About this opportunity
The DW traineeship is one of the most prestigious journalism programmes of its kind in Germany and beyond. Over eighteen months, trainees move between seminar modules and newsroom placements inside Deutsche Welle's editorial departments, learning TV presentation, multimedia storytelling, data journalism and work with AI tools, first in Bonn, then in Berlin and one of DW's foreign bureaux.
What makes this open to African applicants is how Deutsche Welle reads language talent. The programme languages include Hausa, Kiswahili, Amharic, Portuguese and French alongside thirty other tongues, so a native speaker of any of them with excellent English at C1 or C2 level and good German at B1 or B2 level can apply. Native English speakers and native German speakers can apply too, on the same scale. A completed university degree, college degree, apprenticeship or journalism school graduation is required before the traineeship begins, and people who never touched a newsroom, from lawyers to pilots, are explicitly welcome as long as they show initial journalistic experience, published or broadcast samples, and a creative way of working under pressure.
The application window runs from 13 October 2026 to 17 November 2026, closing at 12 noon German time, and the online portal on Deutsche Welle's job site is only activated during those weeks. There is no extension and no email route, a choice Deutsche Welle spells out because incomplete or off channel applications are simply not considered. Around twelve of the strongest candidates who clear the written test, the guided discussion and the filmed task at the online assessment centre in May 2027 go to a final round decided by DW's management, with trainees starting on 3 January 2028.
What you receive
- A monthly pre-tax training salary of 2,196 euros for the first six months, rising to 2,374 euros for the second six months and 2,473 euros for the final six months
- Six months of theory and practice-oriented seminar modules in German and English
- Nine months of placements with DW editorial departments in Bonn and Berlin, plus one foreign bureau in Brussels, Washington, Jakarta, Jerusalem, Riga or Delhi
- A one-month internship elective and hands-on production of content for TV, radio and online formats
- Seminars on digital storytelling, data journalism, virtual reality and AI tools, led by renowned trainers
- Proximity to major German and international media houses and, after completion, the prospect of an ongoing contract working for DW worldwide
Who can apply
- Native speaker of one of the DW programme languages, which include Hausa, Kiswahili, Amharic, Arabic, French and Portuguese, with excellent English (C1 or C2) and good German (B1 or B2)
- Native or proficient English users (C1 or C2) with good German (B1 or B2), or native or proficient German users with excellent English
- A completed university or college degree, an apprenticeship, or graduation from a journalism school before the traineeship starts; certificates in digital form are required
- Initial journalistic experience, published or broadcast work samples, social media expertise and the ability to work to deadlines in a team
- Applicants from other professions, including IT specialists, lawyers, physicians, mathematicians, nurses, chefs and pilots, are welcomed if they show a keen interest in journalism
- No nationality restriction; Deutsche Welle states it welcomes applications regardless of nationality, background, gender or age, and AI journalism expertise is given preference
Who should not apply
- Applications sent by email, post or social media are not considered and are automatically deleted
- The application window cannot be extended and the portal is unavailable outside 13 October to 17 November 2026
- Work samples that do not meet the stated requirements are automatically deleted
Documents to prepare
- Digital certificates of your university degree, college degree, apprenticeship or journalism school graduation
- Up to three work samples (video, audio, text or social media posts) in your native language and in English or German, with a DW programme language audible
- The mandatory questionnaire and application video, completed inside your applicant profile before the closing moment
- A correct email address at registration, since it cannot be changed later and all further communication arrives through it
How to apply
- Read the requirements page at https://akademie.dw.com/en/requirements/a-17909917 and honestly assess your language levels against the CEFR before starting
- Open the vacancy for the DW Traineeship 2028 at https://jobs.dw.com/Vacancies/2753/Description/2 and register in Deutsche Welle's online application portal using Google Chrome; the portal link only works between 13 October and 17 November 2026
- Complete the application form, upload your qualification certificates and up to three work samples, and answer the creative questions at the end of the form
- Finish the questionnaire and the application video tasks that arrive by confirmation email, and upload them to your applicant profile well before 17 November 2026, 12 noon German time
- Wait for the decision on the next round between 9 and 13 March 2027, and keep checking your inbox and spam folder, since messages from the e-recruiting system often land there
Selection process
- Round one: all candidates complete the online application with documents and work samples; email, post and social media applications are rejected
- Round two: 50 to 60 applicants are invited to an online assessment centre at the end of May 2027 with a timed writing test, a guided discussion with tutors and a filmed TikTok task, where DW editors judge language proficiency
- Round three: about 20 candidates reach the final stage and Deutsche Welle's management makes the final decision on the twelve trainees
- Candidates hear whether they continue to the next round between 9 and 13 March 2027; the traineeship begins on 3 January 2028
Sources and verification
Related opportunities
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- Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellowship 2027/2028 at the University of Michigan, USD 85,000 Stipend
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Questions applicants ask
Can I apply without German citizenship or residence?
Yes. Deutsche Welle explicitly welcomes applications regardless of nationality, cultural, ethnic or social background. You must hold the language levels asked for and be able to work full-time in Bonn and Berlin from January 2028.
Is a German language certificate mandatory?
No. Certificates are welcome but not required. DW asks you to evaluate your German and English honestly against the CEFR scale, and the assessment centre exercises, conducted in German and English, will test it.
Which of my languages count as a DW programme language?
Thirty-five languages qualify, among them Hausa, Kiswahili, Amharic, Arabic, French and Portuguese, so many African applicants can apply on their native tongue plus English and German.
Can the closing moment be extended if I miss it?
No. The portal closes at 12 noon German time on 17 November 2026 and Deutsche Welle states the closing moment is fixed, non-negotiable and cannot be extended.
Do I need a journalism background?
Not necessarily. DW seeks people with initial journalistic experience but also hires career switchers from technology, law, economics, science and other fields, as long as they show a genuine interest in journalism, team skills and creative work samples.
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