1. Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
  2. School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
  3. Undergraduate
  4. German
  5. Work placements

Work placements

Student working on a laptop.

All of our BA German students spend their third year abroad either studying at a partner institution or gaining practical work experience. 

If you choose to take a work placement year you will spend 9 to 12 months in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. You'll discover a new culture, develop your knowledge and skills, improve your German language skills, and make yourself stand out from your peers in the job market.

You can find our own work placement or take advantage of the contacts that we already have.

You’ll be provided with details of current placement opportunities and the details of companies that have provided placements for students in the past. The University has links with a variety of organisations in the UK and overseas both in Germany and in German speaking countries.

You’ll be able to network with returning students for first-hand advice about living abroad, have meetings with the residence abroad tutor and have access to online information before you relocate. The School’s Work Placement Officer, the Residence Abroad team and the University Careers Centre will also provide support and guidance.

Some of the companies where our students have completed work placements include:

  • EuroShell (Hamburg) 
  • TopTranslation (Hamburg)
  • iwis (Munich) 
  • Brainlab (Munich) 
  • Boehringer Ingelheim (near Mainz) 
  • ZF Friedrichshafen
  • Lang AG (Lindlar) 
  • LKW Walter (Vienna/Kufstein) 
  • Executive Wealth Management Global (Zurich).

If you are studying German with another language, you might spend a term abroad in Germany at the end of your second year at Leeds and take your year abroad in your other language.  

British Council Foreign Language Assistant

This highly popular opportunity allows you to spend 9 months in a German-speaking country as a British Council Language Assistant. You will be fully immersed in the German language, acquire vital work experience and become integrated into an established teaching community. 

The British Council scheme is also open to final year students after graduation.

Work experience as you study

You can work during the University holidays or part-time during the year to gain valuable experience. The University offers a range of exclusive short-term internships with a range of employers and there are often opportunities on campus too. 

Volunteering is another way to develop valuable skills alongside your language degree. At Leeds there are plenty of opportunities to get involved, including being on the committee for your halls of residence, working on a Leeds University Union community project, and volunteering for a charity in the Leeds area.