Internships provide valuable learning experiences, potential career paths, expanding your professional portfolio, and endless networking opportunities.
The Graduate Internship Program for Engineering and Computer Science will give you the opportunity to apply the high-level skills and knowledge you have earned during your graduate studies and to explore a variety of industries and organizations. The internship application and interview process will help you articulate and communicate your strengths, knowledge and experiences persuasively to potential internship hosts.听Completing an internship will help develop the soft skills you need to stand out amongst other applicants after graduation.听
Read carefully and understand the process and eligibility outlined on this page before planning your internship.
Value & Duration
- Up to $2,000 per month for a full-time internship of up to 4 months (if unpaid by host).
- The amount is pro-rated to account for salaries paid by听host company or for a part-time internship
Deadline
Applications for pre-approval are accepted on a rolling basis, but note the following deadlines per term:
- For Winter 2024听internships: November 2, 2023.
- For Summer 2024听internships: February 28, 2024.
- For Fall 2024听internship: June 14, 2024.
We encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible.
Eligibility
To be eligible, a student must听be registered full-time the semester prior to and following the internship, in M3 or earlier,听in the following programs:
- Canadian and International Masters non-thesis students in the Faculty of Engineering who are in good academic standing from the following departments:听
Architecture, Biological and Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mining and Materials Engineering,听Urban planning, and Sustainability in Engineering and Design - Canadian and International Masters non-thesis听students in the Faculty of Science who are in good academic standing from the following department:
Computer Science - Canadian and International Masters non-thesis students in the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences who are in good academic standing from the following department:
Bioresource Engineering
The internship must take place after the completion of one's first semester.听
Please note that we do not encourage that students delay their graduation until after their internship.听
You must complete the course听Preparing for Your Internship听on myCourses and submit the certificate of completion to GPS prior to start date of internship in order to process award payments.
What are the internship requirements and documents?
- An internship through GrIPECS must be considered high level work. As this program is for Masters students, the level of work should be appropriate to your skills and expertise.
- The internship听must be completed in the province of Qu茅bec, Canada.
- Individual Development Plan (IDP) Requirement -all applicants are required to:
- Attend one IDP workshop offered by myPath
- Create their IDP using any myPath tool
- Once these requirements have been fulfilled, they must complete the to attest that they have fulfilled the IDP requirement. Note: Applicants are NOT required to submit their personal IDP document.
- Documentation (all documents must be typed, hand-written copies will be returned to the student applicant):听
Planning for your Internship worksheet,听
Pre-Approval Form,听
Internship Approval Form- English听version or听
Demande d'autorisation de stage听- version fran莽ais听(if you are finding your own听internship), curriculum vitae and .
What are the benefits?
- Gaining firsthand experience
- Building and developing new skills (communications, project management, etc.)
- A chance to test the waters and decide if this is the right career for you
- Learning what your dream industry or field or company is like
- Broaden your professional network, link with mentors, potential collaborators and people in your field听
- Become a more marketable candidate to employers upon graduation
How to plan for an internship?
You want to complete an internship but how should you proceed?
- Speak with your advisor regarding your intension to complete an internship.
- Complete the听
Pre-Approval Form听to know if you qualify to participate in an internship through the Graduate Internship Program for Engineering and Computer Science and email the completed application form with your CV to听internships.gps [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Pre-Approval%20Form) 听
- Once you are pre-approved by the GPS funding internship unit, we will assist in matching you to host(s) from our host bank or you can find your own internship (refer to the Internship Guide).
- Once an internship is confirmed with a host, submit the听
Internship Approval Form- English version or
Demande d'autorisation de stage - version fran莽ais听to the GPS funding internship unit who will provide final approval prior to the expected start date.
- Complete your internship and the听.
FAQ
- Are there limitations for location?
An internship can be anywhere inside the province of Qu茅bec. - What qualifies as good academic standing?
You must achieve a CGPA of 2.00 or higher for your standing to be 鈥渟atisfactory鈥.听 - What if I am an international student?
In order for international students to work in Canada, they must have the proper work authorization. Depending on your situation, you may need to apply for a co-op work permit or use your study permit off campus work authorization to be able to complete the internship.
Co-op work permit: If you are completing a program that has a mandatory internship requirement, you may be able to use an internship offered through the Graduate Internship Program for Engineering and Computer Science students to fulfill this requirement. In this case, you will need to obtain a co-op work permit, prior to beginning your internship. If your program does not have a mandatory internship, then you cannot apply for a co-op work permit, you must use the work authorization under your study permit to complete your internship.
Study permit: If you will be completing an internship as an elective to your program requirements, you must respect the off campus work authorization requirements under your study permit. If you will be completing your internship during an academic term, you must be enrolled full-time and can only complete a part-time internship (20 hours/week). If your program has a regularly scheduled break in the summer (i.e. the summer term is not a mandatory academic term), you may complete a full-time internship.Important note about summer:
听If the summer is normally a regularly scheduled break in your program, and you will be completing the internship during the summer, you can work full-time off campus during the summer if you are enrolled full-time in the academic terms before AND after the break. You can exceptionally be enrolled part-time after the break (I.e during the Fall term) and work in the summer if the Fall term is your final term and you were enrolled full-time in every other regular academic term.Students cannot create their own scheduled breaks in their program in order to work.
If summer is not a regularly scheduled break in your program, then it is considered a regular academic term and you must respect the restrictions described above.
If you have any questions about your ability to complete an internship as an international student, please contact International Student Services (ISS).
- Can my internship exceed 4 months?
You may extend your internship beyond the 4-month period. However, the additional work period will be considered outside of the range of GrIPECS and arrangements must be made between yourself and the internship supervisor. - Can I find my own internship?听
Yes, you can find your own internship. The following links听are to useful databases:听
听
- How many hours a week should I work during an internship?
The intern may work the legal maximum each week, which is dependent on their immigration status within the country of work. 15 to 29 hours per week is considered part-time, while 30 hours and above per week is considered full-time. International students are typically allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week. Please consult听International Student Services听for more information or FAQ question 3.
Ready to get started?
Complete the IDP Planning for your Internship worksheet to identify your goals.
Complete and submit via email the pre-approval form with your CV to听internships.gps [at] mcgill.ca (subject: GrIPECS%20Application)
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For student perspectives on internship experiences in engineering and computer science please visit the testimonials page.
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For questions regarding the program, contact the internships.gps [at] mcgill.ca (subject: GrIPECS%20Inquiries) (GPS funding internship unit).