Virtual Internships in Montpellier —

Program Details

Program Eligibility

About Virtual Internships in Montpellier

The Virtual Internship in Montpellier 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
March 31: Virtual internship placement ends
May 3: Virtual internship course 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
November 5: Virtual internship placement ends
December 10: Virtual internship course 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 15–20 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

Internship placements are available in a variety of fields and industries. Our partner in Montpellier 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 English and French.  You will find a list of the industries within our partner’s network and the languages possible.

Montpellier Internship Industries

Sample Placements

The following sample placements are examples of the type of work that may be available in this location.  These are intended as examples and are not a complete list of internship sites.

Marketing & Communications Assistant

Internship Industries: Advertising, Communications, Marketing, Public relations, Social Media

Description: Work with a local wine producer, brewer or baker to create and/or maintaining social media content, translate websites into English and other similar duties as assigned. 

Internship language: French

Language prerequisite: FREN 1004 or equivalent. Internship communication will be conducted in French while work will be produced in English and/or French.  

Teaching Assistant

Internship Industries: Communications, Creative Arts/Writing, Creative Media, Education

Description: Work for a private junior high school, assisting teachers with lesson plans, creating slide decks to present aspects of American cultures, and other similar duties as assigned.

Internship language: English

Language prerequisite: None, however prior study of French is beneficial

Business Development Intern 

Internship Industries: Business, Finance,  Public relations

Description: Work with a local wine producer, brewer or baker to assist in developing partnerships and conduct research to identify export opportunities in the USA.  

Internship language: English or French

Language prerequisite: FREN 1004 or equivalent is required for French placements. Internship communication will be conducted in French while work will be produced in English and/or French.  Limited placements avaialble with no language prerequisite, but prior French study is beneficial.

Social Media Specialist

Internship Industries: Communications, Creative Media, Environmental/Sustainability, Marketing, Social Media, Web design

Description: Work for small start up focused on sustainable practices.  Research best partices on sustainability in Minnesota.  Develop a social media campaign and webinar to share these with French citizens.  Help develop US/French partnerships.  Create and refresh content on their website and social media, and other similar duties as assigned.

Internship language: English or French

Language prerequisite: FREN 1004 or equivalent is required for French placements. Internship communication will be conducted in French while work will be produced in English and/or French.  Limited placements avaialble with no language prerequisite, but prior French study is beneficial.

Dates & Deadlines

Fees for Virtual Internships in Montpellier

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 Montpellier 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