FAQ - Frequently asked questions about the internship

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The most frequently asked questions about internships are answered here. Is your question not listed or do you need general advice?

Get in touch with me! Tamara Schmitt, Practice Coordination FB 02

You fill out the registration form and obtain the approval of the internship supervisor responsible for you at your institute. You then sign the form and submit it to the internship coordinator. If you meet the requirements of your examination regulations for the internship, the internship will be registered with Hispos.

If the internship meets the requirements of your examination regulations in terms of type and duration and the activities are classified as relevant to your degree course, the internship may also be recognized in advance without registration. Please contact the internship coordinator.

The examination board responsible for you will decide whether practical experience can be recognized as a substitute for the compulsory internship. You must submit a corresponding application.

Please contact the internship coordinator with detailed information about your practical experience and, ideally, the relevant evidence (e.g. references, internship confirmations). You will find out whether an application is worthwhile and what further steps you need to take.

A part-time job or working student activity generally has no chance of being recognized if you work less than 20 hours per week and the activities do not prepare you for a career after your studies.

Supervision Internship Bachelor

Institute for English/American Studies

Institute for German Studies

If you no longer know who was assigned to you as a mentor at the beginning of your studies, please enquire at the German Studies office.

Institute of Philosophy

Institute of Romance Studies

An internship contract is only concluded between you and the internship position.

If you are doing an internship abroad, you can also contact the International Office. They will provide you with sample contracts. The Erasmus University Coordinator is authorized to sign the contract. The contracts can be found under the downloads and links of the International Office.

Some companies/institutions require proof that you are enrolled and have to complete a compulsory internship as part of your studies. The internship coordinator or the Examination Office FB 02 can issue you with a corresponding certificate of the compulsory internship for submission to the internship company.

The internship is usually carried out full-time. Full-time means between 37.5 and 40 working hours per week. For an eight-week internship this results in a workload of 300-320 hours, for a six-week internship (BA Philosophy) a workload of 225-240 hours. The total workload of the module is higher, as you will also be given time for the organizational aspects of the internship.

A part-time internship is also possible by arrangement. Part-time internships should comprise at least 20 hours per week to give you a good insight into everyday working life. In order to achieve the workload of a regular full-time internship, the internship will be extended accordingly.

You can submit the new dates to the practice coordinator. If you still meet the time requirements for a compulsory internship, it is possible to make a subsequent change without any problems. The confirmation from the internship placement should match the information provided.

There is a statutory accident insurance for students, according to which they have insurance cover during training and further education and on the way to and from the university. The insurance provider is the Unfallkasse Hessen.

During an internship - regardless of whether it is a compulsory part of your studies or is completed voluntarily - you are insured through the insurance provider of the internship company. Clarify with your internship company whether you are also insured there via the statutory accident insurance (accident insurance fund in the respective federal state) or via another insurance provider (e.g. via a federal cooperative).

The Unfallkasse Hessen can answer further questions in this regard.

If you are doing an internship abroad, it is advisable to find out about private accident insurance.

The Minimum Wage Act has been in force in Germany since January 1, 2015. However, compulsory internships as part of a degree course are exempt from the minimum wage. The same applies to voluntary internships that serve as career guidance or are completed alongside studies if the internship does not last longer than three months.

The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs can answer further questions about the minimum wage.

Mindestlohn-Hotline: 030/60280028

A compulsory internship is a legal relationship between you and the internship position. Nevertheless, you are enrolled as a member of the university with all rights and obligations during a mandatory internship. However, this also means that you have no legal entitlement to remuneration or vacation.

If the internship position offers you such things, you should record this in a written agreement.

However, you should only take leave for an internship that exceeds the length specified in the examination regulations.

If you receive BAföG, internship pay for a compulsory internship is normally taken into account in full. The allowance from income from gainful employment does not apply here. You can obtain further information from a counselor at the Studierendenwerk Kassel.

If you fall ill during your internship, submit a sick note to your internship company. You should also follow the company's guidelines.

If you are ill for more than 3 days, you should make up the sick days accordingly so that you can fulfill your workload, which is relevant for the recognition of the internship.

As an intern, you are also entitled to an employer's reference. Normally, you should receive at least a simple reference (proof of the type and scope of activities). However, the internship position is not obliged to issue a qualified reference. If possible, however, you should ask for one, as a reference with an assessment of performance and conduct says more than a list of activities.