The world beyond campus can be tempting even before you complete your studies – and not just here in Mainz, but literally the whole world. Depending on your degree program and your own individual preferences and plans, internships and language teaching assistant placements are a good way to put the skills you learn during your studies into practice. You will acquire valuable experience, discover new cultures, and make international contacts.

Go on an adventure abroad! Who knows? You might even pave the way for an international career.

Not all work experience is the same, and it can take a variety of forms abroad. In essence, there are two different types: internships and language teaching assistant placements / school internships abroad. Depending on which option you choose, different requirements, application procedures, and funding opportunities may apply.

You are probably already familiar with internships from your time in school or vocational training. This would have afforded you the opportunity to acquire important job experience and familiarize yourself with specific occupational fields. An internship abroad offers you exactly that as well, but it also gives you the opportunity to connect with people internationally and to improve your language skills.

Gain practical teaching experience and learn new teaching methods from colleagues abroad!

As an aspiring teacher, you would probably also like to find out what teaching abroad might look like. A position as a language teaching assistant placement and a school internship are both suitable options to do this. The length of the stay and the specific duties vary depending on the country and the program. Generally, you will spend around 6–12 months abroad and support individual teachers with their German classes.

Language teaching assistant placements and school internships are primarily geared toward teaching degree students and language students, but depending on the program and target country, students from other degree programs can also apply.

There are plenty of opportunities to find an internship abroad. Alongside the usual job search engines and networks, you can also use the JGU Job Portal. You will not only find offers from German companies and institutions there, but also international ones.

You can find reports from former interns, internship vacancies, and lots of helpful tips on the EU-ServicePoint page. This makes it easy for you to compare available offers and receive guidance in designing your stay abroad.

A unique route to an internship is via the international FORTHEM alliance at JGU. This opens the door to exciting experiences in eight European countries.

The website of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers a large variety of information on internships abroad (in German). You can find information on organizations that offer internship placements as well as an overview of potential funding opportunities there.

If you already know where you would like to go, you can also search directly for opportunities offered by local companies and institutions. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for current internship and job offers.
In addition, many institutes, departments, and student councils at JGU also offer similar opportunities for internships abroad.

With all of these opportunities, it’s worth taking the time to get informed!

Language teaching assistant placements and school internships are often a requirement for students in teacher education programs, especially for those studying modern foreign languages. Alternatively, teaching degree students in all subjects (!) can complete a school internship abroad.
The following institutions and organizations specialize in finding language teaching assistant placements and school internships:

• GET Across Borders
• The Direct Exchange Program of the Obama Institute at JGU
• Language Teaching Assistant Placement Program of the Educational Exchange Service (PAD) of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education (KMK)
• Lehramt.International (DAAD) teaching internships
• DAAD Language Teaching Assistant Placement Program for Graduates
• The Goethe Institute’s Schulwärts Program
• Kulturweit cultural volunteer service
• Lehramt.International: internships abroad for graduates of teacher education programs

Various scholarships and funding opportunities can provide you with financial assistance and bring you one step closer to your dream of a stay abroad.
If you have already been accepted for an internship abroad, there are various options available to you to help fund your stay.

  • DAAD – RISE
    The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers research internships in natural and life sciences at foreign higher education institutions to students in these areas. They offer internships with periods of 1.5 to 3 months worldwide. The program provides funding for monthly scholarship installments, a lump sum for travel expenses, and insurance.
  • DAAD – Carlo-Schmid Program
    This program funds internships at international organizations and EU institutions for four to six months (program line A) or four to eight months (program line B). The monthly scholarship installments depend on the destination country. The program is open to students from all disciplines.
  • Schulwärts! Goethe Institute
    Teacher degree students in the B.Ed. and M.Ed. programs as well as prospective and current teachers (university enrollment is not required) can complete school internships all over the world at schools supervised by the Goethe Institute (with a focus on STEM subjects). These internships run between two and four months.
    The monthly scholarship installment is €500 and scholarship holders receive a lump sum of €1,000 for travel expenses.
  • EU-ServicePoint Erasmus+
    This program is open to students of all subject combinations who would like to complete an internship in countries covered by Erasmus+
    lasting at least two months. The monthly scholarship installments depend on the destination country.
  • Lehramt.International (DAAD) teaching internships
    DAAD internship funding is available to teaching degree students and teaching degree graduates of all subject combinations. You can work at educational institutions around the world. The internships run for one to six months for students and three to twelve months for graduates.
    Depending on the host country, you will receive a fixed monthly scholarship installment, a lump sum for travel expenses, and an insurance subsidy.
  • PROMOS internship funding
    For internships beyond countries covered by Erasmus+ (i.e., the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey) as well as internships lasting between 30 and 60 days.

You can also access the DAAD scholarship database with resources on all matters relating to internships abroad.

Language teaching assistants work in German classes at secondary schools or colleges for a period of 6 to 12 months, depending on the program and target country. They assist individual teachers, but also take on smaller teaching units on their own. They receive appropriate payment or a scholarship for their work.

If you have organized your own language teaching assistant position, you can take advantage of alternative funding opportunities. The following programs can offer you financial assistance for your internship.

