Dr.Rebekka Rohleder
- Phone
- +49 461 805 2211
- rebekka.rohleder-PleaseRemoveIncludingDashes-@uni-flensburg.de
- Building
- Gebäude Oslo
- Room
- OSL 166
- Street
- Auf dem Campus 1
- Post code / City
- 24943 Flensburg
Going Abroad During your Studies
You are currently a student of English, aiming to become a teacher. In order to be able to teach the English language and the cultures of the English speaking world to your own future students, you ought to experience the language and culture of English speaking countries in as many different ways as possible while you are studying English. The seminars you attend all serve that purpose. But beyond them, you will have the opportunity of immersing yourself in the language, culture and everyday life of one particular English-speaking country, by means of a stay abroad. This is also an experience that will be much easier for you to have while you are a student than later in life, when you are already working as a teacher.
A stay abroad of three months in an English-speaking country is recommended for all our students. For anyone who begins their Master of Education from the autumn term 2025/26 on, it will be mandatory by the end of their Master of Education, as per §4 of the Fachspezifische Anlage ENG-BA of the Prüfungs- und Studienordnung.
All students who begin their B.A. from the autumn term 2022 on will be part of that cohort.
On this page, you will find information and links for all students of English for whom a stay abroad is either recommended or mandatory.
Basics at a Glance
For how long should I go abroad?
Where will the money come from?
I have already been abroad before my B.A. Can this be recognised?
What Can You Do?
A lot of options are open to you and will be accepted: you could study abroad, do an internship or a language course, or take part in a work and travel programme. As long as you can show that you went abroad in order to either learn or work at your destination, we assume that your stay there immersed you in the language and culture of the country of your choice, which is what the requirement is intended to achieve. Merely touristic travel will not be accepted, though.
Studying abroad is a popular choice among students who want to spend time abroad during the course of their studies. In order to count for our purposes, the university you attend will have to be in an English-speaking country. Europa-Universität Flensburg cooperates with a large and growing number of institutions, many of which are in English-speaking countries. You can find them all in a database on the International Center’s webpage: https://flensburg.adv-pub.moveon4.de/report-page-1577/
Please note: at EUF, your fifth BA semester is meant as an opportunity for student mobility; studying abroad should happen during that semester.
For further information and for the recognition of the classes you have done abroad, please contact the International Center. https://www.uni-flensburg.de/international/ins-ausland-gehen
An internship abroad is another good choice; since you are studying to become teachers, this includes internships at schools abroad. You have a three-months-long internship at a school in the third semester of your Master of Education. This can be done abroad. Please note: If you choose to do so, you should start planning for your internship immediately at the beginning of your Master of Education. This will include finding a school etc., but also making yourselves familiar with any relevant visa regulations in the country of your choice.
You could do your internship at either a German school or a regular school in an English-speaking country. In either case, you should expect to mainly teach your second subject at that school, since English will generally be taught by native speakers in an English-speaking country. This means you will need to make sure that your second subject exists at the school of your choice.
At EUF, the Praktikumsbüro, which assists you with organising an internship at a school, will also assist you if you plan to do that internship at a school abroad. https://www.uni-flensburg.de/zfl/praktikumsbuero
For further information, please check this page: https://www.uni-flensburg.de/zfl/praktikumsbuero/praktika/auslandspraktika#c23065
A map with different types of German schools abroad can be found here: https://www.pasch-net.de/de/pasch-schulen/weltkarte.html
In addition to these options, you might also be interested in interning in workplaces other than a school. This can best be done during the semester holidays in the summer, including the ones between your B.A. and your Master of Education. The phase directly after your school internship in the third semester M. Ed. and before the beginning of your fourth semester will also be suitable for that.
There are even more ways of immersing yourselves in the language and culture of your destination. A language course might be useful for some of you; work and travel or working as an au pair could be the best option for others, and still others might like to volunteer for social projects abroad.
