Apart from independently organized internships in schools, companies and other institutions (see below), a good option is the Assistant Teacher programme, organized by the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (PAD). This involves a year (September-July) spent abroad, working as an assistant teacher in an English-speaking country, usually Great Britain or Ireland. Travel and accommodation costs are paid, along with a nominal salary.

NOTE: As a result of changes to the programme, it is now possible to go to the UK or Ireland for six-seven months rather than a full school year. See the PAD website for further information.

Applications have to be submitted by the first of November each year for the United States, and the first of December each year for all other Anglophone countries – interviews usually take place in February. The documents required are complex; please start preparing them well in advance! Also note that the application process is extremely competitive – you cannot rely on gaining a place.

Applicants can apply for a place in Britain and Ireland from their third semester; for the US and Canada, at least six semesters and/or a completed bachelor degree is required. Australia and New Zealand require a completed M.Ed degree.

See www.kmk-pad.org/programme/dtsch-fsa.html for full details about the Assistant Teacher Programme. For further information you can also contact the Career Service in Oldenburg.

Please look out for relevant sessions of the English Language Help Centre for specific information about preparing and editing English-language application materials like the statement of motivation.

(ATTENTION! Students can, under certain circumstances, complete compulsory internships during their time as an assistant teacher - see below and do check with the DIZ in advance.)

Note: Students who would prefer to work at a university abroad rather than at a school can apply for the DAAD-Sprachassistenzen programme . See here for full details – there are usually a number of places in English-speaking countries available.  (You will need to apply well in advance – deadlines are normally mid-October to begin the following September. (For countries in the southern hemphisphere you need to apply at least eighteen months in advance due to the different university calendars.)

The following portal may be of interest to students looking for internships at schools abroad:

www.erasmusinschool.com/

 Note that many of the opportunities involve teaching English (or German) in non-English speaking countries such as Spain – these can currently be credited for the compulsory stay abroad, so don’t count them out! 

 There are also some jobs available in countries with English as the official language, such as Ghana or India – read through the different advertisements (www.erasmusinschool.com/findschools#) carefully!

Please direct any further enquiries to the website (www.erasmusinschool.com/faqen).

It is possible to complete one of the compulsory school internships for the BA/MEd programme abroad, and for this time to also count as partial completion of the requirements for a compulsory stay abroad for students in English. (Students intending to fulfil all the requirements at once would have to spend longer in a school than is normally necessary for the ASP or FP/FEP, as none of these comprise the twelve weeks required.)

This possibility is covered in the general curricular guidelines:

Eines der Schulpraktika (Allgemeines Schulpraktikum im Bachelorstudium oder Fachpraktikum sowie Forschungs- und Entwicklungspraktikum nach Absprache mit dem oder der Modulbeauftragten im Masterstudium) kann im Ausland absolviert werden. Die Prüfungsleistung soll den fachspezifischen Anforderungen für das Fachpraktikum und das Forschungs- und Entwicklungspraktikum entsprechen. Der Besuch der Vor- und Nachbereitungsveranstaltungen muss in der Universität Oldenburg erfolgen. Der Kontakt zwischen Schule und Hochschule muss während des Praktikums gewährleistet sein. Zuständig für die Anrechnung sind die jeweiligen Modulbeauftragten der Praxismodule.

Quelle: uol.de/uni/amtliche_mitteilungen/dateien/AM2014-03_08-6Aenderung_MPO_MEd_Gym.pdf (Seite 12).

However, in order to gain credit for the internship, you must attend the relevant preparatory seminar IN ADVANCE!

The DIZ is responsible for the ASP - please contact them directly. Cf. Informationen (FAQ) zum ASP im Ausland [Ansprechpartnerin: Dagmar Hasenkamp]

If you are interested in completing the FP/FEP abroad, you will need to contact Sylke Bakker or Christian Kramer in the English department as well as the relevant DIZ staff.

As noted in the sidebar, this is *not* an option for the extended Praxisblock which forms a key part of GHR300 and must be completed at a school in Germany.

A translation of the DIZ criteria for these internships which can be sent to schools abroad is available here.

A good general list of charity and volunteering links can be found at The Big Project.

If you would like to complete an internship with a charity/non-profit organisation, then you may also find the following more specific links useful.

* Internships with AISEC: projekte.aiesec.de/

* Volunteer with the National Trust in the UK: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteer

* Volunteer with the National Trust in Scotland: www.nts.org.uk/Volunteering/

* Camphill – working with children and adults with learning disabilities.

• Camphill England and Wales – www.camphill.org.uk/recruitment
• Camphill Scotland – www.camphillscotland.org.uk/volunteerwork/
• Camphill Ireland – www.camphill.ie/Volunteering–p-18.html

* Volunteer Ireland – www.volunteer.ie/volunteers/

(A number of Oldenburg students have previously found internships through AISEC and with Camphill and the National Trust.)

See the information under paying for your stay abroad for more information.