Department of History and Cultural Studies

Questions and Answers Concerning General Professional Skills (GPS) and Internships

Dear students at the Department of History and Cultural Studies,

Please read the following FAQs carefully. You can find important information on internships, accreditation prior to your studies, etc. here.

FAQ – ‘Frequently Asked Questions’

1. What function does an internship have and who is in charge?

The Career Service of the FU Berlin is in charge of the implementation of internship modules (see also the GPS flyer).

Answer: An internship offers the possibility of gathering professional or job-oriented practical experience. It allows you to use the skills that you have acquired during your time at university. It simultaneously allows you to put your expectations of a potential future job to the test.

The internship can be either a full-time venture or completed alongside your studies, as long as your course schedule and your employer allow this arrangement. It is not necessary to submit a separate employment contract to our offices.

It makes sense to pencil in time for your internship after completing your second term. If you are uncertain as to whether or not an offer from an employer meets the requirements of an internship in the context of your BA (it does not necessarily have to be related to your core subject), please seek out your designated GPS officer or the GPS coordinator before the start of the job in question.

When you have found a suitable internship you have to register it and book the corresponding colloquium through Campus Management. Please do this within a narrow time frame. Following the internship you should submit the certificate with the number of hours worked and the internship report to the Career Service.

2. Where can I complete an internship?

Answer: You can complete an internship at companies, associations, organizations or institutions. The FU offers some internships as well. For more information, please pay attention to the announcements at your institute. Internships are also advertised for some subjects, i.e. archaeological subjects, within the GPS Skill Category ‘Subject-Related Additional Qualifications.’

You can find more information on internships and entering your chosen profession in the library at the Career Service (Opening hours are on the Career Service website).

Positions as student assistants do not count as internships, though some exceptions are made, if the subject proximity is apparent. Please contact your designated GPS officer or the GPS coordinator for more details. If you are not certain whether an offer fulfills the requirements of an internship, you should seek the advice of your GPS officer! The internship must be completed for your core subject.

Attention! Internships completed in the fields of gastronomy or sales cannot be counted. Please remember to check with your GPS officer whether the offer is proximal to your core subject before starting your internship.

3. How long should my internships last?

Answer: The length of a mandatory internship is based on how many credit points you would like to receive. An internship module in Germany or a foreign country to the extent of 5 credit points is the equivalent of an internship lasting 120 work hours. The internship for 10 credit points should last 240 hours, and 360 hours for 15 credit points. There is also the possibility of completing a longer internship in a foreign country. These can count as 20, 25 or 30 credit points for internships lasting 480, 630, or 780 hours, respectively. In-country internships can be completed either with a full-time position or in parallel to your studies, if your schedule as well as your employer permit such arrangements. You may complete internships in Germany and foreign countries as a full-time or part-time employee. Additionally, you may complete two or more internships at different institutions and combine the hours worked in order to receive more credit points. You are required participate in a colloquium in addition to your internship. There are colloquia with a variety of different thematic focal points for you to choose from. These colloquia may also be booked before commencing your internship.

This means it is possible to complete one internship lasting 120 hours and another lasting 240 hours in order to book an internship module with the Career Service for 15 credit points. It is required to write separate internship reports for each completed internship in these cases.

An internship in a foreign country lasting 780 hours and a colloquium is rewarded with 30 credit points and thus covers the entire GPS area. It is possible to combine two or more internships abroad, just be careful to remember the requirements for hours worked! Please remember to check the proximity of each internship to your core subject!

If your employer should require a certification of your obligation to complete an internship for your job application, please contact the GPS coordinator (in cases of sick leave or vacation leave, contact your GPS officer).

Breakdown of internships in weeks (assuming a standard 40-hour week)

Internships in Germany and abroad:

1. 120 hours, 5 credit points = 3 weeks

2. 240 hours, 10 credit points = 6 weeks

3. 360 hours, 15 credit points = 9 weeks

Internships abroad:

4. 480 hours, 20 credit points = 12 weeks

5. 630 hours, 25 credit points = 16 weeks

6. 780 hours, 30 credit points = 20 weeks

4. How can I find an internship?

Answer: You are required to provide yourself with an intern’s position.

Your designated GPS officer may be able to help you, since they often have some experience with different institutions that are set up especially well for bachelor students of your subject. Your GPS officer may also be able to help you in your search for internships abroad.

Beyond this, you can find a number of offers through the Career Service’s library. The GPS coordinator at the Department, Mr. Schulze, is available as well to answer questions associated with internships.

5. What does the university expect in order to approve of an internship?

Answer: The content of an internship should be proximal to your core subject. The goal of each internship is to facilitate your first professional experiences in the context of your studies and give you the possibility of using your knowledge and skills acquired during your studies. This will enable you to be better prepared for your subsequent entry into professional life. It makes sense to pencil in time for your internship after completing your second term.

Since you should ideally be able to put acquired knowledge and skills to use during an internship, it makes sense to start an internship during your studies and complete it as promptly as possible. Otherwise you could forget or overlook certain important aspects of your internship module. This is why you should book a colloquium at the Career Service immediately after your internship. Following this, you are required to write your internship report and send it to the Career Service.

6. What is the internship module and by whom is it offered?

Answer: The central internship module is offered by the Career Service.