Thus, if you like to be flexible and stay in different places in succession, work and travel might be for you. The work would in this case have the dual function of bringing you into contact with locals and other travellers (and therefore with the language and culture of the region of your choice), and of (partly at least) financing your trip. For further information, see the website of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit’s ZAV programme (https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/vor-ort/zav/wege-ins-ausland) and Eurodesk's Rausvonzuhaus (https://www.rausvonzuhaus.de).
Please note: Since nearly all potential destinations are outside the EU, you will need to take heed of the relevant immigration regulations. Work and travel in particular is possible in some, but not in all English-speaking countries. "Working holiday" visa exist for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Singapore.
If you are planning to go as an au pair, then you should go through a certified agency. You can find agencies specialising in your preferred destination(s) here: https://www.au-pair-agenturen.de und here: https://www.guetegemeinschaft-aupair.de/en/. Make sure you search for "outgoing" and for the country or countries you are interested in.
If you prefer contributing to social projects within the EU (which limits your geographical scope to Ireland and Malta), then please check the Europäisches Solidaritätskorps (ESK) homepage. https://www.solidaritaetskorps.de
If you wish to gain more experience in teaching students a foreign language, you might also be interested in a Fremdsprachenassistenz (FSA), a programme that allows you to assist in the teaching of German in a school abroad. But please note that FSA programmes are designed for a duration of five to eleven months and cannot be cut short to only three months. This might be an option for the time between your B.A. and your M.A., but it will not work for the semester holidays. You can find further details here: https://www.kmk-pad.org/programme/fremdsprachenassistenzkraefte/studierende-aus-deutschland.html.
English-Speaking Countries
English-Speaking Countries
English is an official language in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the U.S.
In addition, English is also an official language in a large number of (other) states that were formerly British colonies. These countries, too, are among your range of options.
If in doubt, always ask at the English department (rebekka.rohleder@uni-flensburg.de) before you start organising your stay abroad.
Length of Stay
Length of your Stay Abroad
Your stay abroad has to be at least three months (which we count as at least twelve weeks).
These three months should normally take place in one piece and in the same place. Only if you have a very good reason (for instance if the internship of your choice is shorter than three months) will we offer the option of splitting your stay abroad into two parts. None of these can be shorter than four weeks. Ask at the department beforehand, if you think you see a good reason to split your stay abroad.
Time planning
Time Planning
Do not underestimate the time it will take you to organise your stay abroad. You will need to start planning one to one and a half years before you leave. After all, you need a place at a university, school, or workplace; you need to know where the money is coming from, and where you will live; you need health insurance, and, last but definitely not least, you will most likely need a visa.
As soon as you know what you are going to do, and where, you should therefore find out what you have to organise and when.
Please note that for some activities abroad there are certain phases during your studies that are particularly well-suited to them.
Studying abroad should take place during the fifth semester of your B.A.
For an internship in a school, you can go abroad during the third semester of your M. Ed.
For other internships, language courses etc., you should use the semester holidays, in particularly the longer ones during the summer, including the phase between handing in your B.A. thesis and beginning your Master of Education. The phase directly after your school internship in the third semester M. Ed., and before the beginning of your fourth semester is also suitable.
In such cases, should you come back from abroad only after the new semester has already started, you need to inform all class instructors concerned.
And finally, your stay abroad will have to be documented and recognised before the end of your Master of Education. You will need to do that before you can apply for your M.A. certificate.
I Went Abroad Before my B.A.
If you went abroad before your B.A. …
… then this can be recognised under certain conditions. If you spent at least three months learning or working in an English-speaking country, then this can be recognised if it is properly documented and if the end of your stay abroad was no more than two years before the beginning of your B.A.
If you went to school abroad during grades 10 or 11, the following regulations apply: If at least three months of the year two years before the calendar year in which you started your B.A. were spent abroad, then this can be recognised.
Example: You start your B.A. of English in the autumn term of 2024/25. If you went to school abroad for at least three months in 2022, then we will recognise this, even if these three months ended before end of August 2022. However, if your stay abroad ended during 2021, or if less than three months of it took place in 2022, then it will not be recognised.
