College of Charleston Summer Internship Program in Germany

Beyond the obvious difference of studying in a classroom vs. showing up to work each day, an internship abroad can be much different than studying abroad. While most university programs host a group of students traveling abroad together, an international internship is a much more independent experience.

You will be responsible for finding housing, showing up to work on time each day, and navigating the challenges of living abroad. Of course, Cultural Vistas is here to help throughout your time in Germany, and our Berlin office is open during regular work hours for in-country assistance. While the independence can be intimidating at first, many of our participants come away from the program amazed at how much they were able to accomplish and experience abroad. From growing close to their German coworkers, to taking a first solo trip, each person finds a way to make the experience their own.

U.S. citizens are able to enter and stay in Germany for up to three months with their U.S. passport. If participants remain in the country for more than three months or complete a paid internship, they need to apply for a residence permit at the local Ausländerbehörde once in Germany. More information on required bureaucratic procedures in Germany is provided in our pre-departure mailing.

Non-U.S. citizens are responsible for any visa required by the German government. Cultural Vistas will provide non-U.S. citizens who need a visa for Germany with supporting documents verifying their participation in the program.

Cultural Vistas encourages you to explore as much as possible during your time abroad; however, please keep in mind that you are an employee at a company. Therefore, you are expected to attend work according to the expectations of your employer.

We are unable to accept applications for graduating seniors and recent graduates. Participants in the program must be enrolled at a U.S. or Canadian (for Canadian citizens) college or university for the duration of their internships. If it is possible to extend your graduation date to accommodate this requirement, we would be happy to invite you to apply. You may be interested in the Independent Work Abroad Program in Switzerland, which is open to graduates.

Scholarships are available through the Cultural Vistas Scholarship Fund for those who have already been accepted into the program.  All eligible participants will receive a scholarship application via email. Scholarships are available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States (Green Card holders). Priority will be given to participants with financial need and to those with unpaid internships.

It is your responsibility to secure your own living arrangement. Finding housing in a foreign country is certainly a challenge; however, it is an important part of the internship experience. Most companies will help if you tell them that you need assistance. If the company is unable to assist you, please contact Cultural Vistas and we will try to help you whenever possible. You will receive guidelines for finding housing in Germany from Cultural Vistas before you depart. Popular housing options include shared apartments with other students or interns.

A visa is a document that allows one to enter and stay in a certain country and stay for a particular period of time for a specific purpose.

Step One: Schedule an Appointment

Once you know which consulate you will need to visit, you can typically schedule an appointment on the consulate’s website (see links below). Most consulates in the United States have two visa appointment categories: tourist and employment. Although you will be in Germany as an intern, you will make an appointment for a tourist visa, not an employment visa. By the time you visit the consulate, we will have already secured your work authorization (Arbeitsmarktzulassung) from the German government allowing you to live and work in Germany for the duration of your internship; you will simply need the visa for permission to enter the country. An employment visa is designed for those entering Germany to work at a full-time position for an extended period of time, not an internship. The procedure for the tourist visa most closely matches your purpose for entering Germany.

As available appointment times fill up rather quickly, it is important that you schedule the appointment as soon as you have paid your program fee. Visa processing time is usually one week, and we recommend making an appointment for two weeks prior to your departure to Germany.

Please keep in mind that you will need to have your work authorization with you at your appointment. Because work authorization is issued for specific internships, we cannot provide you with your work authorization until you have received your internship placement. Therefore, if you book an appointment that is too early, we will be unable to provide you with the necessary documents. An appointment more than four weeks before you depart for Germany may not allow enough time for your work authorization to arrive.

Step Two: Gather the Necessary Documents

In addition to the documents required by the consulate, you will need the following documents from Cultural Vistas with you at your appointment:

• A scan of your work authorization (Arbeitsmarktzulassung)
• A support letter describing our organization, the program, and your purpose in Germany
• A copy of your Certificate of Enrollment
• A copy of your Verpflichtungserklärung

Once you have made your appointment, it is your responsibility to contact the Internships Abroad team at Cultural Vista to inform us of your appointment date and time and to request to have these documents sent to you.

Step Three: Visiting the Consulate

When you visit the consulate, please have all required materials together in a folder or envelope. Be sure that they are neat and organized. We also recommend having two high-quality copies of each document in a separate folder or envelope. (For the passport, this means the photo page containing all of your data.)

Please contact us with any questions or concerns at any time while acquiring your visa. We are here to help!

German Consulates outside the United States

If you are an international student who will travel outside the United States before going to Germany, you may wish to make your visa appointment in another country. Please be advised that various consulates may have different policies and procedures. Please contact these consulates directly for any questions you may have. Cultural Vistas cannot provide information on processing times and procedures for appointments made at consulates outside of the United States.

Links

German Consulates General in the United States

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Chicago
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York
• San Francisco
• Washington, D.C.

