Femtec: Career development for female STEM students
Do you want to actively shape the future as a STEM student? Are you a pioneer for the future workforce that will be more diverse and sustainable? Then Femtec is the right place for you! The Career-Building Programme prepares you for future leadership roles in business or science and is dedicated to individual career planning. We connect you with like-minded STEM enthusiasts and provide you with space for your personal development and new perspectives. In three schools you will explore current trends in project work and develop your soft skills, such as creativity, intrapreneurship, and cross-cultural collaboration in a practical setting. Through our network of partner companies, you will gain access to attractive entry opportunities, whether it's internships, thesis projects, direct employment, or a traineeship. Join in and empower, connect, inspire!
Applications are open to all female* students of STEM fields in their master's studies. The programme starts twice a year, the application portal opens at the beginning of each semester for a programme start in the following semester break.
*Femtec recognizes that the binary concept of female and male does not reflect the lived reality of all individuals. Therefore, the programme is open to anyone who identifies as a woman as well as non-binary individuals.
Next Call for Applications opens in April/May 2025!
The call for applications for the next round will open in April 2025. Please register and apply via the online application platform. After reviewing all applications, we will invite the best candidates to an online assessment center. During the assessment center the final participants are being selected.
Info sessions in April 2025
In April we will offer virtual info-sessions. You will find the date and time here in March. Inform yourself about the programme details and receive helpful tips on the application process. We also invite a FEMTEC alumna who will share her personal experiences with you!
empower
Excellent trainers and coaches support your development on both a personal and professional level. In three intensive schools - one week each in Berlin - you will learn self-confidence, leadership and problem-solving skills, and much more.
connect
The Femtec networks offer you access to partners from industry and alumnae. These direct contacts support you in building your own professional network - whether for internships, job inquiries or simply for helpful advise and exchange of experiences.
inspire
At the innovation.lab, you work with partners from practice and science on an innovation project and develop technology-based solutions for tomorrow's challenges. Individual coaching sessions support your idea and decision making process.
Judith (MSc Plant Sciences):
“The Femtec career building program creates the perfect environment to grow personally while being surrounded by a community of supportive and truly inspiring female students.”
Prishita (MSc Neuroscience):
“This program has been an extraordinary opportunity for me to explore future options after my master's. Not only has it immensely broadened my perspective on things but has also provided me with a very strong and supportive community of women in STEM, who inspire me everyday.”
Patricia (MSc Mathematics):
“Femtec is a very enriching experience. The atmosphere with the rest of the girls is amazing and the exchange of perspectives is the most valuable learning I am taking with me.”
Procedure and contents
The Femtec Career-Building Programme includes three schools, one per semester. The first school starts at the end of the semester in which you are accepted. The first two schools are followed by an excursion to industry partners. The programme is designed for a duration of 13 months. You can find the dates of the schools here.
Over the course of the three schools, you will learn about current trends in project work alongside your studies, together with 50 other students from all over Germany. You will expand your soft skills such as creativity and intrapreneurship or the necessary competencies in intercultural and virtual cooperation. In an innovation workshop, you will develop forward-looking solutions for tomorrow's challenges in a team and together with our partners from industry, research and science.
Attractive offers from our partners provide great entry-level opportunities, such as internships, theses, direct entry or a trainee position. Until the time comes, you have the opportunity to use individual counseling sessions in the Career-Building Programme to define your personal job and career aspirations.
All information and all dates are available on the Femtec homepage.
Join one of the info sessions offered during each application phase.
You can participate free of charge in all schools, excursions and the individual career counseling of the Femtec Network. You only need to pay the expenses for travel and accommodation. However, Femtec scholarship holders of the Fall 2024 application round (i.e. for Class 47) of the University of Bonn have the possibility to receive a travel grant. Please contact us for this: billmann@verwaltung.uni-bonn.de
This is not a financial support to finance your studies!
The date of the first school is mandatory. If you cannot attend one of the other two school dates for important reasons, e.g. because you are completing a semester abroad or an internship, you can change courses after prior consultation with Femtec GmbH. However, you should be able to complete the entire programme during your studies.
Application and selection process
You can apply if you
- are a female* student at the University of Bonn (*Femtec recognizes that the binary concept of female and male does not reflect the lived reality of all individuals. Therefore, the programme is open to anyone who identifies as a woman as well as non-binary individuals.)
- are studying a STEM subject (see list of subjects below), have started a Master's program and will study for about 1.5 more years (ideally you are in your 1st or 2nd semester),
- have commitment and team spirit, and you want to set the course for your professional career in good time and take on responsibility in business or science at an early stage,
- you have sufficient knowledge of English (B2-level) and basic knowledge of German (A2-level). You can use a cost-free online language test to evaluate your language level.
The schools take place in Berlin. All three schools must be completed by the programme participants.
- Agricultural Sciences and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics
- Arzneimittelforschung (Drug Research)
- Astrophysik
- Biochemistry
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Cyber Security
- Ernährungswissenschaften
- Geochemie/Petrologie
- Geodäsie Und Geoinformation
- Geodetic Engineering
- Geographie
- Geography of Environmental Risks and Human Security
- Geologie
- Immunobiology: From Molecules to Integrative Systems
- Life Science Informatics
- Mathematics
- Medical Immunosciences and Infection
- Mikrobiologie
- Molecular Cell Biology
- Molekulare Lebensmitteltechnologie
- Naturschutz und Landschaftsökologie
- Neurosciences
- Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften
- Organismic Biology, Evolutionary Biology and Palaeobiology (Oep-Biology)
- Paläontologie
- Pharmazie
- Physik
- Physik der Erde und Atmosphäre
- Plant Sciences
Please contact us if your department is not on the list and you are interested in the programme!
An application is possible twice a year (usually at the beginning of the semester). You can apply online via the application portal of Femtec GmbH. You will need all relevant certificates and proof of practical experience as well as a current transcript of grades in electronic form. Please register for the application portal and upload your application documents there. Details about the application process can be found here.
Applicants for the Femtec Career-Building Programme are selected in a two-stage process:
- The pre-selection is based on your online application. Pre-selected candidates will be invited to an assessment center.
- During the English-language assessment center, you complete a day of various exercises. You will be assessed by several observers from your university and partner companies of the Femtec Network. Together they will decide whether you have passed the assessment center. You will be informed about the result on the following day at the latest and can take advantage of detailed feedback. On the linked websites, you can find the dates of the assessment centers.
STEM subjects
STEM stands for the subject areas of science, technology, engineering and math.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
The language of instruction at the schools is English, therefore a sufficient knowledge of English (B2 level) is mandatory. Basic knowledge of German (A2 level) is required.
Nov 3, 24
Application deadline for class 47
Dec 05, 24
Assessment Center for class 47
Mar 17, 25
Start WInter School
What is Femtec?
Femtec GmbH was founded in 2001 with the aim of better networking science and business and supporting female STEM students in their personal career development. Femtec makes an active contribution to the promotion of equal opportunities in STEM. As part of this, Femtec provides qualification programmes at school and enables female STEM students at partner universities to have excellent career prospects. Committed STEM women, renowned technology companies and leading scientific institutions, as well as technical universities form the Femtec Network.
