A Scholarship to Fund Your Internship Experience Abroad
The College of Arts and Letters is pleased to announce the William R. Mundt Memorial Scholarship for International Internships. Students who are planning to, or are interested in, participating in a service-oriented internship outside the United States with a potential NGO, governmental aid agency, humanitarian organization, or social agency, but are unable to finance such a venture, are encouraged to apply to the Mundt Scholarship for International Internships in Peace & Security.
This is a competitive scholarship. Award amounts will be determined by the committee, though the intent is to cover nearly the full cost of an international internship for 6 awardees. Recipients must participate in a credit-bearing international internship of at least two months, which should address social welfare, health, educational, cultural or environmental problems, or social and economic inequalities. Applicants must locate and secure their own internships, which must be approved by Division of Global Affairs upon scholarship acceptance.
Carefully read through each section below to learn more and apply.
STEP 1
Students must first complete the General Application in Aztec Scholarships
When completing the General Application, students will be asked if they plan to study abroad during the next academic year. Select Yes.
STEP 2
Once you submit the General Application, you will see a list of Recommended Opportunities. William R. Mundt Memorial Scholarship for International Internships should be among those recommended scholarships.
STEP 3
Thoroughly read through the below sections AND watch the pre-recorded information presentation.
Attend a Live Zoom Q&A if you have specific questions regarding your internship of choice or your application.
STEP 4
Prepare your essay in a separate word document. Submit your essay for this scholarship in Aztec Scholarships by the deadline below.
Application Period:
March 1 - August 15, 2020
For many students, the most daunting aspect of completing an internship abroad is locating and securing an internship. It can be difficult to locate and secure an internship stateside in your own community, let alone in another country. The process can be even more daunting to students who have never left the country. The good new is there are multiple ways to locate and secure internships abroad, including working with companies who can faciliate the entire process for you. The three main ways to locate and secure an internship include the following:
Option 1)
Locate an internship on your own.
Conduct research on companies and organizations that operate abroad (in a country of your choice) and apply directly with the organization. Some companies and organizations will publish their openings directly on their website, while smaller organizations may not have the capacity to do so or do not have an already set up internship program. If this is the case, you can try reaching out directly to the organization and submitting a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, make sure to mention that you are applying for funding at your university which, if received, would cover the costs associated with your international internship experience.
If you choose this option, you will need to complete the petition process in Aztecs Abroad. Make sure to review the petition submission deadlines.
Option 2)
Speak with your professors who conduct research abroad.
Some of your professors may have contacts they can connect you with directly. Again, be prepared to submit a cover letter and resume that speaks to what you can offer that organization. Remember to research the orgnization in advance so that you are knowledgeable about the company or organization. As with Option 1, make sure to inform the potential organization that you are applying for funding at your university that, if received, would cover the costs associated with your international internship experience.
If you choose this option, you will need to complete the petition process in Aztecs Abroad. Make sure to review the petition submission deadlines.
Option 3)
Utilize a study abroad program provider
A program provider is a study abroad company that will faciliate the entire process of locating and securing an international internships for you. This is the best option for students who do not already have contacts abroad, or who have not had luck reaching out to international organizations directly. Read the next section to learn more.
What's the benefit of a program provider? Utilizing a program provider is a great option for students who know they would like to complete an internship abroad, but need help locating and securing an international internship. A program provider will:
- work with you to place you in an internship of your choice
- make arrangements for in-country housing (sometimes with homestay options and mealplans)
- provide an in-country orientation when you arrive and on-site 24/7 assistance throughout your program
- likely offer optional weekend excursions and activities you can participate in to experience more of the host-culture and country
How do I find a program provider to work with? SDSU works with several study abroad "program provider" companies that have already been pre-approved to offer international internship programs to SDSU students. Click on the various pre-approved program provider options below to learn more about the program, eligbility requirements and application deadlines. The links below take you to the individual Aztecs Abroad brochure pages. Carefully read the Aztecs Abroad program brochure page and follow the instructions found on that page. To learn more about the specific internship options available with that company, click the homepage link for that company. You can also utilize a program provider company that has not been pre-approved by SDSU (and therefore not listed below), but you will need to then also complete the independent internship petition process.
Preparing your essay: Please note that you will need to gather specific information about the internship placement in order to properly complete the scholarship essay. Once you have decided which program you would like to apply to, we recommend reaching out to an Advisor at the program provider company to gather as much information about the placement option as possible. The more specific you are in your scholarship application essay, the better.
Payments & Deadlines: The scholarship deadlines are outlined below. Keep in mind that your program provider may have deadlines that don't necessary align with the scholarship deadlines/time frame. Many providers will require a non-refundable deposit or application fee up front. If you are awarded the Mundt Scholarship, the funds can cover the costs associated with the internship, including the program provider costs. However, if you do not receive the scholarship, you will still be responsible for whatever fees you may have paid the program provider (this is why it is importantly to review all deadlines and payment policies.)
- Mundt Scholarship for International Internships in Peace & Security Application Time Frame: March 1 - August 15, 2020
- Award Notifications Sent to Applicants: Mid-December 2020 - Mid-January 2021
- Award Disbursement (for recipients): January 2021
Pre-approved SDSU Internship, Service-Learning and Volunteer Programs*
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS
CISabroad Internships
International Studies Abroad (ISA) Internships
ISEP Internships
Study in Portugal Network (SiPN) Internships
SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAMS
ISA Service-Learning
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
International Volunteer HQ
AIESEC Volunteer Opportunities
*Previous Mundt Alumni have participated in both traditional international internships as well as international service-learning and volunteer programs. So long as the program you choose is at least 8 weeks in length, and addresses social welfare, health, educational, cultural or environmental problems, or social and economi inequalities, the program should be eligible.