Federal Foreign Ministry of Germany

• Country list from Auswärtiges Amt in German
• Country list from Auswärtiges Amt in English

US Department of State

• Schengen Zone Fact Sheet

Complete an online application by clicking the “Request an Application” button. After submitting background information about yourself, we will email you a password granting you access to our online application system.

After submitting a completed application, all supporting documents, and the application fee payment, Cultural Vistas will schedule telephone interviews with all qualified candidates. During this telephone interview, we will make an assessment of your abilities, language skills, and career goals and will answer any questions you may have.

After a successful interview, you will be formally accepted into the program and we, in cooperation with our in-country partner, will begin the search for an appropriate internship.

After reviewing your resume and conducting a telephone interview with you, we will have a solid understanding of your strengths and professional interests. Based on this information, we will begin contacting suitable potential host companies throughout Germany. Location preferences will be considered; however, the priority in the placement process lies in securing the best possible internship, regardless of location.

Cultural Vistas staff maintains close contact with our participants throughout the search until a host company is found. This process can take anywhere from two weeks to several months after acceptance into the program. Your personal resume and previous experience coupled with each employer’s respective schedule often dictates how quickly a position can be found.

Cultural Vistas will work diligently to find a placement for you; however, proactive participation from your end is strongly encouraged, though not required. You may approach potential host companies independently or offer contact information to us throughout the search; however, it is essential that you inform us of all outside contact.

Yes. All fees paid (less the $75 non-refundable application fee) will be refunded in the unlikely event that you are accepted into the program and an internship is not found for you.

Cultural Vistas will work with each participant to see that they receive an internship most suited to their interests and capabilities. Previous work experience coupled with the chosen field of work will influence the availability and ease of finding a position.

Interning abroad gives you the unique opportunity to explore a new culture, improve your language skills, and gain intercultural competence all while boosting your resume and gathering professional experience.

Many articles about the benefits of interning abroad can be found online, but perhaps most important are the long-term effects on your career. Whether it’s standing out from the crowd while applying for your first entry level position, or having the opportunity to transfer to another country mid-career because of your previous internship experience, your internship abroad will only continue to pay off down the line.

Internships are available with all types of companies: small family-owned businesses, medium-sized companies, multinational holdings, research institutions, and non-profit or government organizations. Here are a few examples of companies where we have had participants in the past: BMW, KHS, Bundesministerium für Gesundheit und Soziales, Robert-Koch-Institut, Siemens, Fleishman-Hillard Germany GmbH, Lufthansa Technik AG, Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut, SolarWorld Innovations GmbH, and TIO – Treff- und Informationsort für türkische Frauen.

This list is by no means comprehensive, but should give you a good idea of the types of companies Cultural Vistas works with. To request a more complete list of previous host companies, please contact us at usabroad@culturalvistas.org.

Please note that Cultural Vistas cannot guarantee that you will intern at any of the companies listed here. We will do our best to locate the best possible internship for you, based on your previous work experience, language skills, educational background, and interests.

Many internships are paid, although each situation is unique and it is ultimately the host company that will make this decision. Compensation varies by industry and will either be approximately EUR 200–600 per month, or approximately EUR 100–200 per month plus free housing. Much like in the United States, internships in technical fields are generally paid, while internships for those with a liberal arts background tend to be unpaid. A limited number of scholarships are available through the Cultural Vistas Scholarship Fund, for qualified participants.

We conduct our internship search based on your level of experience, academic background, and professional interests as discussed during your interview. We do not have a set number of pre-determined internships that need to be filled. Instead, we look for a placement until an appropriate internship has been found. While we do have established partnerships with a number of organizations and companies, we conduct new research each year as required. Your desired internship will be discussed during the interview portion of the application process.

The language requirement for this program is two years of post-secondary language instruction in German or the equivalent (previous study abroad, etc.). We will conduct a language assessment during the interview process to determine whether you would benefit from enrollment in an intensive German course prior to your internship. A limited number of language course stipends are available for those who qualify. Participants are responsible for the costs of any language courses they choose to pursue independently, though Cultural Vistas is happy to enroll students in a language course in Germany (at an additional cost).

The program fee of $3400 includes a one-month language course in Berlin (including accommodation and breakfast), internship placement with a German host company, a pre-departure orientation mailing, work authorization and assistance with other bureaucratic matters, support throughout the program in Germany and in the U.S., and a reentry mailing upon completion of the program. The participant is responsible for airfare, housing, meals, and transportation in the host country. Participants are also required to purchase international health insurance through the College of Charleston.

All participants must be insured while abroad. Participants are required to purchase international health insurance through the College of Charleston.

The duration of the College of Charleston Summer Internship Program in Germany is three months. The program will begin with a one-month language course in Berlin followed by a two-month internship. The program runs from May to August. It is possible to extend the internship in coordination with your host company. The work authorization associated with the program can be extended to a maximum of twelve months in total and is only valid for the internship for which it has been issued.

Yes, the College of Charleston awards college credits for participation in this program. Please contact the College of Charleston for further details regarding the credits awarded.