Internship und Career
Internships focusing on professional orientation are mandatory components of the curriculum for both the BA programs in "Altamerikanistik und Ethnologie" and "Lateinamerika- und Altamerikastudien," as well as the MA programs in "Anthropology of the Americas" and "Kulturstudien zu Lateinamerika." The duration of these internships varies according to the respective program and the designated credit points of the internship module. Following the latest amendment to the examination regulations, all internship modules conclude without examination, meaning that internship reports are not graded. You can find information about the current examination regulations here.
Internal Internship
The internal internship refers to internship opportunities offered by the Department of Altamerikanistik.
These include:
- Internship as a student at the BASA-Museum (Bonner Amerikas-Sammlung): This opportunity is available every semester and is offered as an exercise as part of the module "Bibliotheks-, Editions- und Museumspraktikum". It provides the opportunity to independently work on a group of objects under the guidance of the instructor and in consultation with the responsible academic staff of the BASA Museum, documenting them in the department's own database (Directus) or contributing to an exhibition (exhibition conception, research, text creation, advertising). Further information can be found here.
- Additionally, there is the option to complete a semester-long internship in the library of Altamerikanistik. This involves familiarizing oneself with and getting involved in the organization of a specialized library (book research, identifying and implementing organizational structures, communication with library users and administration, etc.).
- An editorial internship can also be completed on a semester-long basis at the Association "Bonn Americanist Collection and Studies" (BASS), in the journal "Notas de Antropología de las Américas (NAA), or in the blog "Amerigrafías". In addition to management tasks in an association (BASS), this internship may also involve preparing a publication (BASS, NAA) and creating blog posts (Amerigrafías).
External Internship
There are two types of internships falling under the category of External Internships:
- Internships integrated into research projects, primarily intended for Master's students. Lecturers and colleagues engaged in their own archaeological, archival, or ethnographic projects regularly announce internship opportunities. Current internship announcements are displayed in the foyer adjacent to the library or can be accessed on the Department of Anthropology of the Americas website.
- Internship at a non-university institution such as a foundation, governmental institution, non-governmental organization, association, etc. Here, students select an organization, either domestically or abroad, based on their own professional interests and independently pursue an internship position. The institutions listed below provide initial ideas. Additionally, the student council provides access to testimonials of internships already completed in various organizations. For initial contact with an organization, an informal inquiry or a "blind application" can be suitable. Upon receiving a positive response, it is crucial to negotiate the duration and objectives of the internship.
IMPORTANT: External internships must be discussed beforehand with the supervisor (professors, academic staff). Only after approval from the supervisor can the internship be organized and officially registered in the system!
Below you will find information regarding internships in our Bachelor's degree programs (Anthropology of the Americas & Latin American Studies). Further down, you will find internship placements.
Scope and planning of an internship
The internship in the Bachelor's program is awarded 6 credit points and consists of:
- Attendance at the lecture series "Berufsperspektiven". The lecture series illustrates various professional sectors and career paths, highlighting the key qualifications necessary for professional practice.
- The actual internship (minimum duration of four weeks, totaling a minimum of 160 hours) includes the preparation of a 5-page report summarizing the internship objectives, implementation, duration, results, and experiences.
For internal internships, students can organize the duration to span four weeks in a way that the internship runs concurrently with the semester. If an external internship with an organization is chosen, concentrated work over a continuous period, typically spanning a month, is advisable to gain a thorough understanding of the institution.
In general, with an external internship opportunity, it can be expected that the offering institution will require a significantly higher level of commitment, typically up to six weeks.
Many students do their internship towards the end of their Bachelor's degree. However, this is not compulsory. As there are no prerequisites for the internship module, it may be a good idea to take this module in the first half of the course in order to make use of any free time at the beginning of the course. The work experience gained at the beginning will then help you to focus your studies in the subsequent compulsory elective area. If the internship is intended to lead to the Bachelor's thesis, this is more likely to be carried out at the end of the Bachelor's degree course.
- Selection of an Internal or External Internship
- IMPORTANT: Approval of the internship by the internship supervisor before signing the internship contract!
The approval of an internship by a selected supervisor is mandatory! To obtain approval, the "Registration and Approval of an Internship" form (see below) must be completed and presented to the supervisor for signature. Internships not approved in advance will not be recognized!
