Students at the Tourism/Travel Management department also have the possibility to complete internships abroad, either as a compulsory part of the syllabus or as a free-choice option.
Completing an internship abroad has many advantages: students will have the chance to implement the knowledge gained during their studies in an international working environment, as well as to improve their foreign languages and acquire or refine their intercultural competence.
What’s more, students will also be able to develop invaluable relations with international companies and potential employers before they even graduate, plus additional experience abroad is always a bonus on any CV.
There are numerous funding options available to students to help them complete an internship abroad. In addition to general funding programmes, there are also a number of subject and sector-related schemes, as well as schemes for specific regions and countries. For example, the Willy Scharnow Tourism Foundation supports tourism students studying in Germany who want to spend some time working as an intern in a tourism company abroad. The ERASMUS+ programme also provides support to students from any discipline completing an internship in Europe. Students can also apply for travel subsidies via “PROMOS”, a scheme designed to increase the mobility of German students. Under certain circumstances, students undertaking mandatory internships can apply for BAföG funding for study abroad. More information can be found here.
Further information on completing internships abroad is provided by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and can be found in the “Wege ins Auslandspraktikum” (“How to complete an internship abroad”) publication.
When arranging an internship abroad, please schedule in as much preparation time as possible, as many funding schemes have fixed application deadlines.