Plan & find your Internship

In this section, learn what students should consider when planning and finding an internship. This includes academic and legal policies to be aware of, as well as the internal and external resources available to search and find an internship in France or abroad.  

PLANNING: Academic Requirements

There are a number of academic requirements to consider when planning an internship that impact a student’s eligibility to do an internship (including minimum GPA, earned credits, working hours, etc.). Please visit the ‘Academic Requirements’ pages for more detailed information.

We strongly encourage students to be in touch with either their faculty advisor or an AUP academic advisor to discuss their academic plan and understand how best to fit-in a for-credit internship.

PLANNING: Registration Information

• Only currently enrolled degree-seeking students are eligible to register an internship with AUP.
• Internship registration is independent of the university’s (pre-) registration schedule. An internship can start and end at any time during the semester.
• There are internship registration fees for every type of internship registered with AUP.
• Internships are registered in the academic semester during which the main part of the internship takes place. If the internship runs into a second semester, a free zero-credit internship registration will be registered in the following semester.
• Zero-credit internships and for-credit internships are possible. Students should discuss their academic plan with their faculty advisor or an academic advisor about planning an internship.
• Students who have finished their degree requirements can elect to defer their graduation for a semester (or two in some cases) to maintain their student status and complete a final, zero-credit internship.
• At the end of every internship, students are required to submit internship assignments.

The above is basic information about internship registration at AUP – please visit the ‘Register Your Internship’ pages for more detailed information.

PLANNING: Internship Assignments

Every type of internship registered with AUP (whether for-credit, or 0-credit, whether required for the degree program, or not) requires the submission of assignments. These assignments vary depending on the number of credits registered, the student status (graduate or undergraduate), and the student’s degree program. All assignments are to be submitted electronically via a “Student Evaluation and Assignment Submission web form” and in a printed version to the student’s faculty reader (in the case of 2/3/4/8 credit internships). There is a web form for undergraduate students and another for graduate students. Students should note that these assignments should be saved individually, in a PDF format; and all assignments must be complete and uploaded to the web form before it can be submitted.

PLANNING: Legal Framework

French law stipulates that internships are reserved for currently enrolled degree-seeking students. Once a student has been coded a graduate he/she cannot carry out an internship. Graduation deferral is AUP’s way of enabling students to do a 6-month maximum internship (stage de fin d’études) before leaving AUP. Graduation can only be deferred once, and students are allowed a maximum of two zero-credit registration semesters.

Learn more about your rights & responsibilities [pdf] as an intern in France and abroad and contact the Internship Office for more details.

FINDING: Internship Strategy

How to target the best employers base on your needs? Everyone needs a strategy built upon self-reflection. Many requirements and constraints apply to planning an internship experience. It is not easy to keep them all in mind, so here is a short list of the practical questions to ask yourself.

• Where should or can I do my internship? (Remember there is a US federal loan restriction)
• When should I do my internship?
• Do I want to earn credits for my internship?
• What is my budget?
• Should I consider a paid or unpaid internship?
• What kind of organization/company should I target?
• What kind of internship am I interested in? What do I want to do/learn/achieve?

The Internship and Careers offices are here to assist you as you consider your options and craft an internship strategy. 

FINDING: Application Materials & Tools 

Your résumé (‘CV’ in France) and a cover letter (‘motivation letter’ in France) will be needed for almost every internship application. Online storytelling tools such as LinkedIn or web portfolios can be powerful tools in internship (and job) applications.  Interview coaching and practice is valuable for all students, especially those who have little to no work experience and have thus never interviewed before.

The Internship and Career Advising Offices collaborate to support students with all of the above and more. Keep an eye on the AUP event calendar for workshops, events, and info sessions (we also post events and reminders on our Facebook page). Additionally, students are welcome to stop in for advice or information during our drop-in hours, no appointment needed. For individualized support, reach out to the Internship or Careers offices for a one-on-one appointment.

FINDING: Search Resources

The Careers and Internship offices maintain a list of resources available to AUP students who are searching for their perfect internship. Some resources are available only to the AUP community, others are publicly available. Some are general, others are industry or geographically specific. Students are encouraged to explore many resources and to case a wide net as they apply for internships – the more applications sent out, the better chance students will have a variety of internship opportunities from which to choose! 

Internship Vocabulary and FAQs

The vocabulary for internships in France can get a bit confusing, and internship policies can be tricky. If you have not found the answers to your questions, try checking out this page explaining internship vocabulary and answering some frequently asked questions. Still confused? Get in touch with the Internship Office.