Virtual Internships in Dakar is a four-credit internship opportunity. It’s critical to learn to adapt, acclimate, discover new ways to contribute, and be productive working remotely. Virtual internships combined with the internship course give you an opportunity to learn and develop valuable skills.
Location | Dakar, Senegal |
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Term | Fall Semester, Spring Semester, Summer Session |
Credit Type | Resident Credit |
Sponsor | Learning Abroad Center |
GPA | 2.5 |
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Student Type | UofM Students, Non UofM Students |
Student Year | Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors |
The Virtual Internship in Dakar program is a four-credit internship opportunity. Virtual internships combined with the internship course give you an opportunity to learn and develop valuable skills.
You’ll work on projects from the US for an international organization while adding a global perspective to your professional work experience. You’ll apply your in-class knowledge to real-world meaningful work, gain experience working remotely, expand your skill base, earn four credits from coursework, and maximize your time.
While we’ll try to place you in your preferred location, keep in mind that our top consideration is making an appropriate match to your skills, experience, and internship goals.
For more information, refer to our Frequently Asked Questions.
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
Learning Abroad Center programs are:
Program Level | 3000-level course |
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Courseload |
One 4-credit virtual internship course as well as 12–20 hours per week at your internship placement. The course will be offered in English or French. |
January 25: Virtual Internship course begins
February 1: Virtual Internship placement begins
May 3: Virtual internship course and placement ends
The class will meet synchronously six times throughout the semester. Our expectation is that you are able to make it to all synchronous sessions, and do not have another course that has conflicting class times. For this reason, there are two different options for class times, outlined below. You will choose either the Monday/Wednesday option or the Tuesday/Thursday option. Please note that the French section will be taught during the Monday/Wednesday time.
June 1: Virtual internship course begins
June 7: Virtual internship placement begins
July 30: Virtual internship course and placement ends
The class will meet synchronously 3 times throughout the summer for 2 hours each. Our expectation is that you are able to make it to all synchronous sessions. For this reason, there are two different options for class times, outlined below. You will choose either the Tuesday option or the Wednesday option. Please note that the French Section will be taught on Tuesdays.
September 7: Virtual Internship course begins
September 13: Virtual Internship placement begins
December 10: Virtual internship course and placement ends
The class will meet synchronously six times throughout the semester. Our expectation is that you are able to make it to all synchronous sessions, and do not have another course that has conflicting class times. For this reason, there are two different options for class times, outlined below. You will choose either the Monday/Wednesday option or the Tuesday/Thursday option. Please note that the French section will be taught during the Monday/Wednesday time.
The 4-credit virtual internship course will consist of lectures, small-group discussions, readings, posting to prompts, blogs, essays, a mock interview, and a presentation. Along with the class, you’ll be assigned projects for 12–20 hours per week at your internship placement. The course will help you apply in-class knowledge to your work and understand your newly developed professional skills to articulate in professional situations.
The course will be offered in English and French. The French taught section of the Virtual International Internship course, along with a French internship placement, may be applied to French major or minor degree requirements. Consult with the French Director of Undergraduate Studies for approval.
Virtual Internship Syllabus (PDF)
Industry | French | English |
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Art History | X | |
Art Management | X | |
Business | X | X |
Communications | X | |
Computer Science | X | |
Creative Media | X | X |
Data Analytics | X | |
Education | X | |
Environmental/Sustainability | X | |
Fashion | X | X |
Fundraising Philanthropy | X | X |
Government/Politics | X | |
Graphic Design | X | X |
Human Rights | X | X |
International Relations | X | |
Journalism | X | |
Marketing | X | X |
Nonprofit | X | X |
Publishing | X | |
Research | X | X |
Social Media | X | |
Video Editing and Animation | X | X |
Web Design | X | X |
Internships placements are available in a variety of fields and industries. Our partner in Dakar maintains a network of onsite contacts and will work to place you with an internship suited to your skills, experience and goals for the internship. Internships are available in French and English. You will find a list of the industries within our partner’s network and the languages possible.
Description: Work for a nonprofit that uses a digital platform to amplify the voices of youth on issues related to exclusion, gender, sexual and reproductive health. Assist with social media community management, website editing, and research efforts.