After approval by the supervisor:
3. Application for the internship with the internship provider and agreement on the required internship modalities
- Sample of an internship contract (see below)
After acceptance by the internship provider and in the semester of the internship:
4. Enrollment for the internship in Basis
- for an internal internship: Module "Bibliotheks-, Editions- und Museumspraktikum"
- for an external internship: Module "Freies Praktikum"
After the internship:
5. Writing an internship report:
- At least 5 pages (more than 10,000 characters)
6. For the recognition of the internship, submission of the internship report and an internship certificate (with indication of duration) to the supervisor
A registration for an exam is not necessary!
The internship report must have a length of at least 5 pages (more than 10,000 characters).
No. There is no need to register for an examination as the internship report is an academic achievement. After submission of the internship certificate and the positive evaluation of the internship report by the supervisor, the credit points for the internship are recorded. As there is no examination, the internship is not graded.
Aspects to be included in the internship report:
- Presentation of the institution/project where the internship was completed
- Explanation of the reasons for selecting this internship
- Description of how the internship was carried out with a contextualization to the contents of the study program
- Explanation of the internship objectives and their implementation
- Description of the significance of the internship for career orientation
The following individuals are eligible as internship supervisors:
- Dr. Daniel Grana-Behrens
- Prof. Dr. Nikolai Grube
- Dr. Antje Gunsenheimer
- Prof. Dr. Carla Jaimes Betancourt
- Caterina Mantilla
- Prof. Dr. Karoline Noack
Internship report and internship certificate.
The internship must be discussed and approved in advance with a supervisor (professors, lecturers). Only in exceptional cases is retrospective recognition of the internship possible. The required documents for recognition include:
- the internship report (at least 5 pages): In the report, you briefly introduce the institution or project where you completed the internship. Then describe your activity(ies) in particular, i.e. the tasks with their objectives, the results and your own findings (benefits for your further qualification)
- a certificate of internship: A copy of your internship certificate or confirmation from the internship provider (stating the duration)
- No examination registration is required! The internship report is recorded as a study achievement. Therefore, the grading of the internship is also waived
If you have further questions regarding the planning, registration, and execution of the mandatory internship at a non-university institution, please contact a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology of the Americas during their respective office hours.
Here you will find information about the internships in our master's programs (Anthropology of the Americas & Cultural Studies of Latin America/Estudios culturales de América Latina). Further down, you will find information on internship locations.
Scope and planning of an internship
The internship in the Master's program is awarded 5 credit points and consists of:
- Attendance at the lecture series "Berufsperspektiven". The lecture series illustrates various professional sectors and career paths, highlighting the key qualifications necessary for professional practice.
- The actual internship (minimum duration of four weeks, totaling a minimum of 130 hours) includes the preparation of a 5-page report summarizing the internship objectives, implementation, duration, results, and experiences.
For internal internships, students can organize the duration to span four weeks in a way that the internship runs concurrently with the semester. If an external internship with an organization is chosen, concentrated work over a continuous period, typically spanning a month, is advisable to gain a thorough understanding of the institution.
In general, with an external internship opportunity, it can be expected that the offering institution will require a significantly higher level of commitment, typically up to six weeks.
Many students undertake the internship towards the end of their studies. However, this is not mandatory. Since there are no prerequisites for the internship module, it may prove beneficial to schedule this module in the first half of the study program to utilize any available flexibility at the beginning of the program. The vocational insights gained at the outset can then guide a more directed academic trajectory in the subsequent elective courses. If the internship is intended to lead to the master's thesis, it is typically conducted towards the end of the master's program (3rd or 4th semester).
- Selection of an Internal or External Internship
- IMPORTANT: Approval of the internship by the internship supervisor before signing the internship contract!
The approval of an internship by a selected supervisor is mandatory! To obtain approval, the "Registration and Approval of an Internship" form (see below) must be completed and presented to the supervisor for signature. Internships not approved in advance will not be recognized!
After approval by the supervisor:
3. Application for the internship with the internship provider and agreement on the required internship modalities
- Sample of an internship contract (see below)
After acceptance by the internship provider and in the semester of the internship:
4. Enrollment for the internship in Basis
- for an internal internship: Module "Bibliotheks-, Editions- und Museumspraktikum"
- for an external internship: Module "Freies Praktikum"
After the internship:
5. Writing an internship report:
- At least 5 pages (more than 10,000 characters)
6. For the recognition of the internship, submission of the internship report and an internship certificate (with indication of duration) to the supervisor
A registration for an exam is not necessary!
