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Internships

Students in International Studies may pursue internships, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Internships that have an international focus and are undertaken for credit can, with approval of the director of International Studies, be used to satisfy the International Educational Experience requirement (see Policies).

For examples, consult the list of internships undertaken by International Studies majors in recent years located in the International Studies Program Canvas site.

Receiving Academic Credit

International Studies students can receive credit for internships through various academic departments, as well as through the International Studies Program itself. For information, see Policies.

Financial Assistance

The sources of funding listed on the Study Abroad page of this website generally may also be used to support internships abroad that are undertaken for credit. For assistance, contact the International Center.

Registering for and Completing INS3950 International Educational Experience

If you are using an internship to fulfill the International Educational Experience requirement, you must register for the 0-credit course INS3950 for the semester in which you will be doing your internship. See Policies.

Finding and Applying

Opportunities in Jacksonville and North Florida:

  • The International Studies Program has relationships with refugee resettlement and youth programs operated by Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities. Students who seek interning with these programs should contact the director of the International Studies Program.
  • Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens offers unpaid internships.
  • The Northeast Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross accepts interns. Contact the director of International Studies. 
  • International Studies students have interned in the past with the World Affairs Council of Jacksonville.
  • GlobalJax has internship programs focused on marketing and communications and government relations. Contact the director of International Studies.
  • The director of International Studies can help students to explore other possibilities for internships in North Florida.

Opportunities elsewhere in Florida:

  • Students looking to do internships within Florida may consider working with one of the foreign consulates located in the state. Those include the Colombian, Haitian and Mexican consulates in Orlando; those of Greece, Panama and Peru in Tampa; and the over 30 consulates in Miami, many of which correspond to nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Opportunities elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad:

  • UNF has a relationship with the Washington Center, which helps students to find internships and lodging in Washington, DC. The State of Florida provides financial assistance to students who are selected to participate. For more information, contact the director of International Studies or Dr. Mary Borg, professor of political economy. 
  • The Department of State Diplomat in Residence for the Southeast Region can provide assistance in applying for internships with the Department of State, both within the US and overseas.
  • The FBI, the CIA, and other federal agencies have programs for interns.
  • The International Center can provide assistance to students looking for other internships outside the US.

Other resources:

  • The Department of Political Science and Public Administration maintains a list of internship opportunities in Jacksonville and elsewhere in Florida, as well as in Washington, DC, and New York City. They can assist students in International Studies to identify and apply. 
  • Career Services can help students research internship opportunities, and can also assist in preparing a resume and other materials needed for a successful application. 

A Note on Timing 

For some opportunities, such as those with the Department of State, the deadlines can be far in advance (more than 6 months) of start dates. If you want to do an internship, therefore, you should begin planning as early as possible. If you wait until your last few semesters at UNF, you may be too late to take advantage of some opportunities. Many larger, institutional internship programs are only available to current, registered students.

Research Internships

On occasion, current International Studies students and recent graduates from the Program have pursued internships as research assistants—either for credit or as volunteers—to UNF faculty on specific projects. This is not a common arrangement, but one that can, under certain circumstances, be beneficial both to faculty members and to students who are interested in gaining experience and building their resumes as they prepare for graduate school. For more information, contact the director of International Studies.