Then the OverSEAs Internship/Research Programme might just be the right fit for you. Complete your research stay or internship at TU Graz or at a Graz based company to develop professional skills, gain insight into the business/research world, and experience the Austrian culture and business environment.
Participating in this exchange programme gives you the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in Austrian culture and gain international work/research experience, which will benefit your career and be highly valued by future employers!
Key facts
- Type of exchange: research/internship + option of taking courses at TU Graz
- Location: on site in Graz (completing the programme virtually is possible upon request)
- Eligibility:
- Project/internship placement: students from selected OverSEAs partner universities from the USA, Canada & Singapore
- Self-organized stay: if you are a student from another OverSEAs partner university you can apply if you find a supervisor on your own
- Duration: one to six month(s), longer stays possible upon request
- Start and end date: flexible
- Workload: part-time or full-time
- Mandatory fees:
- Student Union Fee (ÖH-Beitrag): approx. €20 per semester
- Austrian Health Insurance (ÖGK): approx. €60 per month
Information - incoming students
Marlene FHEODOROFF
BA MA MA
Phone: +43 316 873 6426
marlene.fheodoroff@tugraz.at
Programme Characteristics
This programme gives students from different field of studies the opportunity to either complete an internship/research stay at TU Graz or an internship at a partner company of TU Graz. Additionally, students have the opportunity to venture outside of their internship/research bubble and take courses at TU Graz.
Type of Internship/Research stays
- Internship/Research at TU Graz (flexible start date)
- Internship at partner company of TU Graz (flexible start date)
- Internship/Research + courses at TU Graz (start and end date according to semester dates)
Students who want to participate in the programme part- time can also combine the research stay/internship with taking courses at TU Graz to complete a full academic work load. In this case students need to be present during the whole 15 teaching weeks (Academic Calendar).
Internship/Research Areas
- Architecture
- Civil Engineering and Geosciences
- Electrical and Information Engineering
- Mathematics, Physics and Geodesy
- Mechanical Engineering and Economic Sciences
- Technical Chemistry, Chemical and Process Engineering, Biotechnology
- Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering
Application Requirements
Students from selected OverSEAs partner universities in the USA, Canada, and Singapore are eligible to participate in this programme.
Students from those universities receive support in finding a suitable position. You can apply for and select up to three projects/internships from a predefined project list.
TU Graz aims to find a placement for nominated students but a successful placement cannot be guaranteed.
Project/internship placement
Support in finding a placement is offered for students from the following universities:
- University of Calgary
- Mc Master University
- University of Waterloo (within the co-op programme)
- Western Carolina University
- Washington State University
- University of Kansas
- Nanyang Technological University
Self-organized stay
If you are studying at another OverSEAs partner universities you can also participate in the programme if you find a supervisor at TU Graz on your own. Before interested students try to find a supervisor at TU Graz, the exchange coordinator at the respective home university as well as the Exchange Coordinator at TU Graz need to be contacted.
Step 1: Nomination by your Home University
Your exchange coordinator at your home university has to nominate you for this exchange programme via our Mobility Online Platform.
Deadlines for Nominations:
- Main Call: around February (for summer stays starting with May/June)
- Continuous applications for open spots: Students have to get nominated approximately 3 to 5 month before they plan to start their internship/research stay
Step 2: Online Application
You will receive an access code to Mobility Online by email as soon as you have been nominated by your home university. This email also explains how you can create an account.
In the next step, you have to fill in an application form and state which projects you are interested in.
Afterwards, please upload the following application documents to Mobility-Online:
- Portrait picture
- Transcript of Records
- Application letter (Letter of Motivation)
- CV
- Bachelor Certificate (if you are a graduate student)
- Signed application form (available in Mobility Online)
- A copy of your passport
Deadlines for the Online Application: stated in the application e-mail
Step 3: Matching Process
After all the documents are uploaded, your Exchange Coordinator at TU Graz will check your documents and facilitate the matching process (please note that the matching service is only available for students from certain universities.
You will be informed about the results of the matching process within a couple of weeks. Students who are successfully matched with a project/position have to get in touch with their supervisor to arrange the details about their stay in Graz (start and end date, workload and other programme relevant details) and get the Letter of Invitation signed by their supervisor.
Good to know: Some research/internship supervisors might select candidates based only on the application documents, others might invite candidates to an online interview.
Step 4: Acceptance
As soon as all the application documents as well as the signed Letter of Invitation by the supervisor are uploaded to Mobility Online, the International Office – Welcome Center provides you with the Letter of Acceptance. You will be able to download it from Mobility Online as soon as your acceptance is finalised. Please note that the Letter of Acceptance is only available via Mobility Online.
Letter of Acceptance
The Letter of Acceptance is the official document that contains the duration of your stay and other programme relevant information. With this document, you can apply for a visa or residence permit at the relevant Austrian representative authority (if necessary).
Pre-arrival Package
Apart from your Letter of Acceptance, you can also download a pre-arrival package that provides further information about accommodation, the required visa/residence permit and other useful information that will help you to prepare for your internship/research stay in Graz.
Step 5: Enrolment
TU Graz will then facilitate the enrolment as an exchange student. You will receive further information by email on how to pay the student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) of approx. €20 in order to complete the enrolment process.
Benefits of the Enrolment:
- Accident and liability insurance that covers all accidents and damages that occur during your activities as a student (covered by the Student Union Fee)
- TUGRAZonline account to get access to the intranet and to special online data of the institute
- Possibility to take courses at TU Graz
- Various reductions for students
- Participation in the ESN network
Application Documents
In Step 2 (Online Application) you have to upload several documents to Mobility-Online. These have to meet certain criteria:
Part 1: Portrait picture
- jpeg, png or gif file with a maximum of 500x500 pixel
- Your head must face the camera directly with full face in view
- You must have a neutral facial expression or a natural smile, with both eyes open
- Taken in clothing normally worn on a daily basis
- Printed in colour
Part 2: Transcript of Records
The transcript of records is issued by your home university and lists all the courses you have successfully completed together with grades and earned credit points. It serves as proof of your progress in your degree programme.
Part 3: Application Letter
Please upload an Application Letter (Letter of Motivation) in which you describe what motivates you to participate in this programme, what you can contribute to the project/internship position, and what you hope to learn (approximately one page).
Students who already have an approved project/internship position (self-organized) with a supervisor do not have to upload this document.
Part 4: CV
The CV should contain all your educational milestones, your previous work experience, relevant skills and (programming) languages you possess, and any other relevant information that could be helpful for the supervisor to determine if you are a good fit for their research project/open position.
Students who already have an approved project/internship position (self-organized) with a supervisor do no’t have to upload this document.
Part 5: Bachelor’s Certificate (if you are a graduate student)
In general, exchange students are registered for bachelor's degree programmes.
Only students who have completed their Bachelor’s Degree Programme and included a copy of their certificate in the application package may be registered for a Master’s Degree Programme.
Part 6: Signed Application Form
Download the application form from Mobility Online, print it out, and sign it. Afterwards please upload it to Mobility Online.
Part 7: Copy of your passport
Please note: Your passport has to be valid for the entire period of your stay.
What happens next?
Please follow the steps described in the Pre-Arrival Guide, which is available in Mobility Online, as soon as you have received the official acceptance from TU Graz.
- If you start in September or February, please attend the Welcome Events.
- If you start at another time, please arrange an appointment for a Welcome Meeting with your Exchange Coordinator at TU Graz.
Please also read the page Your Stay at TU Graz to prepare your stay and to learn what to expect.
