15 International Internships for Undergraduates
- Stephen Turban
- 21 minutes ago
- 12 min read
Internships are a valuable way for undergraduates to expand their resumes beyond extracurricular activities and gain industry experience before graduation. An internship in your field can give you an edge while applying for a job or graduate school. Working at a university, research institute, or company, you’ll gain industry exposure, develop professional skills, build a network in your field, and determine whether your planned career path is the right fit for you.
Whether you want to practice your foreign language skills, learn about different professional cultures, or just explore a new part of the world, international internships are a good way to spend your break. In this blog, we’ve curated a list of 15 top international internships for undergraduates with disciplinary focuses across law, finance, physics, computer science, and public policy. We’ve focused on prestigious opportunities that provide rigorous professional experience, opportunities to network, and connections in research and industry.
If you're looking for more prestigious internships, check out this set of blogs!
15 International Internships for Undergraduates
Location: International locations across Europe, Asia, South America, North America (including the U.S.), Africa, & Australia
Cost/Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 2-3 months in length during the summer
Application Deadline: Priority deadline of June 23 and final deadline of September 3
Eligibility: Undergraduate juniors and seniors, as well as non-MBA master’s students
BCG’s summer internships offer opportunities to build management consulting skills in international offices across France, Germany, Finland, and other placements across the world. You’ll apply to a specific internship posting — placements include Legal & Risk Management, Data Science, Business, and more — to join a specialized team of current BCG employees. In consulting-focused internships, you’ll work on client-facing projects centered around financial and business strategy development. You’ll complete tasks like data analysis, industry research, and designing presentations for clients, gaining exposure to the consulting lifecycle. Tech-focused internships might include updating internal AI systems, contributing to UI/UX design for BCG sites, or supporting clients with IT or software process improvement projects. You’ll be mentored by current BCG staff, attend networking events, and supplement your work with intern-focused training sessions. Based on your performance, you may be invited to return for a full-time position after you graduate.
Location: CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
Stipend: $5,000 plus travel reimbursement
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 12 to 15 students
Dates: 9 weeks from early June to mid-August
Application Deadline: January 3
Eligibility: Rising undergraduate juniors and seniors in physics, engineering, or computer science at an accredited U.S. university who plan to pursue graduate study. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
UMich and CERN partner for an international internship for undergraduates centered around intensive physics research. After completing an initial training program at UMich, you’ll travel to Geneva to begin your work at CERN. You’ll be paired with a CERN researcher based on your preferred focus areas to complete a project in particle physics, quantum physics, nuclear fusion, or high-energy physics. To supplement your learning, you’ll explore CERN’s research facilities like the Large Hadron Collider centre, attend CERN’s Summer Student Lecture Programme, and network with professional physicists at intern events and lectures.
Location: Placements include UNHCR offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Amman, Jordan; Budapest, Hungary; Copenhagen, Denmark; and other locations
Stipend: Allowance provided to support transportation and living expenses, amount varies by placement
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: Varies; generally 2 to 6 months for full-time internships
Application Deadline: Varies by internship
Eligibility: Rising undergraduate juniors and seniors, graduate students, and recent graduates up to 2 years post-graduation from UNESCO-accredited schools. Proficiency in English required. Some internships have additional academic or language requirements
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) offers international internships for undergraduates looking to support the rights of refugees. You’ll have the ability to choose between placements in data management, energy and environment, education, economics, and more, based on your disciplinary background. Assignments can range from analyzing immigration data, tracking international policy on refugees and asylum seekers, creating communication and outreach materials, and supporting program implementation.
Location: University of Michigan (1 week) and six universities in Paris, France, check which universities on the site
Stipend: $6,000 plus funded travel, food, and lodging
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 8 students
Dates: May 26 to July 30
Application Deadline: January 22
Eligibility: Rising undergraduate seniors who are U.S. citizens or green card holders with valid passports within one week of the application deadline. Priority for students from underrepresented minority groups or schools with limited research opportunities
With the option to work at one of six Paris university partners, Optics in the City of Light is an international internship program designed for students looking for an experience in physics research. You’ll begin with a week of training at UMich on project design, core topics in optical science, and research reporting skills. You’ll spend the next 8 weeks at your host institution in Paris to conduct a research project on ultrafast optics and high-intensity focused lasers under the mentorship of a faculty researcher. As interns are spread out between institutions — only 8 total interns are placed at the 6 participating universities — you’ll share updates through regular blog posts on your progress and findings. Interns get to visit research facilities and libraries across all university partners, so you’ll still have the opportunity to connect with peers in person and build a network of physics researchers across Paris.
