Admission requirements
Only students of the Advanced MSc International Relations and Diplomacy programme can take this course.
Description
Each student in the MSc International Relations and Diplomacy (MIRD) programme will conduct an internship in an organisation such as an international governmental or non-governmental organisation, a think tank or another institute working in the domain of international relations, international organisation or diplomacy. The internship will largely be conducted during the fourth block of the first year of the MIRD programme; the minimum requirement is 10 weeks (full time).
Students who undertake an internship longer than 4 months (full time) have the right to apply for this module to count for 15 EC
Course objectives
The internship aims to familiarise students with the work of an international organisation, think tank, governmental, non-governmental or other organisation that is conducting activities in the domain of international relations or diplomacy.
The internship is an opportunity for the students to apply their academic knowledge in practice, learn how to operate in a professional environment, and the practical challenges faced by the organisation. This knowledge and practical experiences strengthen the basis for their further academic work, and their understanding of the job market.
The students get an opportunity to build their professional networks, learn more about possible career paths, skills required to get into the job market, test drive possible jobs and explore different career options.
The Hague is a particularly fascinating area for students to be placed in such an organisation, due to the dense network of institutions operating in the ‘International City of Peace and Justice’. However, students are also welcome to search for internships in other locations, including Geneva, Brussels or New York.
Timetable
Two information sessions will be organised for the students during the semester.
Mode of instruction
Students actively engage with the work of an organisation by conducting an internship. For the practical part of the MIRD internship, the following documents have to be drawn up:
Updated CV
Application strategy
Internship agreement between the student, University and the receiving organisation
Internship plan between the student and the University
Internship report or video
Assessment form by the internship supervisor.
The MIRD internship coordinator will offer group and individual preparatory sessions on available openings, scholarships, setting up applications and CVs, application strategy, provide tailor-made advice on finding the right opening, and offer individual guidance throughout the internship. The students get an opportunity to present their experiences to their fellow students after completing the internships.
Study load:
10 EC or 15 EC
Students who undertake an internship longer than 4 months (full time) have the right to apply for this module to count for 15 EC
Assessment method
The internship (10EC or 15 EC) is graded as pass/fail, based on an assessment of the internship organisation supervisor (pass/fail) and your internship report (pass/fail).
The following documents need to be submitted:
Assessment form: written by the internship supervisor of the internship organisation.
Internship report: This report, approximately 1500 words in length.
Application for the internship to count for 15 EC (if applicable).
The internship report consist of the following elements:
Description of the internship, i.e. the type and aims of the organisation worked for, the various activities the internship entailed, and the relevance of these activities for the work of the organisation at large;
Reflection on the internship in light of the academic study of international relations and diplomacy.
Alternatively, the internship video consists of the following elements:
Presentation of the organisation and description of the internship, i.e. the type and aims of the organisation worked for, the various activities the internship entailed, and the relevance of these activities for the work of the organisation at large;
Sharing your personal story on how they got access and what they learned from the experiences.
Note that if you choose to do the internship video instead of the internship report, this video will be added to a database for future MIRD students to watch.
Details for submitting papers (deadlines) are posted on Brightspace. If you fail to submit all of the required internship documents, you will fail the course. You can redo the course by submitting by February 23, 2026.
Reading list
N/A
Registration
The programme will register the students in Usis. Use Brightspace for course information.
Contact
Ms. R. Drange, Internship Coordinator
r.drange@fgga.leidenuniv.nl
Contact hours: Fridays on appointment
Remarks
Based on this internship, the students can also also write an internship research paper, which will be graded (5 EC). The normal study load for this block is 15 ects, which can be achieved through either
10 EC internship + 5 EC Internship Research Paper or
10 EC internship alternative module + 5 EC Internship Research Paper or
15 EC internship