The internship report must have a length of at least 5 pages (more than 10,000 characters).
No. There is no need to register for an examination as the internship report is an academic achievement. After submission of the internship certificate and the positive evaluation of the internship report by the supervisor, the credit points for the internship are recorded. As there is no examination, the internship is not graded.
Aspects to be included in the internship report:
- Presentation of the institution/project where the internship was completed
- Explanation of the reasons for selecting this internship
- Description of how the internship was carried out with a contextualization to the contents of the study program
- Explanation of the internship objectives and their implementation
- Description of the significance of the internship for career orientation
The following individuals are eligible as internship supervisors:
- Dr. Daniel Grana-Behrens
- Prof. Dr. Nikolai Grube
- Dr. Antje Gunsenheimer
- Prof. Dr. Carla Jaimes Betancourt
- Caterina Mantilla
- Prof. Dr. Karoline Noack
Internship report and internship certificate.
The internship must be discussed and approved in advance with a supervisor (professors, lecturers). Only in exceptional cases is retrospective recognition of the internship possible. The required documents for recognition include:
- the internship report (at least 5 pages): In the report, you briefly introduce the institution or project where you completed the internship. Then describe your activity(ies) in particular, i.e. the tasks with their objectives, the results and your own findings (benefits for your further qualification)
- a certificate of internship: A copy of your internship certificate or confirmation from the internship provider (stating the duration)
- No examination registration is required! The internship report is recorded as a study achievement. Therefore, the grading of the internship is also waived
If you have further questions regarding the planning, registration, and execution of the mandatory internship at a non-university institution, please contact a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology of the Americas during their respective office hours.
Internship opportunities in Germany
- Museums in Bonn and the surrounding area (selection)
- Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn
- Museum König, Bonn
- Museum of German History, Bonn
- Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum, Cologne
- Hetjens Museum, German Ceramics Museum, Düsseldorf
- Neanderthal Museum, Erkrath
- Mechernich-Kommern Open-Air Museum, Landesverband Rheinland
- Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV)
- Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
- Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
- Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)
- Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
- Federal Agency for Civic Education
- The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
- German Development Service
- InWEnt
- Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (Frankfurt)
- Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs
- Foundation House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany
- United Nations Volunteer Program (UNV)
- Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
- Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS)
- UNESCO International Center for Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO/UNEVOC)
- European Centre for Environment and Health of the World Health Organization (WHO/ECEH)
- United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
- United Nations Secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Platform for the Promotion of Early Warning (UN/ISDR-PPEW)
- United Nations Regional Information Center/ Liaison Office in Germany (UNRIC)
- Advisory Center for Sustainable Tourism Development (UNWTO)
- The Secretariat of the German Commission for UNESCO
- UNIFEM Germany
- Representation of the European Commission in Germany
- Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
- Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC)
- German Development Institute (DIE)
- Friedrich Ebert Foundation
- Konrad Adenauer Foundation
- Development and Peace Foundation
- Center for Development Research (ZEF)
- Center for European Integration Research (ZEI)
- Agenda-transfer Agency for Sustainability
- Action Community Service for Peace
- Amnesty International Bonn Section Office
- CARE International Germany
- Experiment e.V.
- International Youth Community Services
- Peace Cooperative Network
- World Wind Energy Association
- CAREA e.V. House of Democracy and Human Rights
- Bonnaparte
- CARE international Germany Press Office
- Deutsche Welle
- RADIO 96 ACHT Bonn
- ILA (news and solidarity collective for Latin America)
Internship opportunities in Europe and worldwide
work in progress
Erasmus+ Internship
Would you like to do an internship in another European country? The University of Bonn supports study-related internships of 2 to 12 months in over 30 European countries as part of Erasmus+.
Internship experience
Internship Experience
Funding opportunities
(Interdisciplinary) career orientation and career planning
The lecture series “Berufsperspektiven: Altamerikanistik und Ethnologie” aims to introduce students to professional practice by providing an insight into possible professional fields that are related to Anthropology of the Americas research. The sessions of the lecture series are organized by graduates of the subject who talk about their professional CVs and thus show career prospects for Anthropology of the Americas and present the organization and working methods of selected professions (museums, development organizations, media and publishing, ethnological and archaeological research projects, tourism industry, science and culture management, etc.).
The lecture series takes place every semester as a block event.
Contact
Katharina Pawlak
Caterina Mantilla