Queen's Doctoral Internship in University Administration (QDIUA)

A First-of-its-kind in Canada, Experiential Learning Opportunity

The QDIUA roles for 2022-23 have now been filled; updates about the next hiring cycle will be posted in spring 2023.

Program Overview

QDIUAThe 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:

  1. 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.
     
  2. 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. 
     
  3. 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

    • Students from all PhD programs are eligible to apply, including international students
    • Students must be registered in the Winter 2023 term
    • Students should have completed all compulsory coursework required by your Department/Program before the start of the Winter 2023 term.
    • Students should consider, and discuss with their doctoral supervisor, their academic requirements and progress in relation to taking on additional work commitments, such as this internship, within university guidelines (e.g. an average of 10 hours/week of paid employment unrelated to a student’s research)

      Hiring for the 2022-23 year is now complete; please check back in Spring 2023 for information about the next hiring cycle

      Student Information Session
      Tuesday, October 4th at 12:00 PM via Zoom
      To register: click the link below and follow the prompts to login to MyCareer using your NetID: https://careers.queensu.ca/events-workshops/events-calendar.
      Once logged in, click “Events/Workshops” and navigate the calendar to October 4. Open the event and click on the blue button labeled “Register for the event”.

      Host Unit Information Session
      Wednesday, October 12, at 12:00 P.M. via Zoom
      To register, please email QDIUA@queensu.ca

      Application Portal Open
      Wednesday, October 26
      Applications, including cover letter and resume, are accepted through MyCareer.

      Application Portal Closes
      Wednesday, November 9

      Host Unit Schedules Interviews
      November 11 to 18

      Candidate Interviews
      November 21 to December 1

      Notification to Successful Applicants
      Mid December

      Internship Commence
      January 2023
      Exact start date to be determined by intern and host unit.

      2022-23 Internship Positions (now filled)

      Missed the Student Information Session? Review the slides here.

      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.