Internship abroad

The European Union's Erasmus+ education programme supports internships in the countries of the European Union as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. From 1 January 2022, it will also be possible to apply for funding for an internship in an Erasmus+ partner country outside the European Union. Erasmus+ internships can be completed at universities and in all public and private organisations. Only internships at the institutions of the European Union and at all institutions that administer EU programmes are excluded from funding. Only full-time internships lasting a minimum of two months and a maximum of one year are eligible for funding. Students who are regularly enrolled at a university in Germany are eligible for funding. Exchange students are not eligible for Erasmus+ funding. Graduates can also complete an internship as part of Erasmus+ if they are exmatriculated during the internship and the internship is completed within one year of their graduation. However, they must still be enrolled at their university at the time of application.

Erasmus+ internships are not organised directly at the HdM, but via the KOOR - Erasmus-Services BW consortium. The consortium is a state-wide institution based at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences and runs EU mobility programmes for a total of 41 universities in Baden-Württemberg. HdM students apply directly to the consortium for Erasmus+ funding after they have found an internship on their own. There is no additional selection procedure for Erasmus funding at the HdM.

Please note: The complete application documents must be submitted via the Placement Online application portal. Applications for Erasmus+ funding for an internship starting between 01.02.2025 and 31.07.2025 are possible from 20.11.2024 . Applications for an internship starting on 1 August 2025 are possible from 16 June 2025 . Further information on the application process and Erasmus+ internships in general can be found on the website of KOOR - Erasmus-Services BW. Every Tuesday from 11:00 to 12:00, the consortium also offers an online consultation hour for students; on the first Tuesday of every month, students who have already completed an internship abroad report on their experiences.

Please note: Nadja Schmittner from the International Office signs the application form that must be submitted with the online application for Erasmus funding. Please send her the document by e-mail to outgoings@hdm-stuttgart.de. The contact person for the Learning Agreement for Traineeships and for the recognition of the traineeship is the head of the traineeship office for your degree programme. Both voluntary and compulsory internships are recognised under Erasmus+. Compulsory internships are recognised for your studies at the HdM with ECTS credits and entered in your transcript of records and diploma supplement. Voluntary internships can be listed as an additional achievement in the transcript of records and are also listed in the Diploma Supplement. Graduate internships can be entered in the Europass on request.

Information on Erasmus+ funding for studying abroad and further information on the Erasmus+ programme can be found here in the intranet of the HdM.

Students completing an internship in Switzerland can receive financial support under the ERASMUS+-like Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP ). Please contact outgoings@hdm-stuttgart.de if you are interested.

Unpaid internships in countries outside the Erasmus+ area can be funded as part of the PROMOS scholarship programme. Internships with a minimum stay of two months and a maximum stay of six months are eligible for funding. Further information can be found here in the intranet of the HdM.

The HAW.International scholarship programme is aimed at students from universities of applied sciences or universities of applied sciences who are completing a full-time internship abroad lasting between two and six months. Applications are open to students of all disciplines on Bachelor's, Master's and Diploma degree programmes who have already found an internship abroad that is relevant to their studies. In addition, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also advertises internships as part of the scholarship programme, for which you can apply.
In addition to a monthly scholarship instalment, the scholarship benefits include a one-off travel allowance and benefits for health, accident and personal liability insurance. In addition, a grant can be paid for a language course to accompany the scholarship. Under certain conditions, an application can also be made for family benefits for accompanying spouses or partners and children. If you have a disability or chronic illness, you can apply for a grant to cover the additional costs incurred abroad. Further information on HAW.International can be found here.

IAESTE Germany organises specialist internships abroad for students from German universities (regardless of nationality) in all technical and scientific disciplines. The internships usually take place in industry or at research institutes, last between two and three months and are generally paid. The salary is based on the typical cost of living in the country. In addition to arranging internships, IAESTE also organises accommodation abroad and takes care of all the necessary formalities. IAESTE's services are free of charge for students enrolled in Germany. Further information about IAESTE can be found here.

As part of the New Kibbutz programme, the German-Israeli Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Israel) and the DAAD support internships in the start-up scene in Israel. Bachelor's and Master's students who would like to do an internship in a high-tech start-up company in Israel can apply for the programme. The internships usually last two to six months and are organised by the AHK Israel. The internship programmes are aimed at students from various disciplines, including marketing, business administration, economics, software engineering, mechanical engineering or graphic design. In addition to the internship placement, the AHK Israel offers participating students an accompanying programme with project days on the topics of politics, business, culture and society in Israel. The DAAD covers the placement fees incurred for the internship and also supports the participants with a monthly grant, a one-off subsidy towards travel costs and benefits for health, accident and personal liability insurance. Further information on the New Kibbutz programme can be found here and here.

You can apply for BAföG abroad for an internship in another European or non-European country if it is necessary and relevant to your studies and lasts between twelve weeks and one year. Further information can be found here in the intranet of the HdM.

The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) promotes stays abroad by students at German universities and also awards scholarships for internships abroad. Further useful information on the organisation and funding of internships abroad can be found on the website of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).