Becoming an MGA Internship Partner Organization

Interested in taking on an MGA summer intern...

The Master of Global Affairs (MGA) is the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy’s flagship graduate program. Designed as a professional degree, students are expected to hone their skills working in complex, fast-paced environments addressing issues of global importance. The internship is a required component of the MGA, for which students receive academic credit towards their degree. The purpose of the internship is for students to gain experience taking responsibility for some aspect of policy-crafting, researching, report-writing, forecasting and planning, or assessment and evaluation of programs, among other components of the host organization’s work. MGA interns would ideally be integrated into the host organization as a fully-contributing member of the team with some mentorship and guidance offered by an experienced practitioner.

Students are required to complete 10-16 weeks of full-time work, paid or unpaid, between the beginning of May and the end of August. We ask host organizations to offer the following:

• A dedicated supervisor to mentor, guide, and evaluate the intern’s work and to act as liaison to the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy for the duration of the internship;
• Develop a work and learning plan with the student intern;
• Assigning work and tasks that are both necessary to the operations of the host organization and commensurate with the student’s knowledge and skill-level as a graduate student intern, and when possible, targeted to the student’s stated learning goals;
• Provision of all necessary training and orientation to the host organization’s work and mission, the required tasks, and any work safety concerns;
• Provision of all necessary work space and equipment required for the job; (with COVID-19, remote internships are acceptable)
• Ensuring a workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment;
• Be able to offer reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities;
• Completion of the Munk School’s mid-term and end-of-internship evaluations of the student’s work;
• Guidance and advice for the student on housing, travel and safety in the host organization’s city. (if travel is suitable for the role)

The MGA student will be responsible for:

• Completing all work and tasks with integrity and professionalism;
• Maintaining regular communication with the internship supervisor regarding the status of projects and emerging issues and concerns;
• Acquiring all necessary health and travel insurance, internship/work visas and permits;
• All arrangements related to the travel to and from the host organization’s city, room and board, travel within the city and vaccinations.

The Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the University of Toronto will be responsible for:

• All pre-departure preparation and training for the student’s personal safety abroad;
• Ensuring comprehensive liability insurance for students in case of third party injury or damage to property in the execution of their roles as interns;
• Ensuring workplace safety insurance through the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities;
• In coordination with the Government of Canada, repatriation of students in emergencies or when ensuring the student’s safety is a concern;
• Developing the mechanisms to evaluate a student’s work and performance.

I would like to thank you for your interest in supporting our students in their learning experience. I trust that you will find our MGA students to be of the highest caliber and able to contribute substantively to the work of your organization.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us by phone or email.

Global Internships Coordinator

Email: mga.internship@utoronto.ca
Phone: +1-416-946-3955