Study Abroad & Internships
Why Study Abroad?
Study abroad is one of the most transformative experiences a student can have. It dramatically improves language proficiency, deepens cultural competency, and builds trans-Atlantic relationships that often grow into lasting friendships—and sometimes the seed of an exciting global career.
SDSU has long been one of the country’s leading universities for study abroad, consistently ranking among the top universities in California and in the top tier nationally and reaching as high as third nationally in recent years. Students benefit from a robust institutional infrastructure that makes a year, a semester, or a summer in a German-speaking country genuinely accessible.
Programs in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
SDSU offers a rich panoply of options across the German-speaking world:
- Year-long programs through CSU International Programs (CSU IP), which place students at outstanding universities in Germany, including the Universities of Tübingen, Heidelberg, Freiburg, Konstanz, Mannheim, Stuttgart, Ulm, and many others in Baden-Württemberg.
- Semester-long exchange programs offered through SDSU and partner networks at top universities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
- Short-term summer programs, including faculty-led offerings and intensive language courses.
Many of these programs are hosted at the finest institutions in their respective countries. Students earn regular SDSU resident credit on SDSU- and CSU-sponsored programs, and financial aid travels with them to most approved programs. Generous subsidies often offset costs for student housing, meals, and public transportation in the host country, and depending on the destination, a semester or year abroad can cost roughly the same as or even less than a semester at SDSU.
How to Get Started
The SDSU Global Education Office is your first stop. The office maintains the full catalog of approved programs, handles applications, conducts interviews, and runs pre-departure orientations. To explore destinations and program structures, visit the SDSU Global Education Portal.
Outside Organizations
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offer competitive awards for upper-division undergraduates and graduating seniors, including opportunities to teach English in a German-speaking country after graduation. The DAAD also co-administers the Gilman-DAAD Germany Scholarship, which provides up to $5,000 for undergraduates studying or interning in Germany. The SDSU Fulbright office can guide students through the application process.
Questions?
For German-specific advising, contact the German advisor, Dr. Kristin Rebien, at [email protected], and stop by the SDSU Global Education Office to begin the application process.
Internships in Business and Industry
The German American Chambers of Commerce (GACC) are an excellent resource for students interested in internships at German companies and German-American businesses, both in the U.S. and in Germany. The GACC network includes regional offices in New York, the Midwest (Chicago/Detroit), the South (Atlanta/Houston), and the West (San Francisco), each offering paid internships in fields including consulting, market research, marketing, event management, and trade development.
Once you have a clear sense of the industry and length of internship you're looking for, explore the GACC Talent Network, which lists current internship and career openings across all GACC offices and member companies. The German advisor is happy to help you think through which option fits best.
Other Internship Resources
- The Goethe-Institut offers combined language and internship programs.
- Cultural Vistas administers a range of internship programs in Germany, including the prestigious Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a year-long, fully-funded fellowship that combines language training, university study, and a professional internship in Germany. CBYX is open to U.S. citizens between the ages of 18½ and 24 in any career field.
- GoAbroad maintains a searchable database of internship placements in Germany.
- The Germany-USA Career Center is useful for researching international and domestic German-language career opportunities.
For sample German-language CVs and cover letters, the Europass platform offers excellent templates aligned with European hiring conventions.
Advising
Kristin Rebien, Program Director/Advisor
Office: SH 220B
Email: [email protected]
Important Links
Class Schedule | SDSU Catalog | Academic Calendar | Canvas
