Research and Internship Opportunities

An internship in Paris is one of the most exciting opportunities available for students in the program. These internships are an entirely optional undertaking, but a significant number of our students do take advantage of it, either on a part-time basis in the spring semester and/or on a full-time basis for eight to ten weeks in the summer following the end of the program.

The JYA program will not automatically provide you with an internship, nor do we subscribe to the model whereby you are presented with a limited subset of recurrent opportunities to choose from. Instead, we believe that defining your goals clearly, searching for and locating possible internship opportunities, developing appropriate presentation materials (CV, cover letter, etc…) and landing the internship are an integral part of the internship experience.

While the prospect may seem daunting at first, we are here to help you every step of the way. In the fall semester, we offer workshops for students interested in internship opportunities, where you will develop the appropriate application materials and target those opportunities that most closely correspond to your academic and professional interests. We will also encourage you and help you think through precisely where your strengths and interests lie. You may find this process challenging, but we assure you, well worth the effort.

Whatever your interests are, we want you to think of Paris as a virtually unlimited assemblage of potential internship sites. Whether you are an art historian interested in a museum internship or a neurobiologist hoping to work in a laboratory, Paris is filled with opportunities. It is up to you (with our help) to land the perfect internship.

Landing the perfect internship requires a combination of moxie, persistence, and thick skin. Part of the challenge stems from the fact that internships in France play a very different role than they do in the US.  In France, internships are generally secured after a student has completed their training (Bachelors or master's degree), and they are a way for a student to finally put their acquired knowledge to use.  In the US, in contrast, internships are often secured part way through your undergraduate education, often as a way to test out the realities of your particular chosen field of study. While this cultural difference may seem to put you at a disadvantage when competing for an internship with your French counterparts, keep in mind that you are bringing some important assets to the internship, including your English fluency and the likelihood that you will have already done relevant practical work in your field as part of your Smith education (in labs, seminars, or prior internships).  But be ready to apply to many places, each time crafting an application specific to the opportunity. Be ready to not hear anything back from some of the places where you will apply. Be ready to be turned down because you are applying prior to completing your degree. Persist. Students in the program have been exceptionally successful in finding and thriving in internships in Paris.

In recent years students have pursued non-credit internships with such organizations as the following:

• Conseil National Français des Arts Plastiques at UNESCO (translating documents pertaining to the administration of artistic projects in France)

• Institut Nationale d'Histoire de l'Art

• French Heritage Society (internships in a variety of places in the larger Parisian area (Chantilly, Versailles) offering exceptional opportunities for students in the fields of architecture, cultural management, art history, preservation and horticulture)

• The American Library (internships for students interested in working with books and digital media in a library environment)

• L’institut Gustave Roussy, Public Health Policy (an internship for students interested in public health)