PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND HIGHLIGHTS
Students will complete a 2 month, full time, professional immersion with IFE (Internships in Francophone Europe) after having completed the spring semester with Academic Programs Abroad in Paris (APA).
This new program allows students to extend their academic semester to include a “field study” component:
- Take into consideration all aspects of life in France allowing for the most complete immersion program possible. Students are able to partake in an academic, cultural and social immersion with APA followed by a professional immersion in direct correlation with their academic background with IFE.
- Able to enhance their resume by mentioning work experience gained in France.
- Allow the student to elaborate a personal project that can be used as a stepping stone toward a higher degree or a career path.
APA & IFE combine the expertise of two high quality programs:
- APA for their ability to ensure exceptional academic placement, outstanding cultural programming and a complete social integration into French life.
- IFE for its expertise in the use of the professional workplace for intensive cross-cultural learning including perfecting language skills and acquiring comparative knowledge and experience in a student's chosen field.
PROGRAM DATES AND SITE
APA: January to May – Paris
IFE: Mid-March to Mid-May (monthly meetings) - June and July (full time) – Paris
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
- IFE works with all types of public, para-public and private organizations: firms, agencies, government ministries, cultural organizations, political groups, media organizations, not-for-profit organizations, foundations, research institutes and think tanks, and others.
- Internships are most often unpaid, full-time (35-40 hours per week), and take place in a French-language work environment. IFE arranges mission-driven internships with organizations which understand the following points:
- IFE internships offer a trans-cultural experience for both parties.
- Students are well prepared for the internship and will be ready to take on some responsibility.
- The student-intern will become part of a working team of professionals
- The host organization will engage the time and space necessary to ensure a structured learning experience.
Generally, placements may be more research-oriented or more of a practitioner-type position, a distinction taken into account in the individual placement strategy worked out with each student.
PROGRAM INSTRUCTION METHOD
Before Internship
During the spring semester, student enrolled in this option follow:
- APA in-house class « La France d’Aujourd’hui » or “France Today”
- A field study preparation seminar that will meet for 2 hours four times over the course of the semester between mid-March and mid-May. This seminar will be led by a professor of Science-Po that is an expert in the field of coaching and who has experience working with foreign students.
Seminar Contents: Preparation for the French and European work environment in the interest to provide students/interns with tools needed to be as efficient as possible in their internship. By being well prepared and able to perform at a high level they will be able to get the most out of their professional experience. This seminar will also employ methods used to help the student in the work place by using role playing and reflection techniques that allow greater self-awareness and self-assessment.
During the Internship
Once the internship has started, each student will be matched with a mentor/tutor from the IFE staff who participated in the last session of the seminar and who assists the students in several ways during the length of the internship:
- Regular contact with students to identify the theme for the written project that consists of several short reports (see below);
- Group meetings during the internship to share experiences, etc…
- Evaluate the internship after the first month at the host site;
- Read and comment on the short report submitted by each student every 15 days;
- Evaluation at the end of the internship by the host organization/site;
- Final report of Field Study experience: The report consists of 5 short reports written by the intern/student every 15 days based on the following plan:
- First report (After 15 days) Summary of the objectives of their host institution/organization, key players within the structure, the challenges, the success…
- Second report (After 4 weeks) Summary of their role, the tasks they have been given, the difficulties and failures they have faced, their accomplishments, their progress toward integration with in the team and the host institution...
- Third and fourth reports (at 6 Weeks and end of internship, respectively) The last two reports are based on themes they have chosen with mentor/tutor that are related to their internship, the field or activity of their work and of the college major. These are not research projects per say but rather several pertinent questions about their work answered in a synthesizing and analytical manner.
- These reports should be each 2 or 3 pages long
ACADEMIC CREDIT &/OR PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
At the end of the internship/field study, the student will receive a final grade that will take into consideration the participation in the seminar, the final evaluation of the internship by the head of internship on site, and a grade for all the written reports submitted.
The end use of this evaluation will be one of the following:
- The seminar/internship/report ensemble has been pre-approved by the students host institution for academic credit and therefore IFE will send a transcript with the grade for the work completed with a grade explanation to the students registrar office (and study abroad office when requested);
- The field study ensemble will not be accepted for credit by the student’s home university/college, and IFE will provide an evaluation packet to the student which contains a “grade report”, comments from the tutor summarizing the work completed and the results of the final evaluation, the grade for the written report and a certificate of completion stating the location of the internship, the tasks accomplished and the position held. (A proof of employment of sorts that can be used when looking for jobs later.)
APPLICATIONS & ADMISSION PROCEDURES
Any student interested in participating in the IFE component at the end of the semester must indicate their interest by checking a box on the APA application. (This is a “non-binding” indication of interest but necessary for the visa process) Deadline: October 31
- A application/internship placement form will be filled out and returned to IFE by March 1st
- An admission letter and convocation will be sent to the student for a meeting to discuss the placement
Students will work individually with IFE to determine the best placement based on academic and professional interests and skills
STUDENTS ACCOMODATIONS
For the two month internship, students will reside in single rooms in French speaking student dorms/foyers at their own cost.
Cost of room and board in dorms (Foyers) :
- 410/470 euros/month without meals;
- 530/550euros/month with breakfast and partial meal plan
FORMALITIES
- Visa VLS-TS for a program stay of 7 months from January to July 31 obtained through a letter attesting study period through July with APA/IFE program
- APA insurance for the academic spring semester and IFE insurance for the two month internship
- Internship Contract given by IFE that establishes parameters of the program between the student, the company/organization and IFE (Convention de stage)
PROGRAM COST & PAYMENT
2 000 euros for the academic program with IFE $2,840 (1€ =$1.42)
Once a student has been accepted by both APA and IFE in March, a bill will be sent by the latter for the total program cost and room and board (depending on the program chosen). This sum must be paid in full before the internship contract (convention de stage) will be drafted.