Internships at Syracuse Madrid
Why should I intern?
The Syracuse Madrid Internship Program offers a great international professional experience to any student who wishes to improve their intercultural communication skills while in Spain. It is designed to provide students with an opportunity to gain a comparative understanding of North American and Spanish work environments while further developing professional abilities. At the same time, they can practice Spanish in ways that are not possible simply through books and lectures. Doing an internship provides a unique opportunity to learn through direct interaction and collaboration with the company, working with national and international institutions, organizations, and companies.
What does an internship at Syracuse Madrid entail?
Most of the students enrolled in an internship earn 1 credit by completing 45 hours of work at a company. Two- and three-credit internships are available in exceptional cases because they require 90 and 135 hours in the company respectively. We recommend doing only one credit.
All Syracuse Madrid internships are unpaid positions and must be approved for credit by an academic department at Syracuse University’s main campus. Internships that cannot be approved for credit in a specific area of study (BUA, COM, etc.) will be submitted for generic IPA (Internship Program Abroad) credit approval. For any questions concerning which credit will be accepted by their university, students should contact their advisor at their home campus. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure that their home university/college accepts the credit offered by Syracuse Madrid.
The final grade of the internship is calculated based on two types of assessments: (1) the work developed at the company and (2) the academic work assigned by the faculty sponsor (weekly journal, final paper, in-person meetings, other possible assignments, etc.).
Internship Hosts in Madrid
The Syracuse Madrid Internship program has agreements with a number of organizations, foundations, charities, NGOs, etc., that include a variety of fields such as business, communication, public relations, education, administration, sports, web design, etc. This list is always updated with new additions based on students’ interests.
Most of the companies we work with are small businesses and family-owned companies because experience has proved that these are the best environment for our students to learn and develop their skills. We work side by side with the students and the companies to find the best placement possible for each candidate. Based on student interest, experience, academic field, level of Spanish, time available, and a personal interview both with our internship supervisor and the company, we work to find the best fit for you.
Syracuse Madrid cannot guarantee that every student will obtain an internship nor a specific placement in a certain institution since it is the company that decides which students they accept. In other words, the acceptance of a candidate will depend on the company’s final decision.
Spanish Level Requirement
The Spanish level required depends on the company’s needs. Although any student can apply for an internship, most companies request a basic knowledge of the language (SPA 201).
Prospective Students
We’re delighted that you’re thinking about studying abroad and that an internship might be part of that. Please make sure that you follow the following steps:
- It is important that you fill out the Internship Request form on your OrangeAbroad portal.
- When adjusting your class schedule in Madrid, you should make sure that you have free time to be able to go to the organization/company.
- During the first days, there will be an “orientation meeting” where the rules and regulations of the program will be explained in more detail. If you did not fill out the Internship Request form on your OrangeAbroad portal, you can still participate in the program by attending this meeting.
- At the orientation meeting, you will need to confirm your interest in the program by filling out the form available on the Syracuse Madrid App. You have to submit the form and an updated résumé to mtvinuel@syr.edu
Service Learning in Madrid (Spring & Fall)
Would you like to provide meaningful service to your host community while learning about Spain?
If you don’t need an academic credit, but you still want to give some time to the community and learn about the cultural differences between the U.S. and Spain, you might be interested in joining our Service Learning Program.
We have some interesting options for you to choose from! For example, you can volunteer in local schools as an aide in English language classes, or you can collaborate with different NGOs. Let us know which field you’re interested in, and we’ll do our best to find a placement for you.
Just keep in mind that this is a mutual agreement; you choose to participate, and the institution counts on you so we ask that you maintain your commitment throughout the semester. You will be assigned a schedule that you must keep.
Although you will not get credits, and this is voluntary work, at the end of this experience, you will obtain a “Participation Certificate,” in addition to the personal satisfaction of having benefited the community.
If you want to participate in this program, don’t miss the Orientation Meeting that will take place during the first days in Madrid where you will receive more information. If you can’t make it to the meeting, please email the Service Learning Supervisor, Maite (mtvinuel@syr.edu).