Applications are now open for the DW International Traineeship 2028. 

The application period for the 2028 international traineeship will be open from 13 October 2026, 12 noon (12 p.m. UTC+2) to 17 November 2026, 12 noon (12 p.m. UTC+1).

Applications must be made online only within the given timeframe, using the application link on our website. The application link will only be activated during this period! The link will not be available outside this period. Please note that we will only consider complete applications submitted online through our career portal. Please do not send us any application documents by e-mail! These will not be processed.

After registering in our application portal, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing several application tasks. These include a questionnaire and the production of an application video. Completing these tasks is mandatory for a valid application and they must be uploaded to your profile before the deadline. Please keep in mind that the tasks may be time-consuming, so we strongly encourage you to plan accordingly.

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding the status of your application during the selection process. We kindly ask you to refrain from such requests. Please read all the useful information to better prepare your application and find out more about the application process in our FAQ.

The DW Traineeship will start in January 2028 and end in June 2029.

The bilingual international traineeship (German/English) is structured as follows:

The traineeship consists of an 18 month-long journalistic training program. Seminar modules alternate with internships in editorial departments so you can put into practice what you’ve just learned. The traineeship will start in January of each year and end in 18 months later.

As a rule, the volunteers are in Bonn from January to the end of October; during this period, the seminar blocks and editorial stations take place in the editorial offices in Bonn. November and December are reserved for your elective station and your annual leave.

From January onwards, you will go to one of the DW foreign bureaus and to the Berlin editorial studios; the exact period of your stay in the foreign bureau varies and will be announced at the latest at the beginning of your traineeship (a maximum of two trainees can work in a foreign bureau at the same time).

The traineeship includes:

six months of theory and practice-oriented seminar modules in German and English
nine months of placements with various DW editorial departments in Bonn, Berlin and one of our foreign bureaus a one-month internship elective

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Deutsche Welle Traineship