A First-of-its-kind in Canada, Experiential Learning Opportunity
Program Overview
The QDIUA program provides a unique opportunity for PhD candidates to learn more about the university administrative environment through an internship with an administrative unit at Queen’s University. During the program, doctoral students will strengthen and expand their professional skills by working alongside experienced administrators outside of their academic programs. Through a combination of mentoring and participation in meaningful projects and tasks, interns will contribute to the day-to-day operations of the university while expanding their professional network and exploring careers in academic administration.
The Internship experience will consist of the following:
- Supervision and Mentorship: Interns will be introduced to post-secondary administrative work environment by working alongside an administrative professional in a host unit at Queen’s (for example, the Faculty of Arts and Science office or Office of the Vice-Provost International). An identified administrative staff member assigns and supervises the intern’s work, inviting them to relevant meetings to maximize exposure to the university’s administrative structure, and include them in teambuilding activities. Mentorship and supervision will consist of both formal and informal conversations about skill development, professional workplaces, university systems and structures, and career development.
- Project Component with Skills Development Coaching: Interns will work on a meaningful project or administrative task identified by the host unit. Mentors will guide and supervise the intern’s work, explaining office procedures and process, introducing them to relevant team members within and outside of their unit, inviting them to meetings and providing feedback on the project or task as it evolves.
- Guided Reflection on Experience: To support interns in their career development conversations with their supervisors, and to help get the most out this experiential learning opportunity, the Experiential Learning Hub and the School of Graduate Studies will co-facilitate a series of workshops to prepare students for their internships and guide their reflective practice during the experience. Upon completion of the internship, students will be referred to additional professional development resources available through the School of Graduate Studies and their Faculties.
Internships will commence January each year to align with the academic calendar. Each internship will last 13-16 weeks (one academic term). Interns are expected to commit (flexibly) 10 hours per week to program components. Internships are paid.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Interns gain and/or develop professional competencies that complement their degree training
- Interns develop a more comprehensive understanding of how the administrative side of the university functions
- Interns collaborate with administrative professionals within the university, expanding their professional network
- Interns are exposed to career paths within the post-secondary sector
Host Unit Outcomes
- Host units gain a deeper appreciation of the range of skills Queen’s PhD students have and better utilize these talents in the context of their own offices
- Host units benefit from the diversity of perspectives and experiences interns bring to the project and team environment
- Host units explore alternate pipelines and applicant pools for staff recruitment and retention
- Host units receive supports from Career Services and the Experiential Learning Hub related to effective supervision structures, onboarding, guiding reflection and supporting student career development
Eligibility is limited to those in PhD programs in year two and above. To participate in the program, you must have completed all compulsory coursework.
It is also recommended that you speak with your supervisor about your academic requirements and progress in relation to taking on additional work commitments such as the internship within university guidelines. Note that students are able to take on an average of 10hrs/week of paid employment unrelated to their research.
Registration via Qualtrics: https://queensu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3KMnx3vbHj7N5bw
Student Information Session
Tuesday, October 6, 1:00-2:00pm EST via Zoom
Application Portal Open
Wednesday, October 14
Applications, including cover letter and resume, are accepted through MyCareer.
Application Portal Closes
Wednesday, October 28, 11:59pm
Host Unit Schedules Interviews
November 2 to 6
Candidate Interviews
November 9 to 20
Notification to Successful Applicants
Early December
Internship Commence
January 2027
Exact start date to be determined by intern and host unit.
We highly recommend applicants utilize services and resources from Career Services to develop their applications. Career Services offers the following:
Available internships include the following. More opportunities will be uploaded as they are submitted by host units.
Office of the Vice-Principal, Finance and Administration - Internal Audit Intern (PDF 74.6KB)
Office of the Provost and ITS - AI Nexus, Governance and Literacy Intern (PDF 246.2KB)
School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs - Academic Programming Intern (PDF 207.7)
School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs - International Impact Intern (PDF 70.6KB)
Human Rights and Equity Office - Pride 365 Special Projects Intern (PDF 77KB)
Centre for Teaching and Learning - Faculty Needs Assessment Intern (PDF 76.2KB)
Human Resources - E-learning and Instructional Design Intern (PDF 233.7 KB)
Queen's Health Sciences - Black Student Support Coordinator (PDF 68.7KB)
Queen's Health Sciences - Indigenous Student Support Coordinator (PDF 68KB)
Career Services - Student Leadership Development Program Intern (PDF 74.7KB)
McDonald Institute - Annual Meeting Intern / Finance Intern / Communications and Knowledge Mobilization Intern (PDF 258.8KB)
Faculty of Arts and Science - Interdisciplinary Infrastructure Research Intern (PDF 116.5KB)
Vice-Principal Research Portfolio - Deep-Tech / Biotech Commercialization Research Analyst (PDF 116KB)
If you missed the information session, please review the slides here: QDIUA Information Session Slides 2026 (PDF 1.2 MB)
If you have questions about the program, please contact QDIUA@queensu.ca.
The Queen’s Doctoral Internship in University Administration (QDIUA) was initially conceptualized by Queen’s staff members affiliated with the Queen’s Foundational Leadership Program (2021). For more information, see the following report:
Pedersen, A., Curzon, R., McAvoy, A., Mayer, M., Gopaul, I., Nomikos, D., & Zhang, Y. (2023, March 25). The Queen’s University Administrative Internship (QUAI): A First-in-Canada Experiential Learning Opportunity for Ph.D. Students. Link to the paper here.