International Relations students have the opportunity to gain valuable real-world experience through the Geneva Internship Program. During the first six weeks of the program, students take core classes while preparing for an eight-week professional internship at a local organization. The internship manager facilitates individualized internship placements in English. Students are placed in one of the many humanitarian, political, or economic organizations headquartered in Geneva. Throughout the program, students live in a conveniently located residence hall near Lake Geneva.
Requirements & Considerations
- All students must enroll according to, and remain in compliance with, the Boston University Study Abroad Course Load Policy.
- Due to the highly competitive nature of internship placements in Geneva, candidates are required to have relevant work, internship, or volunteer experience
- Admissions requirements for all programs
Curriculum
Week 1–Week 7 (Core Phase)
During the first phase of the program, students take one required core course and one elective course. Students also meet with the program's internship advisors who will make placements based on a student’s professional goals, experience, work habits, and availability of local placements. The internship onboarding process begins in week 5 of the program.
Week 7–Week 16 (Internship Phase)
During the second phase, Study Abroad will enroll students in both a non-credit Hub co-curricular and a four-credit internship course, which includes a classroom component. Students normally work full time, four days per week. In addition to the placement and internship course, students take one required academic course, which generally meets once a week for a full day. The internship course and required course each carry four credits.
Note: Syllabi are for course approval and reference only. Students will receive up-to-date syllabi when their courses begin.
Required Course
All students take the following course during the first phase of the program.
Required Course List
- CAS IR 445/CAS PO 243 Introduction to Public International Law (4 credits)
- Prerequisites: at least two classes in international relations, law, or related social science coursework.
- Public international law governs primarily, though not exclusively, the relations between states. The core areas of this law are its subjects; sources (or means of creation of law); the rules governing responsibility for breaches of international obligations, and those relative to dispute settlement. The decentralized structure of the international legal order means that a particular important question is when, and under what conditions, states can safeguard their rights by recourse to the use of force. The course is taught by lectures, extensive reliance being placed on primary materials (e.g., treaties, resolutions) and on decisions of international courts and tribunals. These can be supplemented by readings, such as those listed below, and drawn mostly from M. Evans (ed.) International Law, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2018.
- Syllabus
- CAS IR 418/CAS PO 247 Politics, Nations and Identity in the New Europe: Switzerland and the European Union (4)
- This course introduces key political, social, and cultural issues in contemporary Europe and Switzerland, including immigration and integration, conflict and terrorism, and EU-Swiss relations. It also provides students with a foundational understanding of social science methods for operationalizing and investigating sociopolitical questions. The course explores key social science concepts, such as identity and democracy, the emergence of nation-states in Europe, the history and rationale of the European Union (EU), EU security, EU citizenship, and the challenges of EU enlargement. It will also discuss Switzerland’s history, society, politics, and Switzerland-EU relations. Students will engage in hands-on activities and discussions on controversial and pressing topics in contemporary Europe. The class has no prerequisites.
- Syllabus
Elective Courses
Students choose one of the following elective courses during the first phase of the program.
Elective Course List
- CAS AH 308 "From Caesar to Corbusier:" The History of Switzerland Through its Art and Architecture (4 credits)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Aesthetic Exploration
- This course covers the history of Switzerland through its art and architecture, from the Romans to the twentieth century, setting the country’s development in a wider European context and covering the main movements in art and architecture over that period.
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- CAS LF 113 Intensive Beginning French (4)
- Undergraduate Prerequisites: placement examination results. - Intensive French course for beginners or according to placement test results. Introduction to grammar, vocabulary, and structure of French, emphasizing the basic communication skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Individual in Community
- Intensive French course for beginners.
- (If CAS LF 111, 112, or a more advanced college-level course has been completed, this course cannot be taken for credit.)
- CAS LF 211 Third-semester French (4)
- Advances proficiency in speaking, writing, reading, and listening in a communicative classroom setting. Grammar studied is used in context through thematic discussions on topics ranging from daily life to Francophone culture, in short readings, and through diverse written tasks.
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Individual in Community
- Prerequisite: CAS LF 112 or placement test results
- CAS LF 212 Fourth-semester French (4)
- Advances proficiency in French in a communicative setting through thematic discussions on diverse, contemporary topics and media, short readings, and written tasks.
