Salem Kolleg


Salem Kolleg, founded in 2012, is an educational institution that prepares high school graduates for their academic and professional future within an orientation year of three trimesters. During the one-year studium generale programme qualified lecturers provide insights into the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences and introduce interdisciplinary working methods. Salem Kolleg follows in the tradition of Schule Schloss Salem and its founder Kurt Hahn.

Campus

The Salem Kolleg campus is located in Überlingen on Lake Constance adjacent to Salem International College, with which it shares many facilities. Students reside in small living units housing up to eight students who share four bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen/dining area and commons room. Houses are of mixed gender, but room partners are of the same sex.

Programme

Studium generale

From September to July students can attend the seminars offered on campus. In addition, a student's individual daily study routine may include first semester courses at the University of Konstanz and the Konstanz University of Applied Sciences.
The programme includes block seminars on various topics and a mid-year field trip as part of a group research project on a topic within the overall subject area of Social Reality Europe.
Salem Kolleg also offers numerous extracurricular activities to pursue individual interests in music, languages and theatre. Every year a theatre play is staged with the participation of all Kolleg students under the direction of an experienced director. The on-campus sports programme includes use of a track and field stadium, outdoor tennis and volleyball courts, a football pitch, and a gymnasium with a weight room and a bouldering wall. A private harbour at the nearby Lake Constance allows students to go swimming, windsurfing, learn how to sail and even earn a boating license.

Counseling

Emphasis is placed on personal development and career-oriented self-evaluation. With the help of individual potential analyses and counseling interviews, Kolleg students get to know their individual strengths and talents with the help of assessment tests such as the Holland Codes in order to make a well-founded choice of future studies or a career path.

Outdoor Leadership Training

The experience students gain through extracurricular activities and in coliving is further enhanced by a programme of Outdoor Leadership Training. This structured programme focusses on developing one's own personality and mastering challenges together with others. In addition to preparatory seminars, there are three group excursions which include camping and hiking as well as a self-chosen personal challenge. The aim of the training programme is to extend individual comfort zones and promote good group cohesion.

Admission

Applicants must present a university entrance qualification. In the case of international degrees a certification of German language skills is required.
An admission interview is required and income-related scholarships can be granted.

Organisation

Salem Kolleg is a non-profit organisation administered by Schule Schloss Salem. Since March 2019, Maximilian Dietzsch-Doertenbach has been the chairman of the board of directors. Gerhard Teufel was the founding rector of Salem Kolleg. Claudia Groot has been the academic and managing director from the beginning.