The Department of History at JGU has strong international connections. Depending on our research interests and areas of focus, we maintain contacts with numerous research institutions abroad and currently collaborate with universities in 18 European countries in teaching and instruction. These connections also directly benefit our students by giving them access to the department’s international network and a wide range of opportunities to experience both academic life and everyday life abroad. This includes, in particular, the opportunity to study or complete an internship abroad. We are also committed to continuously expanding our foreign-language and intercultural course offerings in Mainz.
Below you will find information on the various options for studying abroad during your program of study as well as explanations of the corresponding funding and scholarship programs. From a study abroad or internship with Erasmus+ or with the support of the DAAD, to the Cursus integré Mainz-Dijon, you have a wide range of options for gaining experience abroad as a student of the JGU Department of History. If you have any questions or uncertainties, please contact us.
The History Seminar also endeavors to offer course offerings in foreign languages. You can always find the courses in the public course catalog on Jogustine:
If you wish to register for one of the courses offered by the Department of History during the course registration periods, you may not find it through the regular course registration process under “Module/Course Registration.” In this case, registration is carried out via “Auditor Registration.”
If you have any questions about our course offerings in foreign languages, please do not hesitate to contact us!
The International Center History (ICH) brings together and coordinates all international activities, initiatives, and broader areas of engagement within the Department of History at JGU. These include, above all, advising and supporting students in our department in planning and completing a period of study abroad, as well as providing support for our visiting students during their studies in Mainz.
Numerous students in our seminar have successfully and happily completed a study visit or internship abroad as part of their history studies. We advise all our students to be inspired by these exciting experiences and to take the opportunity to spend some time abroad during their program of study.
A stay abroad is a decisive enrichment of the program of study and offers you the unique opportunity to broaden your personal horizons during the study phase. You will gain an insight into the university system, the teaching formats and the conditions of studying, as well as life and everyday life in the host country. You can also deepen your language proficiency or acquire new skills and benefit from this in your further course sequence and your appointment.
However, as language proficiency and basic knowledge of the subject are required for a successful stay abroad, it is advisable to be confident in the language of the host country or the language of instruction required at the host university (usually English) to the extent that you can follow the courses there without any problems, write papers or examinations independently and, finally, participate in the social life of the other students. Good language proficiency is essential for this.
However, when looking for a suitable destination, think outside the box: not all students have to go to English-speaking countries and many a place of study in Riga (Latvia), Turku (Finland) or Iaşi (Romania) leaves a deeper mark than expected, especially as many places of study also offer English-language teaching. And you can be quite sure that you will get to know a lot of new and unexpected things, especially in the more exotic places – in a positive sense.
In our degree programs, it is advisable to plan the academic stay abroad in the second half of the Bachelor’s degree program, usually at the beginning of the winter semester – and to start planning as early as possible (at least one year in advance). For Bachelor’s students, it usually makes the most sense to complete a stay abroad either in the fifth semester or in the fifth and sixth semesters.
However, you can of course also study abroad on one of our master’s degree programs from the first semester onwards, and this also applies to the doctoral phase. Student status is important for an academic stay abroad, as fellowships and places are often linked to this. As the academic year in most European countries begins in September and lasts until the end of May, there are only a few countries (e.g. Austria or Spain) where it makes sense to spend a semester abroad in the summer semester.
Depending on the type and possible funding program of your stay abroad (program of study or internship abroad via Erasmus+, the DAAD or another scholarship program), its funding options also vary. You can find more information on this page.
It is advisable to check whether you can apply for BAföG abroad: It is not uncommon for students to be able to benefit from BAföG abroad, even if they do not receive BAföG in Germany, as different assessment limits apply to study abroad. However, the approval process often takes a long time – it is therefore worth submitting a proposal early. Further information and links on BAFöG abroad and other funding options can be found here:
as well as on the DAAD website:
If you have any further questions about financing your stay abroad, please do not hesitate to contact us.
