Traineeships at the leading European IP organisations
The call for applications for the 2025-2026 PES Traineeship Programme will be announced in late 2024 or early 2025. Please always remember to review the requirements, including nationality criteria at the respective office, and familiarize yourself with Hanken's nomination rules. The traineeship will be open to all master’s level students who are heading towards graduation, regardless of their major. |
The application process in brief
- Check the traineeship you wish to apply for (EUIPO or EPO; note that you cannot apply for both).
- Verify if you meet the requirements of EUIPO/EPO.
- Check your eligibility to be shortlisted by Hanken (considering course requirements).
- If you are eligible, contact Professor Nari Lee, IPL Programme Coordinator, and provide details of your merits according to Hanken rules.
- If shortlisted, submit your online application in accordance with the EUIPO/EPO rules.
Full information about the PES Traineeship Programme is available at the EUIPO website Opens in new window and EPO website Opens in new window .
The application process in detail
Below, please find an overview of the PES Traineeship Programme at both the EUIPO and EPO, the application requirements for each office, Hanken's nomination rules, and the typical schedule of the nomination and application processes.
Traineeship at the EUIPO
Duration:
- One-year programme with a possible participation in the Hosting Programme by a national IP office for 3-6 months.
- Possible Exchange Programme with the EPO for one more year.
Location:
- EUIPO headquarters in Alicante, Spain.
- Limited traineeships also offered at the EUIPO offices in Brussels and Luxembourg.
Grant/salary:
- Monthly grant of 1,200 EUR.
Graduates in what majors may apply:
- IP, Law, IP and Knowledge Management, Political Science and International Relations, Linguistics, Economics and Business Administration/Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, Communication and Visual Design, Facility Management, Human Resources.
For more details, including testimonials by former trainees and frequently asked questions, please visit the Pan-European Seal page at the EUIPO website Opens in new window .
To read about the office, please visit the EUIPO - About Us page Opens in new window .
Traineeship at the EPO
Duration:
- One-year programme with a possible extension up to three years.
- Possible Exchange Programme with the EUIPO for one more year.
Location:
- EPO headquarters in Munich, Germany.
- Limited traineeships also offered at other EPO sites.
Grant/salary:
- Salary of about 2,000 EUR net per month in the first year (about 3,200 EUR in the second the third year).
Graduates in what majors may apply:
- Law, International Relations and Communication, Economics and Finance, Human Resources and Business Administration, Information Technology, Science and Engineering.
For more details, including testimonials by former trainees and frequently asked questions, please visit the Pan-European Seal page at the EPO website Opens in new window .
To read about the office, please visit The EPO at a Glance page Opens in new window .
EUIPO/EPO requirements
Shortlisting requirement:
- To be eligible, students must be shortlisted by their university either for the EUIPO or EPO traineeship.
Language requirement:
- EUIPO: At least B1 level in one of the office’s official languages (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish).
- EPO: Excellent knowledge of one of the office’s official languages (English, German, French).
Nationality requirement:
- EUIPO: EU Member States, with a limited number of students from candidate countries and third counties allowed.
- EPO: Member States of the European Patent Organization Opens in new window .
Necessary documents:
- Once shortlisted, students must submit an online application to the office of interest, attaching their CV (for the EUIPO – in the Europass format), a motivation letter, and at least a provisional university certificate while a degree certificate is not issued.
Course requirement:
- EUIPO: Completion of one online course before the application is submitted.
- EPO: Course completion after the applicant is admitted into the programme.
Shortlisting requirements of Hanken
- Shortlisting is conducted annually in February by the IP Law (IPL) Programme team at Hanken.
- To be shortlisted, students must be in their final year of master’s studies and graduate before the traineeship begins in mid-September. The offices will not accept students who have not obtained their diploma by the specified time.
- Factors influencing the shortlisting decision include:
- Students demonstrating high academic merit by submitting their study transcript and motivation letter.
- Successful candidates having already completed almost all courses, typically with only the Research Seminar and master’s thesis remaining, which can be finalized in spring or early summer.
- Requirement for non-IPL-Programme students – successful completion of two specified courses:
- 37047 ‘IPR is the New Black’ course Opens in new window (registrable and completable at any point during any teaching period) and
- one of the IP courses for at least 5 credits graded on the 0-5 scale (e.g., 37049 ‘Information Governance and Trade Secrets Law’ Opens in new window , 37028 ‘International and Comparative IP Law’ Opens in new window , or 37014 ‘Fundamentals of IP Law’ Opens in new window ).
- If there are restrictions on the number of shortlisted candidates, priority will be given to IPL programme students, followed by Commercial Law students, and then all other students. It is worth noting that there have been no such limitations recently.
- To be considered for shortlisting, it is necessary to contact Professor Nari Lee, IPL Programm Coordinator, and provide one's study transcript and a motivation letter explaining the interest in pursuing a traineeship at either EUIPO or EPO. Please check the deadline for such notifications in relation to the ongoing call.
Typical schedule
- Early to mid-February: Deadline for students to notify Hanken about their interest in the programme (shortlisting requirements must have been fulfilled by this moment).
- Late February: Deadline for Hanken to notify EUIPO/EPO of the shortlisted candidates.
- March: Deadline to apply for the traineeship directly through the EUIPO/EPO website.
- June/July: Results announced (after interviews with selected candidates by the office of interest).
- Mid-September: Start of the traineeship.
Contact information
If you are interested in the traineeship, please contact Professor Nari Lee, IPL Programme Coordinator. Feel free to contact us at any moment, even if you are a first-year master’s student – we will be glad to help you plan your studies to become a successful candidate for the EUIPO/EPO traineeship.
Please note that Hanken will guide you through the traineeship application process.