group of U of M Students in front of a windmill in Spain

Virtual Internships

    The Virtual International Internship 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.

    You’ll work on projects from the US for an international organization in Argentina, Australia, Ecuador, France, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Senegal, Spain, Thailand, or the United Kingdom, while adding a global perspective to your professional work experience. You’ll apply your in-class knowledge to real-world meaningful work, gain experience, 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.

    Language

    Internships conducted in English are available in most locations. Although not required for all placements, Spanish and French language skills are required for some placements. This will be noted on the individual program pages. Internships conducted in French are available in France and Senegal. Internships conducted in Spanish are available in Argentina, Ecuador and Spain. 

    Internship Industries

     
    Art History X       X   X         X
    Art Management X X     X   X         X
    Business X X     X   X X       X
    Communications X   X X X X X   X X X X
    Computer Science X       X   X         X
    Creative Arts/Writing X     X X   X   X     X
    Creative Media X     X X   X   X     X
    Education   X   X       X X   X  
    Environmental/Sustainability X     X X   X       X X
    Fashion X         X X         X
    Finance X     X X   X         X
    Graphic Design X       X   X       X X
    Government/Politics X     X X   X         X
    Health Care       X     X       X  
    Human Resources X       X   X         X
    International Relations   X                 X  
    Journalism       X   X   X        
    Law       X                
    Marketing X   X X X X X X X X X X
    Nonprofit       X   X   X   X X  
    Psychology       X       X        
    Public Health       X       X     X  
    Public Relations X     X     X   X     X
    Publishing       X                
    Research   X   X       X     X  
    Social Media     X X   X   X X X X  
    Sports Management                       X
    Web Design X     X   X X   X   X X

    Internship Placement Information

    For more detailed information on internship placement opportunities, refer to the Coursework section of the Academics tab for each Virtual Internship program.

    Curriculum

    The virtual internship experience includes a four-credit online internship course. The course will be taught and facilitated using lectures, small-group discussions, readings, posting to prompts, blogs, essays, a mock interview, and a presentation. It also includes three synchronous class sessions that you will need to attend virtually during the semester. All other coursework will be asynchronous. The course will help you apply in-class knowledge to your work and understand your newly developed professional skills to articulate in professional situations.

    A Virtual International Internship is an excellent opportunity to gain real-world experience, develop intercultural communication skills, and build professional relationships with international colleagues.

    Internship Placement Hours: 12–20 hours/week depending on the placement. The course curriculum spans the full duration of your placement.

    Dates & Deadlines

    Program Dates

    September 21 - December 16, 2020

    The class will meet synchronously three times throughout the semester. The schedule for those sessions is:

    • September 21st at 10:00-11:00am
    • November 2nd at 10:00-11:00am
    • December 11th at 10:00-11:00am

    Deadline

    August 6th, 2020 - Barcelona, London, Sydney

    August 15th, 2020 - Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai, Dakar, Dublin, Florence, Madrid, Montpellier, Nairobi, Quito

    Fee & Cancellation Policy

    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 this fall, you can add the virtual international internship course at no additional cost.  Visit Onestop for additional information about tuition costs.

    If you decide to cancel your participation in the course after confirming your participation, the Learning Abroad Center will bill your University of Minnesota student account for non-recoverable costs incurred to secure an internship placement on your behalf. In addition to any tuition refund processed per Onestop policies, if you cancel before the course start date, you will be billed $400. If you cancel after the course start date, you will be billed $600.

    Eligibility Requirements

    • 2.5 GPA
    • Minimum of sophomore status
    • Some internship placements require language proficiency, as indicated on the individual program page

    Application Process

    Click the "Apply" tab of any individual program page to access the online application.

    The application will ask you to express interest in three internship placements (either in the same location or various locations) and rank them in order of preference. You will also submit a cover letter and resume, indicate any language skills or preferences you may have, and discuss what you hope to gain from the internship experience. 

    Some internship locations may require submission of additional materials, as indicated on the "Apply" tab of the program webpage. 

    Internship placements as detailed on individual program pages will be filled on a rolling basis. Placements are currently filling fast.

    Contact

    To find contact info for a specific program, visit the individual program pages below. If you have general questions or are unsure if which location or placement would be best for you, contact lac-virtualintern@umn.edu.

    Buenos Aires, Argentina
    Sydney, Australia
    Quito, Ecuador 
    Montpellier, France
    Dublin, Ireland
    Florence, Italy
    Nairobi, Kenya
    Dakar, Senegal
    Barcelona, Spain
    Madrid, Spain
    Chiang Mai, Thailand
    London, United Kingdom