International Research Experience Program (IREP)

International Research Experience Program (IREP)

The International Research Experience Program offers a unique opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students from TU Darmstadt's partner universities in Canada, the USA and Singapore. This program is specifically designed to immerse participants in cutting-edge research projects across various research institutes at the Technical University of Darmstadt. Going beyond academic pursuits, the program integrates intercultural experiences, insightful company visits, exclusive excursions tailored for exchange students and optional German language courses. Acquired credits can be transferred back to the home university.

Malley Richardson,
University of British Columbia, CA

My summer at TU Darmstadt was one I will never forget. I made life-long friends and learned more about myself in these short 3 months than I ever could at home. I contributed to research behind 3D bio printing which later encouraged me to pursue a masters in Biomedical Engineering. I am also grateful to have gone outside my comfort zone and participated in this amazing experience!

Overview

IREP is offered three times a year, in spring, summer, and fall with a duration of 10 or 12 weeks. During that time you will participate in a cutting-edge research project at one of our many departments. You will be fully integrated in ongoing research groups and get assisted by faculty members and doctoral candidates. Furthermore, we offer company visits and excursions throughout your stay at TU Darmstadt. Depending on the project you can acquire 12 to 18 ECTS which can be transferred back to your home university.

Responsibilities

Your main responsibilities working on the research project will be to report your progress regularly, hand in a final written report (15-20 pages), and give an oral presentation in English at the end of the program for an evaluation by the hosting department. Depending on the project, other tasks might be included.

Language

To be accepted for IREP, German language skills are not required. The project language is English, including the coordination and support. However, we offer an Intensive German Language Course for interested students in IREP spring and fall, prior to the research internship, which you can earn academic credit for.

Note: For more information you can read the full Program specification (opens in new tab) .

IREP Summer

IREP Spring/ Fall

Spring

  • Language course and orientation: March 3 – 28 (4 weeks) (optional)
  • Research project: March 31 – June 6 (10 weeks) OR June 20 (12 weeks)
  • Application deadline TU Darmstadt: December 15, 2024


Summer

  • Orientation program: May 19 – 23 (1 week)
  • Research project: May 26 – August 1(10 weeks) OR August 15 (12 weeks)
  • Application deadline TU Darmstadt: March 1, 2025


Fall

  • Language course and orientation: September 1– 26 (4 weeks) (optional)
  • Research project: September 29 – December 5 (10 weeks) OR December 19 (12 weeks)
  • Application deadline TU Darmstadt: April 30, 2025

Spring

  • Language course and orientation: March 2 – 27 (4 weeks) (optional)
  • Research project: March 30 – June 5(10 weeks) OR June 19(12 weeks)
  • Application deadline TU Darmstadt: October 31, 2025


Summer

  • Orientation program: May 18 – 22 (1 week)
  • Research project: May 26 – July 31 (10 weeks) OR August 14 (12 weeks)
  • Application deadline TU Darmstadt: March 1, 2026


Fall

  • Language course and orientation: September 2 – 30 (4 weeks) (optional, TBC)
  • Research project: October 5 – December 12(10 weeks) OR December 26 (12 weeks)
  • Application deadline TU Darmstadt: April 30, 2026

You will receive a final grade and ECTS credit points for the successful completion of the program. TU Darmstadt will also issue an official transcript for the credits received.

  • Intensive German Language Course (4 Weeks): 45 Hours/Week -> 6 ECTS*
  • Research Project (10-12 Weeks or longer): 30-40 Hours/Week -> 12-18 ECTS*


*ECTS credit units reflect the quantity of work from each course to complete a full degree program – i.e. lectures, practical work, homework, etc. 1 ECTS = approx. 30 hours of academic work, approx. 1/2 Canadian/US credit. For confirmation on credit conversion, please contact your home institution.

As an applicant you have to:

  • Be currently enrolled and remain enrolled throughout the program in an undergraduate or graduate program at a partner university of TU Darmstadt in Canada, the USA or Singapore (See below's list of current partner universities).
  • Have successfully completed at least 3 years in an undergraduate program or one year in a graduate program at the partner university by the time of the placement.
  • Be selected by your home university to apply for the IREP program.
  • Have a minimum Grade Point Average at the time of application to the program:
    • US: 3.0
    • Canada: 73%
  • National University of Singapore (NUS)
  • Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
  • Polytechnique Montréal (Poly Mtl)
  • Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT)
  • Simon Fraser University (SFU)
  • South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDSMT)
  • Texas A&M University
  • University of Alberta (UAlberta)
  • University of Arkansas (Uark)
  • University of British Columbia (UBC)
  • University at Buffalo (UB)
  • University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB)
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
  • University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass Amherst)
  • University of Rhode Island (URI)
  • University of Saskatchewan (USask)
  • University of St. Thomas in St. Paul
  • University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)
  • University of Toronto (UofT)
  • Virginia Tech (VT)
  • Washington State University (WSU)
  1. Application at Home University
    First you have to be nominated by your home university. Please contact your International/ Global Education Office for internal application requirements and deadlines.

