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
Registration for the 2023-24 program has now closed.
Student Information Session
Thursday, October 5 at 12PM via Zoom
Host Unit Information Session
TBD via Zoom
To register, please email QDIUA@queensu.ca
Application Portal Open
Wednesday, October 18
Applications, including cover letter and resume, are accepted through MyCareer.
Application Portal Closes
Wednesday, November 1
Host Unit Schedules Interviews
November 6 to 10
Candidate Interviews
November 13 to 24
Notification to Successful Applicants
Mid December
Internship Commence
January 2024
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:
The available internships for 2023-2024 are as follows:
- Curriculum Design Research and Support x2 - Faculty of Arts & Sciences
- pdf of description (145KB)
- Quality Assurance Analyst Intern - Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning)
- pdf of description (225KB)
- Business Data Analyst Intern - Smith School of Business
- pdf of description (122KB)
- Programming Intern - School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
- pdf of description (176 KB)
- Special Projects Intern - School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
- pdf of description (186KB)
- Graduate Research Strategy Intern - Faculty of Arts and Sciences
- pdf of description (177KB)
All job description details and further application information will be available on MyCareer. Please register for QDIUA using the link above to gain access to the QDIUA job board on MyCareer.
The hiring cycle for the 2023-24 program is now complete. Please revisit this website in Spring 2024 for updates about the next hiring cycle.
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.