Location: International locations include the UK, Germany, Mexico, Hong Kong, and other countries across the globe | U.S. options also offered
Cost/Stipend: Highly competitive pay; amount varies by internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very competitive
Dates: 10 weeks over the summer
Application Deadline: Recruiting begins in the prior summer and closes in mid-October
Eligibility: Rising undergraduate seniors | GPA requirement, preferred majors, and other requirements vary by internship
The Bank of America’s summer internship program offers placements across over a dozen departments, including Risk Management, Global Markets, Fixed Income, and Wealth Management at multiple international offices. You’ll support employees by conducting quantitative market research, modeling financial transactions, structuring and pricing trades, and developing strategies to support client investments. You’ll also participate in career development programming, including a series of networking events, an intern-focused executive speaker series, discussions of professional paths at Bank of America, and mentorship from both experienced and near-peer employees.
Location: International placements across Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, and North America
Stipend: Paid; competitive hourly rate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Less than 1 percent acceptance rate
Dates: 10 to 12 weeks, June to August
Application Deadline: Rolling applications, final deadlines typically in October and December. Recruiting begins the preceding summer
Eligibility: College juniors
JPMorgan's Summer Internship program allows undergraduates to participate in advanced investment banking work at international offices globally. You’ll choose a track from options including Commercial Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, and Asset & Wealth Management, collaborating with a team of current JPMorgan employees on financial analysis. Interns are assigned tasks across quantitative market research, budget and report generation, profit tracking, and transaction monitoring. You’ll also receive support from employee mentors, attend networking events, and participate in social activities with staff and other interns. Interns are considered for post-graduation return offers based on their performance throughout the program.
Location: Lesvos, Greece, and the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK
Stipend: Stipend plus funded international travel, housing, and meals
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: June 2 to July 25
Application Deadline: Applications open in January; check the site for the deadline
Eligibility: Undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents
Undergraduates looking for an international internship focused on evolutionary biology, ecology, and environmental science can consider the REU Pollinator Program based in Lesvos, Greece. After spending a week at the University of Central Oklahoma to prepare for your project, you’ll travel abroad to your fieldwork site. You’ll work in an island habitat to study the local bee population, including foraging behaviors, ecophysiological phenotypes across species, and bee genomics and molecular makeups. Your research will also focus on how understanding pollinator behavior can inform larger-scale research on climate change and environmental studies, with implications for agriculture and sustainability across the world.
Location: International placements worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and the Americas. U.S. options also available
Stipend: Prorated salary of $75,000 per year based on internship length, plus relocation assistance and cost of living bonus
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 9 to 10 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Applications open in mid August with rolling evaluation
Eligibility: Current undergraduates. Rising seniors selected most often. Limited rising juniors selected
In Goldman Sachs’ Summer Analyst Program, undergraduates can pursue an international experience through internship placements around the world. You’ll collaborate with current investment banking teams, focusing on either Asset Management, Corporate Treasury, Risk, Investment Banking, or Global Investment Research. Interns’ work focuses largely on research, so your daily assignments will typically involve conducting portfolio research, developing client investment strategies, and analyzing micro and macroeconomic data. The internship program includes career development opportunities, including networking events, professional training activities, and employee mentorship. Based on performance, you’ll be considered for a return offer after graduation.
Location: Split between CERN, Geneva, Switzerland, and Duke University, Durham, NC
Stipend: $7,000 plus housing, supplemental funding for meals and expenses, $600 for travel, and airfare for travel to Switzerland
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 10 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: January 29
Eligibility: Current undergraduates who have taken at least a sophomore level university physics course by June of the internship year, and who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
This internship gives undergraduates 10 weeks of research experience in North Carolina and Geneva, Switzerland. You’ll spend the first 3-4 weeks of the program at Duke, building a relationship with your Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory research team and developing a project in high-energy particle physics. You’ll then head to CERN — the world’s largest particle physics lab — to continue your project with your TUNL team and CERN researchers. Professional development opportunities are integrated into your work, including networking events, TUNL Informal Lunch Talks (TILT), and a lecture series on advanced physics topics like dark matter and neutrinos. You’ll end the program with a formal presentation of your research to the rest of the internship cohort.
Location: Placement options include French institutions in Toulouse, Strasbourg, Paris, and Reims
Stipend: $6,000 plus $1,000 travel allowance, free housing, and up to $1,000 additional funding to attend the American Chemical Society National Meeting the following year
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 11 to 12 weeks over the summer, usually May to August
Application Deadline: January 20
Eligibility: Current undergraduates studying Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a related STEM field. U.S. citizens or permanent residents. DACA students eligible for AgroParis and Reims placements. Prior research experience expected
The International Research Experience in Chemistry provides an international experience in France for undergraduate students seeking advanced research in chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, and/or engineering. You’ll be matched with one of five French partner institutions to join a research team of professors, postdocs, and graduate students and contribute to a research project matching your interests. Outside of the lab, you’ll network with faculty researchers, explore the local region, and attend educational seminars. The program has a strong track record of student co-authorship, providing a strong resume credential on top of your internship participation.
