Students

The Graduate Student Internship Program (GSIP) provides opportunities for University of Alberta graduate students to gain valuable work experience through paid, meaningful internships in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. GSIP is not a co-op program.

Benefits for the Student

  • Strengthen transferable skills including communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration;
  • Build your résumé;
  • Gain practical experience in professional activities including program development, community engagement, project management, strategic planning, and policy development;
  • Apply your academic learning to opportunities and challenges outside of academia;
  • See and experience the connection between your skills and the range of potential careers;
  • Connect with organizations and employers in complementary fields;
  • Maintain balance through flexible hours so you can continue your graduate student journey; and
  • Use GSIP work hours to fulfill the Professional Development Requirement hours for your Individual Development Plan (IDP).

Option 1: Apply for Internship

Follow the steps below to apply for an internship through the Graduate Student Internship Program (GSIP):

Step 1: Confirm you are eligible.

Eligible applicants must be:

  • Be a registered University of Alberta Master's or PhD student; and
  • Be enrolled full-time or part-time in a University of Alberta graduate program when applying for an internship. Students may convocate during the internship but should be registered as a student when applying for an internship.

Please note:

  • University of Alberta graduate students on a Study Permit are expected to follow the work hour regulations as laid out on their Study Permit.
Step 2: Apply for internships.
  • Available internships can be viewed under the GSIP heading in campusBridge and new opportunities will be posted as they become available throughout the year;
  • Students may apply for any GSIP internship for which they are qualified by following the instructions in the job posting; and
  • Employers will contact the students they would like to interview.

Please note:

Step 3: Fullfill internship requirements.
  • Successful student interns are expected to fulfill the job requirements for the duration of the internship while carrying out their academic requirements;
  • To ensure a successful internship, the student is expected to:
    • Meet with their internship supervisor assigned by the employer to clarify responsibilities and identify learning outcomes;
    • Complete any agreed-upon deliverables within the internship duration;
    • Submit hours worked to the supervisor; and
    • Participate in assessment activities with GSIP staff to evaluate the placement and program.

Option 2: Create Your Own Internship

Follow the steps below to create your own internship through the Graduate Student Internship Program (GSIP):

Step 1: Confirm you are eligible.

Eligible applicants must be:

  • Be a registered University of Alberta Master's or PhD student; and
  • Be enrolled full-time or part-time in a University of Alberta graduate program when applying for an internship. Students may convocate during the internship but should be registered as a student when applying for an internship.

Please note:

  • University of Alberta graduate students on a Study Permit are expected to follow the work hour regulations as laid out on their Study Permit.
Step 2: Contact Employers.

You can reach out to your connections (e.g., your supervisor, former employers, etc.), or to companies you are interested in working with, to let them know that they can hire you as a U of A grad student intern, and that GSIP staff can help them apply for funding to off-set a portion of your wages. 

  • In your initial email, include a very brief introduction of who you are, your industry-specific skills, and why you want to work with the company. You can also mention the GSIP and share the contact information.
  • You can include a description of GSIP, such as the following:
The U of A's Graduate Student Internship Program (GSIP) helps employers access wage-subsidies to hire graduate students for diverse, meaningful, student-centered work experience opportunities, bridging the gap between academic studies and
employment. Internships are flexible and vary based on employer and student requirements.


Please inform GSIP staff (gsip@ualberta.ca) that you are initiating your own GSIP so they can offer guidance and to provide assistance with setting up program details (such as payroll) with your employer. In order to be eligible to hire a U of A graduate student through the GSIP, employers are asked to:

  • offer a placement that allows a student to participate in professional activities, strengthen transferable skills and gain valuable experience
  • pay a recommended minimum of $25/ hour for the full duration of the internship, with the possibility of accessing wage-subsidies to off-set this; and
  • provide a supervisor to work with and support the student

 

Please note:

Step 3: Fullfill internship requirements.
  • Successful student interns are expected to fulfill the job requirements for the duration of the internship while carrying out their academic requirements;
  • To ensure a successful internship, the student is expected to:
    • Meet with their internship supervisor assigned by the employer to clarify responsibilities and identify learning outcomes;
    • Complete any agreed-upon deliverables within the internship duration;
    • Submit hours worked to the supervisor; and
    • Participate in assessment activities with GSIP staff to evaluate the placement and program

Student Testimonials

  • "Today I got my full-time job offer and finally, my status changed from Temporary Intern to Full-Time Employee in the company... [The internship was the] golden key for me to get into the industry and get Canadian work experience... The happiness that I have today with my career would not be possible without [GSIP]."

  • "The internship was phenomenal. They had lots of variety for me and certainly appropriate work. They also provided really great mentorship-really valuable at this point in my upcoming career!"

  • "This program is a great opportunity for grad students to learn what else is out there for them and helps them network and build a support system... The internship is helping me to see how skills I've honed as a grad student can be applied to different situations... It's not just the new skills but learning how useful the skills I already have can be which I'm hoping will make it easier to market myself later when I'm applying for jobs."

Contact Information

If you have any questions or require more information, please contact:

Andrea Spevak, MEd
Graduate Student Internship Advisor
Career Centre & Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Email: andrea.spevak@ualberta.ca
Phone: (780) 492-1869

Navita Kalra 
Graduate Student Internship Program Career Advisor
Career Centre & Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Email: gsip@ualberta.ca
Phone: (780) 492-7949