Internships are designed for mature students who are relatively certain of their professional plans, are able to work independently. This option is valid primarily for students who enroll in the program for the full academic year, but all interested students should inquire about potential placements. Interns typically work 2 days a week at their placement site and earn 4 semester credits.
All internships are for credit only, not pay, and are graded as pass/no record. Written assignments may be required throughout the semester to complement the placement experience. Evaluation is based on the quality of work on site, written assignments, and conference and meeting participation.
Because of the competitive nature of internship placements and due to the difficulty in establishing internships in certain fields for students whose Dutch language skills are not strong, placements cannot be guaranteed. In some cases details are not finalized until shortly before the beginning of the semester. All interested students should consult the website and/or contact Central College Abroad regarding fields and placement upon application to the program. Internship application forms can be found on the website.
How to Apply for an Internship
Besides the general application to the program, students interested in doing an internship must complete an internship application. This application can be dowloaded from the internship section of this website. Internship applications are due Nov. 1 for spring semester or May 1 for fall semester.
To complete your internship application you will also need to submit the following:
- A separate essay geared to the field in which you would like to pursue an internship. This can act as a cover letter.
- A résumé.
- Two internship recommendations (separate from the faculty recommendations that are required for the general application to the program). For example, these letters can be written by a previous supervisor or coach who can attest to your personal traits well.
You will receive guidelines on completing the above mentioned portions of the internship application once the internship application has been received.
Internship Listings
The following lists internships that students have had in the past and the general duties that students were required to undertake. These duties change each semester depending on the sponsor's requirements at the time. Dutch language proficiency will be a prerequisite for most internships. If you would like an internship in a field not listed, we encourage you to contact Central College Abroad..
Frans Halsmuseum
This museum in the city of Haarlem, a 20-minute train ride away from Leiden, is famous for its collection of Frans Hals paintings. In fact, it houses several municipal collections, ranging from everyday objects to 'high' art, dating from the middle ages to the present. The intern will put together an English-language theme tour through the museum and/or city, the actual exhibit being the illustration material. A major in art history or history is required.
Leiden American Pilgrim Museum
This very small museum aims to keep alive the memory of the Pilgrim Fathers, Puritan Calvinists who fled England and lived in Leiden (1606-1620), before coming to America. The museum is housed in one of the oldest existent dwellings (ca. 1420) of Leiden and furnished with objects from the time of the pilgrims. Illustrations and documents complete the collection to give an idea how these people lived. Interns will assist the museum director with research and documentation. A major in history or art history is required.
Library of the Institute for East European Law and Russian Studies
The library is part of Leiden University and has a very large collection of legal, political and economic books, papers and journals on countries of the former Eastern Bloc. The candidate will be assigned a project and assist with typical librarian jobs.
MSP Associates
Management consultants for marketing and sales productivity. Internship opportunities for marketing and communications majors. This is located in Amsterdam. Experience with computer systems is required.
Museum Het Rembrandthuis
The museum is located at the actual spot where Rembrandt lived and worked in Amsterdam. Next to keeping the artist's house open to the public, the museum is specialized in his prints and subjects related to them. By assisting in a variety of ways, interns get an insight of how a modest-sized, but internationally renowned, museum is run and functions. A major in art history or history is advantageous.
Nursery School "Krullevaar"
'De Krullevaar' is a nursery school for children ranging from infants to four years of age, with an annex that includes a kindergarten for children ranging from four to eight years of age, after-school and holiday childcare. An internship is only possible for students who already speak Dutch and are interested in doing research, either in (developmental) psychology or sociology.
The American School of the Hague
This is an international K-12 school, run on American educational principles and curriculums but with an international student body. All instruction is in English. Interns will have the opportunity to work as teachers' aides, and may, depending on the student's background and experience, have the opportunity to design and teach their own lessons and tutor ESL students. It is located 10 minutes from Leiden by bus. Education major required.
Waterstone's Bookshop
Waterstone's is a major English bookshop in Holland. It supplies lovers of the English language all over Holland with reading material of all sorts. It has 40,000 English and American titles to choose from, fiction and non-fiction. It also stocks an extensive range of English and American newspapers and magazines, as well as videos and audio cassettes. The bookshop regularly organizes author visits, English teaching seminars and customer competitions. Interns are required to speak basic Dutch because, among a variety of other things, they are expected to help clients.
Willem van den Bergh Foundation
An internship at the Care of the Mentally Handicapped requires a major in psychology or sociology. This internship may consist of research work, as well as practical hands-on work. Previous experience in this field is advantageous.