Location: Placements at UNICEF offices worldwide. Current openings include Chile, Hungary, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the United Kingdom
Stipend: Monthly stipend plus one time support for travel and visa costs
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: Varies. Internship length ranges from 6 to 26 weeks. Full time and part time options available
Application Deadline: Varies by internship
Eligibility: Students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, or PhD programs, or recent graduates within 2 years. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have no immediate relatives working for UNICEF, and show proficiency in English, French, or Spanish. Some placements require additional language or academic background
UNICEF’s international internship placements allow undergraduates to support humanitarian aid for children around the world. You’ll apply to a specific internship posting matching your skills and interests, so each experience will be highly specialized. You’ll undertake assignments like tracking policy developments and press coverage, analyzing refugee children’s health outcomes in your host country, supporting collaborative initiatives with local government, and more. This internship will develop highly specialized professional skills and connect you with humanitarian leaders from around the world, providing both a unique networking experience and transferable professional skills.
Location: Jane Street offices in London, Hong Kong, or New York City
Stipend: Prorated amount based on a $300,000 annual salary
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 10 to 12 weeks. May to August
Application Deadline: Recruitment begins the preceding summer
Eligibility: Current undergraduate students, typically rising seniors
Jane Street’s Quantitative Trader Internship offers international placements in London and Hong Kong for undergraduate students looking to apply finance and computational skills to projects. You’ll join a team of current quantitative traders to complete assignments across market signal analysis, trading simulation, and statistical and quantitative modeling. You’ll also be mentored by two Jane Street employees for additional guidance. The internship also incorporates substantial educational programming — you’ll select an “elective” focus area within Jane Street’s specializations, completing further training and assignments to build expertise in your primary interest area.
Location: Host institutions include the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Germany, University of Padova in Italy, University of Glasgow in Scotland, Laboratoire Kastler Brossel at Sorbonne Université in France, and other partner institutions
Stipend: $6,950 stipend, paid housing, travel allowance, and travel health insurance
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 9 to 10 weeks, late May to early August
Application Deadline: January 13. Late applications reviewed on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Students studying Physics or a related field
The UF REU in Physics is an international research-focused internship for undergraduates with multiple university placement opportunities across Europe and Australasia. You’ll develop a project proposal, based on which you’ll be assigned to an international research group. You’ll spend the majority of your time on research, applying skills across data analysis, programming, and laboratory experiments. While project focuses vary yearly, past topics have included studying black hole mergers, interferometric noise reduction, and analyzing gravitational-wave data quality. You’ll finish the program by writing a scientific paper on your work and delivering a formal presentation to your mentors and other interns.
Location: First summer in Washington, D.C. and a U.S. Department of State policy office. Second summer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad
Stipend: Hourly pay of $14.76 to $19.18, plus funding for travel and housing
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 10 weeks each summer for two consecutive summers
Application Deadline: Applications open in late August for the following summer
Eligibility: U.S. citizens able to obtain and maintain a Secret Security clearance. Students apply in sophomore or junior year and commit to the full two year program. Minimum 3.2 GPA
The U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program provides undergraduate students with a two-summer internship opportunity — both domestic and international. You’ll spend your first summer in the US, beginning with policy education in Washington, D.C., before joining a State Department office to complete specialized public policy research assignments. During the school year, you’ll study for and take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT), providing a strong resume credential and preparing for future work in international policy. Over the next summer, you’ll complete a 10-week international internship at one of the U.S. Embassies or Consulates overseas, conducting public policy research and supporting government diplomacy operations.
Location: International placements include São Paulo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, London, Dubai, and Tel Aviv
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 8 weeks during June - August
Application Deadline: Recruitment begins in February; check the site for the yearly timeline
Eligibility: Current undergraduate juniors, seniors, and final-year master’s students
In Kobre & Kim’s Summer Analyst Program, you’ll gain experience in corporate and financial law through an internship at an office in either China, the UK, or Brazil. You’ll contribute to cases on topics like intellectual property, litigation, regulatory investigations, and corporate disputes under the mentorship of current K&K attorneys. Analyst tasks range from legal research, financial data analysis, drafting legal documents, and assisting with trial preparation. You’ll attend networking events, professional development sessions, and educational training geared towards preparing you for law school and a career in law. Strong interns are considered for K&K’s competitive 2-year Analyst Program after graduation, providing additional professional training before entering law school. Check the website regularly for summer analyst internship positions for undergraduates!
Bonus option: Ladder University Internships
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies by program type. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: One to one personalized internships
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Undergraduate students
Ladder Internships are flexible online opportunities pairing undergraduates with growing startups and nonprofits from across the world. The program supports students of all disciplinary interests, with industry partners across healthtech, communications, technology, and education. You’ll design a project supporting both your professional development and the company’s needs, and be mentored by a company coach to complete a series of assignments over the course of 8 weeks. You’ll finish the program with a presentation to the company board on your final product.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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