JGUM was founded in 1477 and is located near Frankfurt in the central region of Germany. Because of its prime location, JGUM offers easy access to airline routes, rail links, and motorways to other parts of the country, such as Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Bonn. JGUM has a total of 222 degree programs taught by 540 professors across 150 institutes and clinics, making JGUM a school with a very diverse range of study options. This university contains about 36,500 students from over 130 nations, and unites almost all of the academic disciplines imaginable. JGUM is also considered at the fore-front of international research in disciplines such as physics, medicine, and historical science. JGUM has one goal for its students: “To promote and implement innovative ideas and to move them to transcend the many boundaries they encounter daily.”
Classes will be taught by JGUM faculty members. The exchange student advising is done by the Academic Institute for Foreign Studies at JGUM. Support for incoming study abroad students is offered by the International Office.
Note that while some classes are taught in English, you are required to have German proficiency in order to study at JGU.
The city of Mainz, with a population of 190,000 is the capital of Rheinland-Pfalz. JGUM has 30,000 students with 10% international students. The city offers many spectacular tourist sites including museums, monuments, churches, and theaters. Kastel, a suburb of Mainz, is located east of the Rhine River. The area is reminiscent of all things Roman. The region is also well known for its major television station, and most widely read newspaper publication in the country.
JGUM’s Academic Institute for Foreign Studies will direct students to the appropriate organizations to assist in securing accommodations. Washington College students will work with the Mainz Student Union (Studierendenwerk) for housing. Housing is available in single and double apartments, and each room comes with one cupboard, one bed, one chair and one desk. Single apartments also come with a kitchenette and a bathroom, while the double apartments come with two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
| JGU Grade |
WAC Grade |
| 1 |
A |
| 1.5 |
A |
| 1.75 |
A- |
| 2 |
B+ |
| 2.5 |
B |
| 2.75 |
B- |
| 3 |
C+ |
| 3.5 |
C |
| 3.75 |
C- |
| 4 |
D+ |
| 4.5 |
D |
| 4.75 |
D- |
| 5 onwards |
F |
Consult with the German Program at Washington College prior to studying abroad. For Washington College students, a full course load at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz is 22 ECTS credits per semester and 44 ECTS credits for the academic year. If you take a full course load in Germany, you will receive a full course load at Washington College (16 credits/semester; 32 credits/academic year). If you take less than the full course load you will NOT receive a full course load at Washington College.
Please see the policy on the Grades and Credits Abroad page regarding transferring back courses for below 3 WAC credits.
| JGU Credits |
WAC Credits |
| 8 ECTS |
6 credits |
| 6 ECTS |
4.5 credits |
| 5 ECTS |
4 credits |
| 4 ECTS |
3 credits |
| 3 ECTS |
2 credits |
| 2 ECTS |
1 credit |
