Please note: All steps should be completed well in advance of the start of your internship.
No approval will be granted after you have started your internship.
Document Requests
The Arts Internship Office can only provide signatures for the documents listed below:
- Academic Credit Application Form
- Student Experience Record (SER)
- Déclaration relative à la participation d'un étude à une activité étudiante (Internship Agreement)
The Arts Internship Office is unable to complete, sign or review any other third party documents.
The Arts Internship Office will not sign documents regarding proof of enrolment. In order to request, please see Proof of enrolment letter. The letter can be printed directly from Minerva (these are considered official, are widely acceptable, and bear the registrar's signature and the university seal).
For any questions, drop by our office in Leacock 307 or send us a detailed email at aio [at] mcgill.ca and we will do our best to assist you.
What Qualifies as a Faculty of Arts Internship?
The Faculty of Arts Internship Office will determine which opportunities are eligible to be recognized as an internship based on the following criteria:
Student Eligibility
- Open to full time Faculty of Arts students (B.A., B.A & Sc., BSW, B.Th., M.A, MSW, MISt)
-
Must be returning to McGill in the same program the semester following the internship
- Must have secured an internship with an host organization that meets eligibility criteria (see below)
Internship Definition
An internship is a short-term, hands-on, supervised work experience with a professional organization. It provides the student with an opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in the classroom to real world problems and enables the student to broaden their understanding of the field. An internship is more than a part-time job or volunteer experience; it includes:
- Specific learning objectives designed to increase the student’s knowledge
- Training to hone existing skills and develop additional ones
- Supervision to guide and mentor the intern
Eligibility Criteria
- Internships may be in-person, remote, or hybrid, and may take place locally, in Canada, or abroad.
- 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).
- Students are encouraged to meet with an Arts OASIS Advisor before starting to ensure it fits within their academic plan.
- International students must ensure compliance with work permit regulations through International Student Services.
Ineligible Activities
- Activities that are primarily academic research
- Field studies and courses
- Internships through third-party placement organizations (including fellowships)
Final eligibility decisions rest with the Faculty of Arts Internship Office, which reviews each internship on a case-by-case basis to ensure alignment with Faculty and University standards. The AIO cannot endorse activities that fall outside the scope of internships as defined by our office. The Arts Internship Office can only provide documents or signatures for current Faculty of Arts students in good standing.
Travel Requirements
If you are travelling outside of Canada for the internship, you must complete the mandatory* the Pre-Departure Orientation 3-6 months prior to the start of internship. The certificate of completion needs to be submitted via the web form. Students travelling to their country of citizenship are exempted from completing the orientation.
If you are travelling outside of Montreal for the internship, you are required to register your activity on the mandatory McGill Student Travel Registry prior to start of internship.
Intern Responsibilities
The student must read the Handbook for Faculty of Arts Interns to familiarize themselves with the responsibilities as an intern. For summer internships, students must attend the events and workshops. For internships done outside of the summer, the student must meet with the AIO.
Within two weeks of the completion of the internship, the student emails a completion letter from their internship supervisor attesting to the successful completion of their internship to the Arts Internship Office.
- The letter must include the duration of the internship as well as the tasks performed. Email to aio [at] mcgill.ca.
- 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.