Global Internships are a great way to complete part or all of your required 26 weeks abroad for the International Plan! Extensive resources exist on the Global Internship website, but here are some helpful tips to get started:
- Start early! Sign up for the GIP Newsletter to stay informed of upcoming opportunities and deadlines and review this handy guide for planning your internship
- Explore different internship opportunities and check out where past students have interned from your major
- Attend a "How to Find a Global Internship" workshop - numerous workshops are offered each semester and specific details can be found in the "Upcoming Events" section on the right side of the GIP website
- Read about IP students who have interned abroad on the GIP Testimonials page. Look for the yellow "IP" star!
While you can certainly do an international internship outside of your IP requirements, if you intend to count the experience for your IP weeks, please keep the following in mind:
- Internship MUST be registered with the Global Internship Program before you go
- The length of your internship + your 2nd experience must add up to 26 weeks if you are not doing a full 6 month internship
- If your internship is 26+ weeks in length, you can use that for your IP international experience requirement and do not need to study abroad (unless you want to!)
- Research abroad can count as a research internship or a course through your department. If it is a research internship, it should be registered through GIP.
- Keep in mind language and coherency requirements for the IP. If you do a semester in your IP language country, your internship can take place in any country and does not have to align with your language (although it's always better if it does!) so that you can take advantage of internship opportunities throughout the world
- If your internship is NOT in your language country AND you are not pairing it with a semester-long experience in your target language, you will want to meet with the IP Manager to discuss coherency for the IP
- While interns are typically not considered for regular OIE scholarships, you ARE eligible for the IP scholarship for your internship if it's your second term abroad for the IP. There are also non-OIE resources that may be helpful for funding - check out the GIP funding page for more information
- Remember that global internships are NOT guaranteed. Students who are diligent and determined are often able to find something, but as with domestic internships and jobs, these are competitive positions and as such we do not have any control over who is hired by outside companies. Meeting with the GIP Advisor is an excellent way to ensure you are looking in the right places and have an appropriate resume/application format for the country where the internship is located. If you plan to use an internship for the IP requirements and it falls through, you will want to consider what your back up option will be in order to complete the 26 weeks abroad.
