DevNet - Internship

Internship

Are you a New Zealander who is thinking about volunteering for a development related organisation while studying development studies at the same time?

If so then this may be the webpage for you. In it we provide information about Practicum papers (papers through which students' voluntary work can be credited to their degree) and about Aotearoa New Zealand NGOs that may be looking for interns. We also provide some guidelines that may help you (the organisation you volunteer for and your university) make the most from the practicum process.

PLEASE NOTE:

DevNet itself does not take interns.
Listing here of a paper or organisation does not qualify as endorsement from DevNet; we merely list some of the opportunities out there. People are advised to investigate further themselves both into the papers offered and the organisations listed before proceeding with a practicum.
All the information here was accurate at time of collection. Subsequent changes may now render it inaccurate.

Practicum Papers

Increasingly New Zealand Universities are offering practicum programmes. These are papers through which students can volunteer for an organisation and receive credits towards their degree for doing so. (Typically the organisation is an NGO, but sometimes practicums involve political parties, multilateral organisations, and consultancies). Practicum papers that we know aboutare listed below.

Please note that just because we list a practicum here, this does not necessarily mean that you will be able to take the paper. Please consult paper and university requirements. Please make all inquiries about practicum papers to the university involved - not to DevNet.

Auckland:

Internship in Development
DEVELOP 706/706AB
Centre for Development Studies, University of Auckland
This course involves students in the operation of a development organisation, enables them to put into practice development theory and methods, provides experience of researching and writing a report or proposal to be used by the organisation, and assists them to reflect on the process in the light of development and other social science research literature.
www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/subjects/index.cfm?P=1734

Wellington:

Practicum
DEVE 503
School of Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington
Supervised practice in a field of development management focusing attention on the interface between policy and practice. The student selects a workplace where development practices can be assessed. The student submits a proposal of the intended work place to the supervisor, and will keep an account of the hours spent on practical work with that organisation. At the conclusion of the practicum, students will write a research essay, which will place the practical experience in the light of development theories. Opportunities can be explored through Volunteer Wellington, through Council for International Development, Dev-Zone or an NGO, or other suitable development agency.
www.victoria.ac.nz/home/study/subjects/coursecatalogue.aspx?course=DEVE-503&t=_2008&res=d

Internship
PASI 428
Te Kawa a Maui, Pacific Studies, Victoria University of Wellington
Approved and supervised work placement of the student in a public sector agency, private sector establishment, or non-governmental organisation with a predominant focus on Pacific issues. Students will be required to work between 150-200 hours (preferably at approximately 10 hours per week for 15-20 weeks), write a 3,000 word research paper on the work experience and provide a seminar presentation about the work experience.
www.vuw.ac.nz/pacific/courses/PASI-428.aspx

Internship
POLS 594
School of History, Philosophy, Political Science & International Relations, Victoria University of Wellington
This course offers internships in public organisations in areas of politics and government that give students the opportunity to develop research knowledge and skills relevant to their MA thesis research in Political Science or International Relations. Students are expected to apply their skills to the benefit of their host organisations. The internships are of at least 10 weeks and no more than 15 weeks duration, or their equivalent. Students will work under the overall academic guidance of their Political Science and International Relations supervisor/s.
www.vuw.ac.nz/pols/courses/POLS-594.aspx

Internship
LAWS 559
Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington
Internship courses are available to all LLM by coursework students, and comprise on-site experience with a community, government or private sector organisation. A number of private and public sector offices participate in the programme. The University arranges the placements.
www.victoria.ac.nz/law/courses/PG%20Courses/10,20,30ptLLM/LAWS-559.aspx

Christchurch:

Research Placement
PREFIX 698
International Rural Development Programme, Lincoln University
Participation in a research project in collaboration with an external organisation (in the public or private sector.) Submission of a research report reviewing pertinent literature and documenting the research undertaken, the value of the experience gained, any negative aspects and conclusions reached. (ALSD)
www.lincoln.ac.nz/story2377.html

If you are a university and you would like your paper added to the list above (or removed from it) please send an email with all the necessary details to info@devnet.org.nz.

Organisations Potentially Interested in Taking on Interns

Some Aotearoa New Zealand NGOs offer unpaid internship positions. These may well be suitable for students looking to complete volunteer work to satisfy the requirements of a practicum paper.

In 2006 we contacted some Aotearoa New Zealand NGOs asking whether they, at any stage, took on interns. Those NGOs that replied affirmatively are listed below.

Please note that just because an organisation is listed here does not mean that it will automatically accept you as an intern. Nor does it mean that they are always looking for interns. At the same time, please do not assume that just because an organisation is not listed here that they are not willing to take on interns. Please make all inquiries about internships to the organisations involved- not to DevNet.

Amnesty International - to contact them go to their website: www.amnesty.org.nz
Oxfam - to contact them go to their website: www.oxfam.org.nz
TradeAid - to contact them go to their website: www.tradeaid.org.nz
Mahitahi - to contact them go to their website: www.mahitahi.org
UNANZ - to contact them go to their website: www.unanz.org.nz
Te Aka Ora - to contact them go to their website: www.ora.org.nz
PCF - to contact them go to their website: www.pcf.org.nz
Habitat for Humanity NZ - to contact them go to their website: www.habitatnz.co.nz
Worldvision - to contact them go to their website: www.worldvision.org.nz

If you are a New Zealand based NGO and would like your organisation added to the list above (or removed from it) please send an email with all the necessary details to info@devnet.org.nz.

Practicum Guidelines

These guidelines were drawn up by Miranda Cahn of Lincoln University. They are guidelines only: something that students, organisations and universities may wish to make use of when considering practicum placements. They are not the final word on the matter, and individual circumstances may well mean that not all of the advice is appropriate.

DevNet would like to thank all those organisations who contributed ideas to these guidelines and, in particular, Miranda Cahn for writing them.

You can download the guidelines as a Word document by clicking here.

You can download the guidelines as a PDF file by clicking here.