IES Internships

Earn UI credit through a summer internship!
Spend eight weeks over the summer interning full-time in the field of your choice.

Today's employers are looking to hire employees with:

• Relevant, global experience
• Foreign language proficiency
• Intercultural communication skills
• Confidence and adaptability
• Workplace knowledge and experience

When you have completed an internship, you will have the job experience, the professional skills training, and the confidence to help you and your resume stand out.

See more at IES Internships

Guaranteed Placement

IES Internships guarantees full-time summer internship students a placement in their field of choice, as indicated on their internship application submitted to IES.

If IES Internships is unable to offer a student an internship placement in the expressed field of choice selected on his or her internship application at least two weeks before the program start date, despite the student’s good faith participation in the process and satisfaction of all program requirements, then the student shall have the option to receive a refund of the full amount he or she has paid IES Internships or to transfer to an IES program of comparable length and value in the same location (subject to the student satisfying applicable visa requirements and IES Internships’ academic program requirements).

The most current information can be found on the IES Sydney Internship webpage.

See more at IES Internship Guarantee

Academic Credit

The IES internship program can count for either 3 credit hours or 6 credit hours. Business students may be required to take the Global Internship Preparation (1 s.h.) course at Iowa during the Spring semester. All participants will complete the Leading Across Cultures course offered through IES, for which some materials are due online before departure.

Students must indicate on the Iowa application how many credit hours they plan to receive from their internship. Students will discuss this decision with their Study Abroad advisor in an appointment before they submit an application.

Factors to consider:

• Cost: The Study Abroad Administrative Fee is based on the number of credit hours you plan to receive
• Financial Aid: Any student seeking to use Financial Aid must be enrolled full time (6 credit hours)
• Academic Planning: All students should meet with their academic advisor before studying abroad. Your academic advisor can help you create a degree plan, showing where credit is needed and where credit is not needed to stay on track for graduation

For More Information

Students are required to meet with the program adviser in the UI Study Abroad office before initiating an application. Further program details can be found at the following external link to CIEE's website: CIEE Sydney Global Institute Program Website.

For more information

Steps to Studying Abroad

1. Before initiating an application with IES, students must complete a Discover Study Abroad session at the University of Iowa. 
2. After completing the Discover Abroad session, students must call the Study Abroad office at 319-335-0353 to be assigned to the appropriate study abroad advisor.
3. Once assigned, students must meet with their study abroad advisor to receive  program application instructions.

Study Abroad
1111 University Capitol Centre
Iowa City, IA 52242

Phone: 319-335-0353
Email: study-abroad@uiowa.edu

Sydney, Australia

A relatively young city, Sydney has grown to become one of the world’s most multicultural areas—an international fusion of culture, languages, and ideas with more than 4.6 million residents. Commute to work via train, bus, or ferry. Walking works, too. Lunch can be the traditional meat pies, sausage rolls, or fish and chips.

An IES internship in Sydney develops your professional skills and ability to communicate across cultures while also providing substantive work experience to jump-start your career in today’s competitive job market.

You’ll be guaranteed an unpaid internship placement at a local business or organization, where you’ll work up to 40 hours a week. IES will work with you to find the closest placement match between your professional and personal goals and what’s available in Sydney.

Before you depart, IES works with you to fine-tune your résumé, perfect your cover letter, and hone your communication and interview skills as they prepare you for working in a new cultural environment.

After the work week, spend your free time exploring Sydney’s beaches, the famous Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and other architectural highlights, the Royal Botanic Garden, and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Australia

Australia is home to some of the globe's most stunning and recognizable World Heritage Sites, such as the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree National Park and Uluru. Its major cities, including Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, regularly rank among the most liveable and safe destinations in the world, and for good reason. Australia has a well-earned reputation not only for its beautiful environment and sunny days, but also for the sunny disposition of its hospitable locals. Beyond surfing, kangaroos and coffee, Australia is also well known for its robust healthcare and technology industries, as well as its rich arts and culture scene, which encompasses everything from Aboriginal art, to contemporary dance companies, to classical opera. A world leader in environmental conservation, with over 500 national parts and 2,700 nature conservation areas, you'll always be near an adventure.

