Through an internship, the intern gains valuable experience at an organization or company. The organization gains an additional staff member who can be assigned where need is greatest while recognizing an obligation to help the intern acquire new skills and explore a career field. Many international internships are unpaid, although there are limited opportunities to find paid positions.

Don’t rule out a position simply because it is unpaid! There are many funding sources available for international internships. Visit the OCS Fellowships Office for advice and information about funding options through Harvard and other sponsors. Of special note is the Weissman International Internship Program, which provides financial support for specific overseas internships arranged by returning Harvard College students.

There are several ways to find an international internship:

- You may develop your own internship by approaching companies and organizations in whose work you are interested. Be prepared to describe your skills and interests and to suggest why you think your affiliation with the organization would be beneficial both for you and the employer. These internships may be paid or unpaid.

- An organization may have an internship program that you would apply to.

- Internship placement programs can arrange an internship for you for a fee. When weighing this option, consider the services provided, what the fee includes, and the fields in which the internships are offered.

Internship Resources
External Internship Resources and Programs
Internship Programs
Internationally-focused internships in the US

External Internship Resources and Programs

Please be advised that while OCS tries to list as many opportunities as possible as a service to our students, we have not necessarily verified the credentials or accuracy of all opportunities which may be listed here.

A number of U.S. universities and educational organizations offer programs that arrange unpaid, overseas internships. The internships may constitute the entire program or be part of a study abroad program. (Harvard students do not receive academic credit for internships).

Arcadia University
Boston University
Syracuse University

AIESEC is an international non-profit association of students and recent graduates interested in economics and management. AIESEC promotes intercultural cooperation through an international training program.

The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) offers training opportunities in Scandinavia for juniors or seniors who are at least 20 years old, are US citizens or permanent residents, have relevant work experience and a minimum 2.5 GPA. Placements range from 2-18 months and provide salaries that are sufficient for living expenses.

The Austrian American Education Commission offers an English Language Teaching Assistantship Program which provides graduates with opportunities to work as teaching assistants in secondary schools throughout Austria. Assistants work 12 hours per week, and a monthly salary is provided. A working knowledge of German is required.

CDS International provides paid and unpaid internship opportunities for US students and recent graduates in Argentina, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland.

The NY Chapter of the French American Chamber of Commerce (FACC) partners with specific French agencies to provide internship opportunities for Americans interested in working in France. Short term positions (up to 3 months) are available in a range of companies, from small businesses to multinationals, as well as government agencies and cultural organizations. Long-term positions (up to 18 months) are only available in private sector companies. FACC also helps Americans obtain visas and work authorization to live and work in France once they have received an offer for a paid full-time training position.

The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) offers summer and year-round internships with organizations in Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Tanzania and Uganda. Argentina, India, and Kenya will be added in 2005. Programs include a family homestay, orientation and debriefing sessions, and program support.

The French Embassy Cultural Service Office matches students with short (up to 3 months) and long-term internships in the public or private sector. Basic proficiency in French is required. They also partner with the French Ministry of Education to offer 6-9 month teaching assistantship positions in French primary and secondary schools and Instituts universitaires de formation des maîtres in all parts of France. Assistantships are open to US citizens between the ages of 20-34 who are proficient in French. A stipend is provided.

Global Routes provides placements in 3-month teaching internships in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Kenya, St. Lucia, and Thailand.

The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) offers students enrolled in a technical course of study in the US (engineering, computer science, mathematics, natural/physical sciences, architecture, and agricultural science) the opportunity to apply for a paid, technical internship in more than 80 countries. Students must be junior-level standing or above by the time the internship begins. Graduating seniors and graduate students may also apply.

Internship Programs

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has a Diversity Internship Program for Afro-Descendants and Indigenous Peoples. The Program provides participants the opportunity to acquire work experience at the professional level through on-the-job training. Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and returning to his/her studies the following semester; an African descendant and/or member of Indigenous Peoples in one of the Bank's member countries; and a citizen of one of the Bank's 46 member countries. Students will receive a salary, though the Bank does not provide medical coverage or transportation costs for students from outside of Washington DC. Interns are responsible for their own living arrangements.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) has unpaid internships available in its headquarters in Brussels, as well as its NY and Washington DC offices. ICG Brussels internships are aimed at recent graduates/post-graduates and are full-time positions lasting 3-6 months. ICG New York internships (3-5 months) are aimed at students or recent graduates and are primarily administrative in nature. ICG Washington internships (3-6 months) are geared towards current undergraduates, recent university graduates, and graduate students with a significant background in international relations, ideally in ICG Washington's key project areas: the Middle East and Africa.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has internships for the fall, spring or summer. Interns are assigned either to ILO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland or ILO Field Offices. Applicants can be of any nationality but must be between 20-35 years of age, and currently enrolled in an academic program.

The Pasona Summer Internship Program offers selected interns an opportunity to work at one of a variety of companies in the Japanese corporate world for two months. Approximately ten interns are selected each year. The internship program is open to graduate and undergraduate students who are highly proficient in Japanese. Interns receive a stipend, accommodations in a company dormitory, local commuting expenses, and are reimbursed for round trip airfare up to $1,000.

The Institut Pasteur, one of the world's leading biomedical research organizations, offers 11-week summer research internships for undergraduates from the US through the Paul W. Zuccaire Summer Internship Program. Applicants must be undergraduates with a strong interest in biosciences and biomedical research (prior lab experience is recommended); have completed 4 semesters of college course work by the time the internship commences; and not yet have received their undergraduate degree at the time of application. Knowledge of French or desire to learn it is advisable. Applicants should be eager to immerse in a different culture, and self-sufficient enough to arrange travel and secure housing in Paris. Open to U.S. citizens only.

The Quebec-Labrador Foundation/Atlantic Center for the Environment (QLF) offers short-term internship positions in Canada and the U.S. to undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate-level university students. Most assignments last from two to three months and include stipends and lodging, which vary according to position.

The US State Department offers a variety of term-time and summer internships and student programs in Washington DC and abroad.

Internationally-focused internships in the US

The Carter Center is the Atlanta headquarters for former President Jimmy Carter's activities addressing human rights, peace, democratization, health, and economic development. Internships are available for undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates in Peace areas, including conflict resolution, democracy, global development initiative, China village elections project, human rights, and the Americas program. They also have opportunities in Operations areas, including development/fundraising, events, public information, and art services. There are three 15-week sessions: spring, summer, and fall.

Interns at the Boston office for Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) assist staff in the research of human rights violations in particular countries and in organizing campaigns on select human rights issues, such as landmines, global AIDS or juvenile justice. Interns may be assigned a geographic area to monitor for individual violations of human rights and help draft letters to governments to protest such violations. Interns may also research selected human rights issues where medicine and law intersect. Interns may be asked to assist with some administrative tasks as well. Interns should possess excellent writing skills and have previous exposure to international human rights issues. No medical knowledge is necessary. Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, the internet, and basic computer skills are essential.

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) seek interns who will work closely with members of their staff on refugee and asylum issues in their national office in Washington, DC. Internships are offered during the fall, spring, and summer in region-specific research, government relations, media relations, or development and fundraising. Internships require a minimum 10-week, 20-hour per week commitment. A small stipend is provided.