Starting your internship search

Student Career Services can help you to find an internship. We created an overview of steps you can follow in this process, together with the options of career support we offer.

Step 1: Preparation

Make an appointment with your study advisor

  • Discuss the planning of your Master’s programme, including your internship, with your study advisor.
  • Check, in consultation with your study advisor, which chair groups are allowed to supervise your internship. Ask your study advisor for tips regarding finding appropriate internships.

Define your intership goal

Before looking for potential internships, ask yourself what you would like to learn during your internship. This self-reflection phase is very important. You can also ask fellow students about their internship experiences or read professional journals to gain knowledge.

Do you not know what kind of internship you are looking for or what would fit you? Our Career Coach can help you with this self-reflection phase.

Step 2: Search & Application

How to search for internships?

After you know what you want to learn, you can start searching for internships. Start searching for internships at least three to six months in advance, and at least six months in advance if you plan to do your internship abroad.

You can search for internship positions by:

We can also help you to find a suitable internship.

Contact your chair group

Every chair group has different procedures regarding the internship. Therefore it is important to contact the internship coordinator of the chair group you want to do your internship at. Make sure that you know how the relevant chair group arranges their internships. If you are not sure at which chair group you want to do your internship, it is best to contact your study advisor.

Important! After you found an internship, you need to check if this internship is in line with the internship requirements at the chair group.

Apply for internships

Have you found some interesting internships? Congratulations! Now it is time to apply for them.

Open applications

An open application is advisable only if it’s mentioned as an option on the organisation’s website. Otherwise, it’s best to call first to check if submitting an open application is possible. When writing your open application, tailor it by specifying the department, project, or activities you’re interested in. This will increase your chances of success.

Step 3: Procedures

Internship contract

Before the internship starts, you, the host supervisor and the internship coordinator from the chair group have to agree on the formalities of your internship. These agreements need to be stated in the Internship Contract. The WU Internship Contract is the preferred contract to use for your internship. A non-WU internship contract requires an extra check with the legal services of the specific science group that the chair group belongs to. You should factor in about two extra weeks for this check. You, the host supervisor and the internship coordinator of the chair group need to sign the contract.

Learning agreement & Internship plan

The learning agreement is a description of the internship assignment, your personal learning goals, the agreement on supervision, planning, evaluation moments, and (if applicable) risk assessment. You and your WU supervisor must sign the learning agreement.

The Internship Plan is a project proposal for your internship. You should make clear whether your internship is a Research Internship (completed with a ‘research report’) or a Professional Internship (completed with a ‘context report’ and deliverables of projects that have been part of your internship).

Further information on the above and WU travel policy, insurance and grants can be found in the Course guide on internships. You can find information on reimbursement of vaccination costs and travel costs in the Student Charter: Vaccination and Travel Funding regulation.

Internships abroad

Travel policy for students

In case of an internship outside the Netherlands, you need permission from WUR for your travel abroad.

Funding NL

Funding for internships in EU countries + North Macedonia, Serbia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey

Funding for internships in the United States