Dates of Program

US Department of State Country Information

The US Department of State provides safety and security information for every country of the world to help you assess for yourself the risks of travel. Each country information page contains a Travel Advisory, Alerts, and other important details specific to that country that could affect you.

Pay close attention to the entry and exit requirements, local laws and customs, health conditions, and other details to help decide whether traveling to any given country is right for you. Non-US citizen travelers may also wish to seek guidance from the embassy of their country of citizenship. The UI International Travel Policy for Students addresses restrictions on student travel to high-risk locations and engagement in high-risk activities abroad.

Housing

Apartments
Live in a two-bedroom apartment in a multi-unit building. You will share your two-bedroom apartment with 3 IES Abroad roommates, sharing one of the two bedrooms with one of those roommates. Meals are not provided or included in the housing cost, but there is a kitchen in the apartment if you wish to prepare your own meals.

Travel Arrangements

Participants will make their own travel arrangements to Sydney, taking advantage of frequent-flyer options and/or internet specials available to them. The cost of travel is not included in the program fee. Information about airport pick up will be provided directly to the participants by IES. Students should book airfare in correspondence with the arrival and departure dates provided by IES.

How to Apply

• Passport Copy: upload a clear PDF copy of your passport to the application or click “in the process of applying/renewing”.
• Sign on your Credit Agreement (called a cover sheet) indicating the location of your internship and the number of credit hours you plan to receive. [The cover shhet is NOT the same as the cover letter IES may ask you for.]This decision cannot be changed, please discuss your plans with your academic and study abroad advisors before selecting your response.
• Fill out the IES internship application. The complete application includes: (These items should all be done by the deadline. Give yourself time to get them done.)
• Application: 1-2 business days to create profile before being able to upload documents
• Cover Letter: upload to IES application
• Resume: upload to IES application
• Placement Interest Form: upload to IES application
• Transcript: send from MyUI electronically to Liz English at admissions@iesabroad.org
• Monica Ernberger, in the Study Abroad Office, will complete the Home School Authorization directly with IES (online) once you’ve completed the entire application process.
• College of Business students may need to enroll in and attend BUS 3025: Global Internship Preparation. This 1 credit, half-term, class takes place Spring semester.
Contact the Undergraduate Program Office at 319-335-1037 or come to PBB C140 to set up an appointment.

Application Deadline

Applications are due on Feb 1st for Summer.

Resume and Cover Letter Information

Part of the application process is submitting a cover letter and resume. Throughout the process, you'll be given several opportunities by IES Abroad to revise these materials, but it's important that you put effort into your first draft. Start this process early and utilize the following resources:

1. The Pomerantz Career Center at the University of Iowa offers assistance with writing resumes and cover letters. The webpage is a good first place to start if you aren't sure what these documents should contain or what they look like: Pomerantz Career Center: Resumes and Related Materials. The Pomerantz Career Center also holds walk-in hours from 9am-4pm while school is in session.
2. One of the most difficult parts of the application is writing a cover letter without a job description. It is suggested that interns look up similar entry-level jobs on a site like www.indeed.com or www.monster.com and utilize the list of qualifications on a job description similar to the type of internship they are seeking.
3. IES also offers a Student Prep Manual. The most updated version can be found in your IES Portal.

Post Acceptance

Acceptance into your chosen internship is made by IES directly via an email to you. After acceptance you will be asked to confirm your participation with IES and the University of Iowa. After confirmation, you will work and correspond directly with IES to complete pre-departure materials. Participants are responsible the IES application deposit ($500) and study abroad administrative fees if they withdraw after handing in their confirmation form.

