Internship Course for Academic Credits

Getting Approval for an Internship Course

Can a student obtain credits for an internship?

Internship courses for academic credits are available for Faculty of Arts students in a number of departments (listed on the left-hand menu of this page/section menu on mobile). Students who pursue approved internships may gain up to 3 credits (per internship/per organization) upon the completion of an approved internship course. Students may not take more than 6 credits of internship courses toward the completion of their B.A or B.A & B. Sc. Degree requirements.

Arts internships require a minimum of 150 hours of work with an approved host organization and are generally 8-12 weeks in duration.

Please note: The internship course cannot be taken at the same time as the internship; it must be completed in the following academic term (e.g., Fall for a summer internship). Department-specific requirements may apply.

Normally, the internship takes place in the Summer and the internship course takes place in the following Fall semester. Students who choose to do an internship during Fall/Winter semester, are encouraged to meet with AIO, departmental and OASIS advisors prior to the start of the internship. Please note that internship hours during the Fall or Winter semester should normally be around 150 hours, 10-15 hours per week (max. 20h/week).

Upon completion of the internship, the student who wishes to gain academic credit must submit a major topical paper that discusses an aspect of their internship from an academic perspective. Academic requirements may vary between departments and programs. Some departments have different or additional requirements, and these courses may not always fulfill program requirements for seminar or 400-level courses/ can only be recognized towards electives, rather than program requirements. Please consult the department-specific guidelines listed on our website. 

Steps to Getting Approval to Register for an Internship Course

Please note: All steps should be completed well in advance of the start of your internship. It may take up to two weeks for the Arts Internship Office to review and process the request. No approval will be granted after you have started your internship. 

1. Obtain a written confirmation of the internship from the host organization, including number of hours (per week and total) and learning goals and outcomes

2. Confirm that your department offers an internship course and verify the requirements for the specific internship course (on the left-hand menu of this page/section menu on mobile).
   • It is recommended to meet your departmental advisor before submitting the forms to AIO to confirm that you are eligible to take the course. 
      
3. Students travelling outside of Canada for the internship are required to complete the mandatory* Pre-Departure Orientation 3-6 months prior to the start of internship.​​​ The certificate of completion needs to be submitted with the rest of the credit application request. 
    
4. Students travelling outside of Montreal for the internship are required to register on the mandatory McGill Student Travel Registry prior to start of internship.
    
5. Submit the webform at least 2 weeks before the start of the internship to get approval from the Faculty of Arts Internship Office (AIO). The documents (listed below) must be submitted via this Microsoft Forms (not via email): AIO Internship Credit Application

• Faculty of Arts Internship for Academic Credit Form filled and signed by the student
• Written confirmation from the student’s internship host organization
  • Letter format it must be signed by your host organization
  • OR screenshot of email conversation clearly showing the sender, recipient, and date the email was sent.
• Unofficial transcript (download from Minerva)
• McGill Travel Registry (for students travelling outside of Montreal) - screenshot of the app
• Pre-Departure certificate of completion (mandatory* for student travelling outside of Canada) 
  *Students travelling to their country of citizenship are exempt from completing the Pre-Departure Orientation. If you qualify for this exemption, please upload a Word document declaring: “I am travelling to my country of citizenship and do not require to complete the Pre-Departure Orientation. My country of citizenship is: ______.” Disclaimer: McGill University is not responsible should an applicant provide inaccurate or misleading information regarding their eligibility for this exemption.
   

6. If the internship is approved by the Faculty of Arts, find a McGill professor in the department who will supervise the academic component of the internship course [except for ARTH 490]. *Tip: Discuss possible research topics related to your internship. It can be beneficial to get to know the research and teaching interests of the professors in the program. Professors' interests are often listed on departmental websites. The supervising professor completes and signs the Departmental Internship Course Information section of the Internship for Academic Credit Form.
    
7. Send the signed Academic Credit form to aio [at] mcgill.ca.
    
8. The AIO will then send the signed form to the department to get the final signature from the departmental program coordinator or advisor.
    
9. Once the form has all the signatures, the student will get a permit override to register for the internship course from their departmental advisor. Once a permit override for the course is granted, the student must register themselves for the internship course in Minerva (for the semester following the internship).
    
