A project-oriented course/internship abroad is:

• 3-5 months unpaid full-time job with a private business, public institution, international organization, etc.
• You function as part of the staff.
• You conduct academically relevant tasks.
• Working assignments:
  • assist in the daily work
  • conduct an independent analysis for the host company
• Along working for the company/organization you must conduct a problem-based project during your internship. You will be examined in this project upon your return to Aalborg University.
• All students at AAU, where a project-oriented course (internship) abroad is a credit-granting part of their studies, can get help with their planning from the International Office (IK).

Why choose a project-oriented course?

An internship abroad is an excellent opportunity for you to gain valuable career and international experience. You will learn what it is like to work in an organizational environment and gain a sense of self-confidence and professionalism. An internship abroad will strengthen your CV and provides you with valuable competencies in your job search upon graduation.

You are responsible for finding an internship

Note that you are supposed to take an active part yourself in the search for an internship. The function of the internship coordinators is to assist you with information and support, while it is your job to do the actual application writing etc. The coordinators do not have a list of guaranteed internships from which you can choose, and it is your responsibility to search for an internship.

Further information on how to find relevant companies or organizations in the brochure:

Danish Universities' brochure about project-oriented courses. 

To fulfill the requirements for an internship abroad:

• You are a full-time student enrolled at AAU.
• An internship abroad is integrated into your study program and thereby you obtain credits for the internship. An application for an advance credit transfer may be required. Please contact your study board if you are uncertain about your options.
• The internship abroad takes place during the 9th semester/3rd semester of the Master's degree program.
• The minimum duration is 3 months and usually takes place during the autumn semester (September - December).
• The work assignments must relate to your study. It is always a good idea to talk about the academic content/tasks with the internship coordinator at your department.
• Along working for the company/organization you must conduct a problem-based project based on your internship. You will be examined in this project upon your return to AAU.
• When you have been accepted for an internship an agreement/contract has to be prepared. The agreement has to be signed by you, the company/organization, and your supervisor/semester coordinator at AAU.

Remember to read about the additional requirements if you are going within EU/EEU through the Eramus+ program. 

As mentioned above it is your responsibility to find an internship. You have to prepare yourself for the process of searching for an internship.

This means considering potential countries and internship hosts.

How to search for traineeship positions

• Visit the AAU jobbank for vacant traineeship positions.
• Visit the official Website of relevant companies/organizations.
• Reading newspaper and magazine articles as well as surfing the Internet are also very good sources of inspiration.
• Contact the International Office for lists of internships of former students for inspiration.
• Ask your supervisor or study coordinator if he/she may have some good ideas about where to apply.
• Think creatively and don't just go for advertised positions
• Use your network - tell that you are looking for an internship

Please be aware that students are not allowed to receive a salary in connection with a project-oriented course/project-based internship.

Exemption for receiving payment during the internship

You are allowed to receive a monthly payment in case paid internships are a statutory requirement in the country where you have secured an internship (e.g. Germany). In such a case, you must waive your SU.

Gratuity during internship

The business/organization with whom you have secured an internship is allowed to offer you a gratuity of a max of DKK 3,000 per month (pre-tax). A gratuity is an appreciation of your contribution to the business/organization and it must not be agreed upon in advance. Hence it cannot appear in the contract.

A possible gratuity can be paid at the end of every month of the internship or the end of the internship. As a gratuity is taxable the total amount must be stated on the income tax return/form. The gratuity would be part of your tax-free amount according to the SU.

You are still entitled to SU despite a possible gratuity.

Documented expenses may be covered

Besides a possible gratuity, you are allowed to receive considerations, etc. that serve as a reimbursement of documented expenses (e.g. rent, transportation, etc.) related to the internship. Please be aware that such expenses must be documented.

When you want to do a project-oriented course/internship abroad you must register in the International Office's online system.

Register for a project-oriented course abroad in our online system

How to apply for a grant?

When you register, you automatically apply for a grant as well, provided that you register before the deadline: 1 March for stays in the Autumn semester and 1 November for stays in the Spring semester

Do remember that is it very important to register and apply for a grant before the deadline to have the chance of receiving a grant. You have to apply even though you may not know all the details and have all the required documents by this time.

Required documents

Most likely you will not know where you will be going by the deadline for the grant application however, you should not worry about that, because as soon as you know and upload documentation, we will place your application in the right pool: Erasmus+ (stays inside Europe) or the Internationalisation pool (stays outside Europe).

Deadline

You must upload the required documentation in the system as soon as possible and NO LATER than 1 June for the Autumn stays and 1 December for the Spring stays.

