Structure of internships
Currently all curricula of the German landscape architecture schools include compulsory internships. Most schools define semesters within the curriculum as practical phases. The universities of applied sciences require a minimum of three months of practical experience before enrolment. Generally speaking there are two types:
1. Some universities include two internships (around 20 weeks each), the first is related to experience in landscape construction, the second is related to office or administrative experience. Students who have already finished a professional training in landscape construction often skip the first practical semester. (i.e.: Kassel, Nürtingen, Weihenstephan)
2. Other universities require only one internship within the curricula and it must be related to office/administrative experience. hese universities usually require practical experience in landscape construction before enrolment. (i.e.: TU-Hannover, HTW-Dresden, TU-Berlin).
The intensive integration of professional practice may be a characteristic of German curricula. The philosophy behind this aims at intensifying the mutual influence of practice and theory. Almost all faculties insist on practical experience in landscape construction additionally to the office experience. Due to this interweavement, it is very difficult to transform these curricula into a 3+2 Bachelor/Master structure.
Most universities have particular staff responsible for student internships. They manage databases with addresses and information concerning offices (national and international) which facilitates placements. Nevertheless, the students themselves send applications directly to the offices. As the internship is regarded as an integral part of the curriculum, the students are usually not well paid (€300 – 600). Therefore, the offices are much more bound to provide an educational role. Some schools even require the office to define a responsible person for the student. Most universities require a written report about the student’s office experience and a written comment of the office itself, which is somehow a means to avoid “exploitation of cheap labour”. In Kassel the internships are called Berufspraktische Studien (freely translated: studies on professional practice) which underlines its educational character. In Nürtingen students give short presentations of their internship projects to their study colleagues.For many students the internship contact becomes the first step into the professional world after finishing the studies.
Two universities provide online information about internships:
University of Kassel: http://www.uni-kassel.de/fb6/studium/bps_referat.htm
University of Berlin: http://www.tu-berlin.de/fb7/praktikantenamt
Job searches
Lists of most German landscape architecture offices are provided by the professional association BDLA (http://www.bdla.de). Vacancies are also announced on the following websites:
http://www.blattform.de/markt/jobangebote/index.html
http://www.ga-la-net.de/jobs/index.htm
Ellen Fetzer, 16.04.03
Employment Agencies and vacancy lists
When searching for a job in Germany’s landscape architecture through the internet, you will be facing a large number of competitors. The homepage of the state employment agency (www.arbeitsagentur.de) indicates next to each job offer the number of people who already had a closer look at it. Within a few days a new entry will often have more than a thousand visitors searching for just the same job as the one you are looking for (select Stellenangebote suchen, then enter Landschaftsarchitektur)
There are some job vacancies to be found hidden away inside the pages of the main landscape architects’ association BDLA (www.bdla.de, then choose Landschaftsarchitekten, Ausbildung, Praktika- und Jobbörse, lesen). Many will ask for some years of professional experience. The rest are offers for internships / work experience (Praktikum).If your background is also in gardening, try pages in this line (www.taspo.de, www.gabot.de, www.dega.de, search for Stellenmarkt, Job-Angebote).
More effective is to approach offices directly. If you are without professional experience, expect to start as an intern. The availability of candidates being so large these days in Germany, all offices will go for the cheapest option possible and that is the army of interns. After a 3-6 month Praktikum you can then hope to continue in the same office as an employee with a salary that will only be little higher than what you received as an intern. The times in Germanyare difficult, so best is to keep expectations low.
Marco Albano January 2006