In 2002, responding to popular demand, Anne Turner inaugurated the Arts Internship Office (AIO) to provide services meant to prepare Arts undergraduate students for that daunting and amorphous next step: Life after a BA degree.
Housed in the Leacock Building, the AIO helps returning Arts students access and apply to internships aimed at enhancing their academic experience. For students hoping to pursue academic research, the AIO’s Arts Undergraduate Research Awards Program (ARIA) offers a unique opportunity to work on high-level scholarship under the direct supervision of a professor or faculty member.
Throughout the application process, the AIO hosts workshops over Zoom to teach students the concrete skills they need to succeed. Charlotte Petitjean, U3 Arts, described the benefit of these workshops in an interview with The Tribune.
“They offer a lot of workshops, like how to write a CV, how to do a letter of recommendation,” Petitjean said. “I feel it’s really helpful [.…] It motivates you to update your CV or implement a lot of recommendations, which are super important skills.”
The AIO has also established an Arts Internship Mentorship Initiative (AMI) in collaboration with the Arts Undergraduate Society. The program pairs students with an AMI mentor—an undergraduate who has recently completed a successful internship or academic research project. These mentors guide students through the application process for obtaining internships and funding through the AIO, creating a network of support for navigating the complex application process and succeeding in unfamiliar research tasks. For interested Arts students, applications to become an AMI mentee are open until Oct. 14.
Theresa Decius-Timothée, U4 Arts, spent her 2024 summer internship with the Montreal-based non-governmental organization Éduconnexion, working on gender-based violence and social healing.
“This was one of those jobs where I was really able to apply my McGill knowledge into the workplace […], so it was really nice bridging that gap,” Theresa said in an interview with The Tribune. “It made me realize that embracing education doesn’t just mean getting a degree, it means seeking to be curious in every aspect of your life.”
Describing her own internship experience as an undergraduate student, the AIO’s Liaison Officer Jade Perraud Le Bouter suggested that, whether good or bad, an internship teaches you about your own interests and capabilities.
“You can learn from doing an internship you don’t love, because that can teach you a lot about what you want in the future, so it’s very valuable,” Perraud Le Bouter explained.
These opportunities to grow in a new context can also be exciting, challenging, and memorable. Thelma Caye, U3 Arts, echoed this blend of nerves and excitement when describing her trip to Columbia for her internship this summer with Solidarité Colombie Québec.
“I was on the plane to go, and I was like, ‘oh my god, this is not possible.’ I was shaking,” Caye said in an interview with The Tribune. “But after that, I realized there was a bit of nervousness, but I was mostly excited.”
For Arts undergraduate students, the path after university can often seem nebulous and uncertain. In the sea of essays and theory, it can be difficult to discern what the real-world application of an Arts degree actually looks like. Decius-Timothée, Petitjean, and Caye, each suggested that their internship experience played a vital role in refining their own personal goals.
“I think it’s imperative in terms of understanding what you want to do with your career. I know for myself, my career decisions have been heavily impacted by my work experience, and by my internship experience,” Theresa said.
Whether you’re unsure about the process or already hoping to apply for a summer internship, the Arts Internship Office is there to support you throughout your decision, providing a space for each student to grow and learn.
