Undergraduate internships

What is an internship?

An internship is an experiential learning exercise where a student spends several weeks working under supervision to get experience for a future career in that sector. Undergraduate internships are relevant to the student's academic program, may be paid or unpaid and conducted in the employer’s workplace (hybrid models included).

At-a-glance details

Course number: POLI 397

Eligibility

• Minimum of 27 program credits completed
• GPA of 3.3 or above 

Requirements

• Approximately 10 hours per week for 13 weeks or minimum of 160 hours in total
• Submission of a research paper about the experience
• Supervised by a full-time faculty member

How to find an internship

1. Find a suitable internship through the CAPS online job bank or other posting website.
2. Follow the employer's instructions to apply and interview for the position.
3. The internship can be completed during any semester (Fall, Winter, or Summer) and can be unpaid.

What is a suitable internship?

A suitable internship is a placement that is relevant to your academic program. The internship can be in the private sector, with the government or community organizations. In the past our students have secured internships with:

• Canadian Boarder Services Agency
• Cancer Research Society
• Doctors Without Borders 
• EQUITAS

How to apply for course credit

Submit the POLI 397 Internship Application Form, duly completed and signed, together with the supporting documents listed on the form, to polisci.internship@concordia.ca no later than four work weeks prior to the first day of class for the term you are requesting to be registered for POLI 397. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Download the application form

The internship must be approved by the Internship Coordinator and the Undergraduate Program Director. If approved, the form with their signatures will be returned to the student no later than one work week prior to the start of the POLI 397 term. The student then must find a full-time faculty member willing to act as the academic supervisor and submit the Internship Application Form for approval to that academic supervisor. The signed form must be submitted to polisci@concordia.ca no later than one week after the start of the term you wish to be registered for POLI 397. Late applications and/or applications missing any of the signatures will be denied.

Interested students are strongly encouraged to contact the Internship Coordinator at polisci.internship@concordia.ca as soon as possible to ensure they meet all application requirements.