Internship or graduation project

Preparation

• Mandatory or not?

  For some studies, an internship or graduation project is a compulsory part of the programme. Check the Study Guide to see whether this is the case for your study programme. In most cases, the course description will list an internship coordinator who you can ask for more information.

  Please note: Some study programmes do not allow you to do an internship in your elective space. An internship is sometimes only possible as a graduation project.

• What kind of internship are you looking for?

  Some studies have fixed internships that you can choose from, but often you have to look for a suitable internship yourself. The better you think about what you would like to do and where, the easier it will be to find the right place. For example, if all you know is that you want to do something with sustainability in Europe, your search will be much more difficult than if you are interested in cultivating edible seaweeds in the North Sea.

• Arranging your internship

  If you are looking for an internship at another university, you can write directly to the right researcher. Keep the e-mail itself short: Try to answer the questions 'Why do you want to work for that researcher?' and 'Why do you think you have the right background for it'? You can attach your CV and grades (available via the Student Desk).
  
  Many large companies and non-profit organisations have special internship coordinators that you can write to. Again, it is good to be as specific as possible in the e-mail about your choice and your qualifications for that organisation. In this case too, you can attach your CV and grades (available via the Student Desk).

• Registering your internship

  Register your internship abroad in your personal dashboard on vu.nl. This way, we will always know where you are in case of a crisis in the country where you are doing your internship.

• International travel policy

  It is important to read our International Travel Policy carefully. Here you will also find information about the travel advice of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Check in time whether the colour code for the country of your internship is not orange or red, because in that case it is not allowed to travel for an internship or graduation project.
  
  The webpage also has information about the insurances that are relevant for your internship or graduation project.

• Arranging accommodation

  Many universities can offer trainees accommodation or at least advise them on alternative options. With other organisations, you will often have to find accommodation yourself.

• Optional: extracurricular internship

  If your study does not have an obligatory internship, you can also decide to do an extracurricular internship yourself.
  
  In case you need a general internship agreement, you can find one here (in Dutch).

Scholarships for your internship abroad

• Internship within EU for Bachelor's and Master's students

  • If you are going to do an internship within the EU and some other European countries as part of your studies, you may be eligible for an Erasmus+ internship grant. 
  • The scholarship is available to VU students of all nationalities.
  • Various internships are possible: at a university or research institute, for an amount, at a hospital (internship) or as a graduation project such as writing a thesis or doing library research at a university, research institute or company
  • The internship must last at least two complete months (60 days) with a full-time working week of 35 to 40 hours.
  • From June 2025, the internship grant is available for up to 5 full months (150 days). The internship itself may last longer.
  • The internship must be approved by your internship supervisor at the VU and the examination board of your program. Only internships for which credits are given are eligible for the scholarship.
  • The amount of the grant is different for two country groups, which are classified based on the level of living costs. The monthly amounts can be found at the bottom of the Grant Agreement.
  • You must apply for the internship grant no later than one month before the start of the internship.
  • You must register your internship abroad in your VU.nl dashboard, as soon as you have the fully completed and signed Grant Agreement and Learning Agreement. After the registration, you can apply for the scholarship and upload the documents as a PDF.

  More information

  Roadmap

  Erasmus+ stagebeurs stappenplan

  Scholarship forms Bachelor's and Master's students 2025-2026

  • Student Grant Agreement
  • Student Learning Agreement
  • Student Statement Green Travel
  • Student Traineeship Certificate

  Scholarship forms Bachelor's and Master's students 2026-2027
  Will be published in August 2026

• Internship outside EU for Bachelor's and Master's students

  The budget for calendar year 2025 has been fully spent. It is therefore unfortunately no longer possible to apply for a grant for an internship that starts in 2025.

  For internships starting in calendar year 2026, a grant can be applied for from 1 September 2025.

  Requirements

  • The scholarships are available for students with limited financial means who can prove this because they receive (or have received) a supplementary grant from DUO.
  • Your internship or fieldwork research has to be a mandatory part of your study programme and has to be approved by your internship coordinator or the examination board. 
  • The internship lasts at least 2 months. Your internship is not eligible for an Erasmus+ scholarship.
  • You can apply for Fondsendesk scholarship only once during your studies at VU Amsterdam.

  Application procedure

  • Register your internship (one month before the start date at the latest) on My Dashboard in VU.nl
  • After registration you can apply for the Fondsendesk scholarship on the same page in My Dashboard and upload the completed documents (see below),
  • Send an email to Fondsendesk@vu.nl to notify your application.

  Selection

  • The available budget is limited. Applications which meet the requirements will be awarded in chronological order of application.

  Required documents

  • Fondsendesk statement
  • DUO letter mentioning the award of the supplementary grant (Aanvullende beurs). You can find it on the Mijn DUO page under Mijn berichten. A scan of the paper version of the letter (as PDF) is also accepted.

  General information

  As of 1 January 2025, the scholarship amount is €1,000.

  More information: Fondsendesk@vu.nl

• Internships within EU for recent graduates (Bachelor's and Master's)

  As of May 2025, due to budgetary reasons, it will unfortunately no longer be possible to apply for an Erasmus+ grant for recent graduates.

Information on internships and graduation projects by faculty

Other options to fill your elective space