Students in the Faculty of Arts and Science will have the opportunity to get job experience before graduating with the creation of the Arts and Science Internship Program.

The program, which was approved by University Senate at their Feb 24^th meeting, will allow students to develop professional skills and gain exposure to a field of work while still enrolled at Queen’s.

The new internship program is modeled on the Queen’s University Internship Program (QUIP), which has been available to students in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of Computing. QUIP has students enrol in career-related workshops and coaching sessions which are then followed by a 12- or 16-month paid internship opportunity at a company related to their field of study. Internships typically happen after their third year of undergraduate study and, if successfully completed, students receive a professional designation on their diploma.

“When we hear from our former interns who’ve taken part in QUIP, they all say what a transformative experience it’s been,” says Cathy Keates, Director of Queen’s Career Services. “They develop skills, build their networks and have great success taking the things they’ve learnt on campus and bringing them to the workplace, and vice versa. We see an enormous amount of career development over that year.” 

During the internship, participating students undergo a number of evaluations by their employer and are given performance feedback. Upon completion of the internship, they must write a self-reflection document, reviewing their experience and what they learned from their foray into the working world. 

Adam Grotsky, (ArtSci’15) President of the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society, strongly believes in the benefits of internships. Establishing Arts and Science internships were a major component of his election platform when he campaigned for his position. He aided in the development of the Arts and Science Internship Program and wrote a letter of support for its creation.

“This is an opportunity for students to develop tangible skills that will help them in the workforce,” he says. “There’s a big difference between learning in classroom and in the workplace, and to have that experience while still doing a degree is a huge advantage.” 

The internship program will be open to students in the Faculty of Arts and Science beginning in September 2015. More information can be found at Career Services’ website.