Eligibility Requirements



All applicants must meet with Study Abroad PRIOR to applying (please call 319.335.0353 to set up an appointment)

• At least 18 years of age
• In good academic and disciplinary standing at the University of Iowa
• 2.5 GPA or higher
• At least a sophomore standing prior to application; rising junior status at time of program departure
• Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a full-time degree program; recent graduates must begin their internship no more than 12 months after graduation

Program Cost

2024 Sydney IES Summer Internships: 3 credit hours
2022 Sydney IES Summer Internships: 6 credit hours


These documents outline the total estimated costs associated with participating in this program and can be used for financial aid purposes. It includes fees charged on students’ U-Bill (Course Fee, Study Abroad Fee, and Iowa Regents CISI Insurance), as well as out-of-pocket expenses. Actual out-of-pocket expenses will vary from individual to individual. Quoted estimates are conservatively high, yet realistic.

The cost sheet includes the Study Abroad Administrative Fee and Mandatory Iowa Regents CISI Travel Insurance. Please see the respective websites for further details. If the fee is inclusive of UI tuition, it is calculated by Current Tuition. Please contact your study abroad advisor with questions regarding this cost sheet – call 319-335-0353 to schedule an appointment.

Upfront, out-of-pocket expenses

Some costs are incurred prior to departure and will be due before financial aid/scholarships disperse. Here are the expected upfront costs for IES Internships:

• Iowa Application Fee: $50
• Visa (Sydney): $335
• Airfare Estimate: $1,700
• Passport: $135

Optional additional fees paid to IES

These fees are all optional and are not included in the course fee for the program. The cost should be paid directly to IES – failure to pay will result in IES withholding transcripts.

• Single Room Upgrades
• Optional Tours

Financial Aid and Scholarships



Most financial aid (scholarships, grants, and loans) is applicable to study abroad programs. Please check the Study Abroad website for information on financial aid and how it may be applied to studying abroad. You are also encouraged to speak with someone at the Office of Student Financial Aid to explore financial aid options.

Students wishing to use Federal Financial Aid need to be enrolled in the 6 credit hour program.

Scholarship opportunities exist for study abroad participants. Please explore Study Abroad's website for UI Study Abroad Scholarship Opportunities.

In addition, IES has many scholarships that UI students can apply for. These scholarship opportunities are found on the IES website.

Federal Pell Grant recipients are eligible to apply for the Gilman Scholarship

Pre-departure Resources

IES and the UI have a variety of resources available to you to prepare you for departure. It is recommended that you review these materials, share them with your parents, and refer back to them if you have questions.

1. IES Internships Manual Guide
2. A Parent Guide to Study Abroad
3. Health Preparation Guide for International Travel

Visas

In order to participate in this program, you must be eligible to receive an Australian Work/Holiday visa. More information can be found on the Australian Embassy's webpage: Australian Embassy Work and Holiday Visa

Orientation

In order to prepare for your time abroad, you are required by the University of Iowa to complete two orientations. These may be in addition to orientations provided by your on-site provider. See below for more information.

Online Education Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation

You are required to complete the International Programs ICON course “Education Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation” prior to departure. This orientation is mandatory for all students going abroad under the auspices of the University of Iowa. It covers many practical matters about living overseas, such as health and safety, communication, money, goals, and much more. You will be enrolled in this course by International Programs and an email will be sent to you once enrolled. If you have any questions, you can email safety-abroad@uiowa.edu.

Program-Specific Orientation

This orientation will be facilitated by your study abroad advisor and will cover content specific to your program and host country. It could be conducted in a group setting or one-on-one depending on your type of planned activity abroad. Your study abroad advisor will send you more information about this mandatory in-person session after your acceptance into the program.

GoinGlobal

The University of Iowa Career Center offers GoinGlobal as a free resource for all students. IES will do the legwork as far as finding you an internship, but you might wish to do so research ahead of time about workplace culture, employment trends, etc. The country guide for Australia can be found here: GoinGlobal Australia Country Guide. Iowa students must first access their account on campus and create a log-in. After creating an account, you'll be able to access GoinGlobal off-campus for free.