Virtual Internships in Dakar —

Program Details

Program Eligibility

About Virtual Internships in Dakar

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.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

• Communicate and navigate effectively in a global, virtual environment
• Gain culture specific knowledge of work placement country
• Understand your own values, skills, and behaviors and how different values and communication styles may impact workplace dynamics; develop strategies for adapting to these differences
• Identify and articulate skills and experiences necessary to reach future career goals; develop learning objectives for the virtual internship site that will help you move toward these career aspirations
• Conduct your work during the internship utilizing best practices around professional behavior within a virtual work environment
• Understand and practice tolerance of different cultural assumptions
• Use a comparative framework in essays and dialogue with fellow students to examine cultural and professional aspects of work and how COVID-19 has impacted these environments
• Research and analyze the placement country’s workplace, particularly in terms of social media and online presence, including language, norms, values, economic assumptions and compare this to virtual environment to the US

Program Structure

Course Schedule

Spring 2021

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.

• Mondays and Wednesdays, 9–10 a.m.: January 25 and 27, March 15 and 17, April 26 and 28
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8–9 a.m.: January 26 and 28, March 16 and 18, April 27 and 29

Summer 2021

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.

• Tuesdays, 8:30–10:30 a.m.: June 1, June 29, July 27
• Wednesdays, 8:30–10:30 a.m.: June 2, June 30, July 28

Fall 2021

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.

• Mondays and Wednesdays, 9–10 a.m.: September 8 and 13, October 25 and 27, December 6 and 8
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8–9 a.m.: September 7 and 9, October 26 and 28, December 7 and 9

Coursework

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)

Internship Placements

Sample Placements

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.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Advocacy Intern

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.

Human Rights Advocacy Intern

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.

Renewable Energy Marketing Intern

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.

Marketing and Audiovisual Production Internship

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.

Entrepreneurship and Technology Training Internship

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.

Dates & Deadlines

Fees for Virtual Internships in Dakar

Cancellation Policy

Submit

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.

Complete

After completing the above application, which includes submitting a cover letter and resume, your application will be reviewed.

Next Steps

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.

Register for On Campus Course