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Concordia University

Department of Geography, Planning & Environment

Department of Geography, Planning & Environment

Internships

Introduction

Students in the Master of Environment program must complete 18 credits in internship (ENVS 697 and ENVS 698)*. To be eligible to start an internship, students must have completed the prescribed 27 credits of course work; must have achieved an overall GPA of 3.30 or higher; and must have demonstrated language proficiency as required by the internship host. Students who do not meet the requirements for internship may transfer to, and continue in the Diploma in EA.  

*Students admitted prior to 2022 must complete ENVS 696 (18 credits).

Objectives

The objective of the internship is to provide students with an opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience under professional supervision in a field related to environmental assessment.

Procedures and conditions

When

  • The internship is completed at the end of the residency requirement (minimum two terms). Under exceptional circumstances, it may be completed earlier, but only with the approval of the EA Graduate Program Director.
  • The internship may be undertaken at any time in a calendar year, and can span academic years (e.g. August-October, July-November).
  • The duration of the internship should be a minimum of 4 months (i.e. 525 to 600 hours).
  • The University accepts requests for renewals only from the same supervisor/team, as our program requires one internship, but facilitates up to two, should the supervisor/team wish to keep the student on staff.

Where

  • Internships may be held at any of the following:
    • Government of Canada 
    • Provincial agencies 
    • Consulting or engineering firms
    • Non-governmental agencies
  • There is no restriction on location.
  • This may be paid or volunteer work. Remuneration for the work done is negotiated between the intern and employer. For the purposes of the course remuneration is not manditory.

Who

  • Students registered in the internship must have full-time status and be in good standing with a GPA of 3.3 or higher.
  • For every intern, there must be a person at the place of the internship who is willing to supervise them. This person is known as the 'Work Supervisor.'

What

  • The work undertaken by the intern may be part of an ongoing project, where the intern works as part of a team, and is responsible for a portion of a report or an individual research project on a specific research topic.
  • The work will contribute to a 10,000-12,000 word report written by the intern following the completion of the job placement, and an oral presentation will be scheduled in the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment
  • In all cases, the internship must be directly relevant to environmental assessment and/or the environmental field.
  • Review information about the internship timeline and report guidelines.

How

  • All students should communicate their interest to go on an internship with the Internship Coordinator. This must be done at the beginning of the term before they hope to go on an internship (i.e. in January for internships starting in the summer; May for internships in the fall and September for internships in the winter).
  • Students are ultimately responsible for securing their own internships.  The internship Coordinator will assist by posting relevant internship opportunities as they arise from the department’s extensive employers list. In either case, the student must keep the Internship Coordinator apprised of their status and progress.

    When the Internship Coordinator has an available internship, the procedure is as follows:

  • Internship Coordinator will share postings with students;
  • Interested students should apply by the deadline on the posting;
  • The student will be chosen by the employer after a selection process.

    •  

When the student has found an internship on their own, submit to the IC a completed Proposed Placement Outline. This should include:

  • the name and objectives of the organization
  • a description of the project(s) the intern will be working on
  • a detailed list of the specific activities involved and the expected end result
  • an explanation of how the “job” will relate to the EA process
  • the name, contact information (including email) and position of the proposed on-site supervisor
  • the duration (beginning and end date, estimated total number of hours, whether full or part-time, paid or unpaid) of the internship.

NOTE: Although the department will actively seek internship placements from which the intern may apply for, the department does not guarantee placements. It is the responsibility of the student to seek and secure a relevant internship placement.

It is recognized that there can be some fluidity as the internship evolves. If the internship project(s) vary significantly from the original proposal, the EA Director and the Internship Coordinator must be informed immediately, in writing, by the student. It is expected that the Work Supervisor will also be aware, or will be made aware by the intern, of any change. A decision will then be made as to the applicability of the new work to the success of the internship.

For more information on internships please contact the Internship Coordinator: menv.internship@concordia.ca

 

 
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