UROP International – Information for Students
RWTH Aachen University offers a wide range of research internships in all subject areas. There are around 200 projects listed in the projects database.
Projects Database
Research project supervisors publish their project ideas in the UROP projects database. There you can look at the complete offering and apply for a maximum of two different projects.
The database contains projects for UROP International as well as projects of the two other program parts RWTH UROP and UROP Abroad. Thus, when searching the database, please activate the filter „UROP International“ on the left-hand side.
Application
After choosing any projects from the projects database, please register via our MoveON database. Here you can apply for up to two projects from the projects database. Please also upload the following application documents in PDF format:
Every year, the database is updated in November. During the update, old entries are deleted and new projects are added. Hence, please do not apply before the end of November because the content of the database may still be subject to change.
The annual application deadline for UROP International is January 10. All application documents have to be submitted by this date. Your application automatically serves as an application for a scholarship as well.
We will inform you if a project supervisor selected you and whether you would receive a scholarship no later than the first week in March. You then have a week to let us know if you would like to participate. Afterwards, potential alternates are informed.
Over the course of the month of March we will organize details like your room in a student dorm and your enrollment and will hold an online info session, where you can ask questions and get all the important details regarding your stay in Aachen.
Eligibility, Fees, and Scholarships
Undergraduate students from North American universities who have a GPA of 3.2 or higher are welcome to apply to UROP International. Ideally you are sophomore or junior at the time of application but freshmen and seniors are also welcome to participate in the program. A total of 60 students can participate in UROP International each year.
German language skills are not required to participate. Based on your German skills, you will be assigned to an appropriate German class; we offer up to four different levels of courses.
Each year there are 30 scholarships of 1,850 Euros each available. This can mostly cover your living expenses during your stay in Aachen. RWTH primarily awards scholarships to students from partner universities. If you do not receive a scholarship, you should estimate around 2,000 Euros for your stay here: in addition to travel costs, you need to include three months rent and the cost of enrollment, which is approximately 280 Euros and includes a ticket for public transportation in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Housing and Visa
During their stay, students are offered a place in one of the Student Services' dorms, if they do not want to arrange housing themselves.
Rent can be covered by the scholarship and ranges between 250 and 450 Euros a month. Additionally, there is a deposit of two months rent, which is reimbursed when you move out as long as you leave the room in good condition.
US or Canadian citizens usually do not need to apply for a visa if they do not stay longer than three months in Germany. If you want to stay longer than three months, you can have your residency permit extended at the Foreigners' Registration Office during your stay in Germany.
Buddy Program
Participation in the Buddy Program is highly recommended! The BeBuddy team provides you with an RWTH student, who will help you during the first few days and support you during your entire stay.
Your RWTH buddy will pick up your dorm keys prior to your arrival to Aachen and meet you at the train station.
You will receive more detailed information from us after you have been selected for the UROP International program.
The program is a great balance between the "serious summer research experience" and the ‘fun traveling/backpacking across Europe’ experience, as well. RWTH Aachen is a great university, and my research experience was wonderful – I also loved the campus and all the events that were always happening there, UROP or not! Aachen is also a great location for traveling; the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, as well as some of the nicest cities in Germany (Cologne, Düsseldorf) are within a few hours' travel. It's awesome, I did good research, and I was never bored in my free time, either!”
Audrey Coble, University of Michigan
I couldn't recommend it more highly. This program has changed my life. It is so ideal. It's wonderful in itself to live in Aachen for a summer – which is a beautiful city – and get to work on a project that is career-relevant. But UROP is unique in that you get to experience this internship with 40 other students and make lasting friendships along the way.
Stephanie Dimitroff, McGill University