Admission requirements
Contact the co-ordinator of studies. All internships have to be approved by the Career Service and the Board of Examiners before the starting date. Students can contact Andreas Hofmann for the appointment of an academic internship supervisor.
Description
The MA in International Relations offers students the possibility to exchange one 10 EC elective for an internship at an organisation/institution in the field of international or foreign relations, in or outside of the Netherlands. Students are free to choose their own host institution, though need final approval by the Examination Committee of the MAIR. Academic research, an academic presentation and critical self-reflection are crucial aspects of the internship. For all internships conducted within the programme, students are therefore required to:
Submit an internship plan, a crucial component of which are well-formulated learning objectives. Students will critically self-reflect on these learning objectives over the course of the intership, both via a mid-term review and the final internship report. Before the start of the internship, students are required to submit the internship plan to the Career Service. The Career Service will forward the completed plan to the Board of Examiners for approval.
Submit a research proposal of 1,250 words including bibliography that provides an overview of the research project that will culminate in the academic research paper. This overview should include an abstract, a research question, an introduction detailing scholarly relevance, methodology, plan, and initial bibliography. Sources must be cited in the research proposal.
Submit a mid-term review (1,000 words) in which students critically reflect on their progress in the internship vis-a-vis their learning objectives.
Submit an internship report of 1,500 words in which students critically reflect on their achievements during the internship vis-a-vis their learning objectives, and on how the internship connects with their study programme.
Submit an academic research paper of 5,000 words including bibliography on a topic relevant to both the Internship Organisation and the MA International Studies.
Give a 20 minute presentation on the research paper and its links with the internship, as well as respond to questions and feedback from audience participants.
Course objectives
Gain work experience related to the MAIR programme
Develop an advanced understanding of the nexus between theory and practice in global politics
Critically compare the theoretical and practical aspects of international relations
Develop the capacity for independent learning through critical self-reflection
Demonstrate appropriate cognitive, communicative and transferable skills
Mode of instruction
Internship
Assessment method
20% Functioning during internship (i.e., internship plan, mid-term review, internship performance)
10% Preparatory phase (i.e., research paper proposal, 1250wds)
10% Internship report (1500wds)
60% Final product (50% research paper, 5000wds; 10% 20-min presentation)
Reading list
To be agreed with the academic internship supervisor.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the study adviser.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
For additional information on internships, see the website of Leiden University’s Careers Service.