The Michael T. Corgan Internship Fund awards a stipend to selected students for a qualified summer internship in the area of international affairs that would otherwise be unpaid. The fund seeks to support Pardee School students to undertake highly relevant and career-advancing internships in leading institutions that will help prepare them for careers in the field of international affairs.
This competitive award is named for Michael T. Corgan, who taught in the Pardee School and Department of International Relations from 1995 until his untimely death in 2018. Professor Corgan was a beloved teacher and mentor whose enthusiasm for the subject and for his students was boundless. Having spent over 12 years as Director of Undergraduate Studies and taught more than 10,000 students, he had an enormous positive impact on the lives and educations of generations of Boston University students.
Qualified Internships
Interns may work for governments (U.S. or foreign), international organizations, or non-governmental organizations that focus primarily and principally in the area of international affairs. Funds are not meant for on-campus internships with faculty or BU offices. To apply for funding, the internship opportunity should meet the following criteria:
- There should be a clear job description relating to the field of international affairs, including information on how the internship will be supervised; priority will be given to established internship programs with well-defined goals, processes, and a track-record of relevant professional development.
- Qualified internships are typically unpaid, full-time (35-40 hours per week), in-person, undertaken during the summer break, and at least 4 weeks in duration (although longer is preferable).
Eligibility
- The award is open to Pardee School students currently enrolled in a Pardee School MA program or undergraduate majors who are at least rising juniors at the time of application. Students must be enrolled full-time (12 or more credits) in the semester directly preceding and following the internship and must be in good academic and disciplinary standing.
- Students with internships outside of the United States are responsible for ensuring that they have the proper visa and work authorization for that country and for complying with any relevant legal requirements in the United States or in the host country.
- Students who have previously been awarded a stipend through the Michael T. Corgan Internship Fund are not eligible for a second award.
- To be eligible, a student must have an internship offer in hand.
- Each application for the Michael T. Corgan Internship Fund is attached to a single internship. A student who received multiple internship offers may submit up to two applications for the Michael T. Corgan Internship Fund.
- Students may not receive awards from more than one Pardee School funding source to support the same internship. Students are expected to disclose in their application materials what other funding sources they are pursuing.
Awards
- Funds from the award are not transferable and may only be used for the purposes and internships identified in the application.
- The maximum stipend per student is $5,000. The stipend should not be considered payment for work completed during the internship. Award funds may be used for travel and living expenses during unpaid internships or relevant necessary expenses that are not covered and would constitute a serious financial barrier to participation.
Finding an Internship
Students are responsible for finding and securing their own internships. Students are encouraged to seek guidance and discuss possibilities and opportunities with their faculty and academic advisors. To aid in finding an internship, students may take advantage of a variety of resources at BU, such as the Pardee School’s international affairs internship list, BU Center for Career Development, and BU Connects.
How to Apply
Awards from the Corgan Internship Fund are highly competitive and funding is limited. The Pardee School announces a call for applications to the Corgan Fund each spring, including a proposal deadline. The application must include the following:
- A two-page proposal outlining the internship opportunity, the importance and relevance of the internship to your international affairs career goals, and the rationale for stipend support for the particular internship opportunity. The proposal must include mention of any other funding sources being pursued for the same opportunity.
- A carefully researched budget outlining relevant expenses. Expenses may include travel (e.g. airfare to another country), lodging, meals, and incidentals (e.g. local transportation). The stipend amount may not cover all expenses related to the internship.
- A written letter of recommendation from a Pardee School faculty member familiar with your academic and career goals. Please share the recommendation link directly with the faculty member.
- A copy of the internship job description.
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