Mandatory internship

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If you are taking an internship for credit during your bachelor's degree at the Department of Humanities and Cultural Studies (FB 02), you will find all the necessary info and a checklist on this page to help you organize it. This will help you keep track of everything and successfully complete the module.

In some Bachelor's degree programs the internship is mandatory, in others it is possible as an alternative to studying abroad. You should therefore observe the requirements of your examination regulations (see also examination regulations and module handbook or study structure). If you are unsure, you can get advice from the internship coordination FB 02.

Contact Practice Coordination FB 02

If you have any organizational or examination-related questions about the internship, please contact the internship coordinator in the department:

Melanie Löber (on maternity leave)
Substitute: Silvie Lang
University of Kassel
Department 02
Kurt-Wolters-Str. 5
34125 Kassel
Room 3059 (3rd floor)

+49 561 804-7464

P.O. Box: Room 4012 (4th floor)

Checklist for the internship

  1. 1.Observe specifications

    • Please refer to your examination regulations/module handbook to find out which formal requirements the internship should fulfill so that it can be recognized for your studies.
    • Please also inform yourself about the General Regulations for Internship Modules of the University of Kassel (see Downloads below).
  2. 2.Internship Search

    • Inform yourself about occupational fields for humanities graduates, e.g. by participating in career orientation events offered at the university.
    • Use different ways to search: e.g. job research via internship exchanges or industry-specific job portals on the Internet, direct searches at companies & institutions, unsolicited applications and recommendations from fellow students or relatives.

    Tip: In the Moodle course "Internship & Perspectives FB 02"internship ads, job portals and much more around the job search for humanities graduates are shared.


    If you need input on a suitable internship, please feel free to contact the Internship Coordinator.

    You can also get advice on finding an internship from the Career Service or the University Counseling Service of the Employment Agency.

  3. 3.Registration

    • Once you have found a mandatory internship, it must first be approved by the internship supervisor for your study program. This step is necessary because the internship cannot be recognized if it turns out that the study program affinity or other framework conditions are not met .
    •  To do this, fill out the internship registration form (see downloads below) and submit it with the required signatures  to Internship Coordination FB 02 before the start of the internship. As soon as the registration has been received, the internship will be registered in Hispos and will therefore appear in your performance overview.
  4. 4.During the internship

    • Enjoy your internship to the fullest. Try to gain as much experience as possible and do not be afraid to ask your colleagues or superiors for new tasks if you feel underchallenged.
    • It is also advisable to make notes about activities and experiences already during the internship, as this will make it easier for you to write your internship report.
    • After you have completed the internship, you will need a confirmation from the internship site. At the end, remember to have the form filled out and signed by your contact person at the internship (see downloads below).

  5. 5.After the internship

    • Now it is time to review your experience gained during the internship and reflect on it in your internship report. Please submit the following documents after completing your internship (see downloads below): Cover Sheet, Internship Report (format template), Confirmation of an Internship Completed , and the Questionnaire. If you have received an internship report, you can also submit a copy.
    • Please submit the report and documents digitally. Send an email including pdf file(s) to the internship coordination.
      Keep the confirmation from the internship site in case you are asked to submit the original.
    • After you have submitted all documents, you will be reviewed for completeness and forwarded to the internship supervisor for evaluation. Once your report has been graded "pass", the appropriate posting will be made in Hispos. If the report has been evaluated as "not passed", you will be informed immediately.



Internship supervision in the study programs

While the internship coordination supports you in questions regarding examination law and organizational matters concerning the internship, the internship supervision of your study program is responsible for the recognition of your internship.


FAQ Internship

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

The examination board responsible for you decides on the crediting of practical experience as a substitute for the mandatory internship. You must submit a corresponding application.

Contact the internship coordination with detailed information on the practical experience and, ideally, with the corresponding evidence (e.g. work references, internship confirmations). They will tell you whether an application is worthwhile and what steps you need to take further on.

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

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

For an internship abroad, you can also contact the International Office. Sample contracts will be made available to you there. You can find the contracts 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. A corresponding certificate of the compulsory internship can be issued to you at the internship coordination or at the examination office FB 02 for submission to the internship office.

The internship is usually full-time. Full-time is defined as 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 because you will also be granted time for the organizational issues surrounding the internship.

By arrangement, a part-time internship is also possible. In part-time, an internship should comprise at least 20 hours per week, so that you get a good insight into the daily work routine. In order to achieve the workload of a regular full-time internship, the internship will be extended accordingly.

You can pass on the new data to the practice coordination. Provided that you still comply with the time requirements for a compulsory internship, a subsequent change is possible without any problems. The confirmation from the internship site should match the information.

Students are covered by statutory accident insurance, according to which they have insurance coverage during their education and training and on their way to and from the university. The insurance carrier 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 site. Check with your internship site whether you are also insured for accidents there via the statutory accident insurance (accident insurance fund in the respective federal state) or via another insurance carrier (e.g. via a federal cooperative).

If you would like more information on this topic, please contact the German Social Accident Insurance.

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 course of study are exempt from the minimum wage. The same applies to voluntary internships that serve as career orientation or are completed during studies, if the internship does not last longer than three months.

Further questions on the minimum wage can be answered by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Mindestlohn-Hotline: 030/60280028

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

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

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

If you receive BAföG, an internship salary is normally completely credited in the case of a compulsory internship . The tax-free allowance from income from gainful employment does not apply here. You can obtain further information from a consultation at the Studierendenwerk Kassel.

If you become ill during the internship, submit a sick note to your internship office. Further, be guided by the company's policy.

If you are sick 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.

Even as an intern, you are entitled to a reference. Normally, you should receive at least a simple certificate (proof of the type and scope of activities). However, there is no obligation for the internship site to issue a qualified reference. If possible, however, you should ask for one, since a reference with an evaluation of performance and behavior says more than a list of activities.

Other counseling centers

Career Service

Application portfolio checks, events, advice and much more.

International Office

Advice and funding opportunities for internships abroad

Employment agency

University counseling on career prospects and the job market


Further offers for career orientation in FB 02

Moodle

Further tips concerning career orientation, job exchanges, etc. are collected and regularly updated in the Moodle course "Internship & Perspectives FB 02".

Moodle: Enrollment with the university account

Practice Program

Every semester, the practical coordination offers information events, excursions to companies as well as workshops for career orientation for all interested students.

A few events are also key competency eligible. More info can be found in the descriptions.

Practice Program: To the program