Practicum Opportunities with the United Nations

Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University

Updated November 23, 2010

UN Internship Program (Unpaid)

http://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=IP
New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, and Santiago

About: “If you are thinking of entering the world of diplomacy and public policy, an
internship at the United Nations could be the ideal start for you. The objective of the
internship is to give you a first-hand impression of the day-to-day working environment of
the United Nations. You will be given a real chance to work with our people. As part of our
team, working directly with outstanding and inspiring career professionals and senior
management within the Organizations, you will be exposed to high-profile conferences,
participate in meetings, and contribute to analytical work as well as organizational policy.”

Requirements: Must be fluent in English or French. Often, fluency in an additional UN

official language is preferred. Students are responsible for all costs, including travel and
medical insurance. Applications for each site are available through the above link. Please
follow the instructions for the specific office you are applying to, as they may have
additional eligibility criteria and/or application procedures. For general application
instructions, please refer to the end of this document.

Application Due Date: Application deadline forthcoming (usually the end of January)
UNICEF Internship Program (Unpaid)
http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_internship.html
Headquarters (New York) and Various Country Offices (e.g. India)

About: “UNICEF is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child
are realized. We have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of
partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality. The UNICEF
Internship Programme offers eligible/qualified students at both Headquarters and country
offices the opportunity to acquire direct practical experience in UNICEF's work under the
direct supervision of experienced UNICEF staff.”

Requirements: Must be fluent in English and one other UNICEF working language (i.e.
French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, or Chinese). Additional consideration is given to past work
experience. Students are responsible for all costs, including travel and medical insurance.
For general application instructions, please refer to the end of this document.

Application Due Date: Application deadline forthcoming (usually by March 1st)

WHO Internship Program (Unpaid)
http://www.who.int/employment/internship/en/
Regional and Country Offices

About: “The World Health Organization (WHO) as the leader in global public health issues is
committed to building future leaders in public health. WHO's Internship Programme offers a
wide range of opportunities for students to gain insight in the technical and administrative
programmes of WHO.”

Requirements: Students are responsible for all costs, including travel and medical

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insurance. Students must be fluent in the working language of the office of assignment.
Applicants should create a profile in WHO's e-Recruitment system and write a cover letter
(maximum 3 paragraphs). Office-specific application instructions may be found online at
http://www.who.int/employment/internship/interns/en/index.html. For general application
instructions, please refer to the end of this document.

Application Due Date: Application deadline forthcoming (usually the end of January)

United Nations Development Program Internships (Unpaid)

http://www.undp.org/internships/
Headquarters (New York) and Various Country Offices

About: “Internships offer a small group of outstanding graduate-level students the

opportunity to acquire direct exposure to UNDP's work. They are designed to complement
development-oriented studies with practical experience in various aspects of multilateral
technical cooperation, but also complement other international studies. Internships can
take place in a UNDP country office/regional center or at the organization's Headquarters in
New York. Assignments vary greatly in terms of content. Every attempt is made to match
the interests of the intern with the needs of the organization. Internship assignments vary in
length according to the availability and academic requirements of the intern, as well as the
needs of UNDP.”

Requirements: Written and spoken proficiency in at least one, and preferably two of the
three working languages used by UNDP: English, French and Spanish. Fluency in Arabic,
Portuguese, Russian or Eastern European language is an asset. Students are responsible for
all costs, including travel and medical insurance. Selection for the internships is fully
decentralized within UNDP. Applicants interested in an internship should forward their
application directly to the relevant country office or unit. For general application
instructions, please refer to the end of this document.

Application Due Date: Application deadline forthcoming

UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency) Internships (Unpaid)

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c49d.html
Geneva and Budapest

About: “The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect
refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the
rights and well being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to
seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home
voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help
stateless people. Most interns work on a project which will benefit both them and UNHCR.”

Requirements: Students are responsible for all costs, including travel and medical
insurance. Applications must be submitted through the online application. Since not all
offices have access to the central database, it is recommended that, in addition to the online
application, requests for internships be also submitted by separate mail with a covering
letter to the field/branch office concerned. For general application instructions, please refer
to the end of this document.