Follow the steps below to find a traineeship and to secure that you fulfill all requirements:

1. Start by registering for an internship in the International Office's online system (please read above how to do this).
2. Next you have to write a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and an application. You can upload the documents in the online system if you would like feedback on your CV and application from the International Office before you send it to the company/organization.
3. You can also book a meeting with one of the internship coordinators at the International Office. Please contact us by email.
4. The next step is to find out how to approach the company/organization. Please check on their website whether they have an actual internship program including application forms, deadlines, etc. If not, a very good idea is to contact the place directly to enquire whether they would consider an application for an internship (do not ask whether they take interns, because they may turn you down before you get a chance to explain what you have to offer!).
5. Please make sure that you get the name of the person who is to consider such an application, and ask what kind of documentation they additionally would like to receive (examination papers, references e.g.).
6. You are responsible for sending the application directly to the company/organization yourself. If you would like to have some general information about what a student from AAU can offer you can obtain such information via email from the internship coordinators. If the company/organization requests further documentation e.g. proof that the internship is part of your studies, the internship coordinators can provide such documentation as well.
7. Allow the company/organization about two weeks to consider the application. If you have not heard from them after this time, we recommend that you contact the company/organization and kindly ask whether they have received your application and have had the time to read it.
8. It is your responsibility to make sure that the application process progresses. This means that you have to have a new application ready at all times, so that you always have one application under consideration at a company or organization, and one more ready to send in case the answer is negative from the previous place you have contacted.
9. If/when the application has been accepted, you are obliged to respond to the company/organization within one week.
10. After this, an internship agreement/contract must be filled in and signed (download the agreement in the section below). Your work assignments must be coordinated and approved in cooperation with the company/organization, your supervisor at Aalborg University, and yourself. Please stay in contact with your supervisor when discussing the work assignments to make sure the content is following your study program.
11. When the agreement is signed by you, your supervisor, and the internship host, please log into the online system again to upload the agreement. The deadline for uploading the contract/agreement is 1 June to have the chance of receiving a grant.
12. Remember to respond quickly to correspondence from the company/organization and make sure that the content of your response is correctly formulated.

When you have been accepted for a project-oriented course/internship an agreement has to be prepared. The agreement must be signed by you, the company/organisation and your supervisor/semester coordinator at AAU.

If the company has its own contract template this can also be used provided that it contains:

• a description of your working tasks,
• number of working hours, period of time,
• contact information etc.

Agreement for project-oriented course/internship outside EU/EEA

AAU standard agreement template: Template for internship agreement for stays outside EU/EEA

When the internship agreement has been completed you must upload it to the online system (and no later than 1 June, if you want to be considered for a grant).

Agreement for project-oriented course/internship within the EU/EEA

All internships in Europe are Erasmus+ Traineeships and for that an Erasmus+ Learning Agreement for Traineeships must be completed.

More information about Erasmus+ traineeships and the Learning Agreement

Trine Vaagholt Østergaard (study abroad)

Tlf.: 9940 9656
Mail: trn@adm.aau.dk

Gitte Nørgaard Jensen (projectoriented course abroad)

Tlf.: 9940 7501
Mail: gij@adm.aau.dk

Lotte Sølvkær (incoming exchange students)

Tlf.: 9940 9592
Mail: internationaloffice@aau.dk / lso@adm.aau.dk 

Rikke R. Sørensen (incoming exchange students)

Tlf.: 9940 7576
Mail: internationaloffice@aau.dk / rhs@adm.aau.dk 

Kenneth Kiel Jensen (study abroad)

Tlf.: 9940 9650
Mail: exchangeoverseas@adm.aau.dk/kkjen@adm.aau.dk

Gitte Nørgaard Jensen (projectoriented course abroad)

Tlf.: 9940 7501
Mail: internationaloffice@aau.dk / gij@adm.aau.dk 

Mette Sæderup Thorvaldsen (incoming exchange students)

Tlf.: 9940 7512
Mail: internationaloffice@aau.dk / mes@adm.aau.dk  

Lotte Sølvkær (Erasmus outside EU/EEA)

Tlf.: 9940 9295
Mail: internationaloffice@aau.dk / lso@adm.aau.dk 

Rikke R. Sørensen (Erasmus outside EU/EEA)

Tlf.: 9940 7576
Mail: internationaloffice@aau.dk / rhs@adm.aau.dk 

Marianne Hansen (stay outside EU/EEA)

Tlf.: 9940 9654
Mail: mha@adm.aau.dk 

Trine Vaagholt Østergaard (stay within EU/EEA)

Tlf.: 9940 9656
Mail: trn@adm.aau.dk 

If you want to talk to a supervisor from International Office you need to book an appointment in advance by calling or sending an email to the right employee.