Professionals & Interns
International Parliamentary Scholarships
The International Parliamentary Scholarships program, run by the German Bundestag in collaboration with Humboldt University in Berlin, offers the opportunity for well-qualified young people from the U.S. and Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe with a strong interest in politics to gain first-hand experience in Germany’s system of parliamentary government. The program involves 15-week placements with members of the German Bundestag. The participants are introduced to a wide variety of tasks carried out in the member’s office.
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals
This year-long program, funded by the German Bundestag and U.S. Congress through the U.S. Department of State, annually offers the opportunity for 75 young professionals with a strong interest in cultural exchange to study, work, and live with a host in Germany. The CBYX program consists of two months of German language school (no prior German language skills required!); four months of classes in the participant’s career field at a university, technical school, or professional school; and a five-month internship in the career field. Participants are placed throughout Germany on this scholarship program. CBYX is primarily designed for business, engineering, technical, vocational, and agricultural fields, though applicants from all fields may apply. Applicants from community and technical colleges are especially encouraged to apply
German Chancellor Scholarship Program
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awards 30 scholarships annually to young professionals, 10 of which go to U.S. citizens. The scholarship provides for a one-year stay in Germany beginning in September for professional development, study, or research. Applicants design individual projects and select the relevant institutions. Successful candidates have come from such fields as social sciences, law, journalism, economics, architecture, humanities, the arts, and environmental studies.
The program is preceded by language classes taught in Germany. Monthly stipends range from € 2,150 to 3,650. Candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree, which was received less than12 years prior to the start of the award. Prior knowledge of German is not a prerequisite.
Besides the Chancellor Scholarship, the foundation annually grants up to 500 fellowships to foreign scholars up to 40 years of age to conduct long-term postdoctoral research in Germany; up to 200 research awards to foreign scholars; up to 200 Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships to German scholars up to 38 years of age to conduct postdoctoral research abroad; 20 Max Planck research awards for projects conducted by German and foreign scientists; and a few additional research fellowships for special purposes.
Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program
This high-level fellowship program places 20 outstanding young American professionals (ages 23-34) in two different high-level positions in the federal government and private sector in Germany. Three seminars taking place throughout Europe provide an in-depth understanding of issues facing Germany and the European Union today. Candidates are competitively chosen from the fields of business administration, economics, journalism, law, political science, and public policy.
Arthur F. Burns Fellowships
The program annually provides 20 American and German journalists with the opportunity to spend two months at a host media organization of their choice, learning about news operations in a foreign setting and, in effect, serving as foreign correspondents for their home newsrooms.
RIAS Berlin Commission
The RIAS Berlin Commission offers a variety of exchange programs for American and German radio and TV journalists of up to 4 weeks. In the United States, the program consists of an information program in Washington and New York, an internship, and a period of study at a school of journalism. A two-week editor's program on a chosen subject is offered to experienced journalists each year in autumn. In Germany, two-week programs take place in spring and autumn. The stay can be extended by another 14 days for personal research or internship.