Application Due Date: Application deadline forthcoming

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UNFPA (The UN Population Fund) Internship Program (Unpaid)
http://www.unfpa.org/employment/internship.htm
New York

About: “UNFPA is an international development agency that promotes the right of every
woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports
countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to
ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of
HIV, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. The Internship
Programme offers a small group of outstanding students the opportunity to acquire direct
exposure to UNFPA operations. It is designed to complement development-oriented studies
with practical experience in various aspects of technical assistance. Interns gain an
understanding of multilateral assistance in population activities and of how UNFPA operates
by working under the supervision of a senior staff member at UNFPA Headquarters in New
York.”

Requirements: Written and spoken proficiency in English; fluency in French, Spanish or

Arabic is an asset. Students are responsible for all costs, including travel and medical
insurance. Applicants must submit a United Nations Personal History Form (P-11) and an
Application Form along with a brief statement describing your interests and reasons for
wishing to participate in the program. For general application instructions, please refer to
the end of this document.

Application Due Date: Application deadline forthcoming

General Application Instructions and Tips

Eligibility
Successful applicants to a UN practicum must:
♦ Be enrolled in a graduate-level Master’s program at the time of application and
during the internship;
♦ Be in good academic standing at their respective university (generally successful
applicants have a GPA at or above 3.0);
♦ Be able to communicate fluently in English and/or French;
♦ Submit all application components by the posted due date;
♦ Be able to obtain the necessary visa and arrange travel to the designated United
Nations office location;
♦ Be able to cover the costs of travel, accommodation and living expenses of the
internship; and
♦ Be able to provide proof of current medical insurance coverage

Elements of the Application

Many of the UN internship applications include the following components:
♦ Official application form (these are usually found at the website URL listed for each
practicum opportunity);
♦ Official school transcript (photo copies and internet printouts are not accepted);
♦ Personal statement and/or cover letter;
♦ Resume (bachelor’s level degrees) or CV (doctoral level degrees); and
♦ A minimum of one academic letter of recommendation from a current professor
(additional letters may be requested)

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Application Submission Tips
Read all instructions carefully as they may be subject to change. Make requests for letters
of recommendation well in advance (about 1 month) before the application deadline.
Students should email their recommendation writer a resume and a few paragraphs about
interests, academic performance and long-term career goals. If the recommendation
requires submission of a standardized form, include that in the email.

Official transcripts (stamped with the University seal) can be obtained online through SSOL.
Students should submit transcripts for consideration that have their grades from the first
semester since this is part of the selection criteria for admission to some training programs.
Mailman grades are generally posted in late December and transcripts are available by early
January. The UN may accept transcripts without grades that simply show the classes in
which you were enrolled. If time allows, once grades have been posted, a transcript request
can be sent directly to the UN using the instructions listed below.

Transcripts can be mailed, free of charge, within the week of request. They will be sent
directly to the address indicated. They can also be obtained in person without extra charge
for current students from the Registrar in the Black building. If desired, a copy of grades for
inclusion in the application packet may be printed and submitted with the application, but
the official transcript is required before the application will be reviewed.

Go to the Student Services Online (SSOL) website by using the link:

http://ssol.columbia.edu/. The UNI and password are needed to enter the site. Select
“Grades and registration status” to check that final grades have been posted and to verify
that they are correct. Once verified, select “Transcript ordering” to request a transcript be
sent directly to the address of the institution to which you are applying. Enter the necessary
contact information items (email and phone number). Under “delivery options,” choose the
option to have the transcript delivered “to a new address of your own.” Refer to the
application instructions (specific to the practicum opportunity you are applying to) to
identify the address you should have your official transcript sent to.

Before Embarking on a Practicum

The Epidemiology Practicum Agreement Form should be completed and submitted to the
Practicum Office BEFORE the practicum begins. CITI Human Subjects and HIPAA
certifications must be on file before the practicum agreement form will be approved.

Disclaimer
Students should always be on alert for changes that are made in submission dates and
application components by organizations and institutions to which they are applying. This
can be done by monitoring and/or reviewing the instructions listed directly on the website
addresses in this document. This document was compiled to facilitate the practicum
process, but the online instructions from the agency or organization should be taken as the
final authority. We request that students notify us if they find changes and discrepancies.

Practicum Credit
Receipt of practicum credit for a UN internship requires prior approval of the Practicum
Agreement Form and submission of two completed evaluation forms: one from the
practicum mentor/supervisor and one from the student. These forms are available online
and will be provided to each student toward the completion of their practicum experience.