The academic component of the Experiential Learning Program provides students with opportunities for immersive, community-based, and community-engaged learning, helping you to develop critical thinking skills as you engage first-hand with contemporary issues and challenges at local organizations.
Internship opportunities range from placements at governmental organizations, NGOs, INGOs, to for-profit companies, and research labs. Most internships do not require Portuguese language proficiency. Research opportunities are available in the various research labs that are associated with SiPN’s partner universities in Lisbon. Should the student have some fluency in Portuguese, internship possibilities are virtually endless.
Moreover, some internships allow for part-time placements of 20h/week during summer OR 10h/week during the semester, in these cases students earn 6 ECTS (usually go back as 3 US credits). Full-time internships require 40h/week over the summer (8 weeks) OR 20h/week over the semester (15 weeks) and typically earn 12 ECTS (up to 6 US credits).
All internship partners have been screened by SiPN and academic credits are awarded in accordance with a course syllabus developed by the instructor of record (available upon request).