Femtec - Empower. Connect. Inspire.

You can apply if you

• are a female student at the University of Stuttgart,
• study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and information technology, informatics or another engineering or natural sciences subject,
• have already started a master’s degree,
• have German language skills at A2 level and English language skills corresponding to B2 level,
• can demonstrate commitment and a sense of team spirit, and want to take the right steps towards getting a fantastic start in your career as well as taking on some responsibility in business or science at an early stage.

Since both the selection process and the program are carried out entirely in English, you should have at least a B2 level of English according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). In addition, it is necessary that your German language skills correspond to level A2 of the CEFR. You can take a free language test to find out whether your active language skills in English and German meet the respective levels required. Please enclose any existing language certificates with your application documents.

Applications are open twice a year (generally at the start of each semester). You can apply online at the Femtec GmbH application portal. For this, you require all relevant certificates and proof of practical experience, as well as a current transcript of records in electronic form. Please include any certificates you may have confirming your level of German with your application documents, and upload your application in full in one PDF file.

Applicants for the Femtec Career-Building Programme are chosen via a two-stage process:

• Applicants are pre-selected based on their online application.
• You will then spend a whole day carrying out various exercises (conducted in German) in the assessment center. Here you will be assessed by a number of observers from your university and various partner companies from the Femtec Network. They will make a joint decision whether you have passed. You will be informed about the result no later than the following day, and you can ask to be given more detailed feedback. The assessment center will be held in English.

Because there are only a limited number of places available each semester, passing the assessment center does not automatically mean being accepted onto the program. A final decision about whether you have been selected to take part in the program will only be made after all the assessment centers at the different sites within the network have been completed.

You can participate at all schools and on excursions and have individual careers advice from the Femtec Network free of charge, and you only need to pay the costs for traveling and accommodation. As a scholarship holder from the University of Stuttgart, you can apply for a grant to contribute towards travel expenses.

It is not to be understood as financial support towards the cost of your studies!

The Femtec Career-Building Programme includes three schools, one per semester. The first school must begin at the end of the semester in which you were accepted for the program. Providing you complete the program without any interruptions, you will finish it at the end of the third semester after being accepted.

The first School is mandatory, so you may only apply if you are able to attend that School within the scheduled time frame. If you are then unable to attend one of the other two school dates for important reasons, for example because you are doing a semester abroad or an internship, you can change courses with the prior agreement of Femtec GmbH. However, you still have to complete the whole program before you graduate.

Upon successful completion of the program, you can earn credit points and receive a certificate. Unfortunately, it is not possible to count these credits towards your studies at the University of Stuttgart.

The Career-Building Programme has been accredited by the FIBAA (Foundation of International Business Administration Accreditation) since December 2016.

Alongside the contacts to the partner companies and universities represented in the Femtec Network, as a scholarship holder you will also get access to the Femtec Alumnae network. In this network of tech-savvy women, which since it began has spread all around the world, you are guaranteed to find the right person to speak to, whatever questions you may have:

• Who has experience with doing an internship in Asia?
• How should I prepare for a study abroad program, for example with a university in Russia?
• What’s the work-life balance like at Company X?
• …

The answer is often only an e-mail away.

The Femtec.Alumnae e.V. was founded in 2008 by graduates of the Femtec Career-Building Programme. The alumnae continue to benefit from a strong network and from professional exchange.

Its main aim is to boost the career prospects of women – especially in technical or scientific fields – and to achieve a better work-life balance for both women and men.

The network holds regular meetings at the headquarters of each regional group. The Stuttgart Femtec Alumnae regional group is the biggest and most active in the Femtec Network. Their meetings are attended by

• Alumnae who have already begun their careers at companies in the region,
• Active Femtec scholarship holders at the University of Stuttgart, and
• Femtec members from other universities who are doing an internship or writing their master’s or doctorate thesis in Stuttgart.

This makes up a versatile network, which members use for an in-depth exchange of experiences. Those who are interested in getting an invite can get in touch by sending an e-mail to the leaders of the regional group.

Furthermore, the Femtec.Alumnae e.V. organizes additional training programs and coaching sessions for its members, and a mentoring scheme together with the Union of German Zonta Clubs [de].

Members get involved in joint projects together with schools, universities and companies to try and get more young women interested in technical careers. So for example, regular workshops for high school girls are held at the University of Stuttgart under the motto „Girls macht MI(n)T”[de]. As a Femtec scholarship holder, these workshops mean you can network proactively.