  2. Online Application
    When nominated you can complete the Online Application by providing all documents, including the Project Choice Form . You can find research projects in our Project Database.
    Alternatively, you can contact us to suggest your own project, or to inform us about your interested fields of research and we will contact research groups about projects for you.

    Note: The Application Guideline (opens in new tab) is a supporting document, designed to help you with filling out the application.

  3. Acceptance and Admission
    Once we received the nomination by your home university, as well as your online application, we will forward all documents to the corresponding IREP project supervisor for approval. In case your application gets accepted, we will provide you with the admission documents.


Please keep in mind: A nomination by your home university does not guarantee a research placement. The final acceptance into IREP always depends on the decision of the respective project supervisor.

For all accepted applicants it is possible to receive our Scholarship of Excellence. This scholarship covers the total program fee. By handing in the online application you automatically apply for the scholarship as well. The awarding of scholarships is based on outstanding academic performance. The number of scholarships awarded depends on the number of applicants and will be published after all applications have been received.

Note: Scholarships are available for in-person and remote participation.

IREP summer
The program fee will be 3,000€. This is a flat fee and includes the following expenses:

  • Housing rent
  • Student service fee
  • Semester ticket for free public transport in Germany
  • Health insurance during program time for stay in Europe
  • Orientation program and excursions (München, Heidelberg, etc.)
  • University enrollment incl. WIFI access on campus and city of Darmstadt


The program fee for remote participants will be approx. 300 €. The fee includes:

  • Student service fee
  • University enrollment incl. access on campus networks
  • Orientation program and virtual excursions


IREP spring/fall
The program fee will be 2,500€. This is a flat fee and includes the following expenses:

  • Housing rent
  • Student service fee
  • Semester ticket for free public transport in Germany
  • University enrollment incl. WIFI access on campus and in the city of Darmstadt


Please note that all students are responsible for their own personal budgets during their time abroad. The average expenses of a student in Darmstadt amount to approximately 400,00€ per month, but the expenses can vary according to personal preferences and travel plans.

Cancellation
If for any reason you decide to cancel your IREP application, you must inform the International Research Experience Program team in writing immediately. Cancellation takes effect starting from the date when the IREP team receives this notification.

  • If cancellation occurs 5 or more weeks prior to the arrival date on the first day of the program's orientation, a refund of all fees minus a 150€ service fee will be issued.
  • Cancellations made less than 5 weeks before the arrival date on the first day of the programs' orientation will not be eligible for any refunds.


Cancellation due to visa denial
In case of visa denial and the subsequent non-participation in the program, the program fee (excluding bank charges and the non-refundable service fee) will be refunded. However, this does not apply if the visa refusal was caused by personal fault (e.g. submission of non-authentic or incomplete documents). In the event of a visa refusal, cancellation is possible up to one week before the start of the program.

Ceili Reilly, University of Toronto
“My summer at TU Darmstadt was amazing. I conducted independent research within the Institute of Sociology, studying the intragroup dynamics and social networks of Mexican white-collar immigrants in the United States, Turkish white-collar immigrants in Germany and Pakistani white-collar immigrants in the United Kingdom. By incorporating my supervisor's feedback, I grew a lot as an academic! I also formed connections with many other members of the program, and we were able to travel together almost every weekend. Over the ten weeks, I travelled to six countries, and eighteen cities! Overall, the experience took me out of my comfort zone, and I did a lot of things I never thought I would be capable of.”

Kang Howe Ong, Nanyang Technological University
“The IREP program was a good introduction to the field of academia and has equipped me with a good skillset for conducting research in AI and Machine Learning. Additionally, the cultural experiences and interactions with other students has enriched my worldview and made me appreciate the diverse people around me.”

Gavin Powell, Washington State University
“My stay at TU Darmstadt was very fun. I am someone who doesn't like orientations and getting to know people, but one thing that you will certainly get from this experience is new friends. In such a short time, you will go from not knowing the people who are also in IREP to exploring German towns and even other countries with them. The research was also enjoyable and I was able to learn a lot from participating. TU Darmstadt was a wonderful place to go and there were always tons of people I could reach out to if I had any troubles. I would definitely do something like this again.”

Samuel Klemic, Verginia Polytechnic Institue and State University
“A great experience and a really fantastic way to explore Germany and Europe while pursuing interesting research.”

Vincent McGlynn,
Virginia Tech, USA

My experience in Germany was fantastic. I worked in the Chemistry department doing heterogeneous catalysis of renewable resource. Throughout the whole ten weeks I gained a lot of new knowledge on catalysis and the creation and use of intermetallics as catalysts. My time in Germany not only gave me the chance to learn academically, but I got to learn about myself as well. I had the opportunity to travel almost every weekend and learn new things about the cultures of various places in Europe. This program was a once in a lifetime experience and something I will never forget.