Internship and short stays abroad

Students can integrate internships and short stays abroad flexibly into their studies, often fitting them in during semester breaks.

Internships abroad

Doing an internship abroad allows students to apply their specialist knowledge in a real-life situation, gain initial work experience and hone their language and cultural skills.

Compulsory internships forming part of the bachelor’s and master’s programs in Geography can also be completed abroad. However, voluntary internships can be just as enriching on a personal and professional level.

Students will need to organize their own internships abroad as a basic principle.

A researcher stands in a green meadow and records measurement data

Funding opportunities and finding an internship

Information about internships abroad

General information about doing an internship abroad·
“Study and Internships Abroad” information brochure·
“Internships Abroad” information video
Information on the compulsory internship that forms part of Geography degree programs can be found on the Department of Geography’s internship portal (only in german).

Funding opportunities

Funding from the ERASMUS-Program for internships in other European countries
Funding from the University of Bonn’s PROMOS-Program der Universität Bonn
Funding for international research-based internships from the DAAD’s RISE Worldwide-Program (only for bachelor’s students)
Funding from internships at international organizations from the Carlo-Schmid-Program

Search for an internship

ERASMUS internships

Internships in other European countries (ERASMUS-Program countries) can be funded as part of the Erasmus Program.

Glasses, a passport, banknotes and a college block with the line "working abroad?" lying on a table

Key information

Funding

Funding available: mobility grant per month depending on country group
Funding period:
- Up to 5 months (i.e. 150 days) for internships lasting up to seven months;
- Up to 7 months (i.e. 210 days) for internships lasting between eight and twelve months
Online language course

Funding criteria:

The student finds their own internship placement in their destination country somewhere in Europe.
The content of the internship must be relevant to the student’s degree program.
The internship must last between two months (i.e. 60 days) and twelve months.
Funding is available for full-time internships at companies, vocational training institutions, research centers and other organizations in other European countries. Part-time internships can only be funded in conjunction with an ERASMUS study placement.
EU institutions, institutions that manage EU programs and embassies (of the participants’ home countries) are not eligible.
Funding for an Erasmus internship can be granted in addition to funding for an Erasmus study placement in the same study cycle. Funding is also available in the first year after a student completes their bachelor’s or master’s degree program.

Application and selection criteria

Applications are made via the ERASMUS Departmental Coordinator. Please submit the following application documents two months before your internship is due to start:

Letter of motivation (one to two pages)
Curriculum vitae
Proof of language skills
Proof of study achievements

Selection criteria:

Justification/motivation
Language skills relevant to the destination country
Quality of internship placement and internship project
Study achievements

More information and forms

General information on ERASMUS internships
ERASMUS internship marketplace run by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN)

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The contents of this publication reflect only the views of the author; the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use made of the information which it contains.