FAQs – Short-term Internship

There are many types of internship opportunities posted for Social Science students. Internship placement opportunities may be available in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Some examples of the types of companies that students have worked at or who have posted in past cycles include the following:

• BDO Canada LLP
• Canada Post
• City of London
• Diply
• EMCO
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• General Motors Company
• Manulife Financial
• McCormick Canada
• MLD Solutions
• Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs
• Ministry of Education
• Natra Chocolate
• Peel Regional Police
• Polar Imaging
• PCL Constructors Canada
• PepsiCo Canada
• Scotiabank
• Sun Life Financial
• United Way London
• Voices.com
• Western University
• WestJet Airlines

Some examples of the types of positions that have been posted include the following:

• Accounting Student
• Business Development Support Co-op
• Business Finance Co-op
• Communications Coordinator
• Crime Analyst
• Economic Development and Tourism Student
• Employee Engagement Coordinator
• Financial Analyst
• Flight Operations Co-op
• Fund Development and Communications Event Assistant
• Human Resources/Health & Safety Intern
• Human Resources and Labour Relations, Summer Student
• Inspection Programs Assistant
• Loss Prevention Specialist Intern
• Marketing/Communications Intern
• Project Coordinator
• Summer Associate, Research Analyst
• Technical Writer
• Wealth Advisory Co-op

Internships are located in a variety of geographical areas, but are mainly concentrated in London and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Once accepted into the internship program, you gain access to all available postings and can make decisions about which opportunities to apply for based on location.

Past internship locations include:

• London & Surrounding Area
• Greater Toronto Area
• Sarnia, Chatham, Windsor
• Kitchener/Waterloo, Guelph
• Other Ontario
• B.C.
• Alberta
• Remote (*Note: Some organizations require that you remain within a certain radius of their office, or within Canada; always communicate your working location with your employer before signing your job offer.)

Yes! Once you receive an internship offer that has been verified by the Social Science Internship Program team you will be registered in Social Science 3990A/B/Y, a 0.5 academic credit (Category A elective, non-essay). Please consult with Social Science Academic Counselling if you have questions about how this credit will fit into your program-specific degree requirements. The credit is graded as PAS/FAI.

• Earn an academic credit toward your degree and transform it into a hybrid-degree (theoretical and practical experience);
• Articulate your skills and experience through intentional reflection, supervision and mentorship;
• Demonstrate higher-level learning and an early, ongoing commitment to professional development and life-long learning;
• Meet employer interest in students enrolled in government sanctioned “Work integrated learning”

The total number of internship offers issued per year will vary based on the individual needs of participating employers and student engagement.

Students may enroll in a maximum of 1.5 internship credits within a 20.0 or 15.0 credit degree plan.

For example, students may choose to:

1. A) complete three short-term internships (0.5 x 3) for a total of 5 elective credits, or
2. B) complete one short-term internship (0.5) and one long-term internship (1.0) for a total of 1.5 credits.

If you have more questions about how to incorporate internships with your degree plan, please connect with Social Science Academic Counselling.

Students who are successful in securing an internship will pay a $500 fee and receive 0.5 credit upon successful completion of the work term. USC health & dental fees may apply. See Program Deliverables & Fees.

No. Students who are not successful in securing an internship will be withdrawn from the program without academic penalty and will not be liable for the program fee.

We encourage you to access all career education resources available through career.uwo.ca and the Social Science Internship Program team early on in your job search to promote your success.

Yes, if you meet all criteria except the academic average requirement, you may request a re-assessment once your fall term grades are in by emailing socscintern@uwo.ca in January.

Students who are returning to full-time studies and still meet the eligibility criteria are encouraged to submit their application again to access postings and resources for the next academic year.

Returning students will not be required to complete the career workshop enrollment step, but a second 1:1 resume and cover letter review is strongly recommended.

Any students previously registered in the program who previously declined internship offers and/or withdrew interest in the program may be prohibited from reapplying at the discretion of the Social Science Internship Program team.

Many DAN Management students are successful in finding an internship through the SSIP (short-term) after their second year, and go on to complete a long-term internship under the DAN Management Internship Program.

Postings in the DAN Management Internship Program portal are specific to the areas of specialization offered in a BMOS degree (e.g. Accounting), and are available to students in their third year of study. Please review program information here.

DAN Management students are not eligible to enroll in SSIP’s long-term option.

Students wishing to enroll in additional courses while out on internship must receive approval. Please email socscintern@uwo.ca with your request (course code and session type), which will be reviewed by the Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies).

To be considered, students are expected to have academic average of 75% or higher and describe their time management plan.

Students who receive approval are typically permitted to take one additional 0.5 credit per 4 month work term.

Yes. Please review the “Arranging Your Own Internship (Short-term)” section for more detail. 

No, all positions approved for the internship program must offer a minimum wage  ($15.50/hour) or higher. The average Social Science internship salary in 2021 was $19.72/hour ($41,017/year).

Once your application has been approved, you will have access to internship postings in Western Connect that are specific to the Social Science program. These postings can be found here:

Detailed application instructions are listed at the bottom of each position on the Western Connect INTERNSHIP/CO-OP JOBS tab listed under “Application Information.” Please read this section carefully for each posting.

Applications must be submitted through one of three ways: Employer Website, Western Connect, or Employer Email. You may track your submitted applications via Employer Website or Employer Email in Western Connect by selecting "I intend to apply for this position" on the posting. These positions will now appear in your “Applied To” menu.

Positions are posted throughout the year and there are no set deadlines for employers to post. See Recruitment Schedule for more detail.

It is standard practice to include both a resume and cover letter with every application.

Uploading a transcript is not necessary unless specifically requested by the employer under “Application Documents Required” on the internship posting (i.e. Courses and Grades).

Most employers are willing to accept a PDF copy of your Unofficial Transcript, which is available for download on Student Center.

Official transcript letters may be requested through the Office of the Registrar (https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/services/transcripts.html).