Internship guide

Next, you’ll begin to search for placement opportunities that meet your goals. You can look for internship programs that are already running in an organization, or approach an organization to create a position for you.

Criteria for an internship are as follows:

• The placement must be at least 50 working days (350-400 hours)
  • These hours can be completed full-time during one academic term, or on a part-time basis over multiple academic terms.
  • If an exceptional opportunity arises that does not meet the preferred duration, it may be considered.
• The substance of the work to be completed is consistent with the goals of the MPACS program and provides a level of rigor that is consistent with a graduate level course credit.
  • It is ideal to have opportunities to understand the organization’s internal structures and dynamics, how your organization operates within the government-civil society organization (CSO)-marketplace triangle that is core to the MPACS worldview. The internship should also involve opportunities for you to develop an understanding of how the organization works, and not just to complete important day-to-day tasks. This will ideally mean exposure to management meetings, visioning sessions, and board or committee meetings (if a CSO), or to bodies of similar function if you are working in a business or government context. These expectations are in part communicated through a letter from the Internship Coordinator and can be sent as your plan develops. Throughout this process and during the internship, be on the lookout for specific research projects to which you can contribute that will benefit your host while also advancing your own learning goals.
  • Typically placements with “start-up” organizations will not be approved because they often lack the same organizational structures of more established organizations and thus have a different depth of learning than is intended for a graduate student.

• Organizations will appoint a local mentor, typically this will be your work supervisor. While your Faculty Advisor will be your primary contact, developing a “check-in” relationship with someone “in the field” for whom you work is equally important. You will include a copy of this person’s CV/resume in your proposal. Ideally they will have a Master’s degree and five years of experience or a Bachelor’s degree and ten years of experience.

Starting your internship search

Finding an internship can be daunting task when you don't know where to start. Below are some resources you can use to start your search, as well as some potential organizations. You can also take a look at past student experiences at some of these organizations and our Career Guide (PDF).

Use a job / internship search website:

• Idealist
• Devex
• Charity Village 
• PCDN
• Cooperation Canada
• Atlantic Council for International Co-operation (ACIC)
• Cuso International
• InterAction
• Global Jobs
• Go Abroad

Check out these job lists:

• Alliance for Peacebuilding Member Forums
• ReliefWeb
• Developmentex 
• Business for Social Responsibility 
• Foreign Policy Association Job Board
• ADRhub 

Join professional networks:

• Society for International Development
• Society for International Development DC Chapter
• Association for Conflict Resolution
• Women in International Security
• Peace and Justice Studies Association

Visit the Centre for Career Development for one-on-one appointments to discuss:

• work search strategies
• resume critique
• cover letters
• CV
• mock interviews

Potential organizations in Canada:

• Alberta Council for Global Cooperation - Alberta
• BC Council for International Cooperation - British Columbia
• CARE
• Centre for Community Based Research - Waterloo, ON
• Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation - Toronto, ON
• Compass Refugee Centre - Kitchener/Waterloo, ON
• Community Justice Initiatives - Kitchener, ON
• Christian Blind Mission - Toronto, ON 
• Circles of Support and Accountability - Nova Scotia
• FCJ Refugee Centre - Toronto, ON
• Healing of the Seven Generations - Kitchener, ON
• KAIROS Canada - Toronto, ON
• Mennonite Economic Development Associates - Waterloo, ON
• Mennonite Central Committee
  • Circle of Friends
  • Refugee Sponsorship and Settlement
  • Restorative Justice Programs
• Polaris Institute - Ottawa, ON
• Project Ploughshares - Waterloo, ON
• Residential Energy Efficient Project (REEP) - Waterloo, ON
• Romero House - Toronto, ON
• Salvation Army (Wilkinson Street Shelter) - Brampton, ON
• St. Stephen's Community House - Toronto, ON
• Security Governance Group - Waterloo, ON
• The Ripple Effect Education - Waterloo, ON
• The Working Centre - Kitchener, ON
• United Nations University: Institute for Water, Environment and Health - Hamilton, ON

Potential organizations abroad:

• Article 36 - London, England
• Mercy Corps - Haiti
• Search for Common Ground - Washington, DC
• School of the Americas Watch (SOA Watch) - Washington, DC
• SembrandoPaz- Colombia
• Border Peace School - South Korea
• Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies - Cambodia 
• United Nations
  • UN Women's Initiative
  • UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)
• AIESEC
• Chemonics International, Inc
• Concern Worldwide
• International Criminal Court (ICC)
• Rainforest Action Network
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Search websites | Job lists | Professional networks | Centre for Career Action | Organizations in Canada | Organizations abroad

Once you have secured a placement with an organization, you will need to have this work approved for credit by the PACS Advisory Group (PACS AG) through a proposal. The deadline for proposal submission is January 15 if you wish to do an internship that will begin during the following Spring term. If you would like to do an internship that begins in one of the other terms (Fall or Winter) please check with the Internship Coordinator for deadlines.

The proposal should be approximately 5-8 pages and include the following elements:

1. A cover page that includes your full name, student ID number, name of host organization, job title (if known), location of placement, as well as the start and end dates of your placement.
2. An introduction with a brief description of the placement, the location, the cultural context, and issues the placement will enable you to study.
3. A concrete list of learning objectives and a brief explanation of how the internship will help you to achieve those objectives. Aim for a list of 6-8 learning objectives.
4. A preliminary bibliography of at least 20 works that you draw upon throughout your placement and utilize in the internship assignments.
5. A copy of the correspondence with the organization confirming the placement and providing the job or internship description. This can be a formal letter or an email message.
6. A copy of the CV/resume of your local mentor. This person should preferably have a Master’s degree and five years of experience or a Bachelor’s degree and ten years of experience.
7. If you would like to request financial assistance from the MPACS program, you will need to include a budget outlining the expenses associated with your placement.
8. If you have any preference for which faculty member might serve as your Faculty Advisor, you may include a note at the end. There is no guarantee that you will work with this person, but it is helpful to know. You will be assigned a Faculty Advisor once your proposal is approved.

Note that for international placements, you must complete the required Student International Travel Process prior to departure. Completion of this process must be confirmed with the Internship Coordinator.

If you intend to do research that requires ethics clearance, you will need to work closely with your Faculty Advisor to submit your proposal to the Office of Research Ethics early – it takes at least three weeks from submission to decision for a project needing minimal clearance. Ethical clearance takes time, so please plan accordingly.

For international placements, complete the required Student International Travel Process prior to departure. Completion of this process must be confirmed with the Internship Coordinator.

If you intend to do research that requires ethics clearance, submit your proposal early to the Office of Research Ethics  – it takes three weeks from submission to decision for a project needing minimal clearance. Ethical clearance takes time, so please plan accordingly.