Internship FAQ

What is an internship?

• An internship is a 15-credit academic course POLI 693, conducted in the workplace: An experiential learning exercise enabling the intern to learn first-hand about their chosen profession, upon which they are able to build their career.

 

Where are the jobs?

• Most internships are located in Ottawa.  The sectors that pursue interns at the Master’s level in Public Policy and Public Administration are:  Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Government; Crown Corporations; Inter-Governmental Organizations (UN/EU); Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO); and Private Corporations.

Who hires?

• Some of the employers who have hired our interns in the last 24 months are:

Transport Canada

Foreign Affairs & International Trade

Office of the Auditor General

Environment Canada

Health Canada

Canadian Space Agency

Canadian International Development Agency

Public Health Agency

Privy Council Office

Heritage Canada

Indian and Northern Affairs

Alcan Inc.

Human Resources & Skills Development Canada

Télélm Canada

and more…

 

Do Interns get paid?

• We ensure that students get a paid internship.

Are there Co-op fees to pay in order to participate?

• Unlike other universities with similar programs, we do not charge co-op fees.

Must I be Canadian to qualify?

• Positions posted through our program are qualied by the Federal and Provincial government employer as reserved for Canadian Citizens or (in some cases) Permanent

Residents. International students may be eligible for internships with IGOs, NGOs, and Private Corps.

What if I want to work abroad?

• Students must apply to positions posted through the program. Some may be from abroad. Worth noting is that the job application process occurs the semester before the internship begins. This leaves little time for an employer or a student to organize an internship overseas.

Students interested in an international option should discuss this early in the program with the Coordinator.

Can I look for a job on my own?

• Students are not permitted to look for work within the Federal or Provincial government on their own because any competition activity that would be generated

independently would conflict with the program’s. The Internship Coordinator does all of the communicating on behalf of the program and its interns. Student interns are

to work through the Coordinator for access to any Federal (including Crown Corps), Provincial or Municipal government. Students interested in pursuing positions

with an NGO or an IGO are free to initiate an independent search.

What is the work like?

• Most students secure positions that enable them to further develop their skills in research and analysis. Some typical titles/positions define the work as Junior Policy Analyst or Audit and Evaluation Intern.

All internship positions are reviewed by the program before posting to ensure that they are relevant and at the appropriate academic level to promote learning and development.

Am I guaranteed a job?

• Although we can boast that we have placed 100% of our students since 2005 – we do not guarantee a placement. The market fluctuates depending on the economy and the government of the day. The availability of internships and the competition for each, play a key role in dening placement success every semester.

Am I competing against other students?

• You will be competing for specic positions against other students in your program. Although prospective employers must post openings at several universities,

Concordia’s interns have two important advantages:

The internship comes at the end of the program and is for a period of four months, making it unique among similar programs.

How do you measure a successful internship?

• Graduation – successful completion of internship paper and defence

• Contract renewal offered

• Bridging-in offered (full-time indeterminate position)

• Excellent Performance Evaluation

• Your work has impact on the projects undertaken by your

team & department

• Networking / contacts made / experience acquired

• Your CAREER has been launched!!

What is expected of me academically while I am completing my internship?

To receive credit for POLI 693, students are required to complete a 4-month internship placement and write an internship paper. The nal grade will be comprised of the

following components:

• Successful completion of 4-month internship placement

• Approval of Internship Paper (written)

• Approval of Internship Paper (oral defence)