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Individual in Community
- Prerequisite: CAS LF 211 or placement test results
- CAS IR 418/CAS PO 247 Politics, Nations and Identity in the New Europe: Switzerland and the European Union (4)
- This course introduces key political, social, and cultural issues in contemporary Europe and Switzerland, including immigration and integration, conflict and terrorism, and EU-Swiss relations. It also provides students with a foundational understanding of social science methods for operationalizing and investigating sociopolitical questions. The course explores key social science concepts, such as identity and democracy, the emergence of nation-states in Europe, the history and rationale of the European Union (EU), EU security, EU citizenship, and the challenges of EU enlargement. It will also discuss Switzerland’s history, society, politics, and Switzerland-EU relations. Students will engage in hands-on activities and discussions on controversial and pressing topics in contemporary Europe. The class has no prerequisites.
- Syllabus
Internship Phase
During the second phase of the program, students will be placed in full-time internships. Students will be engaged in their internship for approximately 8 hours per day, four days per week. They will also take an academic course one full day each week. Interns will be placed in local IGO’s or NGO’s. Although the common language of these workplaces is English, fluency in other languages will always be an asset. Due to the competitive nature of internship placements in Geneva, students will be interviewed and will need to prepare thoroughly for the internship, which will be academically graded. Upon successful completion of the internship experience, students will receive a Hub unit in the area Individual in Community from the co-curricular HUB SA 330.
Internship Phase Course & Placement
- Non-credit Hub Co-curricular: HUB SA 330 Study Abroad Internship
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- Individual in Community
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- CAS PO 242/CAS IR 444 The Activities of International Organizations (4 credits)
- Prerequisite: CAS IR 445
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Social Inquiry I
- Ethical Reasoning
- This course aims to critically analyze the influence of international organizations, with a primary emphasis on the United Nations, in shaping global relations and international law. It will explore key principles guiding these organizations, including their legal status, authority, and accountability for breaches of international law. The course will also delve into the realm of international human rights law (IHRL) and use Geneva-based international organizations as an example. It will critically analyze the operations of relevant mechanisms established through charters and treaties, with a special emphasis on the UN Human Rights Council and the Human Rights Committee. Meeting experts and organizing field visits will enhance students' learning experience by connecting theoretical knowledge with real-world applications through live case studies.
- Syllabus
- CAS PO 405/CAS IR 455 Internship in International Organizations (4)
- Students work with an NGO, humanitarian organization, or inter-governmental organization. Past internship placements have included DCAF Democratic Control of Armed Forces, Graduate Women International, CHS Alliance, The Gold Standard, UPR Info. Students must submit as series of written assignments regarding their internship experience and professional development.
- Syllabus
Please note these are examples of past internship placements only. While BU Study Abroad guarantees an internship to program participants, specific placements vary from semester to semester and may not always be available. Likewise, internship placements may be available in academic areas not listed.
Housing & Student Services
- Double or triple rooms with shared bathrooms
- Shared, fully equipped kitchen
- No dining hall
- Laundry in BU residence
- Common study and recreational space at BU residence
- Limited single rooms may be available for an additional charge
Program Dates
- Fall Semester: early September to mid-December
- Spring Semester: mid-January to late April
Application Timeline
This program follows rolling admissions and may fill before the official deadline.
Fall Semester
- Applications Open December 15
- Applications Deadline March 15
Spring Semester
- Applications Open June 1*
- Applications Deadline September 15
This program is rolling admissions; applications are reviewed once all application materials are received, prior to all deadlines. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all required materials are received by the BU Study Abroad office. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible as some programs and internship tracks have limited space and may fill up before the deadline. Submitting a complete application prior to the application deadline, does not guarantee acceptance. Students will be emailed an admissions decision within three weeks of a completed application.
Information for BU Students Awaiting an Admissions Decision and exceptions to the standard admission calendar for all students can be found here.
Cost & Financial Considerations
- 2024/2025 Tuition and Fees: $40,434
Cost includes tuition, housing, program related activities, administrative fee, overseas medical insurance, and emergency evacuation coverage. - Estimated program budget, including cost of living expenses.
- Grants and Scholarships available
