You are studying at one of our European partner universities and are interested in a stay abroad as part of a short-term research stay (also known as a (compulsory) internship) at one of TU Darmstadt's departments?
On this page you will find useful information on this topic.
You must meet the following requirements for a short-term research stay or (compulsory) internship:
- You are enrolled as a full-time student (Bachelor, Master, PhD)
- at one of our European partner universities
Short-term student research stays are usually designed to support specific research projects or to answer your own research questions.
Internships usually serve to gain practical experience in a specific professional field and to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during your studies.
TU Darmstadt does not offer internships that fall within the scope of the law regulating a general minimum wage. For this reason, voluntary internships are only possible for a period of up to three months (90 days). Compulsory internships can be longer than three months and must be an integral part of the examination regulations of the home university. Proof of this must be provided, see document "Confirmation of a Compulsory Internship (opens in new tab) ".
There is no general contact at TU Darmstadt for students who are interested in a short-term research stay (also known as a (compulsory) internship) at TU Darmstadt – You have to look for a suitable position yourself:
- Find out on the pages of the departments which department or which topic could be an option for you.
- Get in touch with the relevant department or the respective professor/contact person to clarify capacities and details.
- Once you have been accepted, you will be informed about the necessary steps for a possible enrolment.
Being enrolled at TU Darmstadt would give you the following benefits:
- Student status (canteen, low-cost admission to the theater, opera, etc.)
- Deutschland semester ticket (free travel on local public transport)
In order to enrol at TU Darmstadt, you need a valid health insurance. Students in other EU member states are generally covered by health insurance via the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Further information can be found here.
When contacting the department, consider the possible duration of your stay.
Make sure you come to TU Darmstadt within the semester periods:
- Winter semester: October – March
- Summer semester: April – September
The application deadline for the winter semester is April 30th, for the summer semester October 31st.
There is no general contact at TU Darmstadt for students who are interested in a short-term research stay (also known as a (compulsory) internship) at TU Darmstadt.
We offer international students from European partner universities who come for a short-term research stay the service of being enrolled as exchange students.
In the following you will find information on how to support the enrollment of these students:
International students from a European partner university of TU Darmstadt who are interested in a stay abroad as part of a short-term research stay at TU Darmstadt must seek appropriate supervision in the department themselves. Students must enquire on the pages of the departments as to which department or which topic might be suitable.
Exceptions are structured programs for specific partners, such as IREP.
The professor decides independently whether the student profile is suitable and whether the student can be supervised accordingly.
The department is responsible for academic support and if required provides the student with further documents such internship contracts or learning agreements.
For a short-term research stay or (compulsory) internship, the following requirements must be met:
- Students are enrolled as full-time students (Bachelor, Master, PhD)
- at one of our European partner universities
Short-term student research stays are usually designed to support specific research projects or to answer your own research questions.
Internships generally allow to gain practical experience in a specific professional field and to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during your studies.
TU Darmstadt does not offer internships that fall within the scope of the law regulating a general minimum wage. For this reason, voluntary internships are only possible for a period of up to three months (90 days). Compulsory internships can be longer than three months and must be an integral part of the examination regulations of the home university. Proof of this must be provided, see document "Confirmation of a Compulsory Internship (opens in new tab) ".
When deciding on the period, it is important to ensure that students come to TU Darmstadt within the semester cycle:
- Winter semester: October – March
- Summer semester: April – September
The application deadline for the winter semester is April 30, for the summer semester October 31.
The application deadlines should be strictly respected. If applications are received at short notice, please bear in mind that the enrollment procedure is quite time-consuming and should be initiated at least 2 months before the stay.
If the stay at TU Darmstadt takes place in two semesters, the student must be enrolled for both semesters, i.e. pay the semester fee twice.
International students from a European partner university of TU Darmstadt who come to TU Darmstadt for a short-term research stay or a internship are offered the service of being enroled as exchange students. This provides the following benefits:
- Student status (canteen, low-cost admission to the theater, opera, etc.)
- Germany semester ticket (free travel on local public transport)
Information on whether applicants are from a partner university or not can be viewed in our database.
Students need a valid health insurance to be enrolled at TU Darmstadt. Students in other EU member states are generally covered by health insurance via the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
The department or the professor who has received a request from a student from a European partner university informs Department VIII D Europe and Unite! with the subject line “Application for an internship in Department XY”, provided that the department is interested and the general conditions regarding minimum wage and enrollment have been clarified.
At the same time, the department will inform the applicant to apply online via the application portal for exchange students. Information on applying online as an incoming student at TU Darmstadt can be found here. In this case, the student must complete the entire application process as described on the above-mentioned website.
Here you will find a summary/check list of the individual steps to be taken when receiving a request for an internship or short-term research stay:
For students from non-partner universities, please contact Admission International regarding a possible enrollment.