When selecting an internship abroad, keep the following things in mind:
- Correct Type of Internship - Does your internship address social welfare, health, educational, cultural or environmental problems, or social and economic inequalities? In order to be eligible for the Mundt Scholarship, your internship must address one or more of these issues. Specifically, recipients must participate in a service-oriented internships outside the United States with an established organization such as an NGO, governmental aid agency, combined public/private aid/peace agency, humanitarian organization, or social agency.
- Language Ability - Does your internship require a certain level of language skills and do you posess those language skills?
- Length of Internship - Internships must be a minimum of 8 weeks to be eligible for the Mundt Scholarship.
- Internship Timing - Will the internship take place during the window of the scholarship award? The scholarship application in Aztec Scholarships states specifically when the internship must take place. Make sure the internships you're researching fall within this window.
- Course Credit - In order to be eligible for the scholarship, your internship experience must be linked to credit. The pre-recorded informational presentation goes over this process.
- Itemized Budget - Consider the associated costs of completing an internship in the specific location (or with the specific program provider) you are researching. You will need to prepare an itemized budget for your Mundt Scholarship application including, the cost of housing, international flight, in-country transportation, food, course tuition, etc.
- Payment Deadlines (program provider) - The program provider will have their own payment deadlines that may not necessary align with the scholarship notification or disbursement timeline. Make sure to closely read when payments are due. Please keep in mind that if you do not receive the scholarship, you may still have to cover an application fee/deposit out of your own pocket. Read carefully when applying to a program provider company!
Read below to learn how previous Mundt Scholarship recipients located and secured their international internship, what their experience was like, and what recommendations they have for students considering applying for the Mundt Scholarship for International Internships.
Meet Nancy
"My name is Nancy Nguyen. I am an honors student pursuing a Bachelors in Sociology, under the College of Arts and Letters, and a minor in Public Administration under the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. During Spring 2018, I had a life-changing experience studying abroad in Uganda through the School for International Training Program."
How did you locate and secure your international internship?
"The School for International Training - my study abroad program [provider] - required me to either conduct an internship or a research project as part of my experiential learning. Thus, I secured my internship abroad through the tremendous guidance and support of my Academic Director in Uganda. The most challenging part of this process was finding an internship position that would permit me to work in a refugee settlement, due to safety and accommodation concerns."
What recommendations do you have for students considering applying to the Mundt Scholarship?
"[A]pply apply apply! Regardless of the intimidation of the application process, cost associated with the internship, and/or anxiety of leaving your loved ones. Remember that there is a network of people on campus and in the community that will support you in making this experience a reality. In addition to Career Services and the Writing Center, there are Mundt scholars, SDSU professors, and SDSU faculty/staff that would be elated to connect with you on how to make your scholarship application stand out."
What did you do for your internship?
"While abroad, I served as a Emergency Response and Humanitarian Aid Intern in a Ugandan refugee settlement for an implementing partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). I built temporary structures and distributed shelter kits and women’s sanitary items to the influx of Congolese refugees, assisted with political persecution and domestic violence casework, served hot meals through the United Nations World Food Program, and composed daily activity reports to submit to the Office of Prime Minister and UNHCR."
Best highlight and biggest challenge of your internship experience?
"The highlight of my internship was the live-where-you-work environment that helped
me cultivate strong bonds with the aid workers; we worked, lived, cooked, ate, cleaned,
hand-washed clothes, shared stories, listened to music, and danced together. The most
challenging part of my internship experience was the emotional labor of interacting
with new Congolese arrivals, many of whom were in a vulnerable
chapter of their life."
What do you think you gained from this experience?
"During my internship, I gained insight on how Africa fits in our international society, how international policy fits into positive global progression, how my identity as a Vietnamese-American fits into our collective humanity. I also gained skills in language, self-confidence, humility, and adaptability."
Meet Daniel
"My name is Daniel Krupa and I am a fourth year here at San Diego State University. I am majoring in Sustainability in the College of Arts and Letters. My internship was with the International Studies Abroad (ISA) Internships program and I studied abroad in Granada, Spain for two months over the 2018 summer."
How did you locate and secure your international internship?
"Back in January of 2018, I attended a study abroad info session in the Student Union which consisted of about three speakers talking about different programs/locations to pick from as well as strategies to help fund the experience abroad. I loved that ISA was able to count for not only my study abroad requirement, but also my internship requirement and 6 elective units for the journal entries, essays and other homework I completed on a weekly basis. The process from start to finish took about three months overall because there was a lot of paperwork I had to collect, fill out and submit for both SDSU and ISA. I found out about the program in January and by mid April almost all details and logistics for the trip were ready to go."
What recommendations do you have for students considering completing an internship abroad?
"My recommendation for people that are looking to complete an international internship is to start looking early since the planning can take months. Also, to not only look at the internship duties but the country as a whole to see if you are a right fit for that experience. Doing an international internship was something I wouldn't trade for the world and all the preparations for the trip were worth it. The amount of learning you will undergo in a new culture and location is irreplaceable."
What did you do for your internship?
"I was part of a service learning program teaching Sustainability in summer schools across the city. I think the most rewarding part of my time abroad was taking the students on a tour of the historic part of the city called, El Albaicin. Teaching them about the history as well as the way of life regarding their water use, food sources and living arrangements, it was thrilling to see the interest and excitement on their faces."
What do you think you gained from this experience?
"[H]aving to teach in Spanish five days a week and live with a host family who did not speak English, allowed me to grasp the language and the norms of Spain quicker than learning them in a classroom. In addition to my language skills improving, I believe some of the other skills I gained included a better understanding on how to teach, problem solving skills, adjusting to new/changing environments and an increase in self management/self accountability."
