13 Academic Year In Freiburg Internship Program (AYF-IP)
The AYF program is proud to offer its participants the opportunity to work as interns during their second term in Freiburg (Sommersemester). AYF-IP provides participants with an opportunity to gain work experience, improve their German, and get to know German work culture firsthand. Internships are part-time and usually unpaid.
Participants will be expected to commit to 10-12 hours per week for 10-12 weeks. While an intern, you will continue to be enrolled in classes. The internship includes an academic component, a seminar (AYF 490 – Internship Program Seminar), for which you will earn a grade and 3 credits. In effect, the internship can replace one course during the summer term.
Previous interns have worked in an impressive array of organizations or host companies in and around Freiburg, ranging from government agencies to publishing houses, businesses, environmental organizations, and schools, among other institutions.
AYF will assist you in searching for an internship, but students interested in participating in the AYF-IP are not limited to placements suggested by the AYF roster of contacts. You are, on the contrary, encouraged to take the initiative and search for potential placements on your own. The host companies or organizations will determine specific tasks and responsibilities. German language skills as well as prior work experience play an important role in shaping the internship experience, as does a participant’s personality, active engagement, and intercultural awareness. For some placements, it is important to apply quite early because slots may otherwise be filled with non-AYF applicants.
During orientation week in September, detailed information about this opportunity and the application and placement process will be made available. The AYF-IP is selective; about ten students can be accepted into the Internship Program. AYFers interested in the IP will be asked to submit an application by November 1, pay a program fee of 200 euros, and sign an agreement.