Internship Office
Are you a student at the Institute of Psychology and want to do an internship during your studies ?
At the Institute of Psychology, students can do an internship as part of the Internship course (UE Stage) in the third year of their Bachelor’s, as part of the Professional Bachelor’s or during their Master’s.
Internship agreements cannot be signed if students have not completed all administrative processes and paid the tuition for the year in question.
In general, before these agreements are drafted, an internship project must be signed off on by the person in charge of the Internship course in your bachelor’s or master’s specialization.
Read the information below and feel free to contact the Internship Office for assistance throughout the process.
General Information
Under the law, internships are a “temporary period of work in a professional setting, during which you acquire skills and put into practice the theory you learned during your university program, with the aim of obtaining a diploma and facilitating your entry into the world of work”.
Internships are essential for your learning since they allow you to :
- become familiar with the world of work and learn about business culture;
- acquire skills by applying the theory you learned in class;
- develop, fine-tune or even change your career objectives;
- make contacts and develop your professional network;
- enhance your CV.
Note : internships must be integrated into an academic program !
Before you start your search for an internship, contact the Internship Office to find out if you are eligible (see section “Internships During Your Program at the Institute of Psychology”).
Applicable Laws (in French)
- French Law no. 2014-788 aimed at developing and directing internships and improving the status of interns
- French Order no. 2014-1420 relative to the management of training periods in professional settings and of internships
- French Order no. 2015-1359 of October 26, 2015 relative to the conditions under which host institutions may hire interns
Your rights (in French only): http://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/cid83003/stages-etudiants-les-nouveaux-droits-des-stagiaires.html
See an example of an internship agreement (in French).
For more information, consult the Internship Guide published by the French Ministry of National Education and the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
Internships During Your Program at the Institute of Psychology
“Internships are a particular method of learning which are integrated into a university program through the Internship course (UE Stage). They are followed by an evaluation that leads to the awarding of university credits. This course lists the tasks and learning objectives of the internship as well as the method of evaluation”.
(Extract from the document entitled, “Legislation and Academic Management of Internships at Université Paris Descartes”, Commission on Academic and University Life (CFVU), January 20, 2015)
Important Notice :
At the Institute of Psychology, students can do an internship as part of the Internship course (UE Stage) in the third year of their Bachelor’s, as part of the Professional Bachelor’s or during their Master’s.
Internship agreements cannot be signed if students have not completed all administrative processes and paid the tuition for the year in question.
In general, before these agreements are drafted, an internship project must be signed off on by the person in charge of the Internship course in your bachelor’s or master’s specialization.
Period and Duration of Internship
The periods and minimum durations for internships are set according to the methods of teaching and evaluation for the degree level in question (CFVU, January 20, 2015).
In L3 (third year), internships are to last 105 hrs. and should take place between November and May.
Students pursuing a professional bachelor’s are to do an internship of 500 hrs., which is to take place between September and June.
You will have to calculate the total duration of your internship. The total number of hours must be approved by the academic coordinator for internships.
The internship dates represent the period during which the internship will take place, regardless of the number of hours worked per week. The start and end dates must be indicated on your internship agreements.
The internship duration, expressed in hours, represents the actual time that the intern will spend at the host institution. This can be spread across the academic year.
Additional Internships at the Master’s Level
Master’s students, with the approval of the academic team and the department, may be allowed to do an additional internship.
Any “additional” internship projects must be approved by the internship coordinator of your degree program (it is highly recommended that students work with the same coordinator who directed the compulsory internship).
When internship agreements are created, they do not specify whether or not the internship is additional. Please enter this information under “internship topic” (sujet de stage).
An additional internship is possible at the master’s level if:
- it is in addition to and alongside the compulsory internship;
- it takes places after the main internship (current academic year);
- in the event of a student who is repeating the year and who has already passed the Internship course (case by case, under a learning agreement).
In all cases, the request must be justified and compatible with course attendance and workload.
The end date for additional internships cannot surpass August 31 of the year in question.
Additional internships are not allowed for L3 students.
Calculating the Duration of the Internship
Calculating the intern’s duration of actual presence, according to French Order no. 2014-1420 of November 27, 2014
- 22 days, consecutive or not, correspond to 1 month
- 7 hours, consecutive or not, correspond to 1 day
- 1 month corresponds to 22 days or 154 hours
Periods of absence must be indicated in the agreement (absences for exams, etc.) and must be subtracted from the intern’s duration of actual presence at the host institution. Any absences not mentioned in the agreement must be added as an amendment.
In the event of illness, you must inform the host institution and the Institute (coordinator and the Internship Office) and provide a medical certificate.
For internships whose duration surpasses 308 hrs. (two months), the host institution must grant students periods of leave which, at its discretion, may or may not be paid.
Under no circumstances can an internship surpass an actual duration of 924 hrs. during the academic year (the equivalent of 6 months full time).
Finding and Undertaking an Internship
Finding an internship requires preparation in advance. It is also important to bear in mind the deadlines for signing an internship agreement (minimum 1 month).
- Before you starting looking for an internship, you have to know what type of internship you want to do. What do you want to do, why and in what setting?
- Then, you need to be organized in your search. Search for businesses and institutions that interest you, look through internship offers, use your personal network and of course send cold e-mails.
- Before sending an application, ensure you have prepared an adequate file, and in the event of cold e-mails, ensure you have done sufficient research on the company.
Before the beginning of your internship:
- Prepare for your arrival in the company by researching on their business activities, projects, etc.
- Ensure you understand the tasks that are assigned to you and ask questions beforehand if you need more information
During the internship:
- Adapt to the host institution’s company culture
- Have a professional attitude
- Be curious and interact with others
- Take notes for your internship report
- Ask to be assessed by your tutor
After the internship:
- Start preparing your defense
- Keep in contact with the company and develop your network
- Use what you have learned!
Feel free to consult the list of internships and employment offers (in French)