There are many questions to answer before embarking on a program of study or internship abroad: What requirements should I fulfill for a successful program of study abroad? How do I apply for a program of study abroad? What do I need to consider when preparing my stay abroad? How can I fit a stay abroad into my degree plan and which credits earned abroad can be recognized?
We at the International Center History of the Department of History want to support and advise you in the best possible way before, during and after your stay abroad with all questions and problems concerning your program of study or internship abroad. Please feel free to get in touch with us! We also offer regular open consultation hours for our students, for which we ask you to log in in advance.
In addition, the staff at JGU’s International Office will be happy to assist you:
The contact details of the individual staff members in the International Office can be found here:
Are you interested in studying history in Mainz and want to know what international courses are offered? Are you studying history in Mainz and want to continue your program of study abroad temporarily or are you currently studying abroad and will be returning to Mainz? Are you coming from abroad and want to continue your history studies in Mainz on a temporary basis or are you currently attending courses at the History Seminar? Below you will find information on studying abroad and our offers for foreign students in the subject of history.
An internship in other European countries? Definitely! Due to the increasing globalization of companies, more and more employers are attaching importance to university graduates gaining professional experience during their program of study. By completing an internship abroad, students show that they are flexible and able to navigate a foreign cultural environment with confidence and good language skills. The internship abroad offers an opportunity to gain this desired international experience without losing a lot of time, sometimes even during the semester break.
The EU-ServicePoint at JGU Mainz supervises internships in other European countries for students enrolled at higher education institutions in Rhineland-Palatinate. Find out more at:
In addition, the DAAD offers a range of programs and funding opportunities for internships abroad. Further information is available in the relevant DAAD online brochure.
In addition, the Bureau for International Organizations (BFIO) offers support in the search for internship opportunities in international organizations. The services offered by the BFIO aim to support qualified executives and junior executives on their way into international organizations.
The following programs presented by us are intended to provide a brief overview of the most important funding opportunities for internships abroad. Further information as well as brochures to download on funding opportunities for internships and with tips and links for finding an intern position can be found via the links below:
Under the EU’s Lifelong Learning Program, students can complete an internship in other European countries as part of the Erasmus+ program. The Erasmus+ internship allows you to test and develop your personal and professional knowledge and skills in a concrete working environment. The EU ServicePoint at JGU Mainz supervises Erasmus+ internships for students enrolled at higher education institutions in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Further information on internships abroad via the Erasmus+ programme can also be found in the presentation from the Department of History’s 2022 Erasmus+ Info Evening:
Launched in 2001, the “Carlo Schmid Programme for Internships at International Organizations and EU Institutions” offers highly qualified students and graduates the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the modes of operation in the international administrative sector through an internship. The programme, which owes its name to the international law expert Professor Dr. Carlo Schmid, one of the fathers of our Basic Law, is part of a wide-ranging initiative to improve Germany’s personnel presence in international organizations. Applicants can either look for a suitable internship on their own initiative, which is supported by a fellowship, or apply for one of the numerous internship opportunities that are called for proposals as part of the program. Participants in the program receive a monthly living stipend and a travel allowance. In addition to financial support, an accompanying program of summer seminars and meetings abroad is offered. The Carlo Schmid Program is carried out in cooperation with the DAAD and is funded by the federal ministry of education and research and the Mercator Foundation. The program is also supported by the Federal Foreign Office and the Tönissteiner Kreis.
There are several different ways to gain practical school experience abroad. The DAAD supports teaching degree students of all subjects and school types – i.e. students from the first semester of an undergraduate teaching degree program (bachelor’s, state examination) as well as students in further studies (master’s degree program) – with funds from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the “Lehramt.International: Internships abroad for teaching degree students” program with fellowships for one (at least 30 days) to six-month internships at school institutions abroad.
Further information on school internships as well as language assistantships abroad can also be found here:
As part of the internationalization of teacher education at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, English teacher education students can also spend six months teaching in Scottish schools.
