Schiller International University (SIU) was established in 1964 by Dr. Walter Leibrecht as a private American University dedicated to the active development and encouragement of international understanding.
As a philosophy professor in the United States, Dr. Leibrecht was so impressed with the personalized instruction in the American college system that he sought to create something similar back in Europe. The realization of this concept was Schiller International University, named after German writer and human rights advocate Friedrich Schiller.
SIU study programs have a distinct international focus. Its students, who are presently from over 100 countries, have the invaluable experience of studying together with students from many different national and cultural backgrounds and forming lifelong relationships.
Schiller offers a variety of undergraduate and higher education programs of study at five different campuses worldwide – Heidelberg, Germany; Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; London, UK; and Tampa Bay Area, Florida. Schiller campuses provide an unsurpassed multicultural environment for students to gain a truly global experience in some of the most exciting locations in the world, while earning an accredited American degree taught by diverse faculty and supported by caring staff.
Being a global citizen is more than a buzzword at SIU; it’s a way of life shaped by the university’s heritage as a pioneer and leader in educating students who share a passion for exploring the world.
As more and more firms throughout the world become multinational, they increasingly need executives who can deal effectively with organizational problems in an international framework. The international programs offered at SIU are designed to meet this need. During their studies students have the option to transfer to one of the other SIU campuses abroad, not only learning the course subjects, but also becoming conversant with the linguistic, social, economic and political conditions and business practices of several different countries. Instruction in the English language and small study groups train students to present themselves professionally and to negotiate fluently in a truly intercultural environment.
Schiller International University (SIU) and the University of Roehampton (UoR) in London have signed an agreement where students will study for a degree awarded by Roehampton alongside their Schiller degree and receive two separate qualifications without completing extra Roehampton-specific credits. A student from anywhere in the world studying with Schiller will earn an accredited US degree and a British degree recognized across the European Union, the Commonwealth plus countries including Russia, Turkey, Norway, Switzerland and other signatories of the Bologna Accords.