The UN for students

If you are a graduate student, then the typical job opportunity for you is an internship. An internship with the UN, which can only be followed at the UN headquarters in New York, is an opportunity to see the UN from the inside. The United Nations Headquarters internship programme consists of three two-month periods of the year: spring (mid-January to mid-March), summer (early June to early August), and autumn (mid-September to mid-November) and is a full-time programme, meaning that you are expected to spend five days a week in the Department or Office of the Secretariat that you have been selected for.

To become a UN intern you must:

– Be enrolled in a degree granting programme (i.e. masters or PhD level) in a graduate school during the internship;

– Be pursuing studies in countries where higher education is not divided into undergraduate and graduate stages and should have completed at least three years of university studies;

– Be no older than 30 years of age.

 

Before sending the application (which you can download here), keep in mind that you must:

– Be able to obtain the necessary visas and arrange travel to the United Nations Headquarters in New York;

– Be able to cover the costs of travel, accommodation, as well as living expenses of the internship (approx. US$5 thousand, about 3, 200 euros).

– Have medical insurance;

– Fluently speak and write English or French.

Your application form and all the required documents must be submitted in English or French and forwarded in two copies to the following address no earlier than 8 months and no later than 6 months before the start of your intended period to this address:

Coordinator of the Internship Programme

Room S-2590D

United Nations

New York, N.Y. 10017

U.S.A.

Tel: (212) 963-1223

Fax: (212) 963-3134

Remember, however that interns are not paid. Costs of all travel, insurance and accommodation, as well as living expenses, are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. If you are accepted the UN will notify you 6 – 8 weeks before the start date and you will be responsible for obtaining the necessary visas and arranging your travel to the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

To find out more: www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/sds/internsh/index.htm