Internship and thesis abroad

• You will gain an in-depth understanding of the culture of your host country.
• You will enhance your personal development in terms of language skills (including technical language skills), intercultural competence, self-confidence and flexibility.
• You will demonstrate to your future employers that you are capable of working in international teams.
• You can integrate the internship perfectly into your studies (compulsory and voluntary internships).
• You have the opportunity to obtain an additional certificate.
• You will expand your international network, both privately and professionally. 

The compulsory internship is a mandatory part of the degree programme and is also referred to as a practical semester. Please refer to your study and examination regulations or consult your programme director to find out how and when it should take place and what requirements must be met.

A voluntary internship gives you the opportunity to further enhance your CV with valuable professional experience. As it is voluntary, you can decide on the duration and timing yourself.

Further information can be found here:  Practical semester – HNU Intranet (opens in a new window)

You can also combine your study abroad with an internship and gain additional professional experience. Take a look beyond the university walls into the everyday working life of your host country. For example, by doing an internship in a company or public institution once a week.

You can also add an internship before or after your semester abroad. 

You can write your thesis abroad at a company, a public institution or at a partner university.

Essentially, you will need a supervisor at HNU and a local supervisor abroad. 

The departments for studies and examinations are your points of contact for the legal framework. You can find information on final theses here: Examinations & Internships – HNU Intranet (opens in a new window)

You should consult with your programme director and your practical training coordinator for your degree programme regarding content and topics.

Apply for funding for your thesis abroad as with an internship abroad. Find all the information here: Scholarships - HNU (opens in a new window)

Be inspired by experiences: Students abroad I Correspondents network I Study worldwide (opens in a new window)

Ideally, you should start planning a year in advance. First, gather comprehensive information. Plan carefully and apply in good time. This will increase your chances of securing an internship that is awarded early and give you a time buffer in case something doesn't work out. You can then write to other companies.

Financial support and scholarships for stays abroad also have application deadlines that you should not miss.

However, some employers also award internships at short notice.

Once you have identified suitable companies, you should send your application to your preferred companies four to six months before your planned start date. We recommend that you prepare a compelling application.

To help you prepare, the International Office offers annual application workshops (online and/or in person) in English:

English Applications in a Nutshell (online)

Outstanding Applications for Internships Abroad (in person)

The dates can be found on the intranet under ‘Dates’ (opens in a new window) and in the Moodle course ‘IO Services’ (opens in a new window)  from the start of the lecture period.

As a suggestion for your individual search, you will find in the Moodle course “Serviceangebot IO” (opens in a new window) some specific job offers, interesting links to search portals, as well as lists of companies, also to see where HNU students have already completed an internship abroad.

• Erasmus+ scholarship for internships and theses in Europe.
• With good to very good grades, you can apply for the performance scholarship of HNU scholarship "Hochschule International".
• DAAD scholarship HAW.International.
• The Bavarian Higher Education Centers grant mobility allowances for China, Latin America, India, France, the Czech Republic, and Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe.
• Foreign BAföG.
• Overview of other scholarships. 

• Our HNU Worldwide Community connects internationally mobile students, faculty, and staff of HNU. Let yourself be inspired by the reports of your fellow students.
• Read the testimonials of your fellow students in our Moodle service offering IO.
• Discover the global Correspondents Network of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).