Resources for students doing an internship

Resources for students doing an internship

I received an internship offer!  What do I do now? 

Do you know what your internship plans are? If yes, fill out the "Internship Intent" form. Among other things, this ensures that I know to give you permission to enroll in FAES 200/201/300/301.

Steps to enroll in an internship course:

• Once you know where you will do your internship, fill out the Internship Intent form. If there is a problem (aka internship is unrelated to your field of study), I will let you know. Otherwise, wait until I give you permission to enroll in the course (see below).
• If your internship is outside the Greater Montreal Area, you are also required to register your travel here. You must register your out-of-Montreal location prior to getting permission to enroll in FAES 200/201/300/301. 
  • Note: 
    • The type of activity is:  Other (Field Course/Semesters, Internships, Co-ops, Performances, Conferences)
    • the name of their academic supervisor at McGill (who is approving their university-sanctioned activity) - Kendra Gray
    • the name of their program administrator at McGill - Kendra Gray
    • host contact name (the name of the host who is supervising them). – on-site work supervisor at company
• Once the course has been created in McGill’s course system, we can give you permission to enroll.
• When you are given permission to enroll, you will receive an email to tell you that you have permission to enroll in the course.
• Then you go and register for the course like you would any other course.
• If you do not register your travel, you will receive only one reminder to register your travel.  Until you register your travel, you won't be given course permission.
• Once you are enrolled in the course, the course materials will become accessible to you via MyCourses – which is where all course materials will be.

Travel Registry:

Yes, to reiterate, all internships outside of the Greater Montreal Area must be registered (even if you are going to your home country). If you're within a 1.5 drive from Montreal, you are likely in the Greater Montreal Area. If you are a couple of hours from Montreal, please fill out a travel registry.

Link: here.

Note:

• Type of activity is: Other (Field Course/Semesters, Internships, Co-ops, Performances, Conferences)
• Name of their academic supervisor at McGill (who is approving their university-sanctioned activity) - Kendra Gray
• Name of their program administrator at McGill - Kendra Gray
• Host contact name (the name of the host who is supervising them). – on-site work supervisor at company

I'm doing an internship outside of Canada. What do I do?

You can do an internship anywhere in the world that is not on the Government of Canada's travel advisory list. This is the relevant list. (No internship can be done in a country deemed to be red or orange.)

In addition to filling out the travel registry (see above), pre-departure orientation is required for all internships outside of Canada. And, yes, event a student returning to their home country for an internship needs to complete the pre-departure course. You can learn more here.

What is the deadline to enroll in a summer internship course?

Ideally, I’d like everyone enrolled by May 15^th.  You may enroll until early June. 

My (French) employer is asking for a convention de stage.  What do I do?

I can provide that for you. Make the request here. (Note: I cannot create this for you after your last day as a student at McGill. So, if you are graduating soon, plan ahead.)

Can I get internship credit for a research internship?

Yes, research is a career, so yes. But one cannot do an NESRC funding project at McGill and count it as an internship course. Or any other research program that appears on a transcript. In short, each activity should only be listed on a transcript once, so we don't allow anything that results in one experience being counted twice.

I'm registered for FAES 200/201/300/301.  Tell  me more. 

What is the point of a zero-credit internship course?

Some students want the documentation of the experience, some employers require that the student’s internship be recognized by the university (sometimes to get tax credits), some students want to apply for funding (and having the internship reconized via a course makes on eligible for funding).

What is the minimum internship length?

10 weeks long, 35 hours/week (full time). Or equivalent.

What is the difference between the different internship courses? (Comparison of FAES 200/201 and 300/301)

Where can I find the employer-employee-university contracts?

Relevant dates:

D1/D2 schedule:

We will be switching to a D1/D2 model – where one is registered for FAES 300 – Part 1 in the summer and Part 2 in the fall. 1.5 credits each. But the work required of you will be complete once the poster event happens (mid-September).

The motivation for the change is to ensure that we have time to mark assignments without having a K appear on a transcript (which was the case when we had a September deadline for major assignments, and final marks were due at the same time – giving us little time to grade). This change does NOT change the distribution of work to later in the fall semester; you will still be done with submission in early September and the poster event will continue to be in mid-September.

Note that if you will not be on campus in the fall, please let me know so that arrangements can be made.

What is the point of a zero-credit internship course?

Some students want the documentation of the experience, some employers require that the student’s internship be recognized by the university (sometimes to get tax credits), some students want to apply for funding (and having the internship reconized via a course makes on eligible for funding).

What is the difference between the different internship courses?  (Comparison of FAES 200/201 and 300/301)

Now that I've secured an internship, I'd like funding. What are my options?

I'm doing my internship.  But I have a few questions... 

What do I do if there is a problem with my work environment, health, etc.? 

Contact me. 

Can I end my internship early? 

Yes and no.  I strongly recommend that you honour your original commitment.  But if circumstances have changed (and/or if you have concerns, especially those related to physical or mental health, please contact me). 

Additional resources:

Scholarships and Student Aid

Special Funding

EEO funding (esp good for unpaid internships)

Co-curricular record