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GSFS 499 Internship

What is an internship?

An internship is a short-term, hands-on, supervised work experience with a professional organization.  It provides the student with an invaluable opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in the classroom to real world problems and enables the student to broaden their understanding of the field. 

An internship is more than a part-time job or volunteer experience; it includes: 

  • specific learning objectives designed to increase the student’s knowledge;
  • training to hone existing skills and develop additional ones;
  • supervision to guide and mentor the intern.  

Through an internship, the student is able both to expand their horizons and to engage in a meaningful collaboration with a corporate or community organization for their mutual benefit.

Who is eligible?

  • Open to U-2 and U-3 GSFS students who have completed 30 credits of a 90-credit program or 45 credits of a 96-120-credit program. Students must be returning to Â鶹AV in the semester following their internship.
  • Minimum cGPA of 2.7
  • Permission of the IGSF andrew.folco [at] mcgill.ca (Administrative and Student Affairs Coordinator)
  • Note: GSFS 499 will not fulfill program requirements for seminar or 400-level courses. It can, however, be counted towards fulfillment of Complementary Course credit requirements.

Start your search

GSFS students are encouraged to undertake internships with local, national, or international organizations. Students should take some time to reflect on their interests and what type of internship would most effectively engage them. Within the fields of gender, feminism, sexuality, and sexual diversity, students should consider which specific topics and issues they find interesting.

Students may identify relevant internships using the links below for Â鶹AV offices or find suitable internships themselves. It is best to start the search process as early as possible. All internship requests are subject to approval from IGSF and the Arts Internship Office.

IGSF Internship Opportunities

Internship Database (Internship Offices Network, ION)

Internship Postings (Faculty of Arts Internship Office, AIO)

Internship Information (Career Planning Services, CaPS)

Students should also select and confirm a Â鶹AV faculty member to supervise and evaluate the academic work involved with their internship as a part of the search process.

Internships may be paid or unpaid at the organization's discretion. Students may seek out funding possibilities for internships by applying for Internship Awards or external funding.

Getting approval

Once students have secured an internship, they must complete the Internship Approval Form, specifying the names of the host organization and on-site internship supervisor, the faculty academic supervisor, and detailing the duration, tasks, and research objectives of both the internship and the corresponding academic work. IMPORTANT: Internships must be pre-approved for credit, and may not be approved retroactively.

The form must be signed by:

  • IGSF Administrative and Student Affairs Coordinator
  • Faculty of Arts Internship Officer
  • Student's Academic Supervisor
  • Student

Once the internship has been approved, the student is responsible for follow-up and completion of the project as agreed upon with their academic supervisor.

Required course

The internship course (3 credits) involves a minimum of 150 hours of internship work completed over the course of one or two terms, or the summer, followed by the completion of a 20-page academic paper based on the internship. Students complete the internship work first and then register for the course the following semester. Because of the heavy workload involved, students may wish to reduce their course load when completing an internshp, or carry it out in the summer.

GSFS 499 GSFS Internship 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Course Requirements

  • Appropriateness of internship for gender and/or sexuality and/or sexual diversity-based analysis and research.
  • A description of the host organization, the name of the on-site internship supervisor to whom the student will be accountable, and a letter confirming the commitments of the host organization and on-site supervisor to the task of student internship supervision.
  • A minimum of 150 hours of work with the host organization.
  • Completion of all work as set out by the host organization.
  • Completed Field Evaluation Form (30% of grade) attesting to the student's successful completion of tenure at the organization.
  • Written agreement from a professor at Â鶹AV to discuss, conceptualize, oversee, and evaluate the GSFS 499 Term Paper (70% of grade).
  • Any and all additional requirements established by the Arts Internship Office.

Evaluation

Students should be sure to complete all work required by the host organization, which may include a report, creation of a database, or an event. If any problems should arise during the internship, students should alert the IGSF Administrative and Student Affairs Coordinator. Upon completion of the internship and required course, students will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • 70%: academic essay evaluated by academic supervisor. Student must integrate and reflect upon relevant scholarly discourse in light of their internship experience. The professor must submit a numeric grade for the paper (out of 70) to the IGSF Administrative and Student Affairs Coordinator at the end of the semester.
  • 30%: evaluation by host organization in accordance with written protocol, submitted to the andrew.folco [at] mcgill.ca (Administrative and Student Affairs Coordinator).

In addition to the final paper, students must submit the Internship Evaluation Form, completed and signed by their on-site supervisor, and copies of any work produced for the internship to the IGSF Administrative and Student Affairs Coordinator.

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