Offering American students the opportunity to become acquainted with German culture through daily business interaction with their host companies, this program allows students to gain insight into the German economy, improve their already existent German language skills and enjoy cross-cultural challenges. The program is proudly supported by Hannelore Kraft, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Philip D. Muphy, US Ambassador to Germany and Andrew Young, former US Ambassador to the UN and mayor of Atlanta.

AmCham Germany aims to continue to connect American students and German companies in the interest of mediating a positive view of Germany to the future leaders of the United States. Each young American who returns to the US will serve as an ambassador of German-American friendship.

The US-German Internship Program is currently open for students enrolled in one of the following universities:

Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech University, Kennesaw State University, Morehouse College, North Georgia College & State University, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, University of Georgia, Columbus State University and Piedmont College. 

In 2011, 24 students arrived in May and stayed for three months. With your financial support and/or willingness to host an intern we can continue to expand the program and support the future of transatlantic relationships.   

 Click here to view the official program flyer.

 Our newly-published brochure can be viewed here.

Please click through the tabs on this page to inform yourself about the ways to participate in the program.

Students should get to know your company’s procedures and actively work within the day-to-day operations.

Costs

Participating companies are obliged to pay a fair monthly allowance of € 670 for the students’ services. This minimum sum is required by the Agency of Employees’ and Students’ Affairs (ZAV) at the German Federal Agency for Employment.

Travel associated with the program should also be covered by the company. This includes transportation between Frankfurt and the company's location at the start and end of the program. A get-together will be arranged at the halfway point of the internship. Companies are also asked to provide transportation and one to two nights basic accommodation for the interns participation in this event hosted by AmCham Germany.

Mentor

Participating companies are expected to provide a mentor for the intern. The mentor’s responsibilities include introducing the student to the field of operation in which he or she will be working and answering technical questions. Since the interns will need to gather experience in everyday life in Germany - an integral part of the program - the mentor is expected to play an important role here as well. An example might be acquainting the intern with the public transportation system. Participating companies may decide to even include the intern in social activities after work hours, such as visiting a restaurant, going to the movies, etc.

Housing

Ideally, participating companies should provide an apartment for the student for the duration of the internship. If however this is not possible, the company should assist the student in searching for suitable living quarters.

An alternative could be an employee offering to house the student for the three month duration in his or her own living quarters and thus integrate the intern into the family. Another consideration would be to house the student in a joint residence or perhaps you might be aware of a lessor seeking an interim tenant. We are very grateful for cooperation in arranging accommodations for the student, as it is not always easy for the intern to organize accommodations from overseas.

Visas

AmCham Germany will take care of visa formalities in advance in cooperation with the German Consulate General in Atlanta, GA.

Benefits for Your Company

Participation results in personal connections that contribute to strengthening transatlantic relations. The company’s commitment to and acting as an example of supporting young professionals will be rewarded through extensive media coverage through AmCham Germany’s newsletter, website and magazine. These broadcast your company's accomplishments in furthering transatlantic cross cultural exchange.

For an example of coverage in our magazine, commerce germany,  read the report of the interns arriving in 2011.

All participating companies are also represented on the official US-German Internship Program website: www.amchaminternship.org

Match-Making Process

Companies that return the letter of intent receive a password from AmCham Germany to enter the website and view the interns’ résumés. Thus, participating companies are able to personally decide if the student meets their criteria for eligibility, e.g. university background, language skills, qualifications, etc. Companies will be able to view each student’s profile and make a selection that suits the company best. This will take place on a first come, first serve basis, i.e. companies who decide early to join the program will have more choice in selecting an intern.

Upon making a decision, companies are to contact AmCham Germany directly with their choice and not the student to avoid any overlap. AmCham Germany will introduce the company and student to each other. After establishing initial contact, an exchange regarding further details and procedures will take place between the company and the student.

Letter of Intent

Should you be willing to host an intern, we would ask you to fill out the following letter of intent to declare your commitment to a student.

 Download the letter of intent here.

Companies and individuals who are interesting in supporting the program, but are unable to host an intern may offer financial support for the students. Money collected is distributed to interns demonstrating additional financial need to complete their internship.

Benefits for Your Company

Your company’s commitment to supporting young professionals will be rewarded through extensive media coverage through AmCham Germany’s newsletter, website and magazine. These broadcast your company's accomplishments in furthering transatlantic cross cultural exchange.

For an example of coverage in our magazine, commerce germany,   read the report of the interns arriving in 2011.

All participating companies are also represented on the official US-German Internship Program website: www.amchaminternship.org

How to Participate

Donations to the program are investments in our future. If you would like to support the program, please fill out and return the following form to AmCham Germany.

 Download the Sponsor Agreement here.

For further sponsoring opportunities, visit the official US-German Internship Program website: www.amchaminternship.org/donations.html