  • Language Teaching Assistant Placement Program of the Educational Exchange Service (PAD) of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education (KMK)
    This program is for students studying the language of the destination country (English, French, Spanish, and Italian) and offers German language teaching assistant placements around the world in secondary and higher education, as well as in extracurricular activities. At the time of entry (depending on the host country), students must have completed a certain number of academic semesters depending on the destination, be German nationals, and not be older than 29 (with the exception of France: 35 years).
    The period of the placement depends on the country where the internship takes place and ranges from five to eleven months. The amount of the fixed monthly scholarship installments depends on the host country. There are also lump sum travel allowances for internships in the USA, Norway, and China.
  • GET Across Borders (German Education Trainees)
    German language teaching assistants provide help in Scottish schools, and the program is designed for students in the B.Ed. and M.Ed. programs in English. The program is offered every winter semester for six months (September/October to March/April). The placement can also be as a German teacher at elementary school. A monthly subsidy is provided to help with the cost of living, but it is also possible to submit an additional application to the EU-ServicePoint.
  • DAAD Language Teaching Assistant Placements
    Graduates of German studies, German as a foreign language, regional philology, or potentially other social sciences and humanities subjects have the opportunity to teach at a foreign institution of higher education anywhere in the world. The placement lasts between nine and ten months.
    Depending on the host country, there are fixed monthly scholarship installments, a lump sum for travel expenses, insurance, and, if applicable, subsidies for language courses.

Whether you are doing an internship or working as a language teaching assistant abroad, you can obtain an Erasmus+ scholarship through the EU-ServicePoint and make your dream of a stay abroad come true. All students who are enrolled at JGU and are pursuing a degree can apply – seize the opportunity!

Please note that the EU-ServicePoint only offers funding for internships and does not arrange placements!

This project is financed in part by the European Commission. The author of this publication is responsible for its content. The Commission cannot be held liable for the information provided.

For internships between 30 and 60 days (or if Erasmus+ funding is not a possibility), you can apply for funding from PROMOS in non-European countries and, to a limited extent, in European countries. The “Program to Increase the Mobility of Students from German Universities” supports scholarship holders in the form of a partial scholarship that covers the costs of mobility and the stay. Applications are open to students enrolled at JGU who are at least in their second academic semester. A good level of language proficiency in the language you will be working in or the national language of the host country is recommended. Funding can only be provided if the German Federal Foreign Office has not issued a travel warning for the region.

PROMOS scholarships can be granted in addition to AuslandsBAföG (assistance for stays abroad under the Federal Education and Trainings Assistance Act) and the Deutschlandstipendium. It may be possible to combine a PROMOS scholarship with other scholarships, but this may not lead to double funding of your stay abroad, where two sources allocate their funds for the same purpose. Please contact us if you have any questions. You can find the exact amount of PROMOS funding rates below.

Scholarship holders are selected on the basis of the application documents submitted. Important factors taken into consideration here include academic qualifications, a clearly written motivation letter concerning the internship and its relevance, as well as the social, cultural, and political contributions of the applicants. In addition, applicants are selected based on their suitability to appropriately represent JGU Mainz abroad.

Please note the following application deadlines when planning your internship abroad and applying for a PROMOS scholarship.

  • For internships taking place between January and June: October 15
  • For internships taking place between July and December: March 31

Individuals with a degree of disability (GdB) of at least 50 or a chronic illness who receive a PROMOS scholarship can apply for a supplementary allowance.

A special allowance of up to €10,000 can be approved for PROMOS funding recipients with disabilities if the funds are needed for additional expenses resulting from the stay abroad and other responsible authorities (e.g., social security agency) do not provide financial assistance after carrying out an examination.

In addition to the application, which must be submitted to the responsible DAAD office in writing (e.g., via email), the following documents must be submitted.

  • Copy of disability certification (degree of disability of at least
    50%)
  • List of prospective expenses in table form
  • Proof that other responsible authorities will not grant financial
    aid

The approved funding is handled via a separate funding agreement. All inquiries related to this topic must be reviewed individually by the DAAD. The PROMOS team at JGU’s International Office can help you establish contact with the responsible DAAD unit. You can find general information, FAQs and links related to the mobility of students with disabilities or chronic illnesses during their stay abroad on the DAAD website.

If you are planning an internship abroad during your studies that is a requirement of your curriculum, you can apply for Auslands-BAföG (assistance for stays abroad under the Federal Education and Trainings Assistance Act). Like regular BAföG, this is assistance provided by the German government, which is intended to enable as many students as possible to gain experience abroad. Even if you do not receive BAföG in Germany, you may still meet the criteria for financial assistance abroad. The Federal Training Assistance Office (BAföG-Amt) or Studierendenwerk in Germany responsible for you with regard to Auslands-BAföG depends on the country you have chosen. You can find more information (in German) on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

In certain countries, your are required to have a convention de stage or a convenio de practicas for your internship. This is a contract between you, your internship provider, and JGU. The contract defines important obligations between you and your internship provider. For insurance purposes, JGU also has to sign the contract.

Please use the contract templates. Templates from other organizations will not be accepted.
For contract templates in other languages, please contact Europe without Erasmus+.
If you need a convention de stage for an internship in France, complete the following steps (it is important that you complete the steps in the order given below!):

For questions about the convention de stage.

For all questions about the Erasmus+ application process for internships, scholarships, etc.

For stays funded by FORTHEM.

For questions about stays funded by PROMOS.