Erasmus internship
An internship abroad is beneficial in many ways and can also be easily combined with a semester abroad at another university.
Reasons for doing an internship abroad:
- greater independence
- language acquisition or improvement of language skills
- development of intercultural skills
- initial practical experience
- possibly to bridge a gap in your studies
Organisations that help arrange work placements
The Bonn FFA for law students in the Faculty of Law cooperates in this regard with the German American Exchange e.V. (GAE). The GAE has many years of experience in the US and the associated networks, and therefore provides an excellent foundation for a transatlantic exchange programme. Through this exchange programme, around 20 interested students and/or alumni from the University of Bonn have the opportunity each year to undertake a paid internship at a company or law firm in the USA.
You will soon be able to find all the information here regarding the eligibility criteria and the application process.
AIESEC arranges internships and placements in social projects. You can find all the information about AIESEC’s various programmes at www.aiesec.de.
ELSA-Bonn e. V., one of the 42 local chapters of ELSA-Deutschland e. V., offers the free STUDENT TRAINEE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME (STEP) to ELSA members. Further information is available on their website at https://elsa-bonn.de/.
Further information is available on the website of Department 6 – International Affairs at the University of Bonn.
Important: funding is only available for stays of 60 days or more abroad. It is therefore advisable to combine this with a semester abroad (see notes below).
There are also funding opportunities available through DAAD scholarships.
What you need to bear in mind if you are combining this with a semester abroad:
- Planning well in advance (at least 6 months beforehand)
- In order for an internship to be recognised for credit, please note that, in accordance with Section 8(2) of the JAG NRW (please read), the internship must take place during the lecture-free period. The start of the lecture-free period is determined by the end of the lecture period at the university where you studied that semester (in the case of a semester abroad, this is the end of the term at the host university). The same applies to the end of the lecture-free period, i.e. the start of lectures for the following semester. This means that the lecture-free period may be extended, allowing you to use this time for an internship abroad or in Germany.
- In the case of an Erasmus internship, funding is available provided you spend at least 60 days abroad. As these 60 days regularly exceed the lecture-free period between two semesters at the University of Bonn, Erasmus funding can only be granted following a semester abroad.
- Please also note the further requirements for internships, § 8 JAG NRW, the information sheet on compulsory internships from the Cologne Judicial Examination Office, and further details on the Cologne Judicial Examination Office’s website.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the International Coordination Office.