The School of Graduate Studies allows doctoral students, including ID PhD students, to undertake internships of work. This is not a normal requirement for PhD programs. Students approved to undertake an internship will be required to register for the Doctoral Internship course (INTE 6000). Students will be expected to obtain their own internships (with the help of supervisors when possible) and must have completed their comprehensive exams prior to starting their internships.

Internships must be approved by the supervisor, Director of the ID PhD program, and Head of the academic unit (in cases where INTE 6000 is approved for a doctoral student outside of the ID PhD program). In cases where approval is granted, students must add INTE 6000 to their program of study and register using a Course Change form.

The doctoral internships shall normally be one semester in duration and consist of a minimum of 420 hours of paid or unpaid work. Students undertaking the internship shall submit a concise report to their supervisors at the end of the semester while on internship. The report and performance in the internship shall be graded as pass/fail by the supervisor upon consultation with the on-site work supervisor. If a student fails to achieve a final grade of pass, and provided the student has not failed to achieve a grade of B or better in any other program course, the student may request to repeat the internship or replace with a substitute course. Only one such repeat or substitution will be permitted in a student’s program. Students who drop an internship without permission, fail to honour an agreement to work with a host employer, or who conduct themselves in a manner as to cause their discharge from the internship position will normally be awarded a failed grade for the internship.

Procedures

Students interested in and approved for an internship are required to follow these procedures:

1. Once an internship opportunity is identified, discuss the possibility of including it as a program requirement with both the supervisor and Head of the academic unit, and seek approval from the Director of the ID PhD program. An on-site work supervisor must be identified as part of any approved internship.

2. If all parties are in agreement, add the Doctoral Internship Course (INTE 6000) to the student’s program of study using a Change of Program form and register for INTE 6000 for the appropriate semester using a Course Change form.

3. Students undertaking research as part of their internships should ensure they comply with the School of Graduate Studies’ Intellectual Property of Graduate Students: Guidelines and Best Practices and Memorial University’s Policy on Intellectual Property. Any further questions or concerns regarding IP should be raised before the start of an internship and directed to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

4. International graduate students approved for a doctoral internship must apply for a co-op work permit prior to the start of their internship. Details on this process can be found on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website: www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/work-coop.asp. Students should expect some delays in the processing of such applications and should apply well before the start of their internship (at least 90 days prior).

5. While on internship, doctoral students will remained registered in full-time studies (unless ineligible for some other reason in accordance with the SGS general regulations). Both the supervisor and on-site work supervisor will ensure adequate progress is made during the internship.

6. Internships will commence and end in accordance with the normal start and end dates of a semester as outlined in the University Diary. At the end of the internship, students will be required to submit a final report. The report will be assessed by the supervisor upon consultation with the on-site work supervisor. A final grade of pass or fail will be awarded for both the work performance while on internship and the final report.