10. Read the Handbook for Faculty of Arts Interns to familiarize yourself with the responsibilities as an intern. 
    • For summer internships, students must attend the events and workshops. For internships done in Fall/Winter, the student must meet with the AIO.
    • If the Internship Course research will involve human subject research, please discuss this with the supervisor and review McGill's Research Ethics Requirements.
       
11. Student conducts the internship (over one semester, minimum 150 hours). 
     
12. IMPORTANT: Within two (2) weeks of the completion of the internship, send a completion letter from the host organization internship supervisor to aio [at] mcgill.ca attesting to the successful completion of their internship. Submission of the completion letter is mandatory for the internship course to be completed.
    • The letter must include the duration of the internship as well as the tasks performed. 
    • The letter can be emailed directly from your internship supervisor or if sent via the student, it must be signed by the host organization.
    • If done by email, the conversation must clearly show the sender, the recipient, and the date the email was sent.
       
13. The following semester (after the internship is complete), the student ensures that they are registered for the internship course and completes the work under the supervision of a professor. *Students should contact their academic supervisor about any academic related questions.

Human Subject Research

Course-based research projects that require students to conduct human subject research must receive ethics review and approval. These projects differ from research in that the intent is for the student to become more knowledgeable about the research process, rather than to contribute to generalizable knowledge. The results of the data are not intended for publication or presentation outside the classroom.

Note: No research project, including student research, may begin before approval has been obtained from the REB. No research project will be granted retroactive approval.

Please meet with your academic supervisor to discuss well in advance of the start date of your project. Please review the submission deadline dates.

The review of these applications may be delegated to the Research Ethics Board (REB) departmental representative and do not normally have to go to the regular REB. This review may not be used for projects carried out as part of a faculty member’s own research. Course projects that involve more than minimal risk, or involve minors or other vulnerable populations, must be reviewed by the REB. 

Review the "Policy on the Ethical Conduct of Research Involving Human Subjects".

Post-Secondary Co-op/Internship Program

What is a Post-Secondary Co-op or Internship Program? The Co-operative Education and Internship Program (Co-op/Internship) is the primary vehicle through which federal organizations can recruit post-secondary students for a work term. An internship is a supervised, on-the-job training assignment designed to give students the skills and knowledge required for entry into a trade or profession.

Students interested in internships with the Government of Canada must search for internships and apply through the university's career centre (myFuture), offered by the Career Planning Services. All internships must be credited by your department. 

Eligibility:

• you must be a full-time student registered in a post-secondary co-op or internship program that is on our list of validated post-secondary academic institutions and programs
  •  this includes students with a visible or invisible disability, deemed to have full-time status by their academic institution, as well as people participating in adult education and retraining programs at the secondary level
• your work term or internship must be an academic requirement, as determined by your academic institution
• you must meet the minimum age required in the province or territory of work

• Note: Preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who meet the job requirements.

For more information regarding student eligibility, visit the Post-Secondary Co-op/Internship Program page.

Students must receive approval to participate in a PSC-approved internship. For questions regarding specific student eligibility, email the Arts Internship Office.

For internships with the Government of Quebec

Students interested in internships with the Government of Quebec must search for internships on the government's website but apply through their university's career centre (myFuture). They should:

1. Search for internships on the Quebec Government website.
2. Send an email to myfuture [at] mcgill.ca at least two working days before the application deadline with the job title and the posting number.
3. CaPS will send the information needed to apply through myFuture.

Important information:

• All Fonction Publique internships must be credited by your department. 
• All applicants must speak French. Please submit your application in French and address the cover letter to the "Gestionnaire d'embauche".

Crédit d'impôt pour stage en milieu de travail

You can find more information on the Revenu Quebec website.

Note: The internship needs to be a mandatory component of the student’s academic curriculum by receiving academic credit in order for the employer to qualify for the credit d’impot. 

Approval for academic credit must be granted before the start of the internship, no approval will be granted after the internship has started, and the credit course cannot be taken the same semester as the internship. More information on our Steps to Getting Approval for Internship Credit page.