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Academic Internships

What is an Academic Internship:

Academic Internships are accredited University modules and are an important part of your student experience. Internships give you the opportunity to gain work experience and develop employability skills relevant to your programme. Working in an industry that interests you will give you an insight into the world of work and will help you make more informed decisions about your career.

How do I apply for an Academic Internship?

Select your College to find your Internship Managers' contact details. Please communicate directly with your School Internship Manager for information on when you apply and the duration of your internship. 

Things to Consider:

  • Sign up for pre-preparatory sessions your school has organised for you. Many of these sessions are designed by the Careers Network with academic internships in mind. 
  • Attend any sessions that your School Internship Manager/Programme Director has organised to advise you about the academic internship process including the closing date and assessment piece. 
  • Remember you are still a registered UCD student and the UCD code of Conduct still applies while you are on internship.
  • Please take the student survey on your internship Brightspace Module to ensure you are aware of your/hostUCD’s responsibilities whilst you are on internship.
  • Make an appointment with our Careers & Skills Consultant to talk through your CV/application.
  • UCD has a dedicated system called MyCareer which enables you to apply for academic internship roles that are applicable to your programme. Please ensure you download all of your job applications and job descriptions so you know what you have written and applied for!
  • Through the Work Placement Portal on SIS web, you need to enter/review your internship details and sign up to the internship terms and conditions.  Please read and accept these as this part of your responsibility to ensure you have understood these. 
  • Each employer signs a host agreement with the University which details their and UCD responsibilities while you are on internship.
  • You will be considered an employee of the company, so please engage with the learning experience and assessment piece for the module.
  • Please report any issues to your Programme Director. 

International Internships:

  • If you are thinking of travelling abroad for your academic internship, please discuss with your School Internship Manager/Programme Director in advance.
  • Please access the ISOS system and download the app. It is a crisis management system that provides you with up to date information on the country you are travelling to and when you are there. 
  • Purchasing travel and medical insurance is a PREREQUISITE for those who are travelling abroad for internships. For details on what insurance you need, please view UCD Global for details on what insurance you need. 

UCD Careers Network

Library Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 7574 | E: careers@ucd.ie