Work

Internships

An internship is a mandatory component of all programs, except the BA Architecture program. Your academic advisor is also your internship advisor and they can give advice and check whether internships are meeting the requirements. 

There is no restriction for where a student completes their internship, some students go back to their home country, or travel somewhere new, and some stay in Berlin to maximize their networking opportunities. For more information on the requirements for internships, please see the Internship Regulations available in the faculty folders in BI Student Resources in MS Teams. 

Student Jobs at BI

There are student jobs available at BI, some are on a regular basis and some are for events that will occur throughout the academic year. Vacancies will be shared with current students on the Bulletin Board and/or per email. 

Working while Studying

You can work whilst studying but there may be some restrictions in place depending on your citizenship. Any work will need to be scheduled around classes. The regulations can be checked here: https://www.daad.de/deutschland/in-deutschland/arbeit/en/9148-side-jobs/

EU students (and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland)

If you are holding an EU citizenship, you are able to get a job to support your studies and you have unrestricted access to the labor market. However, if you work more than 20 hours per week, you must pay certain insurance contributions.

Non EU students

If you are in Germany on a student visa, you are able to take employment but there are some restrictions to the number of hours you can work. Please take some time to review the conditions for employment on the website above, you can also read more here: https://www.studierendenwerke.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Internationale_Studierende_eng_bf.pdf.pdf

Please note: Internships with payment are student-type jobs and will be counted into the working hour allowances. 

Hands-on Advice:

Check out some "Job Market Essentials for International Students in Germany", generously provided to BI students by career consultant Yevheniia Shcherbak

as well as a Checklist for "What do I have to consider before starting work?"