Internships (only applicable for the MA IR&D)
The internship is not a mandatory element of your training for this Master programme. You are free to substitute it with one seminar to be taken at Leiden University as specified in this study guide. If you choose to do an internship, however, the following information is important.
Aim and planning
The internship should be set up in ways that let you conduct stimulating work, in the ideal case introducing you into professional activities according to your future career plans. The internship is to be taken during the second trimester of the second year of study. By the time you start your internship, you have taken courses on various topics in international relations, international organisation and on research methods. The overall aim of the internship is to familiarise you with the work of an organisation you are highly interested in, and to build a bridge to future professional career perspectives. It is possible that you can use your internship in order to intensify your knowledge of, and possibly collect empirical evidence for, the topic to be explored in the subsequent thesis. In general terms, the themes of the internship and of the thesis may be, but do not need to be, linked.
Application procedures
It is advisable that you start application procedures for an adequate internship at an early stage. Various international organisations ask for submission of applications several months before the actual start of the programme. Apart from such official applications, to be submitted by yourself, the coordination of the International Relations and Diplomacy Programme at both Leiden University's Institute of Political Science and at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations will aim to support you to find a place through faculty members' professional contacts.
Plan for the internship
Before starting the internship, various arrangements have to be made. The Institute of Political Science requires a detailed plan of activities to be set up before the beginning of the internship. This plan should indicate, among others, the educational goals and the research to be conducted. You, the organisation providing the internship and the internship coordinator have to undersign an Internship Agreement. You can pick up the form 'plan for the internship' at the office of your study advisor or Sarah Beckers, the internship coordinator at the Institute of Political Science. Before starting your internship, it needs to be clear who your local supervisor will be within the organisation you have chosen.
Supervision
Supervision of your internship is by the local supervisor of the organisation you conduct the internship for and by Sarah Beckers. More detailed agreements regarding the modes of supervision, such as the number of meetings with both Leiden University's and your local supervisor, are to be agreed upon before the start of your internship and are to be incorporated into the internship plan. Supervision by the internship coordinator, is 'from a distance' (usually via regular e-mail contact). Contact with the coordinator at least once a month, possibly on the basis of a submitted one-page progress report, is advisable.
Reports
Your internship is considered concluded when two products have been submitted and graded:
a) a short (approximately 3-5 page) report on your internship; and
b) a full-length research paper.
Both products must be submitted shortly after completion of the internship, but at the latest two weeks after the start of the third trimester of your second year of study. The internship report consists of a short description of the type, aims and workings of the institution you do your internship for and a short overview of your own activities within this organisation. The research report should be approximately 15-20 pages in length and must comply with usual academic writing style and standards, including the provision of a full-length bibliography. The paper summarises research conducted during the internship. If your activities conducted during the internship are not focused on research, the paper will need to academically explore the activities of the institution you work for, analyse challenges it faces or activities it engages in. A simple 'listing of activities' will not suffice. The research paper has the format of a usual full seminar (research) paper.
Grading
In order to be counted as a valid grade, both products must obtain at least a passing grade (i.e. a 6). The grade for the internship research paper will be made available on your final list of grades for this Master programme. The grade for each report is provided, after consultation with the local internship supervisor, by a faculty member of the Institute of Political Science. Before starting your internship, make sure you have adequate insurance to cover your stay in the organisation you have chosen. In addition, please note that if you receive reimbursements for your internship, your financial situation (e.g. regarding taxes) may be affected. Leiden University cannot be liable for damages occurred during the internship.