Interns
1. Finding an internship
h_da does not arrange any internships/placements for students from abroad. This means that you will have to look for an internship/placement at h_da on your own. An overview of our departments can be found at the general h_da-website.
The sites of our departments list our professors and lecturers and their research areas and current projects. If you think a professor or lecturer may be a suitable supervisor for your internship, please write them an email.
Your email should cover the following aspects:
- a short presentation (your name, the name and country of your home university)
- a short description of what you’re looking for in an internship/placement (what seems interesting to you about the projects/research topics of this professor or lecturer? Where do your studies, your skills and experiences fit in here? In what way would you be beneficial for the project?)
- a CV/resumé and a current list of the classes you have taken and grades you have received so far as well as other documents that may be relevant (e.g. a reference letter from other internships or jobs you have had in the past)
Please pay attention to the following aspects:
- If your email is in German, make sure to use the formal “Sie“ (instead of “Du“, which is rather informal). Also, please call the professor or lecturer by their last name rather than by their given name(s) (e.g. Sehr geehrte Frau Professorin Schmidt). If your email is in English, make sure it's formal rather than informal.
- Make sure your email isn’t too long (there is no need to give a detailed account of all the phases of your education and professional experiences; if the professor or lecturer wants to know more about you, they will ask you).
2. Procedure & documents
These are the things you should take care of before and during your internship as well as shortly before it ends:
BEFORE your arrival in Darmstadt/Dieburg:
Discuss the contract details with your supervisor: How long will the internship last? How many hours per week will you be working? What will be your resposibilities? What documents do you need to submit for the contract? Does the department require additional documents from you, e.g. a liabilty insurance?
If you need a visa to enter Germany, please contact the local consulate or embassy in your home country as soon as possible. To apply for a visa, you need an internship confirmation from your h_da supervisor. Please be aware of the fact that it may take a long time for your visa to be processed, so you should start your application for a visa as early as possible.
If you're not sure whether you need a visa or not, please take a look at the Federal Foreign Office's website.
In order to find a room or an apartment, www.wg-gesucht.de may be of help (h_da ist not liable for any of the room and apartment offers posted on this website). If you opt for an additional enrollment at h_da you're entitled to apply for a room in one of the many residence halls run by Studierendenwerk Darmstadt (please see Possible enrollment at h_da).
Please note that h_da has four campuses. Most of them are located in Darmstadt, but some are located in Dieburg (which is about 35 minutes away from Darmstadt). You'll find the exact locations through our interactive Campus Navigator.
In some cases, for instance if your internship starts in March, April, September or October, it may make sense to enroll as an exchange student at h_da, even though you will not be taking classes from h_da, but will do an internship. Although you're required need to pay about 240 euros for this, the student status you will have will entitle you to more things in Germany:
- You’ll be allowed to use almost any busses, trams and local trains in Darmstadt, Dieburg, Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Marburg, Mainz for free (as well as in many other cities in the Southern part of Hessen) for the entire semester (March through end of September, or September through end of March) (You'll save a lot of money this way!).
- Student discounts for many leisure-time activities (z.B. in theaters, movie theaters and other events)
- You can take part in our Welcome & Orientation Program for exchange students, during which we will help you with administrative things (your visa application, registration as a resident in Darmstadt etc.). What’s more, there will be German classes, day trips within Darmstadt and the Rhein-Main region and fun activities in September in March (free of charge). You’ll also have the chance to meet other exchange students and make new friends this way.
- Students officially enrolled at h_da have the right to apply for a room in one of the many student residence halls run by Studierenenwerk Darmstadt. You’ll find more details here.
Start of your internship: Enrolling as an exchange student is only possible if your internship at h_da starts in March, April, September or October. If your internship does not start in one of these months, enrollment as an exchange student is not possible.
Registration as an exchange student: The registration deadlines are end of July for internships starting in September or October and end of January for internships starting in March or April.
For more information, please turn to incoming.int@h-da.de.
DURING your stay in Darmstadt/Dieburg:
Having your address officially registered
If your internship is longer than 90 days you’re required to register as a resident of Germany with the city of Darmstadt, or the city of Dieburg, respectively. More details can be found here (for Darmstadt), or here (for Dieburg). You can translate these websites using www.deepl.com.