibition-making.
Course Fee: $795
The course fee includes visits/outings to museums and galleries, artist talks and studio visits, art supplies and a welcome and farewell meal.
Offers opportunity to study the practice of art in international settings and experiences. Course goals are to; prepare students for professional residencies, expand students understanding of their place in the world, be immersed in another culture to better reflect on their own, see and create art in another context, work with practicing artists and better understand their future interests and potential profession.
Independent study involves research work on a specialized subject or project, or artistic work. The emphasis in an independent study is usually on individual pursuit of a specific content area. May be repeated for credit if content differs.
Package includes visits to the Leopold Museum, Museum Moderner Kunst (MUMOK), Albertina Museum, Kunsthalle Wien, Belvedere 21, Kunst Haus Wien, as well as to a number of artist studios.
Vienna: Capital of Music
Vienna has been at the epicenter of musical development throughout the centuries, from the Baroque period through the Viennese Classical Period and right up to present-day electronic music. The Vienna: World capital of music package is designed for music lovers who are majoring in areas outside of music, but nonetheless deeply interested in Austria’s rich traditions and latest works.
Course fee: $175
Designed for students majoring in areas outside of music. These courses include African music, American music, jazz, music and spirituality, rock music, women in music and world music. See the current course schedule for the topics offered for a particular semester. Emphasizes listening skills by examining musical materials and structures.
This variable topics course provides and introduction to various aspects of music study with an emphasis on how the study of music connects to disciplines outside of music and how our understanding of music can be enhanced through the application of interdisciplinary approaches.
Summer Session 2: July 6-31
Music Cognition
The impact of music on the mind and behavior can be profound and varies among individuals. This program is focused on students majoring or interested in psychology and the brain’s perception of music. Students will examine the relationship between musical experience, emotion and behavior, including how music is interpreted, produced, reacted to and incorporated into daily life. Both courses will be taught by Jutta M. Street, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Campbell University.
Course Fee (tours, museums and concerts): $300
This program pairs well with Vienna: Capital of Music.
Students will examine the relationship between musical experience, emotion, and behavior, including how music is interpreted, produced, reacted to and incorporated into daily life. Modern music psychology is essentially empirical; as a result, students will learn how new insights are frequently drawn from analyses of data gathered through careful observation of human participants and learn how research in music psychology has applications in a variety of fields.
The course is particularly interesting for those who are curious about creativity, cultural evolution, the perception of time and structure, music-language interaction, cross-cultural brain studies, musicality, prediction and motor engagement, the brain of the musician, sensory dissonance and the brain, musical groove, music therapy and psychological well-being.
Students will be introduced to the measurement of physiological and aesthetic responses to music (startle reflex, emotions, galvanic currents, respiration, aesthetic qualities, prediction and aesthetic appraisal, etc.) and will gain first-hand introductory experience on the systematic study of composers and compositions in relation to perceptual, affective and social responses to their music.
Request More Information
Want more information on studying abroad with Webster University? Please complete this information request:
Webster WINS Partner Schools
Is your school a Webster WINS partner? If so, you may be eligible for a scholarship up to $500 toward your airfare. Check to see if your school is already a partner!
Other Questions?
Email worldview@webster.edu or call 314-968-6988.