The Career Service at the Freie Universität is located at Thielallee 38. You will have to turn in your internship certificate with the exact number of hours worked and your report at this address. For more information, visit: www.fu-berlin.de/career

7. How is the internship module executed?

Answer: Ordinarily, you book an internship module and a colloquium lead by the Career Service through Campus Management before starting your internship. You may also participate in a colloquium after ending your internship. You should already know how long your internship will last when you book your module through Campus Management in order to select the module with the correct amount of credit points. It is highly recommended to complete your internship module within a year. You may ‘collect’ a number of different internships and book you module at the Career Service when you have reached the necessary amount of hours worked. Though a change of your booked module is possible after the fact, this causes a great administrative effort and is advised against!

If you receive an internship position after expiration of the Campus Management booking deadline it is possible to book a module through the Career Service via e-Mail including your enrolment number. If necessary, you can then be entered into the Campus Management after the fact by submitting a written registration form to the Career Service. For more information on this matter, please write to careerservice@fu-berlin.de or call the number (030) 838 55244 (Monday through Friday from 10 am – 12 pm).

8. How should my internship report look?

Answer: You can find the guidelines for an internship report on the website of the Career Service. It must be submitted electronically to the Career Service. Please write your report as soon as possible after completing your internship and submit it to the Career Service with your internship certificate (incl. the number of hours worked).

9. Is it possible to complete and count an internship during a leave of absence?

Answer: Since an internship is a regular component of a bachelor degree’s curriculum, it may be counted even when completed during a leave of absence (§14 par. 1 no. 1 of the statute for academic affairs). It is even recommended to apply for a leave of absence if you know in advance that your internship (abroad) will be full-time and lengthy.

10. Where and how do I apply for a leave of absence?

Answer: Leaves of absence must be applied for through the Academic Administration. This application can be submitted with the re-registration to a new term at the earliest and up to six weeks before the start of lectures at the latest. A form for the application can be found online at http://www.fu-berlin.de/studium/studienorganisation/immatrikulation/index.html, though it may be formulated freely as well.

11. How do I book an internship module during my leave of absence?

Answer: Ordinarily, you can book an internship module through Campus Management only BEFORE your leave of absence. We recommend registering your internship with the Career Service and completing your colloquium before starting your internship.

12. What happens to my student ticket during my leave of absence?

Answer: You have to pay the regular student fees in full during your leave of absence and thus will receive a student ticket. If you wish to complete your internship outside of Berlin and do not need a student ticket during this time, you can get a refund of your student ticket fees – but ONLY if you submit the adequate form at the student ticket office of the AStA BEFORE the semester commences.

Link: http://www.fu-berlin.de/studium/studienorganisation/immatrikulation/index.html

13. Is there financial support for internships abroad?

Answer: Information on this matter can be found on the Career Service website.

14. Do I still have to complete modules in two different Skill Categories after an internship abroad worth 20 credits?

Answer: It is necessary to complete modules in different Skill Categories in addition to participating in an internship module for 5, 10 or 15 credit points. You are able to gain 5, 10 or a maximum of 15 credits in the individual Skill Categories. In place of an internship module you may also complete an internship abroad worth 20, 25 or 30 credits. For example: If an internship abroad worth 20 credits has been completed, it is possible to gather the remaining 10 points in either one or two of the six Skill Categories.

15. How can I get achievements (internships and professional experiences) as well as course credits from other universities gained prior to my studies at the FU counted?

Answer: Applications of this kind are considered exclusively at the department, please do not approach the Career Service with these matters. We principally check each individual case. Internships completed prior to your studies at the FU or relevant professional experience can be counted only in isolated cases. It is required they have a discernable connection to your core subject. This decision is made by the B.A. Board of Examiners responsible for your core subject.

The process goes as follows: The following documents must be on hand before making an appointment with the GPS Officer in charge of your subject.

1. The original certificate and a copy with an attestation of the hours worked.

2. If an attestation of your hours worked is not available, please fill out the form for the Attestation of Hours Worked (LINK). Or try to obtain such an attestation from your (former) employer. The work contract that lists the number of working hours per week should be submitted with the completed form in order for us to verify the total amount of hours worked. After you calculate the correct number of total hours worked, you have to present this number to your GPS officer so that he or she can record it on the form.

3. Write an internship report. This way, your GPS officer will be able to make a well-advised recommendation to the B.A. Board of Examiners, the members of which will decide whether or not your previous experiences should be counted at the FU.

If an internship prior to your studies can be counted, you will not have to complete a colloquium at the Career Service. The accreditation is processed solely by our department.

If you have any further questions before submitting your application, please approach the GPS Officer in charge of your subject or the GPS-coordinator at the department, Jochen Schulze.

Course credits from other universities may be counted in the GPS Skill Category ‘Subject-Related Additional Qualifications.’ Please ask the GPS Officer of your subject. Other course credits (language courses, EDP-courses, business administration courses, communication) may be counted only by the person in charge of the respective Skill Category (see Skill Categories, Persons in Charge).

16. Who are the Persons in Charge of these matters for my subject at the department?

Answer: The GPS Officers at the department and the GPS-coordinator Jochen Schulze are in charge.