Internship Industries: Communications, Nonprofit, Research, Social Media
Language Requirement: Prerequisite: FREN 1004 or equivalent - internship communication will be conducted in French.
Description: Assist a nonprofit organization that promotes, defends, and protects human rights in Senegal and in Africa by ensuring respect for life and human dignity. This organization promotes the full exercise of citizenship, including the effective equality of rights between citizens, contributing to the emergence and consolidation of the Rule of the Law and Democracy in Africa. Assist with research and advocacy work in rights, governance, migration and protection.
Internship Industries: Communications, Government/Politics, Nonprofit, Research
Language Requirement: Prerequisite: FREN 1004 or equivalent - internship communication will be conducted in French.
Description: Work for a social enterprise that offers a range of products based on solar energy, providing access to electricity, lighting, and running water. This organization has designed products specially designed for remote areas that do not have access to the electricity grid. Assist with digital communication, marketing strategies, research, and project management.
Internship Industries: Business, Communications, Marketing, Research
Language Requirement: Prerequisite: FREN 1004 or equivalent - internship communication will be conducted in French.
Description: Grow is a social and international shop that specializes in sustainability, advertising video production storytelling, film projects, and digital optimization through development of technological applications. Assist with strategizing, marketing, and technology needs. Help draft financing files, implement their business model and plan, develop web and mobile apps, implement digital solutions, create audiovisual content, and film production.
Internship Industries: Business, Communications, Creative Media, Environment/Sustainability, Marketing, Nonprofit
Language Requirement: Internship could be conducted in either English or French. If French, students should have completed Prerequisite: FREN 1004 or equivalent.
Description: The Grow Academy is a social enterprise that transforms young girls age 15-25 who are out of school and marginalized into confident and preserving micro-technology professionals. Help design both technology and entrepreneurship curriculum for young women from lower secondary schools, train in soft skills and micro technology.
Internship Industries: Business, Communications, Creative Media, Education, Nonprofit
Language Requirement: Internship could be conducted in either English or French. If French, students should have completed Prerequisite: FREN 1004 or equivalent.
Program Term | App Open Date | Deadline* |
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Spring 2021 | Oct 5 | Nov 15 |
Virtual Internship course begins | Jan 25 | |
Virtual Internship placement begins | Feb 1 | |
Course & placement ends | May 3 | |
Summer 2021 | Feb 15 | Apr 1 |
Virtual Internship course begins | Jun 1 | |
Virtual Internship placement begins | Jun 7 | |
Virtual Internship course & placement end | Jul 30 | |
Fall 2021 | Apr 15 | Jun 1 |
Virtual Internship Course Begins | Sep 7 | |
Virtual Internship Placement Begins | Sep 13 | |
Course and Placement Ends | Dec 10 |
The tuition rate for this 4-credit course is the same as other undergraduate UMTC courses and will be billed to your UofM student account. If you are already taking 13 credits during fall or spring semester, you can add the virtual international internship course at no additional cost. Visit Onestop for additional information about tuition costs.
A program fee of $2,050 will be billed to your UofM student account. This amount is equivalent to a 4-credit course on the UMTC campus.
Virtual International Internships are not available to non-UofM students during fall or spring semester.
Non-UofM students will be billed a program fee of $2,050. This amount is equivalent to a 4-credit course on the UMTC campus.
Center Name | TC Learning Abroad Ctr |
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Country | Senegal |
UofM students should use this apply button if applying for a Fall 2021 program.
If you would like to apply after the deadline has passed, email lac-virtualintern@umn.edu with your preferred industries and we will determine if a placement is still available.
After completing the above application, which includes submitting a cover letter and resume, your application will be reviewed.
Notification of placement for internships in Dakar will be made two to four weeks after the application deadline.
If accepted, you will be assigned a confirmation checklist, which you will complete to confirm your participation in the program. If you decide not to continue with the application process, log into the online application system and submit a Cancel Request.
We encourage you to reach out early in the process if you have questions about available placements, so that our advisers can help guide you to the location that works best for your skills, experience, and internship goals.
For further information or questions about this program, send an email to
Ashley Metz or call at 612.626.6380.