About Us

American College Program (ACP)

The American College Program (ACP) at the University of Fribourg offers varied, interdisciplinary study abroad programs. The tradition of North American students coming to Fribourg dates back to 1925 - this year we are celebrating our centennial! The ACP is one of the oldest study abroad programs available to North American and international students and has, over its 100 year history, hosted more than 7000 participants.

Objectives

The aim of the academic year or semester program is to provide North American students the opportunity to study French and/or German at a unique, bilingual university in Europe, fostering substantial intellectual, cultural and social exchange between American participants and the Fribourg University students and professors. At the same time, American students gain invaluable experience living abroad in the safe and neutral environment of Switzerland.

In additon to these academic year/semester programs, the ACP offers a variety of inter-semester programs. In January, we offer a Winter Survey of International Organizatons (WSIO), and in summer there are currently three programs: Survey of Interational Organizations (SIO): International Security Studies Program (ISSP) and Global Environmental Justice (GEJ). All of these programs offer students an intellectually stimulating, innovative and diverse program of study in a safe environment, with maximum exposure to the cultural and political life of contemporary Switzerland, Europe and the world of international affairs.

History

The first program of study for Americans in Fribourg, called Rosary-in-Fribourg, was founded by Rosary College (today, Dominican University), River Forest, Illinois, in 1925. For many years these pioneering educators had their headquarters and dormitory at the historic Villa des Fougères.

In 1955, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, established a program for their students in Fribourg with limited interaction with the Rosary College students, as at the time neither of the schools was co-educational. Georgetown had an office and a director who oversaw the successful operation of their program and their students lived at another dormitory, the Foyer St-Justin, today called the Cité St-Justin.

Five years later, Fribourg saw the arrival of La Salle College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Like the universities preceding them, La Salle had their own director and office. Their students lived at the Salesianum. The first director for La Salle, Mr. Charles Glackin Esq., today serves on the Ambassadors' Council of the American College Program.

Subsequently, the arrival of Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, in 1963, created a need for closer cooperation of the four American universities in Fribourg, as well as a more structured relationship with the University. The consolidation of the infrastructures of these programs within the host institution, the University of Fribourg, and the resulting agreement, created the American College Program (ACP) in 1967.

Since that time, the ACP is responsible for the day-to-day operation/organization and develoment of the various programs on offer, and the possibilty of sending students on our programs is now open to all students and insitutions. 

If your home institution does not happen to be a partner of the ACP, you can find out more about applying through the Fribourg Insitute.

See the list of the represented universities in the ACP

Albertus Magnus College, American International College, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Assumption College, Barrington College, Bates College, Baylor University, Birmingham Southern College, Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, Brown University, Bucknell University, Butler University, University of California (Berkeley), University of California (Los Angeles), University of California (San Diego), California State University, Catholic University of America, The Citadel, Clark University, Clemson University, Colgate University, Colorado College, University of Colorado, Connecticut College, DePauw University, Eckerd College, Emory University, Fairfield University, Flagler College, Fordham University, Franklin and Marshall College, University of Georgia, Georgetown University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Gustavus Adolphus College, College of the Holy Cross, Hood College, Indiana State University, Ithaca College, University of Iowa, Iowa State, John Carroll University, Johns Hopkins University, Keene State College, La Salle University, Loyola University, Lycoming College, Lynchburg College, University of Maine, Manhattanville College, Marquette University, University of Maryland, Marymount College, University of Mary Washington, University of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, McGill University, University of Miami, Miami University of Ohio, Michigan State University, Middlebury College, University of Minnesota, Mount Holyoke College, University of Nevada, New England College, University of New Hampshire, New York University, Newton College of Sacred Heart, University of North Carolina, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, Ohio State University, Otterbein College, Pacific Union College, Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, Pomona College, Princeton University, Providence College, Purdue University, Rhode Island College, University of Rhode Island, Rice University, University of Richmond, University of Rochester, Roger Williams College, Rollins College, Rosary College, St. Anselm's College, College of St. Catherine, St. John's University, College of St. Mary, St. Thomas University, Salve Regina College, San Jose State University, Siena College, University of Southern Alabama, Southern Connecticut State University, Stanford University, Stonehill College, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Geneseo, Swarthmore College, Temple University, Trinity College, Tufts University, Villanova University, University of Virginia, Wayne State University, Westminster College, West Kentucky University, Wheaton College, Whitman College, College of William and Mary, University of Wisconsin, Wittenberg University, Xavier College, Yale University