Apart from the options listed below, you should also check for other funding options on the DAAD homepage: https://www2.daad.de/ausland/studieren/stipendium/de/70-stipendien-finden-und-bewerben/.
If you are planning to study abroad, there are a number of options. To begin with, even if you do not receive ‘normal’ BAFöG, you may still be entitled to AuslandsBAFöG. For further information, please check here: https://www.bafög.de/SiteGlobals/Forms/bafoeg/weltkarte/weltkarte_formular.html
For EU countries, there is the option of receiving funding via the Erasmus programme. (The UK is no longer part of either the EU or of the Erasmus programme. However, at the moment – last verified February 2024 – Stranmillis University College Belfast is still part of the Erasmus programme.) For further information, please check here: Erasmus+ - Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF) (uni-flensburg.de)
The DAAD’s PROMOS programme also funds studying in non-European countries. Schritt 3: Vorbereiten - Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF) (uni-flensburg.de)
The DAAD's Lehramt.International programme specifically funds internships at schools abroad. Please check here: https://www.studieren-weltweit.de/infocard/stipendienprogramme-lehramt-international/
If your internship takes place in an EU member state, you can apply for Erasmus+ funding: Erasmus+ - Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF) (uni-flensburg.de)
The DAAD’s PROMOS programme funds internships in non-European countries. Schritt 3: Vorbereiten - Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF) (uni-flensburg.de)
The idea of work and travel is that you take jobs (service / agriculture) in the country in which you are travelling in order to finance your trip. But you need to check the relevant visa regulations first. Some countries require you to prove that you have funds of your own.
If you take part in an Europäisches Solidaritätskorps project, the ESK will cover travel cost.
EUF also offers (partial) funding for language courses via PROMOS scholarships: https://www.uni-flensburg.de/en/international/going-abroad/step-3-prepare?sword_list%5B0%5D=ersten&cHash=fc144b1fed83209db4cc4e3658e4a3dd.
The SPA is in charge of the official recognition of your stay abroad. Please use the form provided, and hand in additional documents that prove the type of stay abroad, its place, and its length. This is the form you need: https://www.uni-flensburg.de/fileadmin/content/portal/studium-und-lehre/dokumente/formulare-und-bescheinigungen/antrag-obligatorischer-auslandsaufenthalt-version-2.pdf.
Exception: If you studied abroad at one of our partner institutions, the International Center will take care of documenting your mandatory stay abroad along with the recognition of the courses you did abroad.
The recognition of courses you did abroad as the equivalent of fifth semester B.A. courses is done by the International Center: https://www.uni-flensburg.de/international/ins-ausland-gehen/schritt-4-leistungen-anerkennen-lassen/ba-bildungswissenschaften
The SPA is in charge of the official recognition of a stay abroad that took place before your B.A.. Please use the form provided, and hand in additional documents that prove the type of stay abroad, its place, and its length. This is the form you need: https://www.uni-flensburg.de/fileadmin/content/portal/studium-und-lehre/dokumente/formulare-und-bescheinigungen/antrag-obligatorischer-auslandsaufenthalt-version-2.pdf.
For the rules on what can and cannot be recognised, please see above.
If you have valid reasons to not go abroad, recognition happens at the Prüfungsausschuss, but you apply through the SPA. This is the form you need: https://www.uni-flensburg.de/fileadmin/content/portal/studium-und-lehre/dokumente/formulare-und-bescheinigungen/antrag-obligatorischer-auslandsaufenthalt-version-2.pdf.
At the Institute for English and American Studies, please contact Rebekka Rohleder (rebekka.rohleder@uni-flensburg.de) for a consultation on what might be the best way of going abroad in your individual case. Office hours are published here.
The EUF’s International Center offers you useful information on ways and means of going abroad as a student. https://www.uni-flensburg.de/international/international-center
The calendar of info sessions offered by the IC, and PowerPoint slides from past info sessions, can be found here (bottom of page): https://www.uni-flensburg.de/international/ins-ausland-gehen/schritt-1-informieren.